Clossed full service reopen EE

[kevinmcf]

Reopen a closed wash to an exterior express, I want to run entrance as a normal full service, get people out of car charge between $3.50-$4.75 exterior wash. At exit run (as I do my existing full service location) and sell VIP services express wax, quick interior detailing even offer windows and vacuuming, oil changes etc. It has 2 bay lube, oversized 2 bay detail shop and 3 SS bays. I was originally going to use gates and offer free vacs, but I feel it would be easier to sell extra services, when people are out of car.
The question I have is how much would it effect car wash numbers as compared to a typical stay in your car express wash?

 

[jfmoran]

Why get customer out?

Why are you getting the customer out of the car? The whole point of an express exterior is to get the customer in/out as quick as possible, with as little labor as possible. If you are getting the customer out ,that's gonna require a loader and a drive off (maybe 2 of each if your real busy), just like a full serve. A flex serve has the customer staying in the vehicle and exiting the vehicle at the end of the wash when they pull into the after care area, thereby, requiring no staff to load and unload the vehicle. All services are sold by a service advisor who greets the customer and processes the order, or processed by auto tellers or in some cases a combination of both. You also have the opportunity in your after care area to sell additional services or make the customer aware of additional services.

 

[kevinmcf]

for all 3 reasons I would need to keep a person to guide on conveyor (tight turn) the configuration of wash the tunnel runs into a T, you have to make a left turn off conveyor into an oversized bay (70' long x50'wide) then it would help to have customers out of car to aid sales at exit. I have been rethinking this to keep people in car but I still need a guide person and a exit person because of the configuration.
so if a person is in car at a pay terminal, then at exit you have to get them out of car to do any extras and charge again?
wipeing cars included for EE?

 

[jfmoran]

I would do all I can to keep the customer in the car. You do absolutely need a guide on person and you can utilize personnel from your after-care area to guide customers into you after-care area and signage for just the exterior customers.

Most services are going to be typically sold at the entrance to the car wash either with a Service Advisor or an automated teller that can be configured to "upsell" your customers, or a two lane combination of express exterior as an automated teller and a service advisor to handle sales of all after-care services.

Sales in the after-care area can be an upsell or just informational (planting the seed) for the next visit, these can be handled by a supervisor or manager.

Drying cars is not usually part of the ee process, especially at your price point. It can be handled as an add-on and done in the after care area.

 

[kevinmcf]

I am getting sold on customer in car but

I am getting on board on this, the only issue I have is CC/debt cards. so just about any extra service would be a seperate charge. I would probably not even allow debt cards on entrance but all transactions just automatically go to CC sale. Other wise the transaction could be 25% of EE wash, compared to 3% + .10-.20 per swipe on CC. $35.00 is my point here for Debt or CC sales.
Debt cards become cheaper to use on sales over $35.00.
Lets say a person exits with an EE wash, decides he wants an express wax or just vacuum, the norm would be- your service writer gives him a ticket for customer to go inside to pay? or is it better to pay on the spot?

 

[pcb]

It seems to me like it would be much easier to sell the after care services at the same time as the wash service. Maybe you could up sell express wax and like services in the after care area, but I would try to sell the base package for the after care and the wash all together.

 

[kevinmcf]

getting on board w/flex

problem with that is especially a new start up people do not know services offered, and your greeter doesn't have a lot of time when cars are waiting. I have been reading every day, getting as much knowledge and information as possible and how to apply it to new site. I have been operating a successful FS site for 18 years. Tough right now carrying too much debt! This new location has a unique design has a 150' conveyor that turns left at exit into a large bay-30' wide x 70' long. I am thinking at entrance I ask person what they would like today I give a ticket w/brochure of services, send the car. Now customer can read services while in tunnel, I can stop customers at exit in this tunnel can form 2 lines where my service writer asks for ticket for payment and asks anything else we can do for you today? If not take the $4 or $5 and have a good day. If not they get out there and a door takes them to the car wash lobby. On colder or even hot sunny days I can even perform services inside the tunnel.
At my existing wash it’s all about speed, level of service, and extras. At times my salesman cannot spend time with customers, so I have a kiss off person at exit where express (called VIP) services are also sold. Typically 200 car day get about $500 in VIPs at each end.

