combo vacs, shampooers, air fresheners

[cruth25]

Currently, we have vacuums only. Thinking about installing combo vac, shampooer, and air freshener. How well does each one really do? Which is the best money maker? It seems like they cost a fortune. Any advice would be helpful. Anything to generate more income.

 

[Whale of a Wash]

While i have no experience with a combo machine, I have had a fragramatics shampoo machine for 20yrs. Not sure if it has paid for itself yet. Not too much use, and every couple of years have to buy a new hose for $160. The hose and the fine tubes and foam generator inside the hose take a beating from the flexing. I have a Dual vacuum next to the shampooer, and seems to get more water, and problems. I was at one SS wash in salem,ma. that had nearly 10 combo machines, so i have seen them at many washes I have visited. If you do buy one do not get one with a red top cover, the UV fades the red the fastest, and makes them look really bad.

 

[wendy's wash]

purchased 5 combo's off e-bay, and 2 more from closed wash. all were coleman. 3 carpet and 4 scent. installed on pedistal facing front with old vacs in back. paid 4,000 for first 5 that were 10 years old and 1,250 each for last 2 that were 4 years old. the combos do about 4 times the money every month. the regular vacs still do alot of work. some customers use old as they think to combo's are hard to figure out how to use. largest wash with 4 combos does about 2,000 a month and old vacs do about 500. increased income with combos. well worth the cost at price i paid but i feel lucky to find people who sold their closed wash vacs at a very good price.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I have Tunnels.

Had Vacs only with some Fagrance machines.

In 1990 or So I figured I'd give combos a try and Bought a Coleman Fresh N vac and Shampoo and Vac.

Since then I have bought 11 more. Paid as much as $6000.00 for new with bill acceptors, and $1700 for refurbished units.

3 of them are refurbished used ones.

The most recent new ones i figured I'd try theBill acceptor option.

I have not regretted any purchase.

The combos seem to do better than the stand alone Shampoo or fragrance machine.

If your vacs do well. your combos will do well.

 

[thoffmanjr]

We have had the opposite experience regarding revenue. We see very little difference. In a few days I can post a picture and count the money separately in each. We have regular stainless vacs sprinkled in between them. We have good placement for them and we have had fragrance and shampoo vacs that are well maintained and the money in them seems the same. To be honest though we put little or no effort into training our customers or promoting them.

 

[Sequoia]

Combos

I think it depends on the location. Combo vacs at my location did not do nearly as well as I had hoped, but my vacs are in the back and are not even visible until the customer is in their car driving away.

If a combo in a high visibility locaition replaced a regular vac it might be an entirely different thing.

Two thoughts on combos- I was advised *not* to combine vac, fragrance, and shampoo all into one machine. Too many hoses to get tangled and only one customer at a time could use it.

My shampoo combo vac did better than the fragrance. All my customers wanted to keep using little trees instead of crawling around with a hose and gun spraying fragrance under their seats.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

While I like the look of the combo vacs and the functionality, it's hard to beat the old dumb vac. The combos can give your facility an up to date look for $4000+ each but so can $30 of new decals, hoses and claws. We have stand alone FragraMatics scent machines and while they used to do a good business, they are a PITA to maintain. All it takes is one customer to hook the hose or drive over it and you're out $160+. A lot of combos have fancy timers with scrolling message centers that are not cheap to replace. We had one combo at a wash I no longer own and it just didn't produce the additional income its price/maintenance cost demands. I just don't see the return on the money to make that kind of investment. I think the money would be better spent somewhere else, just keep the dumb vacs sucking the best they can. My $.02.

 

[MEP001]

While i have no experience with a combo machine, I have had a fragramatics shampoo machine for 20yrs. Not sure if it has paid for itself yet. Not too much use, and every couple of years have to buy a new hose for $160.

Historically, standalone shampooers and fragrance machines will do a small fraction of what a combo unit will bring in.

I was advised *not* to combine vac, fragrance, and shampoo all into one machine. Too many hoses to get tangled and only one customer at a time could use it.

It is a bit of a problem - with three shampoo/fragrance combo vacs in front of the bays I have to rehang them a lot whenever I'm there, and even though no one hangs them up the way I would like, they rarely get badly tangled. It does seem like the more often customers see me straightening the hoses after them, the less likely they are to leave them twisted together the next time.

All it takes is one customer to hook the hose or drive over it and you're out $160+. A lot of combos have fancy timers with scrolling message centers that are not cheap to replace. We had one combo at a wash I no longer own and it just didn't produce the additional income its price/maintenance cost demands. I just don't see the return on the money to make that kind of investment.

I've never had a hose hooked or run over and destroyed, nor have I ever had a digital display timer fail. Each combo unit has nearly paid for itself in revenue every year, so after 7 1/2 years it's been quite a good investment.

 

[Earl Weiss]

We have had the opposite experience regarding revenue. We see very little difference. .

Maybe it's a cutomer demographic thing.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Historically, standalone shampooers and fragrance machines will do a small fraction of what a combo unit will bring in.


QUOTE]

I have to agre. Can't say why, but I started with individual units and saw a difference with Combos.

 

[Earl Weiss]

My shampoo combo vac did better than the fragrance. All my customers wanted to keep using little trees instead of crawling around with a hose and gun spraying fragrance under their seats.

Judging by dollar usage mine does as well. BUT since the sahmpoo is $3.00 and teh fragrance is $1.00 even if the addittional service only was used half as much it would still do better dollar wise.

 

[vinh]

Combo vac is definitely the way to go. I recommend Jim coleman unit. I have both jim coleman and fragramatics frag/vac and the jim coleman gets more use. They are troublefree. Change timers and hoses ever few years. I would buy the unit refurb though to save money. $6 grand is pricey. Look around on ebay and closed down washes to find them for less than $1500. I about to put on new decals ($55) and it should look like new.

 

[MudMoney]

I have Fragramatics combo's ,stand alone vacs and vacs that have the dualer setup.My frag/shampooer and dualers run neck in neck on revenue,its great! Stand alone vacs are half the revenue.Combos are 11 years old and paid off the first year, I was very leary about the investment in them as i am in a town of farmers ranchers and railroaders. I would advise against buying a mat beater-cleaner as the pay off is way out there in years.