Extra Soap Pass with WW Razor

[Bubbles Galore]

I have the ability to add an extra front and rear pass with my 2 step pre-soaks. My question is, of my 4 wash packages, what ones should I add the extra passes on? I don't think it makes sense to add it to all of them...thoughts?

 

[Waxman]

Add it to your best (top) package and charge out the yin yang for it.

Eric H suggested this; double up on all that you can, add the most passes, product applications, dwell times etc.

If my machine were capable of this I would charge $16-18.

 

[sprocket]

I have my razor double pass the front and back on my top wash only,double pass the front on my 2nd wash. I'm sure I'll add a double pass on the front of the other 2 when bugs start getting real bad. The nice thing is it takes a couple of minutes to make the change .

 

[Ric]

Unless you can get extra $ for it, I think extra passes of pre soak are worthless as far as added cleaning ability. If you have presoak running off the car onto the floor after the first pass you have applied enough. Additional high pressure passes would be more helpful in the cleaning process during certain times of the year (bugs, etc.)

 

[Whale of a Wash]

Waxman is so right !! Eric H suggested a couple of years ago instead of making the cheapest wash I could--make one of them the most expensive. What an idea when i was looking for the low end customers, i find 30% buying the most expensive one now. Do not overlook one wash cycle being $2-$3 more, there are others they can pick if they want to spend less.

When it comes to the second coat of presoak--it may be running off the car, but may have exhausted all cleaning ability, and the next pass will refresh the strength. The soap falling on the floor may be fairly neutral. Also the dwell time helps alot. I put the second pass on drier with less water, so it goes on stronger, because the car is already wet. (On Vectors-you drop the pump speed 2%, and the travel speed)

 

[briteauto]

I have a difference of opinion with most when it comes to charging more for what I consider "basic cleaning." I believe front ends and rear ends of vehicles should be as clean as possible on any given machine, and on any given package. Generally, I think the entire body of the car should be as clean as possible with any wash package.

Up-charge all you want for undercarriage, tri-foam, polishes, sealers, total vehicle protectants etc. A customer with bugs on the front end should have just as clean a front end with my $6 package as my $12 package. If an operator is located in a "high bug" location - that may mean double passes of presoak or high pressure on all packages. It's part of the cost of doing business.

Wheels are a different story for several reasons. First, tunnels usually up-charge for this service as well - so a customer can expect to pay extra for this at one of our competitors. Second, it usually requires additional equipment and chemicals to clean a wheel. Finally, I guarantee you, a customer will have a greater perceived value for a basic wash if their windshield and front end are bug free (or as close as possible) than if their wheels are clean. Customers already view wheels as a "secondary" service - like the tri-foam and undercarriage etc. They are conditioned by the packages that we have been selling them for years.

As IBA operators, we are not tunnel operators, but many of us do compete with exterior or full service washes. Generally, these washes do the best they can to get the front end/windshields as bug-free as possible on every car they wash, regardless of the package. It may be with manual labor, or their equipment and chemical set up and choices, but I don't ever see the quality of wash on the front end of the vehicle treated differently depending on the wash package in a tunnel wash. They may not get every bug on every vehicle, and we may not in an IBA either, but I believe the effort should be there for the same quality of treatment on this part of the car.

Sometimes IBA's are viewed as "weaker sisters" to larger tunnels, or even express tunnels. Perhaps this is true in terms of cph capability, but we can only blame ourselves as operators if that term refers to the quality of wash we provide for our customers. After all, our signs probably say "Car Wash" - we should at least do that as best we can on every package.

Just my opinion.

Mike