HELP with SS to Express!!!!

We have had our 6/1 self serve site going for 2 and 1/2 years and it has been a dog! We just opened our Express site almost two months ago and are doing well so far. Some of our problems is we put too much into the site, this being done by the distributor selling us the equipment and building, the area is small town approx 8,000, too many carwashes in the area approx 20 ss bays this to just name a few. We are situated in front of a Wal-Mart Supercenter. A Arby's is next to us open and on the other side is a Mexican resturant almost ready to open followed by a retail center to be on the other side of it. I was wondering about trying some of the express method to our ss. Can you put a dispenser on a Wash Select II to dispense a Free Vac Token whenever a wash is purchased? A pulse could trigger the dispenser to give out a vac token. Also our prices are $5, $7, $9, and $10 for our soft cloth machine. Should I try a $3, $6, $8, and a $10 like our express site. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated! Thanks, Jeff jeff@autocare-inc.com

Coleman makes a token dispenser that will connect to the WSII. You can configure it to give a token with whichever wash you choose. I think it sells for about $1400.00

From your post I cannot tell which wash (SS/IBA or Express)is located at the supercenter. My question would be "Why is this wash a dog?" and how you define "dog". Most autos can turn at least 1500 cars per month without excessive waits, 2K it's doing pretty good. How is the IBA biz in comparison to SS? I think a decent 6/1 should gross at least 180-200K and is capable of 300K. Is problem with wash poor location, bad IBA performance? excessive competition?

Greg,

Our SS/IBA is located in front of the Wal-Mart Supercenter. What I mean by a "dog" is that it very rarely makes enough to cover all the bills after 2 and 1/2 years. The 1500 to 2000 a month are during our winter months. In Feb we ran about 2200 which I was very happy. There is competition down the road about a mile and a half. A very nice 4/2. And location. Small town only about 8,000 if that. Not everyone going to WalMart is going to get a carwash. Not a high traffic WalMart. I am going to look into the FREE VAC token dispenser. Have you heard of anyone doing this? Any other help or suggestions I really appreciate. Thanks, Jeff

I know of two people locally using the token dispenser. Both put in as a response to local express exteriors offering free vacs in an attempt to raise perceived value. I know one of them seems to think the customers like it. The other I don't really know. I actually purchased two of the token dispensers last year and have not yet installed them.

My thoughts were to dispense on the $8& $10 wash and call it a "value token" and make it good for several things on the property: 6 minute vac, or a 4 minute startup in the SS bay. Also possibly make the token valid for 1.00 credit in the vending machine. The customer can decide what they want to do with it. They can keep it for the next time and use it to rinse mud out from the wheel wells before thye go in the IBA if they like. Perhaps the token will get them on the lot a little sooner. Worst case scenario would be if they bought an armor all sponge, that would cost me about .45. (Or maybe I could price my sponges at 1.25 They have been 1.00 for over ten years anyway). Everything else would cost me .25 cost or less.

Some of the things I have done to increase perceived value at the wash include: Free use of drying towels & spray glass cleaner. I purchase cheap teyy towesl at Sam's and dye them a dark color. There are left at the exit end of the IBA in the front. I also have installed a wheel cleaner station, a windshield washer station and bug prep station all at the IBA entrance. Finally, a free mat brusher in the vac area.

I have done these additions over the past 9 months at a 4/2 wash I purchased in March 2006. Response to the freebies has been excellent. It is a very good neighborhood so problems with shrinkage is minimal, but does still exisit. All these freebies probably add up to a real cost of less than .10 per customer, yet perceived value is very high. Drying towels are the most popular, followed by the wheel cleaner station.

We also make a point to help customers with small problems without charge, bug & tar removal, etc. This generates great amount of goodwill and just takes a few minutes. We will even remove light paint scuffs with cleaner wax, etc. If you are attended you may wish to offer similar services.

Hey Greg, don't forget the popcorn.