Which would you do, if anything ? Need some recommendations

[traveler17]

So my 4/1 is in a rural town with my only competitor about 2 miles up the road. He does more business because of his location. He has more drive bys and I have more of the locals in town. He added monthly plans “everwash” last spring. I was concerned but have not seen any decrease in my business since then I recently talked w everwash and they asked when I would like to get started. Other idea was to add token dispenser and offer free vacs w automatic wash. Just trying to offer something new to keep up or differentiate. What would you guys do ? Thank you for your input and sincerely appreciate EVERYONES knowledge and experience on this forum.

 

[Waxman]

What kind of IBA do you have? Is it different from competitor's?

I don't feel that offering a free vac is the way to improve profits, because vacs are very profitable. I think you need every profit source.

You could focus on being the better wash; keep it cleaner than competitor, fix breakdowns faster, offer things they don't have.

Do you have crypto pay? In-bay air dryers? Even little things like an air machine and soda machine can make a difference.

 

[traveler17]

What kind of IBA do you have? Is it different from competitor's?

I don't feel that offering a free vac is the way to improve profits, because vacs are very profitable. I think you need every profit source.

You could focus on being the better wash; keep it cleaner than competitor, fix breakdowns faster, offer things they don't have.

Do you have crypto pay? In-bay air dryers? Even little things like an air machine and soda machine can make a difference.

I have a Belanger vector and he put in a new PDQ a little over a year ago. His new machine didn’t hurt business like I thought it would. Next auto I put in will be WW XR 7 when this one starts to decline. I do know they own multiple washes and don’t spend close to the amount of time I do. I’m definitely on more of a personal level w customers and they know I’m accessible if any problems occur.

I don’t like giving away anything for “free” either but didn’t know if the idea of free would generate more income in the automatic. Air machine in the works.

Thanks for the advice!! What do you think about adding everwash? Also I do know he just hiked his prices up to 18 for his top wash and I’m 14. We were always same price until 2 weeks ago so he’s given me some room plus I could offer the monthly for a few dollars less

 

[MEP001]

You might consider a friction auto like the Belanger Cube. Not only will that set you apart, it will clean better and significantly lower your operating costs.

 

[Eric H]

I do know they own multiple washes and don’t spend close to the amount of time I do. I’m definitely on more of a personal level w customers and they know I’m accessible if any problems occur.

I don’t like giving away anything for “free” either but didn’t know if the idea of free would generate more income in the automatic.

The thing you are giving away "free" is customer service. Sounds like you are doing everything right and have the correct attitude! Keep working hard and continue to make small improvements where you can. Make larger capital improvements when appropriate.
You have to share the market with the other wash. You can't gauge your success based on what his location does.
Regarding Unlimited plans, i haven't been able to get the math to work out in my favor. I always feel like I'll be washing the same amount of cars for less profit. Don't forget that Everwash has to get their cut for administering the program for you. Also, If he has Everwash I'd probably go with a different provider so that the customer doesn't think they can use either location.

I've always tried to be "Cleaner, Brighter, Better!" Keep the place clean. Have the brightest lights. Have great chemicals and make sure everything works!

 

[traveler17]

You might consider a friction auto like the Belanger Cube. Not only will that set you apart, it will clean better and significantly lower your operating costs.

Thanks for the input, I have given a friction a lot of thought in those regards.

 

[traveler17]

The thing you are giving away "free" is customer service. Sounds like you are doing everything right and have the correct attitude! Keep working hard and continue to make small improvements where you can. Make larger capital improvements when appropriate.
You have to share the market with the other wash. You can't gauge your success based on what his location does.
Regarding Unlimited plans, i haven't been able to get the math to work out in my favor. I always feel like I'll be washing the same amount of cars for less profit. Don't forget that Everwash has to get their cut for administering the program for you. Also, If he has Everwash I'd probably go with a different provider so that the customer doesn't think they can use either location.

I've always tried to be "Cleaner, Brighter, Better!" Keep the place clean. Have the brightest lights. Have great chemicals and make sure everything works!

Thanks Eric. I 100 percent agree with you about the monthly wash which is why I haven’t pulled the trigger. Thank you for the advice

 

[Roz]

We dispensed free vacuum tokens with our top two washes ($16 & $14) in a limited time offer. The free tokens got more people to purchase one of the top packages instead of one of the bottom two packages. Vacs cost you (almost) nothing, you can run a limited time promotion and see if it moves sales. We bring the promotion back now and then.

