Free Vacs for SS only?

[tdlconceptsllc]

The new thing now I have been seeing for several years is some of the self serve industry operators having free vacuums ex: like from 8am-8pm unregulated. Now granted most of them have a IBA of some kind on the same property but the vacs you just drive up & vac no token required very simple. My question is has anybody ever done this for a straight up self serve carwash only and had sucsses no automatic and did it increase overall revenue. It seems the people that do this there sites are more busy looking overall. How do you justify giving up the vac money? They are raising the meterbox price to $3 or more start up when they do this concept and there customers are paying it. I would like input from someone that has done this or message me. Thank you

 

[Waxman]

I know you want to hear from people that have done this but I have not. I have to say that I would never ever want to give up the vacuum revenue. I charge two dollars for vacuums and three dollars to start the bays. I just can't see how letting people use your vacuums for free can increase your overall revenue with a self-serve car wash. Not to mention the mess they will make and the fact that people will abuse it so bad when it's free.

 

[traveler17]

The new thing now I have been seeing for several years is some of the self serve industry operators having free vacuums ex: like from 8am-8pm unregulated. Now granted most of them have a IBA of some kind on the same property but the vacs you just drive up & vac no token required very simple. My question is has anybody ever done this for a straight up self serve carwash only and had sucsses no automatic and did it increase overall revenue. It seems the people that do this there sites are more busy looking overall. How do you justify giving up the vac money? They are raising the meterbox price to $3 or more start up when they do this concept and there customers are paying it. I would like input from someone that has done this or message me. Thank you

Great questions, I’ve been contemplating this exact scenario. Bump self serves to 3 or 4 dollars and just let it ride. I just want to know if the bump will make up for the vac only customer. If someone PMs you please let me know. Would love to hear some results.

 

[jack954]

Hell no for me!!! It’s bad enough our industry hasn’t kept up with pricing over time. I keep my vacs working great and people need to pay for it. Self service car wash 2nd source of revenue is the vacs and doesn’t make sense to me why anyone would give that up. Non paying public giving me their trash and blocking my bays doesn’t sound appealing.

 

[Toms PTcarwash]

I have many "customers" that come empty trash and vacuum only. If I had free vacuums, I could only image this would be much more of an issue. So, I don't see it happening for me.
I also have some customers that use a mister carwash, that is about 10 miles from me, but come to my place to vacuum all the dog hair that MCW can't get. It would be nice to charge them double.

 

[washnshine]

I personally have never seen free vacs in a place that does not offer monthly memberships. Free vacs seem to be more tied to that model. Owners probably figure that a certain percentage of the customers are paying a monthly bill, so it is justified.
S.S. margins are much thinner and I would not think they could absorb the free vacs - the operator would be missing out on a lot of potential revenue. No way to really police people who vac without washing in either model, but I would think it would be abused much more in a S.S. model. It seems to me that many S.S. customers (not all) wait longer between vacuuming, and some of them are there 5-10 minutes. That is a lot to give away.

 

[Waxman]

also just think of the profitability of a vacuum. It needs very little repair. Clean out once a week, a new motor once a year, a new hose once a year, new nozzles whenever they break them. And then all that's required is electricity to run it. The profit is very good. Why give that up?

 

[washnshine]

also just think of the profitability of a vacuum. It needs very little repair. Clean out once a week, a new motor once a year, a new hose once a year, new nozzles whenever they break them. And then all that's required is electricity to run it. The profit is very good. Why give that up?

Exactly, just think how much $3.50 (start up with no extra time purchased) costs the operator in their wash bay - water, floor heat, chemicals, maintenance, pump wear and tear, brush wear and tear, sewer, bay wall degradation etc. $2.00 in vacs doesn’t even come close to that in operator expenses.

 

[CarWashBoy]

No Way, We charge $5 in bay with Credit Card, $6 in bay with cash and $3 for vacs.. Vacs are 25-30% of revenue.. we have automatics nearby with Free Vacs, but Car Wash is required.. the only way they get Free Vacs is if they pay for Car Wash.. Yes, we charge more for Cash, trying to push Credit Card usage.. Customers spend more and Cash is a Hassle .. No Coins either..

 

[DiamondWash]

A wash near me did that exact same thing with free vacs and 3 months later he was DONE because of the added stress of people just trashing his place and the amount of disrespectful people not customers it attracted.

