Signs Do Not Work for me

[DiamondWash]

I setup a discount program as follows:

Monday thru Sunday 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. $1.00 off when you type in code 50111 before you insert cash or credit card.

Monday - Wednesday - Friday - Sunday 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. $1.00 off when you type in code 50112 before you insert cash or credit card.

I have signs at the coin-boxes, I have wind master signs stating the above message but somehow customers are still not using our special and want to pay full price I'm all for the full price but damn I try to help people in this economy and they seem brain dead.

AND! If I walk up and mention the special they ALL say the same thing I didn't see the signs. what if I hire a clown holding a sign

 

[pitzerwm]

People are bombarded with 3000 items a day trying to get their attention, most have just numbed out, until it knocks them literally onto their butt.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I'm not surprised...unless a real person tells a customer something...they are usually just lost in space...

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

Diamondwash,
Agreed, there is a lot of frustration in our industry about people not reading signs.

Admittedly I only see a couple small facts that you posted, without knowing whats really going on I could be way off base here. Nevertheless, my constructively intended opinion: Your sign is way to complex.
1) Monday thru Sunday
2) 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.
3) $1.00 off
4) type in code
5) 50111
6) before
7) cash or credit card.
8) Monday - Wednesday - Friday - Sunday
9) 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
10) $1.00 off type in code
11) 50112
12) before
13) cash or credit card.

I count thirteen things I have to process to understand your sign. In today's sound-bite world thats too many, I had to stop and think about it when I read it. People dont want to think.

Your post says:

damn I try to help people in this economy and they seem brain dead.

If I were a customer and you told me that, I'd say: "If that is really what you are trying to do, dont make me type in stupid codes, just give me the freaking discount." Automatically. To everyone.
Put up a big banner that says something simple like
"25% discount off peak" (or "$1 discount weekday evenings" or whatever).
then smaller print with more details if you want, like "DiamondWash helping out in this crappy obamaconomy."

Anyway, my basic point is:
a) make sure you understand what it is you are really trying to accomplish - "helping out" or marketing?
b) KISS

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

Oh, one last comment - what were you going to do with the data about the codes they type in? Run a report that shows you that 50 people typed in code 123 this month? Cool... now you know how many people read your sign and cared enough to type the code in. How will that info make you more profitable, how will you use that info?
If you dont have an answer to that question, done erect the customer-irritating barrier of typing in codes.

Yes, I know there are uses for the data. Just saying, I'll bet $1 that 99.9% of us in the SS industry would not use it to improve profits. Therefore, dont do it.

jmho

 

[DiamondWash]

This is too hard to read???

 

[pitzerwm]

Maybe on Florescent green paper?

 

[Earl Weiss]

I think the message could be better. The point is to take advantage of the $1.00 savings yet that is way down the message.

I would lead off with

"Save $1.00" Really big letters and then add.
"off any wash package"

6 a.m. to 9 a.m. type in code 50111 before inserting cash or credit card.

Monday - Wednesday - Friday - Sunday 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. type in code 50112 before you insert cash or credit card.


Also can't hep but wonder why no 4-7 $1.00 of Tues, Thurs,?

Message would be simpler if discount applied everyday at that time.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

This is too hard to read???

I didnt say hard to read, I said complex. The pic helps a lot, yes the sign is a lot clearer than I thought based on what you wrote in your initial post.

But I stand behind my first reply - we can either complain about our customers being stupid, or we can try to work within that reality and figure out how to get our message across. IMO long or complex messages, requiring codes, etc etc make customers want to ignore us. Know your objective and make it pathetically simple for the customer, otherwise most will ignore you.

My apologies if this wasnt the kind of reply you were looking for; if so, please just politely ignore me.

 

[mac]

People just do not read signs. Any signs. I can prove this to you in a way you won't believe. At the bottom of any of your signs simply put "Free $20 to anyone who asks attendent" You will stand there all day and not hand out one.

