Express Detailing Services at the Exterior Carwash

[buda]

Would appreciate getting answers from exterior or express operators who have an express detail program at their wash:

a. How do you promote the services?
b. What percentage of your car wash customers purchase a service?
c. How long did it take you to reach that percentage from the time you started offering the services?
d. What prices do you charge for hand wax; seat shampoo; carpet shampoo?
e. With or without the car wash?

Thanks in advance for your replies and input.

Bud Abraham

 

[Waxman]

First off, I am ss/iba/detail, but no one else responded so here's my scenario/stats.

20-25% (have to look at QB for exact). of detail customers are express. I had been doing express services for many years without labelling them as such. My wash/vac/windows is a popular express package, with Express polish second.

I charge $39.99-$49.99 with the lower amount the the norm.

I market it with banners on a-frame signs as well as newspaper ads and radio. However my radio and print ads more focus on carwash and full detail.

A friend of mine has an express bash once every 2 months or so. She promotes it heavily and for 3 days does all express services for $19.99 including a conveyorized carwash.

My services include a carwash at $39.99 price point. SS (done by me and my staff) or IBA at my discretion. Many of my regular express customers receive an IBA wash and it works out very well.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Would appreciate getting answers from exterior or express operators who have an express detail program at their wash:

a. How do you promote the services?
b. What percentage of your car wash customers purchase a service?
c. How long did it take you to reach that percentage from the time you started offering the services?
d. What prices do you charge for hand wax; seat shampoo; carpet shampoo?
e. With or without the car wash?

Thanks in advance for your replies and input.

Bud Abraham

I basicaly lease out this aspect of the business, so I don't keep track of percentages, only that the lease payments are made.

The services are promoted with Menu signs at the exit. I do not know if it fits the "Express detail" definition. There has also been a bugaboo in the past about operators discussing prices. It's really no secret anyone coming thru can take note of them. All items are priced independantly of the wash.

 

[Mr. Clean]

We offer four detail packages that range from $49.95 to full- inside & out -@ $179.00. The $49.95 is new because I don't like putting out anything other than a reconditioned vehicle, but there seems to be a demand.... So far, Int. Exp & Int. Full are running about 50/50, the major difference being no shampooing come w/express. Waxing has been slow. Not sure if it's the price point or because people feel they can do it themselves (price point)
We have only started to advertise. Everything to date has been by word of mouth and customer request. In fact, we began out of customer requests. As a result, there are now banners on premises.
Our website also offers this service and we just introduced an on-line booking option that has brought in a new customer every day this week. The power of search engines should not be underestimated as advertising.
If this week is any indication, we'll be looking to add another person to the crew. I'm optimistic.
Cheers,
MC

 

[robert roman]

According to the literature, less than 10% of exterior-only conveyors have a detail shop and very few express exterior conveyors (3-minute, low price, free vacuums) offer express detail services.

My experience working with express operators shows that most sites could capture at least 3% of their carwash volume as express detail by just “posting a sign and taking orders.” With upfront planning and marketing, I usually see 5% in the beginning, ramping up to 10% or more by the end of the first year, for the most part.

If you operate a high volume express, say, 100,000 cars a year, 10% would be an average of about 32 cars a day. Since conveyor volumes fluctuate considerably, you would want to be prepared to handle a peak hour of maybe 12 cars (four parking spaces).

As the program matures or is pushed beyond 10%, you would want to first consider how this level of activity may have an effect on the “carwash” business in terms of navigation on the site, sales volume (loss of free use vacuum spaces), stacking, customer waiting area, customer service, customer and employee parking, etc.

I see express detail prices across a wide range because most operators are rational and price services competitively according to their local market. On the other hand, I find that multiple facilities carwashes tend to have more pricing power than an express exterior because the business offers customers a stronger value proposition.

 

[Mr. Clean]

I may be misusing the word "express". We don't perform any services w/o an appointment. There's just not enough traffic to have the extra labor around for that service. Our "express" is esentially a full interior detail w/o the shampooing process. It takes one man 2-3hrs to complete.

FWIW, we just added an on-line booking feature for scheduling details - wish we' done it years ago. The business it has generated this week almost exceeds what we did all of last month.

Out of curiosity, who is using steam and what make/model are you using?

MC

 

[easywash]

IBA & Express Detailing

We have a 3 Bay IBA and our wash packages range from $14-$20.

We just added our New ESSENTIAL wash which is basically our $20 Guardian wash plus our Eco-Express Detail and we charge $34. Service Includes

Towel Dry
Vacuum
Glass & Mirrors
Cleaning the cupholders, dash, console & door jambs.

We only launched it last week and it's pretty much rained every day since... but from what we are seeing right now about 5% of our customer are choosing it. I would like to see that 5% more up around the 15% level.

We also offer and Eco-Express Detail as an a-la-carte product for $17 (all of the services above)