Remodeled Wash Grand Opening?

[wash12]

We just remodeled a wash that has been shut down for 5 years and we are at day 3 of our grand opening and lets just say it wasn't the rush I was hopping for. Equipment is a new touchless and is in a great location. Doing everything we can to drive business hanging banners and flyers. Even ordered door hangers to put on houses nearby for $3 off any wash.

My question is on a remodel does it take time to build up a customer base? Anyone do a remodel and have it take awhile to build it back up?

 

[chaz]

Shutdown for 5 years....that’s not as much a remodel as a new Carwash. Assuming location etc like you say....give it a bit of time. Perhaps a few hours of free or really low price to benefit a charity. You need to get cars on the lot to attract attentions!

 

[robert roman]

It may take up to 90 days or more for a new wash to reach between 25 and 50 percent of sales projections.

I’ve seen carwash at c-store and gas sites ramp up to projections as fast as one year and full-service as much as 3 years to reach projections.

Normal ramp up is about two years or so.

I’ve also know operators that gave out $10,000 a month in “free” washes for several months to get the ball rolling.

Do you have a responsive website and customer app? Do you have a mobile marketing strategy? What about social media?

What are you doing to drive membership campaign for your customer loyalty program?

 

[Earl Weiss]

Nothing beats "FREE" . I'd reccomend 2 weeks free and a method for distributing Free coupons if you can.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

I did free washes for a weekend. It was busy.

 

[OurTown]

Even ordered door hangers to put on houses nearby for $3 off any wash

I think this is a great idea but they should have been free. They would be busting down the door with free washes.

 

[Roz]

I remodeled a 30 year old under performing place (5 SS Bays and 1 IBA). No one used the IBA since it just pushed water and was unattractive to enter the bay. Everything including the heated floors is now new and looks attractive. Added new meter boxes with CryptoPay, changed to $1 Tokens so we can provide the best customers with bonus tokens, and started a local promotion campaign with targeted advertising via a new website, a new social media site, targeted AD buys, and an online & offline awareness campaign.

Takes time to see everything take hold but verbal and online comments/feedback to me have been very positive so word of mouth is spreading. I also gave away discount coupons for the IBA to get people washing their own cars an incentive to try the new IBA as many people just remembered the old machine. I gave free washes to all the local business owners near my wash if they would allow me to leave coupons in their place (everyone accepted the offer).

Month over month revenue has increased significantly and the IBA is the talk of the town (a WW Razor with LED light show).

We launched Feb 26th and have seen each month perform better than the previous numbers even with all the rain we have experienced. Summer is the slowest season so tweet things now to get awareness up leading into the Fall and Winter seasons when you should see the impact from your efforts.

If you want any other info on some of the promotional ideas just send me a private message. Be patient and keep up the noise...

 

[wash12]

It may take up to 90 days or more for a new wash to reach between 25 and 50 percent of sales projections.

I’ve seen carwash at c-store and gas sites ramp up to projections as fast as one year and full-service as much as 3 years to reach projections.

Normal ramp up is about two years or so.

I’ve also know operators that gave out $10,000 a month in “free” washes for several months to get the ball rolling.

Do you have a responsive website and customer app? Do you have a mobile marketing strategy? What about social media?

What are you doing to drive membership campaign for your customer loyalty program?

Its an unattended wash so makes it hard to have a membership campaign, my goal was to make the nicest touchless wash in town and earn business that way, people drive by the see it but don't stop. I was expecting to have lines the first day I opened like a new express wash in town did.

 

[wash12]

I think this is a great idea but they should have been free. They would be busting down the door with free washes.

I was literally in between this for hours to go free or not but then decided people that actually have an interest in my wash would use coupon instead of just getting people wanting a freebee. I could be completely wrong on this just my thoughts.

 

[rph9168]

I have always said one of the toughest things to do in this business is to revitalize a wash that has been closed for a while or has a bad reputation. I have found that having free washes for a couple of weeks or even a month can help bring it back as long as the wash is performing well. It can cost but in the long run it is probably one of the more efficient ways of marketing a wash like this. In any case as some have suggested, give it time, it will not come back overnight.

 

[tdlconceptsllc]

May I ask what kind of touchless automatic you installed and is this just a single iba or ss additional. What kind of equipment. Its takes a while all depends on how bad it was before and how well you remodeled and location a lot of factors can come into play. I have seen places take a year or more before it starts grow consistently. Tell us more about your site. I have seen people buy a site sealcoat the parking lot paint the building (typical real estate investor) and think they remodel it and wonder why the carwash business sucks. I am sure you didn't do this lol. Be patient it takes time and effort just keep working it

 

[robert roman]

“Its an unattended wash so makes it hard to have a membership campaign….”

Who said carwash was easy.

