Touchless Automatic Numbers

[pgrzes]

Who would be interested in sharing numbers with your automatic??
I took out an underperforming 46' expresss tunnel 2 1/2 years ago to install a Washworld High Velocity. I was told I was crazy, everyone is going the other direction!!! My facility was 45 years old and its best year EVER was 24,000 cars. the washes overall averag was about 14,000 cars per year. My first year with automatic which we finished in late February we did just shy of 12,000 cars, last year we were just short of 18,000 cars and this year to date I am right at 11,000 cars. This month i allready have over 3,000 car. A number my express never hit. My wash has been nothing but busy since we made that change and upgraded most all of our equipment. The only new item I purchased was selector doors for the bays, everything else I installed was good used equip. from a closed wash.
So back to original question, what do you guys/gals look for for average months, years from a single automatic? I have only 6 days this month with less then 100 cars. and 3 of them are in the 90's. Do you look to do 1000 cars per month? I know people often dont like to share ## information, but lets get this thing going and do our own survey and see how it compares with the magazine's??
Thanks all for any input.

 

[BBE]

What kind of competition is in your area? What are the towns demographics?

 

[chaz]

I have a MarkVII GT700 and 4 S/S bays. We have many bells and whistles. All equipment accepts quarters and dollar coins plus bills and Credit/Debit. Vacs are cash only at $1 for four minutes, S/S is $3 for four minutes, and Auto is 8$ (no dry), 10$, 11$, and 13$. My 13$ has two step presoak, tire scrubber and tri-foam with a second high pressure rinse. The 11$ is same as 13$ but NO tri-foam and just one high pressure rinse. My hope was the 11$ wash (2 minutes shorter) would appeal to those wanting a less expensive top wash. My 13$ is still me biggest seller.


....now to answer your question, In my Automatic year to date, we have washed 8,299 cars with an average spend of 11.16$. My Auto sales are nearly split even with cash and credit/debit. VISA branded cards are most popular.

What are your prices?!

 

[robert roman]

My data base is fairly consistent with the surveys. Most in-bays at investor sites do not produce 12,000 cars per year (CPY).

Best volume I’ve seen approach 25,000 CPY but these are gas sites or “primo” real estate with few competitors. Also, waiting lines at these sites are atrocious, even for sites with multiple in-bays.

For example, at 12,000 CPY average demand for single in-bay would be 3 cars an hour and peak 9 cars. Since 9 cars is equal to or less than 75 percent of typical in-bay maximum hourly capacity, the likelihood or probability of reaching 12,000 CPY is quite high.

At 18,000 CPY, average demand would be 5 cars an hour and peak 15 cars which is greater than maximum hourly capacity of typical in-bay. Thus, the probability of reaching 18,000 is much less than 12,000.

At 24,000 CPY, average demand would be about 7 cars and peak 21. Thus, the probability of reaching 24,000 is less than 18,000 and considerably less than 12,000.

This leads me to question the site location characteristics of your property because the volume performance is not typical for single in-bay.

 

[tdlconceptsllc]

Hey man I want to say that's hauling a** that's awsome those numbers are like back in the good days before my time. I am a touchless laserwash, WashWorld type of guy also. My numbers at my site does good for a town of 6,300 people but not like that. I know couple sites like that but there in towns with over 12K people. What's your average per car for your best year? Also what's the price of each wash I just went up to $12 for my top wash last week I went from doing a $8.33 average per car to $9.12 average. What brand of soaps do you use and paystation, maybe i ain't doing something right and you could help some of us lol.

 

[gearhead]

Those are really good #s for 1 touch free auto. Mine are higher but I have 3 bays. With #s like that I have to wonder if you may be leaving something on the table only having one. I know what my lines are like in the winter. I can only imagine what yours are like.
It also seems very puzzling to me as to why the tunnel didn't do as well. But, I have to say, great gutsy call on the model change and congrats on the success you are having. Now, if your popularity increases, fine tuning your throughput will be the ongoing challenge.

 

[robert roman]

Like Gearhead, I am also very puzzled why the tunnel didn't do as well.

What principal reasons, pgrzes, do you suspect?

After all, switching from tunnel to in-bay flies in the face of convention - express exterior is the wave of the future.

