Wobble head foam brush handles.

[JustClean]

Do you think you will loose customers? Like: "Gee...first their price increase and now I can't even use their brush anymore. Stuff that!" Do you have competition around where they could go?
On the other hand: You use my brush - you pay! I feel it is the right thing to do. I get so many freeloaders it is not nice anymore.

 

[bigleo48]

I see Kleenrite now sells them for $150 a piece. Might buy one to play with in my next order.

I'm still conflicted with the idea. Coincarwash and myself are in the same climate and general area, but I don't seem to have the same weep washer problem. Not sure how much you weep Coin, perhaps you need to either turn it down or weep less with warm water or go to a polar freeze like solution.

My problem is mostly with people washing their rims. Not sure its a big enough problem to warrant a $1200 expenditure.

Lastly, I'd be concerned if a bay froze. I have seen regular foam brush handles burst and not a big deal at $8 each...but $150! Yikes.

 

[coincarwash.ca]

I see Kleenrite now sells them for $150 a piece. Might buy one to play with in my next order.

I'm still conflicted with the idea. Coincarwash and myself are in the same climate and general area, but I don't seem to have the same weep washer problem. Not sure how much you weep Coin, perhaps you need to either turn it down or weep less with warm water or go to a polar freeze like solution.

My problem is mostly with people washing their rims. Not sure its a big enough problem to warrant a $1200 expenditure.

Lastly, I'd be concerned if a bay froze. I have seen regular foam brush handles burst and not a big deal at $8 each...but $150! Yikes.

They can withstand freezing. I have not had one freeze yet, but they are designed to live through a total freeze up. I was originally only going to buy one, but I decided to take the plunge and get 9 right off the bat....no regrets!

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Do customers look at the brush before turning it on and think it's broken because of the wobbly head?
If so they might not even turn the dial to foam brush there by losing time =money.

 

[coincarwash.ca]

We have had a very busy last few days with all bays running for most of the day. The wobbleheads are working great. I still get the odd person trying to use the brush while not on the clock, but the majority feed the machine coins. A few customers asked if they were broken and I explained the system to them. I am sure at the beginning some customers will be confused, but in time they will be retrained into paying for the brush. When a customers time runs out on the brush is where you really see a difference in extra $$$.I have a complaint box at the front of the wash and have not received one complaint about the brushes.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

So when the time runs out does the brush head turn wobbly right away or is there a time delay?
Are you worried that the if the customer is not paying attention when the time runs out that they may continue their brushing motion and scratch their car and blame you?
Sorry but I'm just trying to figure this thing out.
One as a car wash operator and one as the customer.

 

[MEP001]

Are you worried that the if the customer is not paying attention when the time runs out that they may continue their brushing motion and scratch their car and blame you?

Just looking at the video, it seems like there's nothing that could hit the car to scratch it unless the customer is so careless that he/she lets the metal back plate flop around and hit the car. It doesn't look like it ever gets floppy enough for that to happen easily.

 

[waterworks0413]

wobblehead foam brush handle

I have a busy 4 bay self serve , and I have been using the "wobblehead" handles for almost a year now with no problems. They are very durable and reliable. I'm happy that I made this purchase.

 

[thoffmanjr]

We just opened a new wash with 4 bays and have them. I would agree with "waterworks0413" above. I haven't heard a single complaint about it.

 

[Wally]

We just opened a new wash with 4 bays and have them. I would agree with "waterworks0413" above. I haven't heard a single complaint about it.

What makes it tighten up and then wobble again?

 

[thoffmanjr]

Simple design as I understand it. It is like a cylinder and piston. The foam brush solution flows through the brush handle and pushes the piston and the rod through the "wobbly" area to stiffen it up. As long as solution is flowing it works. When time expires a spring returns the piston and rod back to home position and returns the head to wobbly condition. Hmmmmm sounds familiar.

 

[rph9168]

Sounds like it works a little like Viagra.

 

[Greg Pack]

Interesting design, but at the price I'm hearing not practical for me. How many hours of time does is take for one to break even on these? I guess it just depends on your clientele.

