Two years ago I upgraded my entry system to a PDQ Access system. I purchased the WALS system to sell wash packages at my site. They have a website package available to buy packages and gift certificates via the web for another $4400. I am very seriously considering it but want to make sure there is enough upside to justify the cost. Anybody who made the purchase your insight would be helpful.
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Should I Buy Website Interface for WALS PDQ Access System.
- Thread starter Buzzie8
- Start date
I agree about the high price tag. But they do not give you the information
for the integration with their WALS system without paying them for the site.
I think it is poor strategic move for PDQ when they actually make recurring
income from the more subscribers you get into their WALS system. They should
want everyone to have this and give it out free for the monthly income that
they receive from it.
for the integration with their WALS system without paying them for the site.
I think it is poor strategic move for PDQ when they actually make recurring
income from the more subscribers you get into their WALS system. They should
want everyone to have this and give it out free for the monthly income that
they receive from it.
Welcome to our so called industry. Carwashing seems about 30 years behind the times in many respects. There is an amazing ammount of ignorance parading as industry leaders. You have however done one of the best things you could do to get real info on this, and tha is post it here for the entire community to see.
Buzzie,
Wow! The fee's continue to go up. I think it was $3,500 when I purchased the website interface 3 years ago. I had avoided making the purchase with a single wash site because I couldnt justify the cost. Now that I have 3 sites and 6 IBA's, it makes sense having wash accounts available for purchase online.
If I'm not mistaken, the $4400 will only get you the website interface and some setup support from their tech svcs. You still need a web designer to develop a website and integrate the WALS interface into it. My web guy had quite a time getting it to work correctly. If you want PDQ to design the website I think the charge is more like $7-8,000. They also force you to run all online sales through PayPal, which means not only are you paying a per car fee to PDQ when a wash is redeemed, you also pay a commission to Paypal whenever a customer buys washes online. Oh and there's an annual software support fee on the wash club interface that they charge you as well.
I always thought the WALS interface fee was ridiculous. What the hell, you're spending over $20K on the Access unit as it is!!
Wow! The fee's continue to go up. I think it was $3,500 when I purchased the website interface 3 years ago. I had avoided making the purchase with a single wash site because I couldnt justify the cost. Now that I have 3 sites and 6 IBA's, it makes sense having wash accounts available for purchase online.
If I'm not mistaken, the $4400 will only get you the website interface and some setup support from their tech svcs. You still need a web designer to develop a website and integrate the WALS interface into it. My web guy had quite a time getting it to work correctly. If you want PDQ to design the website I think the charge is more like $7-8,000. They also force you to run all online sales through PayPal, which means not only are you paying a per car fee to PDQ when a wash is redeemed, you also pay a commission to Paypal whenever a customer buys washes online. Oh and there's an annual software support fee on the wash club interface that they charge you as well.
I always thought the WALS interface fee was ridiculous. What the hell, you're spending over $20K on the Access unit as it is!!
It did improve gift card purchases and made it easier for the hard core customers to receive discounts on wash packages. Although the question I always struggle with is would those customers still be loyal customers if they couldnt buy washes at a discount? Hard to say....
Before the WALS Interface my gift cards were limited to my being at the wash on weekends and able to sell them in person, so this definitely made it easier. Is it worth doing for a single site, I still believe that it is not, unless you have one awesome location with very high traffic. Overall my annual sales from the website run about 3-5% of my total revenues at the washes. So not a huge sales tool by any means.
Before the WALS Interface my gift cards were limited to my being at the wash on weekends and able to sell them in person, so this definitely made it easier. Is it worth doing for a single site, I still believe that it is not, unless you have one awesome location with very high traffic. Overall my annual sales from the website run about 3-5% of my total revenues at the washes. So not a huge sales tool by any means.
bigleo48
Active member
I personally don't believe that its worth it for me and only one site. However, what you get is integration (web/payment/PDQ). This would not work for my self-serve bays.
So I can sell them in my vending machine or by my attendant. For my fleets, then can drop by the wash or I can do it remotely (add $ to their card and use my Virtual Terminal to charge their credit card). They can use them in my IBA, SS bays and petwash and can be redeem towards a detailing job.
This way I only pay my regular CC fee or nothing if they pay cash.
So I can sell them in my vending machine or by my attendant. For my fleets, then can drop by the wash or I can do it remotely (add $ to their card and use my Virtual Terminal to charge their credit card). They can use them in my IBA, SS bays and petwash and can be redeem towards a detailing job.
This way I only pay my regular CC fee or nothing if they pay cash.