 

[pgrzes]

Well I am not the expert in industry trends for carwashes!!! I went with what I felt was working in my area. 2 lingering express and 1 other failing full serve within 2 miles of. Busiest wash in my area was a self serve with 2 autos!!! I was not willing to reinvest into what I allready had that was not working. I updated buildings looks, purchased good used equipment, loaded up on soap and now I have more volume then the facility ever has in the 48 years its been around!!! Self Serve is supposedly a dyeing business?? I have 7 bays and things are rolling along very well, I added convenience items, credit cards in bays, bill acceptors in bays, nice new selector doors with flashing lights. My automatic is much more stable then tunnel was. No more 350-400 car days but almost no 0 days, and way more 125-175 car days then ever before. Little to no labor to deal with, very few complaints!! Yes chemical and water bills are a little higher, but my overall expenses are down. Oh by the way, the other automatic location has 2 autos and does more then double my location!!!! So allthough MAYBE express is the wave of the future in some locations and some peoples minds, I feel that maybe all areas are not equal!!!!

 

[washnvac]

Those are really good #s for 1 touch free auto. Mine are higher but I have 3 bays. With #s like that I have to wonder if you may be leaving something on the table only having one. I know what my lines are like in the winter.

Funny story regarding this-- at one location I had one friction automatic. In February 2007, it did just under 3000 washes. At that point I decided to put in a second friction wash in my rv bay. It opened December 2007. Not once, until this past Winter, did I wash more than that 3000 number in any one month. It seems there is something to that single line all the way out to the road that brings people in.

Of course, having two units splits the load, and it is not such an urgency if one goes down. Although my overall volume has generally been up, except the 2008-2011 period, it just defies explanation as to why the car count is not a lot higher with two autos.

 

[termn8tr]

We have a 10 year old multiple in bay facility with 1 Oasis XP touchfree and 1 Autec friction unit located in Canada. We wash an average of 3600 cars per month with a average price of $13.00 Cdn per vehicle. Best week to date, was in March of this year, with 1644 cars washed in a week! Why couldn't it be like that every week, lol

 

[robert roman]

Thanks for responding.

No, not industry expert but I would suspect expert on your market and that’s why I asked.

“….all areas are not equal….”

Certainly true, however, you did “reinvest” in this business. Updated building (very important), different system (used but probably looks brand new in customer’s eyes) as well as several “key” SS improvements.

“No more 350-400 car days but almost no 0 days, and way more 125-175 car days then ever before.”

I can understand no more 350-400 car days because you have made it physically impossible to do so.

Likewise, I can understand more and/or mostly 125-175 days because this is upper limit for one standard in-bay.

“….best year EVER was 24,000 cars”

However, bottom line you still haven’t topped this number nor are you likely to with just one standard in-bay.

So the defiant performance of wands and in-bay in your area (better than express) is still a mystery to me.

Of course, I don’t know your site and location characteristics or area household statistics either.

As for wave of future, this comes out of the mouth of practically every published broker, appraiser, equipment manufacturer and real estate agent.

How big is express exploding?

Are you aware Metro Express is building the U.S. largest express carwash in Denver? The company is retrofitting a 34,000 SF warehouse so it can wash 5,000 cars a day with 14 to 16 employees.

SS isn’t going to disappear but rather it has been in major accident or severely wrecked.

The construction trend, consolidation and market cap rates have locked the exit doors for many self-service locations.

 

[pgrzes]

Robert you are correct, I have not and probably will never top 24,000 cars with a single automatic!!!! When I switched I never expected to top that number, BUT what I wanted to do was lower my expenses and raise my per car average. I did. I am almost $3 per car higher average, and with the nearly 18,000 cars I did last year I was well over my highest grossing year ever! So I dont know about what everyone else is looking to achieve here, but more $$$$ and less work seems to me to be a much nicer option, I am not getting any younger!!! As much as I like to look at my car counts, I more like to look at and count $$$$$. We are in fact in the carwash business, but more important to me is the money business. Again the automatic is much more stable then my express and some of the other washes around me. I dont yet this year have a single day without any washes. I am not in Denver, so I dont understand your relevance to what they do there compared to my area??? Just because a facility can wash 5000 cpd. How many will they wash? I hope nothing but success for the place, I would assume that they are spending $4-5 million to build? If I had $4-5 mil. I dont think I would build a carwash, I would look to something with better ROI. I did what I saw in my area working and what I felt would work. You specifically told me it wont work, and wanted me to pay you thousands of dollars to tell me how I should do it!!! I and my family are happy and quite secure now!! Enough of my 2 cents for now. Take it all with a grain of salt and an aspirin and call me in the morning!!!