If you don’t have a customer loyalty program, how do you expect to create a customer base? I know operators that have spent a month handshaking customers and kissing babies at the entrance to launch a new wash.

“my goal was to make the nicest touchless wash in town…”

Anyone can do this because all it takes is money.

“I was expecting to have lines the first day I opened like a new express wash in town did.”

New express provides hand-finished quality, stay-in-the-car, virtually no waiting, done in three minutes, for a low price, and free vacuum. How does your touch-less measure up to this?

Mostly likely, the new express spent $10K or $20K on launch. That plus value-added of express model is reason for lines on first day. How does your promotion measure up to this?

 

[Jerry]

I was literally in between this for hours to go free or not but then decided people that actually have an interest in my wash would use coupon instead of just getting people wanting a freebee. I could be completely wrong on this just my thoughts.

A $3 coupon won’t get me out of bed, especially if I don’t need a wash that day. A free wash will give your new operation plenty of foot traffic and a chance for people just wanting a freebee to potentially become customers.

 

[wash12]

A $3 coupon won’t get me out of bed, especially if I don’t need a wash that day. A free wash will give your new operation plenty of foot traffic and a chance for people just wanting a freebee to potentially become customers.

I decided to do a $5 off any wash coupon so they learn how to use the paystation instead of just a free one so this mean with 5 coupon they could get my cheapest wash for $1. Lets see how many pick the dollar wash, I am hoping most people try a better wash with such a big credit!

 

[robert roman]

“….decided to do a $5 off any wash coupon so they learn how to use the paystation instead of just a free one so this mean with 5 coupon they could get my cheapest wash for $1.”

Some of the best carwash operators in the country have told me it’s ok to give it away but never discount the basic carwash service because that’s the core business.

If you sell it for a dollar, people expect you make money from a dollar.

Folks here have given you some solid advice but you seem hell bent on ignoring it.

For example, if you want customers to learn how to use the pay station, you or someone else has to spend time on site to teach them.

So, I’m out. Good luck

 

[Roz]

We placed a few 44"x22" Windmaster signs (purchased from KR) near our permanent road sign and around the property. KR also sells two posters for the Windmaster, one that screams Touch-Free Automatic and the other says New Automatic. Our customers have noticed those signs. On weekends I walk the bays asking customers if they are aware of our new automatic and provide them with a $3 discount to try the wash. That alone has gotten people who were going to use the SS Bay to use the new automatic. You should not have to pay people to use the wash - spend some money on flags and signage to raise awareness.

 

[MEP001]

So, I’m out. Good luck

Another "taking my ball and going home" moment.

 

[wash12]

“….decided to do a $5 off any wash coupon so they learn how to use the paystation instead of just a free one so this mean with 5 coupon they could get my cheapest wash for $1.”

Some of the best carwash operators in the country have told me it’s ok to give it away but never discount the basic carwash service because that’s the core business.

If you sell it for a dollar, people expect you make money from a dollar.

Folks here have given you some solid advice but you seem hell bent on ignoring it.

For example, if you want customers to learn how to use the pay station, you or someone else has to spend time on site to teach them.

So, I’m out. Good luck

Before you jump to conclusions, I have spent 16hr days there for the past month. Shaking hands and kissing babies as you would say.

The reason I went with 5 off every wash was bc my paystation does not show the 5 credit unless you are in checkout mode and I already see everyone scanning there code and thinking they don't have a discount. This was the most easy straight forward way I may lose some money from it but atleast people are trying my wash and wanting to use it again as that is the goal.

I am running the 5 off any wash for 3 months and its only for the people who check the back of there grocery receipt, so not everyone will get it. Also by doing such a good deal I am hoping they will continue to check the back of there receipt into the future and get in the habit of looking for my coupon as I will drop it down from 5 on the next run.

I have taken a ton of advice from this forum and appreciate everyones feedback.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Pick a local charity like a local food bank or the lung cancer connection (lung cancer connection should be able to offer help in promoting it).
Offer a freee top of the line car wash with a donation of food or cash.
Offer books of 5 top car washes for 1/2 price at the same time and donate a percentage of sales to the charity.
Get a couple of 30 gallon containers; cut out the tops for food donations, see if KR or your local sign company can make some posters to go around them. KR did a great Lung Cancer promo windmaster sign for me.
Have flags around the site promoting the promo.
I would do the promo for at least a week.

 

[SteveZone]

Facebook is a great inexpensive place to offer any freebies or discounts, you can run highly targeted campaigns to your specific zip code and surrounding areas or to your exacta demographic. It is the most cost effective over all the suggested print material that usually ends up in the trash. I dont see enough car wash owners using this tool and its the most cost effective. Does anyone have a hard number they are willing to share when it comes to customer acquisition?