 

[thoffmanjr]

The feel of the handle is better. It is a higher quality handle. If you're $2 for 4 minutes you're talking $30 of revenue per hour. One of our busier 7 bay locations in August did 47.77 hours of foam brush use. The unknown is how many minutes, on average, do our customers use the brush after the time runs out? Who knows? If each of our customers used the brush with the time running for 5 minutes then 573 people used it. What if, again on average, each used the brush an extra minute with the time off? That's 573 minutes or $286 of time. We just paid for more than one handle in one month. Quick theory... I might be close.

 

[JustClean]

The feel of the handle is better. It is a higher quality handle. If you're $2 for 4 minutes you're talking $30 of revenue per hour. One of our busier 7 bay locations in August did 47.77 hours of foam brush use. The unknown is how many minutes, on average, do our customers use the brush after the time runs out? Who knows? If each of our customers used the brush with the time running for 5 minutes then 573 people used it. What if, again on average, each used the brush an extra minute with the time off? That's 573 minutes or $286 of time. We just paid for more than one handle in one month. Quick theory... I might be close.

Don't get me wrong: As an operator I would like to see all my bays having the wobble brush. But if the customers don't like them and go to your competition the calculation will look totally different... I think only time and listening to the experience of other operators will tell.

 

[Randy]

The problem I have with the Wobble Head foam brush handle is the cost. By the time you get the Hog Hair brush head and the fittings on the handle you’ve got close to $200 in the setup. We lose about 8 -10 handles a year to theft, at $200 a pop that’s a hard nut to crack.

 

[TurboJet]

I like thoff's thinking here and where he is going. I know that in general when we look just at the self serve side of things, we think we are in the car wash business, but in reality we are not.

We are in the equipment rental business!! Customers rent our bay equipment and vacs to clean their cars. This rental income is earned by the minute.

The wobbleheads and things like in bay acceptors and credit card acceptance can lead to bay efficiencies, where a busy wash can actually increase the amount of paid rental minutes per hour.

But this is where it gets tricky, it's not always dry with salt on the road, we are not always lined up, there may be a competitor down the road, or by the customer paying for another cycle, that gas station auto tunnel down the road is almost the same price for a SS wash.

So initially Wobbleheads would seem like a no brainer, but it's really not that easy.

All we can do is try and learn. Maybe these things will become the norm.

This has been a great thread. Thanks to all so far who have contributed with their real "in field" experiences. I'm leaning towards giving these things a try. Loctite on all the fittings for sure. Thanks again.

 

[bigleo48]

I am reading this with interest. Unfortunately I don't find that the originator of this thread has given more that anecdotal information. But the sum of the wash users info is compelling.

First, the lack of complaints is good. However, most won't complain and others will just go elsewhere. Also, is the was attended (someone to complain to)? The 'go elsewhere' types might not be a bad thing. If you push away, the people who eat up bay time (without paying) onto your competitors. They then can plug up their bays. We make most of our money in the busy times, not having them around could increase throughput.

Second, clear signage and some customer education from attendants IMHO is key when someone complains. We would need to communicate from a well prepared script that could speak to the issues that customers raise. Like "it's preventing me from continuing to use the soap I purchased?" or "I just want to clean my wheels" or "I just want to get the bugs off my windshield"

Finally, we are a business in it to trade money for bay time. I never like "free offers" in marketing our wash as I feel it attracts the wrong type of people. I think this works along the same belief. I feel that if you make your wash as good as it can be for your best clientele and chase off the bad ones, you will attract better customers and reduce problems. I have found this through my own experience chasing away people who try to fix cars, garbage dumpers, busy hour bucket washers, extreme mud washers, etc. I now have few of them and the wash is better. The overall perception of my wash is that its clean and works well. No hassles, lots of bays, many options...just show up, drop your cash and wash. That's what I'm looking for.

 

[sudzy]

Actual Customer Use of the Wobblehead

If you can do it, I'd like to see a video of an actual customer trying to use the limp wobble-head, realizing it won't work and depositing some money. It should be good for a laugh.

It took a bit of doing, but this is a video per your request.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umcnkd0HZls&feature=youtu.be