24 hour rain guarantee

Just wondering if anyone is running a 24hr rain guarantee? Want to know the good the bad and the ugly of it. Thinking about putting one in place to boost up volumes. Been having a lot of days with rain predicted only to not have it come and the volume for that day is low. I figure if I can build up consumer confidence on those days I can bring up volume. Any opinions would be welcomed.

we have an unlimited 30 daywash program and even with that some people still stay away because they know it will rain later that day, that nite or the next day,and there not even paying out of pocket on that day. Rain sucks but I feel like its part of the game. Once you atart something like that it is hard to take it away if you wanted too....good luck

Most of those who do suually include it only in their top packages. Even then, when a rain-check is redeemed, it is only for the basic wash - not the top package they originally purchased. If the customer wants the top package when using a rain check, they have to pay the difference.

Rain guarantee is just a gimmick. With or without it, if a customer's car isn't dirty or the weather good and forecast good, most people won't waste their time. You just have to suck it up. Or you could just offer half off on cloudy/bad weather days. The result would be the same - much to do about nothing. Worst of all is the number of headaches and bad PR you would create when rain is spotty or they say, " tired coming back yesterday but you were closed." Now today is sunny. Are you going to honor that guarantee on that beautiful day? It's a Pandora's box.

i would not do a weather guearantee...what if they were 50 miles away and got rain? what if it rained across town? clean car guarantee, unconditional, is the way to go if you are going down this path. rewash (same car) for any reason within 24/48/72 hrs.

As mentioned, you should make it a Clean Car Guarantee, let them return for any reason within 24/48/72 hours. Realize though, that this is a marketing tool used to differentiate yourself from competition. You will not miraculously see a volume increase on "iffy" days because you offer a guarantee. Over time it will build some loyalty, but it should be just one tool in your arsenal of building customer loyalty.

A weather guarantee in our area would have to include snow, sleet, and rain. Our wash is in New Hampshire and we also have "Mud Season". I can see a Weather Program really being abused. I feel that if a customer washes their car, and bad weather is in the forecast, that's their choice.

Why not offer 50% off on rain and snow days? I'll tell you why. Because nobody is goiing to waste their time and money when their car isn't going to be clean for five seconds after leaving.

In the winter I can't tell you how many people come on a day when the streeets are still wet, get their car washed and then come back 5-6 hours later when the streets are dry or just about dry and say, " I was here this morning and your car wash didn't get my car clean." Am I supposed to wash it again for free? I simply tell them that first of all, their car wash clean when they left and that the raods were wet and there is nothing I can do about that. They should wait until the roads are dry next time.

Our policy is that if your vehicle comes out and you are not happy with it we will re-wash it, no questions asked. Although we do track re-washes to make sure that people do not abuse that policy by demanding a re-wash every time they come in (we've caught a few like that) If its a busy day, we cut them right to the front of the line so as not to delay them any further. If they don't have time, we will give them a re-wash certificate good for 7 days (otherwise they'll come back a month later). But after you leave the lot all bets are off.

I know from our monthly club card usage how abusive a 24/48/72 hour clean car gaurantee would be. DRB tells people that the average usage for a pass is 2.4 times a month. Well, out monthly pass users average 9-10 times a month. We're in Cleveland, Ohio, voted the worst weather city in America, we would go broke with a clean car guarantee.

Rain Checks have always been troublesome. That's why we developed the Clean Car Guarantee decades ago and wrote articles suggesting the concept as a powerful marketing tool.

The concept merged an overall solution for both full-service and exterior carwash operators who wanted (needed to safeguard customer satisfaction as well as offer an incentive to wash in spite of weather forecasts. It was originally a 2-part Guarantee: The first part was an immediate invitation to rewash if the customer was dissatisfied with the wash quality; an on-the-spot problem-solver. The second part was to safeguard the customer's investment in the wash from all perils: bird droppings right after the wash... and every other thing that ruined the clean car feeling received after leaving the wash. It was a seldom used but always appreciated opportunity to come back for any reason their clean car experience was compromised. It was a calculated risk offset by a powerful customer relations tool.

I used the phrases "If, for any reason..." and "no tricks or gimmicks" to strip away any fears or jaded sentiments, and made the blanket yet time-sensitive statement of a FREE RE-WASH. Since those decades ago articles, many operators have adopted and tailored the concept to suit their particular needs and marketplace demands, but the essence of the offer remains true to the original concept of assuring customer satisfaction. The time limits ranged from 24, 48 and even 72-hours at the operator's discretion.

If a full-service customer wasn't happy with the quality of their window-cleaning, they were encouraged to use the first part of the offer; on-the-spot correction of dissatisfaction. If, on the way home, the clean car was the target of a bird's droppings or a cloudburst... or just about anything else, the customer was invited to come back for a re-wash. While various time limits have been imposed to avoid eroding the integrity of pricing, the goal of taking the customer off-the-market from others who failed to offer the safeguard generated results.

As a professional courtesy, if anyone wants a reprint of one of those articles, simply contact me for a complimentary copy. The concept is timeless and easily tailored to meet any operation's needs.

-Steve

Thanks for all the great imput. I still have not decided on which way I want to go. I am in a area that the other washes just do the same hum drum presentaion. Similar pricing, no real good package deals. I am working to really set my wash apart from them and move to the head of the pack. We all know how tough things have been with weather and the economy. I figure this is the time to put the gas down and go.

Shannon

I have a rain guarantee. rain or snow with in 24 hours. You have two days to get back in. The thing is not many actually make it back to rewash. And those who give me the you were closed because it was raining line. Just get the " I don't start the time on the 2 days until the rain stops and I am open." Line back to them. There are all ways the ones who want it all for nothing. But they are few and in between were I am here in Lancaster County PA. I would just look at your demographic and figure on how you want to handle it. I did here because my consumer base is super "in tune" with the weather forecast. just remember if you do decide on a rain guarantee, that you limit the time they can come back in. And start that time when the rain stops and/or you open back up. Easy... that way there is no confusion when the customer says "you were closed".