 

[traveler17]

We dispensed free vacuum tokens with our top two washes ($16 & $14) in a limited time offer. The free tokens got more people to purchase one of the top packages instead of one of the bottom two packages. Vacs cost you (almost) nothing, you can run a limited time promotion and see if it moves sales. We bring the promotion back now and then.

Thanks for the reply. That was my thought was vacs don’t cost much to run and people love seeing the word “free” What cost did you incur if any other than tokens? For myself I would need to get the token dispenser inside the ws2 and buy new coin mechs for the vacs. If ya don’t mind me asking why only run it as a promotion and not full time if it’s successful?

 

[Roz]

Cost Tokens.

Our vacs are new so the coin acceptors could be programmed to accept them. We did upgrade a different wash with new coin acceptors in old vacs so we could use tokens there. Cost was about $400/machine to change coin acceptor.

We distributed tokens via the ICS Paystation change return function so no additional cost there. The ICS returns paper bills too so converting change system was not an issue and it just requires a new wheel. Hope this helps.

 

[Waxman]

since your market has a new price ceiling of $18 I would go there too and not look back.

That's my strategy when my new WW Razor goes in. It's market- based pricing. If his customers pay it, yours will, too.

 

[soonermajic]

bu

since your market has a new price ceiling of $18 I would go there too and not look back.

That's my strategy when my new WW Razor goes in. It's market- based pricing. If his customers pay it, yours will, too.

Good point, but why not charge $16? Be cheaper, but still a very nicer price increase. Then, you could always go up.
This thread reminds me why we're so cheap here. $12, $10, $8.!! 2 yr old SoftGloss
$7 $9, $10-- 2 mo old Razor XR7!!

 

[Waxman]

bu
Good point, but why not charge $16? Be cheaper, but still a very nicer price increase. Then, you could always go up.
This thread reminds me why we're so cheap here. $12, $10, $8.!! 2 yr old SoftGloss
$7 $9, $10-- 2 mo old Razor XR7!!

You're $10 at a Razor and hand-prepping all the cars, too?!? I'm shocked by that.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

You're $10 at a Razor and hand-prepping all the cars, too?!? I'm shocked by that.

I'm guessing that's probably normal for his market, pricewise. The prepping, I would never have started. Those are worms you just can't easily put back in the can.

 

[OurTown]

I'm guessing that's probably normal for his market, pricewise. The prepping, I would never have started. Those are worms you just can't easily put back in the can.

I agree and there are a lot of things you can start providing that would be difficult to stop. Unlimited monthly washes, free towels, free vacs or vac token, free air fresheners etc... It seems like Sooner bought that wash and it already had preppers.

 

[Waxman]

I'm guessing that's probably normal for his market, pricewise. The prepping, I would never have started. Those are worms you just can't easily put back in the can.

I feel like with hand-prepping he is offering a $20 value service. No???

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I feel like with hand-prepping he is offering a $20 value service. No???

Definitely an added value, how much? Who knows? IIRC, he is in rural TX or OK. That area seems to always be way behind the rest of the country in pricing (especially SS prices). You OTOH, seem to be in probably the highest priced region, so maybe not a real easy comparison.

 

[MEP001]

I feel like with hand-prepping he is offering a $20 value service. No???

Not in semi-rural Texas. There's a car wash in Seguin, a double Laser 4000 that has at least 5 or 6 employees all day for prepping and after-care, and they charge $6/7/8/10.

 

[STXCW]

I would never consider a monthly plan on a IBA unless maybe, you are capping it at 4 washes a month. Can't wash enough cars a day to justify it if it takes off. A tunnel can wash twice as many cars in a couple hours as you can all day in your In bay, that is why it works for them.

 

[traveler17]

bu
Good point, but why not charge $16? Be cheaper, but still a very nicer price increase. Then, you could always go up.
This thread reminds me why we're so cheap here. $12, $10, $8.!! 2 yr old SoftGloss
$7 $9, $10-- 2 mo old Razor XR7!!

I’m 8 ,10,12 and 14 and agree with raising price but still being a few $$ less. Sooner do you offer a monthly and how are you liking the XR 7. that will be the next wash I install. I want to do what mep suggested in putting in a friction but I don’t want to sit there all day.