Best combo vac combination

[Kirb]

I'm upgrading my old doyle vacs with combo vacs and not sure what combination. Should I go with 2 fragrance with turbo and 2 shampoo with turbo or 1 fragrance with turbo, 1 shampoo with turbo and 2 turbo vacs or four 4-1? I love that with the 4-1 the customers have to use only one vac but not sure about the confusion of all the hoses and functions. All of my vacs are not blocking any bays or block any traffic flow.
Thanks,
Kirb

 

[bigleo48]

Kirb,

Depending on what your setup is, I would try to standardize the machine you have to avoid confusion. What I would do is this: have 4 shampoo/vacs (all with 3 motors) and a separate fragrance machine in a very visible and readily accessible location. This is what works best for me.

BigLeo

BigLeo

 

[soapy]

Shampoo and vacs have worked best for me compared to vac and fragrance.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

^That's the way I would go.

 

[Indiana Wash]

I have shampoo, vac and fragrance at every station. You would be amazed how much those silly fragrance machines bring in. Especially over the last month as Spring was starting.

 

[Whale of a Wash]

I have one stand alone shampooer next to a couple of dual vacs. The shampoo probably doesn't give me more than a couple hundred a summer, and the $175 hose needs replacing about every third year from being driven over. Will a combo machine (Market) itself better and produce more $$.

 

[Indiana Wash]

I have one stand alone shampooer next to a couple of dual vacs. The shampoo probably doesn't give me more than a couple hundred a summer, and the $175 hose needs replacing about every third year from being driven over. Will a combo machine (Market) itself better and produce more $$.

My combo vacs with shampoo or fragrance do a whole lot more business than my standalone unit next to vacs. I have combo vac/fragrance and combo vac/shampoo. I also have standalone fragrance and standalone shampoo.

 

[MEP001]

We have three shampoo/fragrance vacs that do extremely well. I can only assume it's because the customer has everything they need at one station. It's not unusual to see someone drop $6-8 and use every function. Yes, three hoses on one machine is a bit of an issue to keep straight, but it's not too bad. I don't have customers running over the hoses or guns, but I give them lots of time and check them frequently to make sure everything works and nothing ever runs out.

 

[Earl Weiss]

The Shampoo and vacs generate more $ Than frag Vacs for us probably because A. The Shampoo is priced at $3.00 and Frag at $1.00. B. Also with the S N V the customer needs to vac first to remove heavy dirt, then Shampoo and Vac again to remove moisture. That doesn't mean more of these units will generate more $. My ideal setup has one of each at the islands near each other so all custoers can access either. I posted pisctures of my fav setup with the units facing each other so customers on either side can access either / both.

FWIW my last units were purchased with Bill acceptors. I reccomend it. If I had the wiring in place I likely would have had them set up with CC acceptors as well.

 

[Kirb]

Thank you for all your replies. Its a big investment and I want to make sure I go the best combination.
Thanks again,
Kirb

 

[JMMUSTANG]

I have one Mega-Vac from Ind. Vac that has 2 price points-.75 for 2 motor and 1.25 for 3 motor and that does as well as my carpet shampooers during the summer and a lot better during the winter.
I agree with Earl that having a bill acceptor helps A Lot.
For $5.00 I give Bonus time for vacuum and/or carpet shampoo on my combo vacs. People love it

 

[I.B. Washincars]

If it were me, I would leave at least one "idiot" vac. Some people are just too stupid to flip a switch, turn a knob, or heaven forbid, actually read directions. If at all possible I would have a "Drop in the money and it comes on" vac. There is always going to be that portion of the population that is stuck in the "That's the way we've always done it" mentality.

 

[MEP001]

If it were me, I would leave at least one "idiot" vac.

I've seen a lot of people pull up to our shampoo/fragrance vacs, look blankly at all the hoses and features, then drive around to the rear vacs which are just plain vacuums which are priced the same for the same amount of time. I don't know if they can't figure it out or if they think it will cost more, but it's a little amusing.

I watched a poor guy at a friend's wash drop his money in the fragrance vac, then turned to his car to spray and the door was locked, fished his keys out of his pocket and got the door open but then couldn't find the trigger button on the gun. By the time he did, he got maybe one second of spray before the time ran out.