 

[MEP001]

also just think of the profitability of a vacuum. It needs very little repair. Clean out once a week, a new motor once a year, a new hose once a year, new nozzles whenever they break them. And then all that's required is electricity to run it. The profit is very good. Why give that up?

I was about to reply that I'd only do it if a tunnel with free vacs opened across the street, but then I realized, why? Let the freeloaders abuse the tunnel's vacs. I used to run a wash where an EE with free vacs opened down the street, and it decimated our vac income, but I just kept everything clean and working perfectly and after about a year the vacs came back up to about 80% of what they had been. Some people said they felt guilty just pulling in off the street to use the free vacs. Others said they didn't maintain the vac area, not surprising since they operate with only one or two employees.

 

[getnbusy]

I know an operator who did this at multiple locations. He said his overall gross was up 20% over the previous year. His sites are very busy.
Im about to try it at a 4 bay. When i make the switch, there will only be 1 carwash of any kind with pay vacs in the entire county.

 

[Randy]

Im about to try it at a 4 bay. When i make the switch, there will only be 1 carwash of any kind with pay vacs in the entire county.

Let us know how that works out for you and if it raises your bottom line. I get a lot of people who come in clean out there cars, dump/garbage then leave. I wonder if I went to free vac’s if they’ll wash then. The car washes here that have free vac’s have it set up so the customer can’t get out of the property without getting a wash. So if you use their free vac’s you have to buy a wash to get out.

 

[traveler17]

I know an operator who did this at multiple locations. He said his overall gross was up 20% over the previous year. His sites are very busy.
Im about to try it at a 4 bay. When i make the switch, there will only be 1 carwash of any kind with pay vacs in the entire county.

One of my sites is a 4/2 and extremely busy. Tunnel coming in 2 miles away on the road behind me. Just last week they filed for permit to re-zone. No guarantee but I’m planning on them getting it. I will offer monthly wash packages before they break ground. Still bouncing the idea around of free vacs and bumping my bays up. Please keep us posted!!

 

[traveler17]

Let us know how that works out for you and if it raises your bottom line. I get a lot of people who come in clean out there cars, dump/garbage then leave. I wonder if I went to free vac’s if they’ll wash then. The car washes here that have free vac’s have it set up so the customer can’t get out of the property without getting a wash. So if you use their free vac’s you have to buy a wash to get out.

That’s how I feel. They are going to dump whether you have free vacs or not. You’re right ya have to set up property so they have to wash in either the bays or autos.

 

[getnbusy]

This site needs alot of love so the income is really low, nowhere to go but up. The vacs are so bad there now my theory is they hurt the whole place alot. Im hoping a good cleanup and some free vacs bring the customer back. There is an 8 bay 1.5 miles from me with free vacs 7 am-7pm. they also have pay vacs for after hours. I realize there are many other factors but that place crushes it. They were busy before doing this, but its insane now. I probly wouldnt do it if my competitors weren't, and i dont want to be the last one to change. fingers crossed

 

[traveler17]

This site needs alot of love so the income is really low, nowhere to go but up. The vacs are so bad there now my theory is they hurt the whole place alot. Im hoping a good cleanup and some free vacs bring the customer back. There is an 8 bay 1.5 miles from me with free vacs 7 am-7pm. they also have pay vacs for after hours. I realize there are many other factors but that place crushes it. They were busy before doing this, but its insane now. I probly wouldnt do it if my competitors weren't, and i dont want to be the last one to change. fingers crossed

Do you know if he keeps someone on property all day so they have to wash or can they just come and go

 

[tdlconceptsllc]

This is a interesting concept aint it guys but I have witnessed it and the operators that do this in the self serve proclaim a increase overall I just wish someone would chime in that has actually followed through on this. It takes a busy carwash to the next Level busy I have witnessed it but it's pretty clever at the same time. Makes your site look busy all the time they tell everyone in the whole town more Google reveiws its a chain reaction.

 

[sjb]

The Vac’s are a profit center.

isnt that the goal of our endeavors….

 

[soonermajic]

This is a interesting concept aint it guys but I have witnessed it and the operators that do this in the self serve proclaim a increase overall I just wish someone would chime in that has actually followed through on this. It takes a busy carwash to the next Level busy I have witnessed it but it's pretty clever at the same time. Makes your site look busy all the time they tell everyone in the whole town more Google reveiws its a chain reaction.

I think you only do it, out of necessity. IE: your getting whipped by your competitors, who are doing it.