Air freshner /Odor Neutralizer

[benny2]

I will be opening a new Express Exterior with free vacuums within the next 30 days. I really would like to offer a single odor neutralizer in a spray bottle in the free vacuum area at no charge. I would like input from someone who has tried something like this before. I completely understand the obvious such as constantly replacing spray bottles from customers taking them. Second, costs associated, and third the draw back of discontinuing this service.

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[robert roman]

Some full-service operators give their customers a free litter bag (keepsake) each visit.

The bag is hung in a conspicuous place inside the vehicle and has company logo and contact information emblazoned on it.

I can buy a little tree at Advance for $0.75 and it will last maybe week or two whereas fragrance sprayed from bottle might last only several days.

Where’s the value?

Instead, take a page from the Dean of Clean.

Before he past away, Ira Feinberg wrote an article extolling the benefit of giving customers a free green wiping towel as sort of a way of saying thank you, we care.

The towel also becomes like the litter bag, a keepsake.

So, if you want to create value-added with fragrance, giving customers a little tree or something similar might be a cleaner and more effective way to achieve this especially if you can get your advertising on it.

 

[Jeff_L]

Small squirt bottle, your advertisement on it, give it to the customer at the point of purchase with the top package. That way you don't give people the option to steal your bottles.

 

[washnshine]

Bob and Jeff both offered good ideas for a keepsake giveaway. Another option would be fragrance machines that are activated by a token that is given to the customer. For a free service, I would go with a 30 second cycle or less per token.

https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/c-1060-fragrance-machines.aspx

 

[benny2]

Thanks guys,

Robert and Jeff's suggestions are a little more difficult to implement since I have 2 unattended lanes because I have pay stations.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Bob and Jeff both offered good ideas for a keepsake giveaway. Another option would be fragrance machines that are activated by a token that is given to the customer. For a free service, I would go with a 30 second cycle or less per token.

https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/c-1060-fragrance-machines.aspx

I had thoughts along those lines as well, but not bother with the token. Just have a push-button on the fragrance machine that will activate it for a cycle.

 

[rph9168]

Trash bags used to be a no brainer but in most cars today there is no place to hang them since almost all knobs have been replaced with push buttons and the lighter is usually recessed in the ash tray.

 

[washnshine]

I had thoughts along those lines as well, but not bother with the token. Just have a push-button on the fragrance machine that will activate it for a cycle.

Right - that is the only way it will work since he can't use the tokens now if he is going to have pay stations.

In that case I'd dial the cycle time back to 15 seconds or so - especially if it can be used indiscriminately. At least make the customer go back and push the button more times if they are going to pump out a whole gallon of freshener in their car!

 

[JMMUSTANG]

My experience is that a lot of customers, other than kids for their own reasons, don't like the scents in their car.
My real question is WHY our industry feels like we have to give something or service away FREE just to get customers to come in.
Free vacs, towels, scent, window cleaner, etc.
How many other industries give services away free?
Sure there's the occational free give away in some industries, to promote a new service or product.
As for our concerns over raising prices does anyone know of any industries that from time to time (usually annually) not adjust their prices/margins?
Take a look at what you paid just for chemicals 5-10 years ago and what you're paying now.
Forget about all the other expenses we have. They all have risen.
I'm over my rant for now.

 

[benny2]

I am not confrontational but i want to share something with you JM.

The term Free the majority or the time is not free in the literal since when it comes to business. You will see big business i.e ( dealerships, tire retailers, fast food, etc use this term. Buy 3 tires get 1 free. Free tire rotation with oil change. If you notice if you go to any restaurant purchasing a burger and fries is the same price and some times even more than purchasing the combo meal. It's the businesses job to properly price this marketing strategy in.

 

[washnshine]

I am not confrontational but i want to share something with you JM.

The term Free the majority or the time is not free in the literal since when it comes to business. You will see big business i.e ( dealerships, tire retailers, fast food, etc use this term. Buy 3 tires get 1 free. Free tire rotation with oil change. If you notice if you go to any restaurant purchasing a burger and fries is the same price and some times even more than purchasing the combo meal. It's the businesses job to properly price this marketing strategy in.

So true. I just had this conversation with another operator/friend on the different things we include in various wash packages and how it is portrayed to the customer on the menu. It's all about the marketing and profit margin. If the customer perceives a free service or product in the package, even better.

 

[Randy]

We use Fabreze in one of the selections in our fragrance machines and it sells better than any of the other scents and it doesn’t freeze.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Back in the late 60's and early 70's came the exterior car wash craze with reduced wash prices (usually $1-$3) or a free wash with a fillup by major oil companies.
These washes used a very small foot print for the wash building and equipment, meaning cheaper to build and equip. around $100-$300,000.
This was used to increase gas volume which it did.
Even with all the capital that the oil companies had and the increase in gas volume they realized over time that you can't survive giving away free washes.
The cost to wash a car was just too much. Many if not most of the individual operators went out of business.
The oil companies operations started charging for the wash, with a reduced wash price if you bought gas.
Today they give a .05-.20 cent per gallon gas discount towards the purchase of a wash. Same difference. But not free.
benny2 packaging products is not a novel idea for business marketing in any industry especially the car wash industry.
Todays craze is the Express Wash.
In our industry though we now spend, above our initial wash eqp., upwards to $100,000 or more to purchase vacs and other equipment (the sizzle) to give a $3-5 car wash some 50+ years later.
Many operators include towels, scent, window cleaner, etc. free to promote volume increase.
I'm one of those operators. Been washing cars in full, self, iba and express washes for a very long time.
Can we as operators learn from the past.
History has a way of repeating itself.

Randy I like your Fabreze comment, funny.