Anybody raise there prices since the cost of inaproppriate fuel hikes, as cost of doing business rises, how in the heck are we going to stay open for 2 bucks for 4 minutes? Is three dollars for 4 minutes out of the question ? It seems as though we find ourselves doing this at almost cost..
Price Rise With Cost Rise ?
- Thread starter wolfe
- Start date
Wolfe where are you located?
We are down about 15% so far this year. I just raised my prices to $2 for 3 minutes in the bays and $1 for 3 on the vac?s just a couple of weeks ago, no one has complained yet that I know of. I know of a few washes that are at $3 for 4 minutes, they are down 15% just like the rest of us.
We are down about 15% so far this year. I just raised my prices to $2 for 3 minutes in the bays and $1 for 3 on the vac?s just a couple of weeks ago, no one has complained yet that I know of. I know of a few washes that are at $3 for 4 minutes, they are down 15% just like the rest of us.
MEP001
Well-known member
I started sneaking the time down a bit, and will do so every month for a while.
Our utilities haven't changed in years, and our soap costs won't increase for a while since I stocked up before the price hike, and even then they'll only go up about 20%. Soap is just over 10% of our net now, so the increase won't be a huge hit.
Our utilities haven't changed in years, and our soap costs won't increase for a while since I stocked up before the price hike, and even then they'll only go up about 20%. Soap is just over 10% of our net now, so the increase won't be a huge hit.
I.B. Washincars
Car Washer Emeritus
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It doesn't matter to diddly squat what us fellow operators think. You can justify or not any price increase any way you want. It's discretionary income and the customers will ultimately decide whether your product is worth what you charge. Me, I charge as much as I think I can get away with. The going price here is $1.50/4 minutes. I charge $2/4 1/2 minutes.
MEP001
Well-known member
I wish we could get away with that. There are two washes less than five minutes away that now give more time per coin for less start-up price than us. They stay somewhat busy despite the fact that nothing really works - tire cleaner is barely green, presoak is weaker than the bay soap (which is almost nonexistent), foam brush spits out a little puff of foam every 10 seconds, lukewarm water, weak low-pressure wax, spot-free takes two minutes to get to the wand, half the bays pulsate like mad...I'd be embarassed to charge for that. As it is, I frequently see people drive through our bays, look at the price and leave, over a difference of a quarter! I'm sure we'd lose more if I went to $2.I.B. Washincars said:
I.B. Washincars
Car Washer Emeritus
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Yeah, I kinda feel for operators in Texas. I don't know why that part of the country has lagged behind the rest in pricing.
MEP001
Well-known member
I think some of it is competition. San Antonio is the worst. There's one very long street (I think it's Wurzbach) that has a self-serve wash about every two blocks. Last time I was there, there were a few that were still a quarter to start, for a minute of time.
Bubbles Galore
Active member
We adjusted our time and left the start up price the same. It seems like our customers are only concerned with what the start up price is, not how much time they get. I am also thinking about adjusting our vacuum time too.
Randy We are in Northern Michigan, I agree Iintend to crank down the timer, thanks guys
Reds
Member
After reading this post I adjusted my vac timers to 3 1/2 minutes from 4 minutes for a dollar. As soon as I turn my floor heat on I will do the same to my SS bays - currently $2 for 4 minutes. I will switch them to 3 1/2 and maybe even 3 minutes in the dead of winter.
JMMUSTANG
car wash owner
Maybe we should have summer pricing and winter pricing?
This would help in covering the cost outlay in the winter months.
Back in the 1950-60's my Dad would charge .25-.50 more on Friday, Sat. and Sundays to help cover for the additional labor at the full service.
This would help in covering the cost outlay in the winter months.
Back in the 1950-60's my Dad would charge .25-.50 more on Friday, Sat. and Sundays to help cover for the additional labor at the full service.
GoBuckeyes
Self-Serve and Automatics
I've been thinking about doing some price adjusting for awhile but wasn't sure which way to go. We switched our vacuums about three years ago from 4 minutes for a $1 to 3 minutes without so much as a hiccup. We should have done that long ago! Our bay pricing has been the same since around 2001; $3 for 4 minutes in our Superbays and $2.50 in a regular bay. Obviously our costs have increased since then and our pricing needs to reflect that. I didn't want to increase the start up price to over $3 so we cut the time back to 3 1/2 minutes for the same start up price. That's about a 14% increase. We only did this at the beginning of the week at two of our washes to see how it goes. So far no one has questioned it. One thing I go back and forth on is putting stickers on the coin box stating how much time you will get. For over twenty years we have always had 4 minute cycles and now we don't. On the other hand, I think putting stickers will just draw attention to the price hike. I'll have to wait and see how it goes in the complaint department.
Gobuckeyes, You bring up a good point about the stickers. I?m thinking about putting stickers on that don?t have the time on them, when this batch is gone I think I?ll order them with just theprice. In some states when you are selling time you have to post the amount of time so the customer can see how much time they are buying. In some states you have to also have the timers certified by the state yearly.
Bubbles Galore
Active member
We don't display how much time is given. We just have the signs that tell you how many quarters to deposit. I think it helps that we have the dixmor ultimate timers that display the time pretty prominently.
pitzerwm
Active member
Personally, it always irritates me when I go to a wash that doesn't tell me the time before I put my money in. Perception is my reality and I have a negative feeling about that wash whenever I go by it. I think that you want to eliminate any negatives if you can.
