Blow the snow off package?

[teamplex65]

Have any of you ever tried or considered a snow blow off package. we have people that go through all the time that say they just want to blow the snow off their cars.

I hate seeing them pay $6 and watch 2 passes of presoak be applied to 4" of snow on the car.

I was thinking gatlin guns, HP wash, and then a dry (so no soap product used). This would be a winter option only. I am thinking $3-$5 for this and leaning to the low price. It would be mainly used when we arent washing cars anyway, immedeatly following a snowfall.

Any thoughts or ideas?

Steve

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Interesting idea...the presoak won't do anything on a fresh layer of snow...I like it. Do it!

 

[Whale of a Wash]

It's a good idea, but i can see very few with a clean car coming in, won't most be somewhat dirty and then want a clean car when they leave. Around here they would be saying the same in summer, all i have is a little dust- I should get a discount ,I don't know what type of wash you have, but isn't $6 already pretty cheap.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

I like the idea, I'd do... something.

By eliminating the ps, are you really saving enough $ to cut your price in half?
Dont you then also have more labor to clean up all the snow & ice?
Now, if you're thinking about doing it as a marketing campaign, then yeah, thats great - just make sure you know why you're doing it and tailor your plan appropriately.

 

[Waxman]

Dunno about you guys, but my top package is at times barely adequate as a snow & ice remover. It's a great carwash in general, but the type of snow pack people try and remove is stubborn and not the fluffy stuff at all!

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I think you are asking for trouble with this concept. I can't picture any auto blasting off more than a couple of inches of snow, and I think that would be a stretch. I would think the water would need to be hot and lots of it to work very good at all. Even then, I can't imagine knocking off enough to satisfy someone who comes in with 4" or more piled on. Jusy my $.02

 

[bigleo48]

I don't think you'd get that many takers. We get more people doing that in the SS bays.

Like with today's snow storm, we add a HP rinse pass to start to help remove the snow first so the presoak can penetrate. We do not charge extra.

However, we won't get many coming in to wash today. Once I notice that most cars have no snow on them, I will remove the HP pass.

Big

 

[Red Baron]

I think you are asking for trouble with this concept. I can't picture any auto blasting off more than a couple of inches of snow, and I think that would be a stretch. I would think the water would need to be hot and lots of it to work very good at all. Even then, I can't imagine knocking off enough to satisfy someone who comes in with 4" or more piled on. Jusy my $.02

That was my first thought. If you advertise it as intended to blow the snow off, how long before some dope wants a refund because all the snow didn't come off?

I watched my camera the other day as some rocket scientist pulled into my IBA caked with mud and buys the bottom level $5 wash, which has no undercarriage wash. Sure enough I watch him stomp around angrily after he left the bay, wondering why all the mud didn't come off. He pulls in again and...yep, buys the $5 wash again. I was just waiting for him to knock on the door to complain, but he drove off, taking his stupidity with him.

 

[teamplex65]

Here are my thoughts.

- car wash would be used when nobody is there to actually wash theirs cars at full price. I always look for ways to make the carwash busier at times when it is dead. Car washes are a very unused business in terms of times it sits with no activity. we also have a cab company located within 1/2 mile.

- we would not claim to remove all snow. the PDQ G5 sprays plenty hard to knock most snow off the cars.

- While $6 may sound low for our bottom package, we are on the blue collar side of town, and its the prices of the competition. We actually were one of the first to move to $9 on our top line and many are still at $8.

- we have 4 packages and the second one up is rarely used. people either want the cheap package, the one with no tri-foam, or the top of the line. the $7 one is the red-headed stepchild. I am trying to come up with a "different" option to move the $6 up.

- I've thought about adding an option to the top, but I'm not sure you make the profit back from adding the name brand stuff top packages typically have, so I am looking at the other side.

- snow will melt on the heated floors. I also wouldnt expect to be lined up on these days, just get a few cars on a day when I will probably see none.

 

[MEP001]

I like the idea in theory and your reasons for considering the addition, but is it worth the money you'd make? You'd have to consider the costs - to make it more effective you might have to slow down the high-pressure pass, there's the electricity of the dryer which costs the better part of a buck just to turn on, and then the snow on the floor increases your gas bill. Why not try modifying an existing package like bigleo, call it a "Snow Buster" and keep charging $6 or $7 for it?

 

[briteauto]

Teamplex 65,

I understand you thoughts and reasons for trying this. Keep in mind, if you aren't using presoak, I am assuming you also won't be using wax or drying agent. This will probably make your dry pretty ineffective, especially in these temperatures.

I understand you will bill it as a "Get the Snow Off" package, and not a "Get your Car Spotless" package, but I would be hesitant to willingly let a car leave my automatic dirty with film and fairly wet, even if it is just for the point of getting the snow off.

I tend to agree with Bigleo and might add a HP before your regular package.

Maybe this is wrong, but I always think about my customers going to competitors that have tunnel washes. For virtually the same price, or $1 more, they could go to the tunnel, get the snow off - via the prep, and still come out with a clean, dry and shiny car. I think most of my customers would choose that option. I would if it were my choice.

Mike

 

[teamplex65]

I think BigLeo may have the right idea with the first HP rinse pass. Although it does water down the presoak a little, people arent really looking for a show quality finish in the winter, they just want the salt off.

Thanks guys, thats why I love this place.

 

[Greg Pack]

In the interest of customer service it sounds like you might want to modify your wash when needed because of snowfall. Just precede the regular wash with a pass of slow HP wash. But then again I really have no idea, It's been years since we've seen enough snowfall to create business at my location.

 

[PEI]

Like BigLeo, we also just add a hp rinse pass when it is snowing or for a day or two afterwards. We actually have the pass built into our programming so we don't have to reprogram the whole package, just one cycle. While running this costs more and cleans less it actually cut customers complaining that the soap never made it through the snow and didn't clean the car.

 

[bigleo48]

I think BigLeo may have the right idea with the first HP rinse pass. Although it does water down the presoak a little.

I suppose, but nothing compared to the presoak being absorbed by the snow.

At times here it gets so cold than no matter how you try, you can't get the snow/ice off the car...especially if there is something like a roof rack helping to hold it. That's when I point them to the SS bays.

Big

 

[DiamondWash]

Steve-

I'am doing a HP Pass before applying presoak and it seems to help alot and I have the speed set as fast as possible I had one guy buy my $7.00 wash with no dry and he came back around and washed again this time moving up to the $8.00 wash with a dry. And as you said the G5 has enough power to blast the snow off with the zero degree nozzles I think that a HP pass first would be good enough for the winter season.

 

[easywash]

Just a thought

Hire a kid for $6 hr to wipe off the snow then charge them full price for the wash

 

[Gabriel]

I would just set up one self serve bay with extra heated high pressure and advertize it as a snow removable bay. Big old signs! Then I would use my automatics for cleaning cars and making money.

 

[termn8tr]

Up here in the" Great White North, we have a sign out front that states;

Please keep in mind that, our equipment is not capable to remove all the snow and ice from vehicles. We therefore, recommend that you remove it on your own, before the entering bay. We apologize for any inconvenience.

We are being straight and honest with our customers right up front.

By charging more, I have to agree, that you might lose them to a full serve tunnel.

 

[mr-gte]

snow pro

I am with term
Sell customer a snow pro.(snow broom)
http://www.angelguardproducts.com/industrial/snopro/snopro.htm