Testing the air up there, raising prices.

[Michael McKernan]

First of all timing is everything in my mind. My sewer rates went up 2000%. Relax, went from $42 a month unlimited water to a $600-$800 compared to last years usage. Then a nice little snow, get the salty dogs out. Go from $1.50-$2.00 for basically the same time.

They see the 2000% sign up for sewer rates, plus they need me. Closest comp is $1.75 for 30 more seconds and I have more options and run a better wash. I'm sure someone will complain, heck it would disappoint if they didn't.

I mean, I just ask. You still making the same money you did 3 and 1/2 years ago?
Great to be back guys.

 

[Rudy]

I've had two price increases in the last 14 years. I remember I had a total of 3 comments for both of them. All in all, it's a non-issue. If you need to raise prices....do it.

I'm at $2 for 4 minutes....and it's probably time again.

 

[mmurra]

We recently raised prices from $1-3min to $2-4/min. Business is lousy either way.

 

[Reds]

I opened in 2005 at $2 for 4 minutes. This summer I changed it to 3? minutes. Now that the floor heat is fired up I am going to change it to $2 for 3 minutes. Everything that I can think of has gone up in price. It shouldn't be a shock to anyone when my prices go up. Prices have even gone up at the dollar stores.

 

[Waxman]

I am at $2 for 3.5 minutes. seems right for my market.

$7,8,9,10 IBA.

 

[Randy]

Hey Michael welcome back. In the last few years the car wash revenue at my wash has been in a slow spiral downward. Am I making the same or more than I was 3 years ago, NO! I?m not. I?m at $2 for 4 minutes in the bays and $1 for 3 minutes on the Vac?s. I?m just about as high as I can go in my market. 2008 is the worse year that I?ve ever had in 26 years. I?m down only 18% from 2007, 2007 was down 11% from 2006, 2006 was down 8% from 2005. Some of the other car washes around me are down 40% and are looking to sell. The tunnels are the ones that are getting hit the hardest. The guy?s who just got into the game are the one I really feel sorry for, the guy?s who have the big nut to crack every month.

I did set record for 2008. I had the police at my wash 13 times so far this year for everything from theft of services, illegal dumping, vandalism and plain Old theft.

 

[Ric]

Hey Michael welcome back. In the last few years the car wash revenue at my wash has been in a slow spiral downward. Am I making the same or more than I was 3 years ago, NO! I?m not. I?m at $2 for 4 minutes in the bays and $1 for 3 minutes on the Vac?s. I?m just about as high as I can go in my market. 2008 is the worse year that I?ve ever had in 26 years. I?m down only 18% from 2007, 2007 was down 11% from 2006, 2006 was down 8% from 2005. Some of the other car washes around me are down 40% and are looking to sell. The tunnels are the ones that are getting hit the hardest. The guy?s who just got into the game are the one I really feel sorry for, the guy?s who have the big nut to crack every month.

I did set record for 2008. I had the police at my wash 13 times so far this year for everything from theft of services, illegal dumping, vandalism and plain Old theft.

Randy,

Just curious, what part of the country are located.

 

[Randy]

The Pacific Northwest, 35 miles South of Seattle in a small town of about 4500. I go to my wash 3 times a week, I have employee who goes the other 4 days. That?s roughly 156 trips to the wash a year. I wonder how many times I?d call the police if I went everyday. I know a lot of car wash owners who just shrug there shoulders and do nothing when something is missing, vandalized etc. I call the police, file a report and sometimes things do happen. That?s what there are here for and I make them earn there pay.

 

[MEP001]

That's the advice I usually give, call the police and report all breakins and vandalism. Even if they can't catch who did it, they'll usually step up patrols in the area.

 

[Kevin James]

Randys post reinforces what I?ve been saying for sometime. The car wash business isn?t anything more than a low profit janitorial business that attracts individuals who are not the most stellar individuals of the community.

 

[Reds]

Randys post reinforces what I?ve been saying for sometime. The car wash business isn?t anything more than a low profit janitorial business that attracts individuals who are not the most stellar individuals of the community.

If you believe that you should get out of the biz

 

[pitzerwm]

Kevin, you might want to revise your post, I don't think that you meant that carwash owners were usually low lifes????

 

[MEP001]

The car wash business isn’t anything more than a low profit janitorial business

I'll contradict that once again. A well-run wash in a good location can be very profitable. It just takes more work than coming by once a week and collecting quarters. If you don't run off the "less stellar" individuals, they'll just keep coming back causing problems.

 

[Micah Savell]

First, Michael it's good to see you back on the forum. As far as raising prices are concerned, with the economy where it and folks are VALUE conscious I personally would not raise prices until there is some settling in economy as a whole.