Bringing back full-service carwash, any ideas?

[buckeye_carwash_gc]

Hello from Grove City, Ohio!

We are a Quick Lube, Automatic Conveyorized Tunnel and and Detailing operation.
Looking to get back into the full-service game, what are your thoughts?

How can we kickstart full-service while managing labor costs effectively? Do you have any ideas or models that are working well for you?

Self-serve, express carwashes are popping up all around....we want to be different. Is there demand for anything else?

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

Keeping an eye on this. I've considered adding interior service to my express to set myself apart from the now 8( I was 1 of 3 when I bought it) tunnels including mine in a city of about 65k.

Do you have a waiting room?

 

[washnshine]

True full serve or flex serve? True full serve is a bit of a dinosaur- there are some for sure, but flex is a more contemporary model if you are getting into the interior game.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

True full serve or flex serve? True full serve is a bit of a dinosaur- there are some for sure, but flex is a more contemporary model if you are getting into the interior game.

Yes. I guess I should've been more precise. Flex.

Although I have seen some big players in the EE market who have began doing hand drying to differentiate themselves from the others so we are seeing some big companies bring back manual labor services.

 

[edredtop]

Yes. I guess I should've been more precise. Flex.

Although I have seen some big players in the EE market who have began doing hand drying to differentiate themselves from the others so we are seeing some big companies bring back manual labor services.

Fwiw... no dog in this part of the race but as a customer, whenever I've seen people at the end of the line drying I think to myself "Now I gotta tip this guy."
That seems like an added cost (implied gratuity) and something people may want to avoid.

 

[OurTown]

Fwiw... no dog in this part of the race but as a customer, whenever I've seen people at the end of the line drying I think to myself "Now I gotta tip this guy."
That seems like an added cost (implied gratuity) and something people may want to avoid.

Also, you might think that they have previously dropped the towels on the ground or the wash didn't get the car really clean so there is a chance of minor paint damage.

 

[soonermajic]

What's the differences between EE, Flex & Full Service?
I really don't know....

 

[eckert16]

types of carwashes:
carwashking.com/types-of-car-washes

 

[Greg Pack]

Express: 90% automated exterior process, paystations at entrance. Customer cleans their own interior usually with free products and vacuum

Flex: customer stays in car during wash, interior services offered as an option following the wash.

Traditional Full serve: Customer exits car and goes to lobby while their car is being cleaned.

Also there are traditional exterior tunnels out there. No pay stations or interior options, pay vacuums, car is often heavily prepped.

Lines between many of these types have blurred as many expresses have started minor prepping and some offer interior services. And just about every express now man the electronic paystations to facilitate flow and sell memberships.