 

[chaz]

Agreed. I'd rather wash fewer cars at a higher price. Less wear and tear, less abuse in my s/s, and more $$$ in my pocket. My fixed expenses don't change, I just choose to pay by bills by being a higher end wash. We keep the place in great condition, fix issues quickly and always respond fast to any and all customer calls. At $3 for four minutes s/s and 8,10,11 and 13 on the auto I'm the highest in my area. And that's ok!

 

[rph9168]

I always remember I had a customer that owned a full serve wash whose base price was $10 and his top package was $29. This was back in the 80's when most washes started at $5. While he didn't do a great volume his revenue was excellent. He once told me that every time he went the bank to make a deposit they never asked him how many cars he did. I think sometimes in this business the most important thing is the bottom line.

 

[robert roman]

Thanks for the response to my question but don’t make stuff up that’s not true.

“You specifically told me it wont work, and wanted me to pay you thousands of dollars to tell me how I should do it!!!”

I never specifically told you to do anything nor have I ever asked you to pay anything.

I don’t even know who you are.

 

[chaz]

Yep, car high car counts are great. But high bank deposits are even better. I'm not able to pay my mortgage with car counts!

 

[pgrzes]

Thanks for the response to my question but don’t make stuff up that’s not true.

100% True

“You specifically told me it wont work, and wanted me to pay you thousands of dollars to tell me how I should do it!!!”


I never specifically told you to do anything nor have I ever asked you to pay anything.

You absolutely told me express was the way you have to do it!! You wanted me to bring you up to Pa. to check things out and make your recommendations "For a fee"

I don’t even know who you are.

We had several phone conversations!! I told you specifically if you are so good at what you do and so convinced that this is the way to go, no problem, put your $$ where your mouth is, I will listen and try things and if it works I will pay you!!!! You said no I must be paid to make my recommendations and come to look!!It was about 5 years ago!!!
So anyway thanks for the advice you offered. My question to you is how many touchless autos, self serve bays and flex/express washes do you OWN??? Or are you just a book specialist?? Its always easy to work with other peoples money and make advice when its not your balls on the line!!! You always make your backhanded slaps at everyone on this forum and act as though you know everything and nobody else knows anything. I would bet that if you left this forum forever know body here would miss you!!!! I dont know everything about the business, I try to learn things everyday, I talk to and listen to as many people as I can. When I feel I might be able to help or offer up advice I add my 2 cents. Aside from this post I have never flamed anyone, but after seeing as to how you love to do it to everyone and tried to berate my post I felt its my time!!!!! You can do whatever you want but I would prefer that you dont even respond to this or any other post that I put up on the forum..
Thanks and have a nice day!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[robert roman]

It’s all talk so I still don’t know who you are.

“….if you are so good at what you do….put your $$ where your mouth is, I will listen and try things and if it works I will pay you!”

I know one thing. No one in the carwash industry conducts business this way. If you want to buy equipment, parts or service, you have to hand over some cheese.

Working with other people’s money is never easy. It’s a big responsibility I take seriously.

But how would you know.

As for flamed (as in shot down?), if I’m guilty it’s because I usually know what I’m talking about.

Or do you believe bad advice or wrong facts are beneficial to people who want to learn something.

 

[pgrzes]

You didnt answer the question!! How many carwashes do you own???? You see I put my $$$ where my mouth is everyday!!! I own my wash and didnt use anyone elses $$$ to do so!!! I never talk down on anyone on here like you do on EVERYONE of your posts!! I try to offer my assistance when I feel it is worthy and dont put backdoor diatribes on everything trying to prove how smart I THINK I am!! As far as this post please do us all a favor DONT RESPOND BACK!!!! as a matter of fact dont respond to any of my posts, I wont miss you!!! I am certain of one thing I am not alone in my feelings of you!!

 

[robert roman]

“You didnt answer the question!! How many carwashes do you own?”

I own zero washes. After 44 years, I’m semi-retired and collect checks every month. It’s great.

“I own my wash and didnt use anyone elses $$$ to do so!!!”

But you expected me to fly to PA (supposedly) at my time and expense to work with you to help you make more money and then hope to get paid at some time in the future. LOL

This sounds like trying to use other people’s money to me.

“I never talk down on anyone on here like you do….”

Talk down to means speaking in a patronizing manner or in the simplest way.

You can look for underground water with a divining rod or hire a hydro-geologist.

Dowsers supposedly have a “sixth sense” that enables them to find water using a forked branch, pendulum or pair of bent wires.

Hydro-geologists find water by testing and analyzing geologic, meteorological, topographic and other factors.

So, if you believe in divining rod, I imagine you would feel patronized because the scientific community dismisses the practice as paranormal nonsense.