Cross Marketing with other merchants

[JMMUSTANG]

I've been thinking about cross marketing with other merchants such as the local coffee shops (not starbucks), deli's, restaurants, etc.
They would hand out a coupon for a free car wash (lowest price wash) with the purchase of say a Grand Latte (top dollar item at that store).
I in turn would hand out a coupon for a free latte (lowest price latte) or coffee with the purchase of my Ultimate car wash ($10).
This might make more of our regular customers purchase the top package.
We would have the coupons personalized with each of our company names to make it seem as though the individual merchant is offering their customers this special deal.
I would think this would generate additional business that might not come to our wash or to their store.
Has anyone tried this?
Any other ideas?

 

[Jim L.]

When I first opened 10 years ago I tried giving a stack of Tokenotes good in my auto only to the garage next door with the understanding that they would give them out as a bonus to their customers. After a couple of months the only people using the Tokenotes were the owners and their employees. I discontinued the practice when I caught on to what they were doing.

I also tried giving Tokenotes to the sheriff?s dept., water dept. and toll bridge workers. Today the water dept. still buys a bag of 250 dollar tokens for $150 every couple of months.

I don't think advertising does much good for a combo wash like mine. Clean and working does more for repeat business than anything else.

 

[Red Baron]

I had a deal with the coffee shop I used to own, a free automatic car wash with 6 visits to the coffee shop. I printed out cards and got a special star stamper. It did not work well. I had some regular car wash customers who figured out they could buy a $1 coffee each morning and get a car wash every week and never have to pay me a dime. Plus, I was pretty sure the tokenotes were being given out in spite of all the measures I took to account for them. Never underestimate a teenager's creativity when it comes to giving free stuff to their friends.

The deal was that my customers could redeem 6 car wash receipts for free coffee but they never did that.

 

[Todd's Car Wash]

What point of sale do you guys use to make these happen? Anyone dealt with AutoData before?

 

[Waxman]

I've been sort of developing a program to sell carwashes at local c-stores. Obviously the ones w/out carwashes!

This way I'd get the money from the store prior to them selling anything (or at least invoice them and give them net 30). If they could buy my top wash at a discount in bulk then sell them and make any profit at all I think it'd be easy money for them, as long as they didn't get greedy and wash their own cars too much. But either way in my plan I get paid.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Best way to do it, is to get $ up front.