 

[txheat]

AND! If I walk up and mention the special they ALL say the same thing I didn't see the signs. what if I hire a clown holding a sign

Agree with some of the posters. There are folks just dont want to read signs, but i wouldnt go to far by giving away $20. If your customers are saying they dont see the sign, try driving your vehicle up to the paystation and see if that is the case. In other words relocate the sign.

cut the sign up in half seperating the different time. Instead of having one long paper you have 2 seperate ones hanging in the middle of the paystation where customers do see it. I would rearrange wording
DISCOUNT $1 OFF ( big bold print )
Days and Hours
use code # put in code before payment

something like that but 2 separate signs for different time. hope that help.

 

[DiamondWash]

I DO appreciate all of the advise from everybody here I will reword it recolor it and see whats happens. and Paul no hard feelings I get what you were saying to me and I will use that for future signs thank you.

 

[txheat]

I DO appreciate all of the advise from everybody here I will reword it recolor it and see whats happens. and Paul no hard feelings I get what you were saying to me and I will use that for future signs thank you.

btw...use outdoor doublesided tape you eliminate drilling holes in the brick.

 

[DiamondWash]

Well I can say rewording it with the "Magic Words" is paying off more people are paying attention to our special now, you have to have the word FREE or MONEY carefully worded enable for it to work.

 

[Earl Weiss]

DISCOUNT $1 OFF ( big bold print )
Days and Hours
use code # put in code before payment

.

IMNSHO I think "SAVE" is a more powerful attention grabber than "DISCOUNT"

 

[Kevin James]

WOW! A $1 discount. A course there not going to read your sign and use your code a $1 isn’t much of a discount. Our closest competitor gives a $3 discount on Monday’s thru Wednesday, a $2 discount code on the entry system receipt that’s good only on Thursday thru Sunday. He also has a deal with the 2 closest gas stations that they put the $2 discount code on the gas receipt. He also has a promotion that he does whenever the mood strikes him, he calls it Wacky Friday. He has a “A” board sign that he puts out in front of the car wash about one Friday a month that’s says “Wacky Friday $5 off any wash package” That brings them in.

 

[txheat]

WOW! A $1 discount. A course there not going to read your sign and use your code a $1 isn’t much of a discount. Our closest competitor gives a $3 discount on Monday’s thru Wednesday, a $2 discount code on the entry system receipt that’s good only on Thursday thru Sunday. He also has a deal with the 2 closest gas stations that they put the $2 discount code on the gas receipt. He also has a promotion that he does whenever the mood strikes him, he calls it Wacky Friday. He has a “A” board sign that he puts out in front of the car wash about one Friday a month that’s says “Wacky Friday $5 off any wash package” That brings them in.

lol $1 off is good. Only idiots pass that up, unless you got too much money to care...lol. If it were 50 cents , i would use the code. As for promotion i give away free wash on Wednesdays or $5 off on other packages.

 

[DiamondWash]

Customers are more aware now that we are doing SOMETHING to help even if it's $1 off, our gas prices are down .30 cents and still keep falling, any discount is better then nothing and once people take notice that we are offering that our traffic counts are up (slightly) but continuous.

 

[buda]

You have to be honest with yourself as a consumer...

How many signs do you read?

And doesn't a sign or a advertisement in a magazine or on the internet turn you off when there is too much writing?

In my 40+ years in the car wash/detail industry I am amazed how operators delude themselves into believing that their customers would read some of the service menu signs they put up.

There are some rules I have set for myself about signs:

a. The main ID sign for a business does nothing but tell someone who is looking for you, where you are.

b. That an A-Frame sign on the street advertising a $5.00 exterior wash where you have been $10+ for a full service will draw in a lot of business.

c. Service menu signs are not read. They are great for the service writer to use to sell from.

And with the POS terminals, heck the customer does not even listen to the pleasant young lady on the screen.

Put an A Frame sign on the street that says, "SAVE $1.00 on Your Next Wash"

That might get some attention.

Regards
Bud Abraham

 

[DiamondWash]

Ohh this program is getting alot of attention now, Just today for the Sunday special I have 42 people use it in a 3 hr period between both automatics, my morning numbers were slow now I'm up to 12-25 people using it each morning. I have noticed that the info I am collecting is that my mornings are becoming more busy and my slow afternoon days are now picking up.