Are self service car washes going extinct ?

[Roz]

I comes down to location and quality of the operator. There are examples in the Mid-Atlantic region of SS/IBA operators who are beating the pants off of the competition, even the tunnels and Express washes. Location, operator, then converting more customers to wash their cars on a regular basis.

Unfortunately the best locations are probably worth more commercially to a real estate developer than to a person who wants to run the wash so the best locations are being converted into other businesses that can be sold like commercial real estate (at a good CAP rate).

 

[Earl Weiss]

I am in a somewhat unique position in that I have an 8 Bay SS and Tunnel on the same property. There is a market for both. Fortunately some of the same labor can maintain the Tunnel SS. Don't know that I would be likely to do an SS as a stand alone anywhere. There is another operator several miles away that has SS, IBA and exterior tunnel all on the same property. But he recently converted to of his SS properties to EE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf2Vj0TXcKo

 

[soapy]

Most of us on here are old enough to remember the first thing that gave us true independence from our parents. It was our first car that let us connect with the world outside of our families. So we all have a love affair with our cars. Fast forward a few decades and the cell phone has taken the place of a first car as the liberating factor. Hence kids today have less affection for their any car and more for the cell phone.

 

[soapybroker]

Randy I really appreciate your point of view. I never looked at it from the city tax revenue point of view. The particular sight that I'm working could be great for other retail endeavors. Solid Insight

 

[soapybroker]

Your right about that. Highest and best use.

 

[6t7gto]

I just thought of another one:

A lot of the old run down SS washes don't accept credit cards and more and more people are not carrying cash.

I read a YELP review on my wash.
"Does not accept credit cards. C'mon it's 2018"

Prolly a millennial and at my age I'm going to let the next owner put the CC system and the associated headaches in.

Yep, I was right. He has a 5 year old.

 

[mjwalsh]

I read a YELP review on my wash.
"Does not accept credit cards. C'mon it's 2018"

Prolly a millennial and at my age I'm going to let the next owner put the CC system and the associated headaches in.

Yep, I was right. He has a 5 year old.

6t7gto,

Possibly an opportunity to answer the review ... in a way that sheds light on where your car wash actually does better in other ways to more than make up for the "merchant fee based" passed on to customer approach!

Soapy ... has a good point about how previous young people had more of a love affair with their cars than nowadays.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Prolly a millennial and at my age I'm going to let the next owner put the CC system and the associated headaches in.

.

FWIW If I compare cost / headaches of CC Acceptance in the SS with most anything else I would say the cost - headache / benefit is as good or better than most every piece of SS equipment. For instance - net revenue in a decent month can cover the entire cost of equipment. (Bays - Vacs will take longer if you choose to do it) Headaches are probably less than clogged, and broken hoses and replacing other parts. (Caveat - foregoing assumes you already have compatible Timers)

 

[pgrzes]

IMO, You really need to have credit cards. We talk about it all the time and the biggest detraction is "the fees". For me the 5.5% I am paying is well worth the added income the cards bring in. Add to that time to sort, count, take to bank etc. etc. is well worth it. I have more customers because I have credit cards and you dont! People spend more in bays and vacs with CC. Etc. etc. Nothing I like better then to wake up every morning and look at deposits. I get them every day without ever going to the bank. I know we like the cash, and you will still get it. I have Cryptopay, and I really dont have any headaches with it. After 6 years just had first swiper go down. once people are used to the system the calls about the hold are very seldom, max charges calls are also very infrequent and could both be handled with a message on the voicemail. For about $500 per bay, a good month you will make enough from it to pay for it. Count up credit card and bay blowers are an unbeatable combination!! Again this is just my opinion!!

 

[MEP001]

FWIW If I compare cost / headaches of CC Acceptance in the SS with most anything else I would say the cost - headache / benefit is as good or better than most every piece of SS equipment. For instance - net revenue in a decent month can cover the entire cost of equipment. (Bays - Vacs will take longer if you choose to do it) Headaches are probably less than clogged, and broken hoses and replacing other parts. (Caveat - foregoing assumes you already have compatible Timers)

Agreed, other than merchant fees I see no downside of accepting CC at the wash. Of course I've never had a customer dispute a charge...

 

[Waxman]

Credit card readers on bays are a must for me. Mine have been great. Hard to beat Cryptopay's reliability.