Hitting a Detail Biz Home Run?

[Bubbles Galore]

What methods, coupons, advertising and such have you used to create an influx of business? We are doing some advertising and the like, but I want to get my numbers up more than they are. Customer feedback has always been great, but it doesn't appear as though it's translated into much word of mouth biz for us.

Thanks!

 

[Waxman]

I use radio ads and they work.

I found a creative, slightly edgy friend in the radio biz who does all my copy and production. Make them memorable and avoid generic phrases everyone uses; 'satisfaction guaranteed', 'environmentally friendly' etc. While these are great attributes, they make for boring radio ads. Put your personality into it and customers will remember. Make 3 ads to rotate and make them non-specific enough so that they do not expire.

I also do print ads in the local paper for Mothers Day, Christmas, etc. Those are geared toward gift card sales for carwash and detail.

You can also do some dealer work as fill in. I offer car dealers 15% off retail as long as I feel the volume is there and they understand a surcharge applies to the cruddy cars. They in turn pay c.o.d. which is good for cash flow.

Post your prices at the wash and get a plastic tube like realtors use (fill it w/your brochure) so carwash customers can take a price list with them. Same in your petwash.

Go after fleet accounts for detail. Police, limos, taxis, contractors w/a fleet, transit companies, etc. A few decent fleet accounts can make your shop busier.

PM me if you need more specifics, but that should get you going in the right direction.

 

[MEP001]

It takes time for word-of-mouth to build a business. In '93 I took over managing a wash that would gross $300 a week on a good week. It took about a year of running it right for it to double on its own, but after about three years it was improved more than tenfold with no advertising at all.

 

[buda]

MARKETING Before ADVERTISING

John for your advertising to be totally effective you need to do some marketing homework to figure out what you are selling and who will buy it and why, and then how to reach those customers and what to say.

In a sentence that is marketing. Advertising is part of a marketing plan. If you have no marketing plan then you are going to most often find your advertising to not be as effective as you would like.

What you have to do is answer these simple marketing questions:

a. What am I selling? You might say, "dumb question, I am selling detailing." To you that is what you are selling but to the various customers you might be selling:
+Protection of leisure time
+Protection of their investment
+Good feelings driving a clean car
+Desire to get more money because they are selling the vehicle
+Ego gratification

There might be more reasons, but these are a good start. You have to know then what you are selling to what market.

b. Who will buy what you are sellling? You have to be absolutely certain which customers are buying what? Protection of investment or protection of leisure time, for example. They are different.

c. Why will they buy it? Your advertising message must deal with these reasons

d. Where are they? That is you need to determine where they are so you know how to reach them.

e. How do I reach them? That is choice of media to use. For example if you are targeting the rich who buy to protect leisure time you would not want to advertise in "coupon clippers." These people typically do not clip coupons and if they do they hide it.

f. What do you say? If you are advertising to the rich the issue of price is not a prime reason for them to buy.

Once you know what you are selling to whom you can pick your media and the message and find your advertising much more effective.

Regards
Bud Abraham

 

[Waxman]

Good input. My reply assumed you knew some of those answers already, but they arre worth mentioning again.

 

[jfmoran]

There is no "home run" to impart to you. As Bud stated you need a PLAN. Marketing and advertising is not a one time shot. It requires careful planning, resources (cash) , implementation, repetition of message, patience and evaluation.

John Moran

 

[Bubbles Galore]

All great advice guys and it is appreciated, but I I'm looking at more of a case study where you implemented a process or advertising special that significantly increased business if even for a short period of time. I have a marketing plan and a good one at that ;-) but I'm just wondering if there was ever a special or promotion that once implemented, far exceeded your expectations.

Thanks!!

Posted from my BlackBerry using BerryBlab

 

[Waxman]

Why not start with what is easy; a promotion with your carwash.

Start with your fleet accounts and make some follow-up phone calls after you send a letter offering 15% off detailing or similar.

Then create and pass out a flyer at the carwash about a "Summer Detailing Special", which is a package you create.

 

[jfmoran]

The greatest response rate you will see will come from your already existing customer base, find a way to market to them. When I ran car washes with details centers we collected customer information and marketed directly to them for wash services and detail services. Nothing, I repeat nothing will produce the rate of return that direct targeted marketing to your already existing customers will produce. Everything else like radio, tv, val-pak, etc..., produces minimal results and often difficult to track effectiveness (tv and radio). While they may be a part of your overall marketing plan, building a database of customers and marketing directly to them is really what you need to do. Keep in mind this is no home run, in that, it will not produce dramatic "right away" results, but the long term effect on your business will be well worth the effort.

John Moran

 

[Waxman]

JMoran has good points.

I forgot to say; I ran a successful campaign where I gave away a carwash in exchange for an email address. I use the emails for communicating with customers; special promotions, car care tips, my cell # if they need a foot massage (joking), etc. This has produced decent results for minimal expense and is something you can do almost anytime.

 

[pitzerwm]

Maybe Waxman's guy can do ads for you too.

 

[Waxman]

Yes; he'd love to.

 

[Waxman]

I've been thinking about this.

The real home run comes when you've built a reputation up for high-quality work, combined with the proper price point (perceived value), smiling, positive and cheerful service and ,lastly, community involvement.

That's alot of hard work condensed down to 1 paragraph, and it may be that everyone knows this already and I have stated the obvious.

The challenge for a detail business is to sustain itself during the ramp-up process to where your marketing plan is in full swing. Mine has 14 years so far. Multiple profit centers help.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

^It's that ramp up period that I'm in right now. You have it exactly right Wax, you run a business that I am trying to emulate. Keep up the great work!

 

[Waxman]

For now, Bubbles, you should use every cross marketing opportunity you can that exists at your wash.

If the petwash is a hit, go out of your way to create a cross-marketing plan for that and detail, for example.

It's important to under-promise and over-deliver while not spreading yourself too thin or sacrificing quality (like booking too many jobs per day or machine buffing a car you had booked as a hand wax).

The proper price-point right away will ensure you are profiting from the detail work you do get.

It's important to price properly even with dealer and fleet accounts, because there is no sense doing tons of barely-profitable details. Better to make a decent profit on less jobs; that is a more sustainable effort, IMO.

 

[soapy]

Not sure what a home run is in the detailing business. I have been doing for about a year now and we are up to 6 full time detailers now and we do not do any dealer or used car lot work.

 

[car_guy]

I ran a detail business for years. It takes some time to build. It is mainly built on word of mouth!

 

[Waxman]

These days detail shops need to be better than ever and give "above and beyond' service.

The Customers will part with their money but can be very demanding. They want pick up and delivery, extras for same price, buff jobs that look like paint jobs, etc.

Just last week a customer came in with a paint scuff. I gave a price of $10 over retail for a complete detail. She said she expected to pay the regular price and added that someone told her removing the scuff was 'easy'. I asked who. She said her pastor. I said something about being surprised that he was a detailing expert. Couldn't help myself.