 

[kevinmcf]

changing every day from new ideas reading all these posts

The biggest questions I have what is the starting price for EE wash?? And how much investment into the SS bays (only 3). There are only 3 competing tunnels, 1 very small site would never produce a lot of cars at a bad location, 2nd right in the middle of a congested city 1 way streets hard to enter but very expensive FS $14.95/$18.95/$22.95 the 3rd is a larger gas site that is off a cross street 2 miles away that has a different traffic pattern then me, with $8.50 exterior wash. But there are 7 competing SS bays, all 20 years or older, none use CC, some use tokens. I was going to at least install a CC/debt changers w/tokens for SS bays vacs mat wash etc. or should I spend more to put CC readers in bays?? If this was only a 6 bay SS location it would fold like a wet tent in a Tornado. But will a newly renovated EE large site with all the bells and whistles attract customers to the SS bays?? It also has a 2 bay Lube and nice oversized detail bay.
Since I may be getting off original question I am going post new. Thanks

 

[robert roman]

Over the last 11 years, I have worked with a lot of people new-to-the-industry who have made a lot of money washing cars.

With all due respect, you seem to have a lot of enthusiasm for this but your questions are many and lack a certain focus.

If you want to learn about the flexible service format and its attributes and benefits, I suggest you buy a copy of Steve Okun’s Flex-Serve Jump-Start Guide.

The information contained in this guide will provide the answers to a lot of your questions and insight to help establish your new site as well as ways to help improve upon your existing full-service site, making it far easier for you to cover debt service and profit.

 

[pitzerwm]

PCB, I emailed you about your website in the past. You might want to look at it in Chrome, Firefox and IE, it is screwed up in all three but in different ways.

 

[pcb]

Thanks Bill, i'm trying to get it fixed. I'll remind the computer folks tomorrow. They like to take their time.

 

[kevinmcf]

20 yrs. experience

I would like to think of myself as an experienced operator, I am extremely knowledgeable in a typical FS wash operations, design, target market, training, management or any and all functions of a FS car wash. I have worked with others to help build, renovate, equipment purchases and equip layout. But my attentions have been in a FS concept. I keep an open mind to changes, and slow to jump on any bandwagons, until a baseline has been developed, or prove to be a worthwhile investment.
This new wash, I have waffled on many aspects including in the car out of the car, after care, proper use of employees etc. The SS bays I have more questions then answers, and even though it’s the smallest of the 7 profit centers, doesn’t mean it gets any less attention. All the profit centers should feed off each other. The info I gave was to help determine an EE base cost, and what is the general feeling on a SS bays at an EE wash. Considering if you feel the cost for an EE wash to be $3.99 how many customers would use the SS bays? When successful SS bays would should average over $3.00/car.
Or am I better off utilizing these bays for after care /Flex, more space for extra lube services, or even an IBA. If the EE wash is $6.75 then the SS bays should have a larger investment, like CC readers in bays or loyalty cards etc.

 

[robert roman]

My response has nothing to do with your experience but rather the nature of your questions.

Baselines (benchmarks) have been established for the main categories of washes for decades and for more than several years for the more recent variants.

Late entrants to the market have built express washes mainly because it is thought a bankable investment in this economic and financial environment. It targets the lower income portion of households, there is only one service so it requires minimal labor, it is known to suck business away from existing full-service and self-service washes and it is marketed by the industry as an absentee-owner business.

Investors built wands because the industry marketed it as an inexpensive, part-time business, absentee-ownership, that is recession-proof. LOL. It is still viable in emerging and more rural areas that can’t support something else. Some developers will add an in-bay to expand their customer base.

I know a wash, Pronto Car Wash, St. Pete, Fl., it has it all except for an in-bay; FS conveyor, detail shop, 3-bay lube and 5 wands. They don’t give it away and don’t even promote the wands. Nice place, pretty good service and always busy. 8am-5:30pm, closed on Sunday.

The self-service a few blocks away, nice place, can probably be bought for $0.50 on the dollar.

Consequently, the questions you ask are one of opportunity cost.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to deal with this type of issue adequately on any bulletin board or forum.

Peace

 

[kevinmcf]

pronto car wash

I checked out their website they run a FS wash with other Lube/SS/detail
so SS bays would be busier when charging $13.95 for a tunnel wash.
thanks

 

[chewy007]

PCB, I emailed you about your website in the past. You might want to look at it in Chrome, Firefox and IE, it is screwed up in all three but in different ways.

I can't help it, this is hilarious