Tunnel and Touchless Memberships

[Car Wash Brothers]

I have a tunnel and a touchless, side by side each other. We are tossing around the idea of memberships but how would I go about that considering I have two different types of washes?

 

[washnshine]

If you have different price points and package plans, it would probably be best to sell either a touchless membership or a tunnel membership. Most customers are probably loyal to one or the other anyway.

 

[Car Wash Brothers]

If you have different price points and package plans, it would probably be best to sell either a touchless membership or a tunnel membership. Most customers are probably loyal to one or the other anyway.

we have always kept the price points the same so the customers feel like they aren't being robbed by either side. I would say 80% of customers are loyal. We try to convince most to come over to our tunnel. I just hear that memberships do not work for IBA. We can only pump out 12ish an hour with our touchless so I find that doing memberships may not be profitable and be very hard on our equipment.

 

[JLanman]

You could run a limited program on your IBA. Might have to alter the price vs the tunnel, but if folks prefer the touchless options, you would have an offer for them.

 

[Car Wash Brothers]

You could run a limited program on your IBA. Might have to alter the price vs the tunnel, but if folks prefer the touchless options, you would have an offer for them.

What would you do 4 washes per month? Would you think the touchless increase price vs. the tunnel? My chemical cost is a tad less in the touchless.

 

[New Washdog]

What would you do 4 washes per month? Would you think the touchless increase price vs. the tunnel? My chemical cost is a tad less in the touchless.

I always thought tunnel chemical usage to be less than a touch less and hence its associated cost??

 

[JLanman]

The difference between the unlimited vs limited membership approach is how do you sell the plans?
The customer hears "for the price of two washes I can wash as often as I like"
vs. "For the price of two washes I can wash 4 times a month".
This is what makes the unlimited approach so attractive for the customers.
Being that you will be offering both side by side, it could make the conversation tricky.
It is all about the value proposition. If they see value, they will buy. If they don't, they won't, that simple.

To answer your question, if you are going to have tighter limits, you will likely need to offer a reduced price. Or add more services to one plan vs the other.

Few questions:
Is your Touchless volume high or low? Meaning do you currently have lines at your touchless machine as compared to your tunnel?
Do you have any competitors running a touchless machine with membership plans close by?
Do you have other services tied to your touchless wash? Do you also have SS Bays or pet washes?
- if yes above, would you be willing to include some of these services in the limited plan?
Are you running any other loyalty programs currently?

 

[washnshine]

I’m guessing you have some customers who like the tunnel and other customers who like the touchless IBA. It’d be interesting to see how many go back and forth and use both. If you offer limited for the touchfree and unlimited for the tunnel, you might have more customers come over to your tunnel, which is what it sounds like you would prefer.
The die hard touchfree customers will have to stay with the limited plan, and you could easily justify by telling them it is a matter of speed. Touchfree wash takes longer than the tunnel and they would be waiting in extremely long and slow lines if your touchless was unlimited. The tunnel washes faster, so the reduced wait time allows you to offer unlimited washing.
I think it’s important to always be able to justify your business plan, approach etc. Every customer may not agree, but you can at least have a stock logical explanation to support your business practices.