Free Vacs Worth It?

[wash12]

I know this has been discussed in the past a few times but would like updates on anyone who has converted there paid vacs to free vacs and if so did you see an increase in business?

The site has 5 vacs, 4 SS bays and 1 Touchfree Automatic. New express opened and has taken 25% of business need to try and get some back they also offer free vacs.

Would like to hear if it was worth going free from other operators that have done it, I would keep the current vacs and do some sort of a push button with a timer of 4 mins and then it would shut off so investment is minimal but loss of revenue of $700 a month in vacuum's would need to be made up in more volume at the wash.

 

[chaz]

I’m not a believer in free vacs....especially in a s/s and automatic set up like you have. If you go to free vacs...you’d not only need to make up $700 in additional lost revenue you’d have extra maintenance and repairs and cleanup with your now free vacs. I’d suggest you keep your vacs in top working order and keep your place clean and inviting. I’m not sure what you charge for vacs and what time you offer, but I’d also think about a $2 for 6 minute plan. More income from those that want vacs that suck and more reason for the slobs to move down the street.

 

[MEP001]

I’m not a believer in free vacs....especially in a s/s and automatic set up like you have. If you go to free vacs...you’d not only need to make up $700 in additional lost revenue you’d have extra maintenance and repairs and cleanup with your now free vacs. I’d suggest you keep your vacs in top working order and keep your place clean and inviting. I’m not sure what you charge for vacs and what time you offer, but I’d also think about a $2 for 6 minute plan. More income from those that want vacs that suck and more reason for the slobs to move down the street.

Ditto this. After an express exterior up the road took most of the vac revenue with their free ones, it came back to about 80% of what it was. Customers said they didn't keep it clean or working well. With covered vacs, we get lots of vac business when it rains especially since the EE is closed.

I'd recommend giving a free vac token with the purchase of an automatic wash. I doubt anything else you could do will bring back your lost income, and I agree that just making your vacs free to everyone will lose you that income, increase your maintenance and have the dregs leaving messes and more garbage.

 

[robert roman]

“New express opened and has taken 25% of business….”

How new?

Reason I ask is the loss may even get larger because it can take up to two years for an express to go from launch to maturity.

Also, since it took “more than” free vacuums to cause 25 percent loss, it’s going to take “more than” free vacuums to recover.

So before your profit is eroded, I would ask your equipment distributor for help in developing a strategy. If distributor is unable, then ask equipment manufacturer for help.

Worse thing to do is take random ideas and throw them on wall to see what sticks.

 

[wash12]

“New express opened and has taken 25% of business….”

How new?

Reason I ask is the loss may even get larger because it can take up to two years for an express to go from launch to maturity.

Also, since it took “more than” free vacuums to cause 25 percent loss, it’s going to take “more than” free vacuums to recover.

So before your profit is eroded, I would ask your equipment distributor for help in developing a strategy. If distributor is unable, then ask equipment manufacturer for help.

Worse thing to do is take random ideas and throw them on wall to see what sticks.

Express is 1 year old, the weird thing is we did not notice a drop in volume until 4 months in, they handed free washes out for a few weeks and that didn't effect us either, we questioned if the drop was from the new express or possibly partly due to a dry winter.

 

[robert roman]

“….we questioned if the drop was from the new express or possibly partly due to a dry winter.”

You should have said this in the first place.

The reason is you have introduced another potential cause (possibly partly due to dry winter) which has absolutely nothing to do with the new express wash.

For example, what happens if all of the 25 percent loss is attributable to dry winter?

It means this entire discussion is academic because you can’t do anything about the weather and it implies the express is not a competitive threat.

Unfortunately, the information you provided is too vague to get there from here.

So, I’d stick with huddling up with your equipment supplier or manufacturer.

 

[wash12]

“….we questioned if the drop was from the new express or possibly partly due to a dry winter.”

You should have said this in the first place.

The reason is you have introduced another potential cause (possibly partly due to dry winter) which has absolutely nothing to do with the new express wash.

For example, what happens if all of the 25 percent loss is attributable to dry winter?

It means this entire discussion is academic because you can’t do anything about the weather and it implies the express is not a competitive threat.

Unfortunately, the information you provided is too vague to get there from here.

So, I’d stick with huddling up with your equipment supplier or manufacturer.

We have had previous winters dry like this one and it never dropped more then 10% so I know for a fact the express took some business as that is the only thing that has changed, just not sure how much is weather and how much is them.