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New touchless increase?
- Thread starter wash12
- Start date
Waxman
Super Moderator
I am in the same situation , replacing my fifteen -year-old superior touch free machine with a brand new wash World razor from Autowash Maintenance . I'm planning to support the new purchase in the following way : raising prices . my current wash packages are ten dollars twelve dollars thirteen dollars fifteen dollars . The new wash will be priced at 13, 15, 17, 20. It does seem like quite a jump but my two closest competitors have reloaded their friction washes in the last five years and raise their top package price to $20. I'm also adding a Phone app because I feel like it is the next wave of Trent. Faster throughput and less downtime will definitely race car counts at my wash. Plus I can be open extended hours. Now I have old heavy overhead doors that weren't designed for a car wash so I don't feel safe leaving everything open all night. My new wash will have vinyl rollup doors and the hours will be extended. Finally, the new wash will have more service offerings.My $20 wash will have ceramic coat, hot wax and multiple soap passes and high-pressure rinse passes to get the car as clean as any touch for you can get a car.
Car_Wash_Guy
Well-known member
Wow....that's a huge price jump! I'm putting in a Petit and my distributor told me $2-$3 max on my top ($12) wash would be ok without adding more passes to make the customer feel they're getting more.
To the OP....I've heard 10-25% increase on the new machine installs are pretty common.
MEP001
Well-known member
Have you considered three pricing points instead of four? Fewer washes to choose from helps the customer pick and pay faster, and you'll usually have two packages that are very close in what they offer when you have four choices. The guys I've talked to who only have three say that their average that take the top wash goes up.
cleaning up mud
Member
still at 4 new express coming dont know what to do to compete
DiamondWash
Well-known member
With your Petit system did you go with the one pump stand system or two?
Car_Wash_Guy
Well-known member
2 pump. I never even considered the 1 pump.
Waxman
Super Moderator
There are alot of things I would rely on my distributor for, but advice on pricing isn't one of them. That's up to the business owner to determine for themselves, based on a number of factors. Why would a distributor care where you are priced within the marketplace?
It may seem like a huge price jump to go to $20, but my competitors went there first and they brought the customers along for the ride. Why should I be any lower? I want to be on that same level of price, especially with a new RAZOR!
I disagree that all wash packages should have the same basic cleaning capabilities. After all, the other products applied have some effect on cleaning. The rinse that follows tri-foam, for example cleans the vehicle more.
The different detail packages I offer, although different from the car wash business model, do not all clean the car equally as well or thoroughly.
I also disagree with going from 4 choices to 3. My way, if people still want a lower priced wash, they can get it. There are some who always buy cheapest of everything. Then there are some who prefer the best every time. It's a different type of customer mindset. My hopeful average is $17 per car.
It may seem like a huge price jump to go to $20, but my competitors went there first and they brought the customers along for the ride. Why should I be any lower? I want to be on that same level of price, especially with a new RAZOR!
I disagree that all wash packages should have the same basic cleaning capabilities. After all, the other products applied have some effect on cleaning. The rinse that follows tri-foam, for example cleans the vehicle more.
The different detail packages I offer, although different from the car wash business model, do not all clean the car equally as well or thoroughly.
I also disagree with going from 4 choices to 3. My way, if people still want a lower priced wash, they can get it. There are some who always buy cheapest of everything. Then there are some who prefer the best every time. It's a different type of customer mindset. My hopeful average is $17 per car.
MEP001
Well-known member
I understand, I figured I'd share just in case. I genuinely like the simpler menu of the 3 wash. One guy I know installed a Hamilton HTK and tried to set up 8 washes with it, basically an a la carte setup, and his customers were so confused he pulled out the HTK and downgraded to a Goldline.
I have a friend who's heavy in the tunnel business and they have simplified their menus. I'm moving from four to three choices, with the lowest option more expensive than my current lowest option
On my Istobal cloth unit, I'm doing
$8-basic cloth wash with shampoo and HP wheel blasters, rinse, polymer drying aid, SFR, and dry-26% of sales
$12-add presoak,wheel cleaner, tricolor soap, and rain repellent CCP (Quest H2OFF)-32% of sales
$16-add premium polymer CCP(what many refer to a "ceramic" I'm using Quest shine on Vantagloss) and lava soap instead of tri-color-42% of sales
On touch free, I'm planning on a similar menu when I get around to changing
On my Istobal cloth unit, I'm doing
$8-basic cloth wash with shampoo and HP wheel blasters, rinse, polymer drying aid, SFR, and dry-26% of sales
$12-add presoak,wheel cleaner, tricolor soap, and rain repellent CCP (Quest H2OFF)-32% of sales
$16-add premium polymer CCP(what many refer to a "ceramic" I'm using Quest shine on Vantagloss) and lava soap instead of tri-color-42% of sales
On touch free, I'm planning on a similar menu when I get around to changing
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I.B. Washincars
Car Washer Emeritus
Greg, why do you have the dryer on the basic wash?
washnshine
Well-known member
I guess that might be more the case with an IBA. I am more in the tunnel world where, whether you are on the lower package or highest, you still travel through all the friction equipment, with none of it retracted.
As far as the extras, I guess you can count some of the polishes etc. that I use as cleaners, but for me they are generally shine enhancers.
I think your first post was about the presoak anyway, which I see as the most basic cleaning agent in a TF.
More than one way to get it done, for sure!
washnshine
Well-known member
Greg,
Do you give them the H2Off as well as the Vantagloss on this package? If so, what order do you put them on in?
Waxman
Super Moderator
I think the best way is to get a phone app and then put the information out there at your wash and on your Google business page and on your Facebook page. I'm not really for giving away too much for free especially after plunking down a big amount of money on new equipment. However an ad in the newspaper is probably something I will do as well.
Designed to compete with tunnel quality/price structure. The tunnels are mostly $8 for the basic wash. I offer a comparable product but no free vacs. On the flex 5 I think my basic wash is a better cleaner than most tunnels.
I use a low ph shampoo (rocknlo)to get the ph on the car really low, then a HP rinse (pass 4), then vantagloss in a foam application(pass 5), another quick rinse to get 90% of the foam off (pass 6)and then the H2off(pass7), followed by a combo pass of 777 Drying aid and SFR(pass 8) Total wash time between 6-8 minutes depending on vehicle size. I've been told the order isn't especially important though. The main thing is to knock down the foam of the first product so that the other product can coat evenly.
