preping for touchless iba

Hi everyone , this is a question for all touchless iba owners ,Greg , I would like to here your response here as you are a wizard owner. Do you offer to do prep work for customers ?. My new wash will hopefully be open by early Jan , the existing iba's in town have employees using pre soak gun at entry of the auto,one even washes wheels and rocker panels with a bucket and rag on all cars. I am installing a foaming prep brush at my entry but only intend to offer my service if it seems neccesary eg -lots of bugs ,or obvious dirt that touchless probably wont remove. The client is welcome to use prep brush as much as they like. Should I too install a pre soak gun at my entry, I am reluctant to set the precedent of preping all vehicles at the auto as it seems self defeating. Thanks Glenn

If you prep for auto customers, you should be prepared to do it forever. Customers won't understand why they get something on one trip nd don't get it the next; they'll feel cheated the next time.

I've found it's much easier to educate customers that a touchless wash is a "mainenance" wash between real cleanings by hand or full-serve tunnel.

The wizard is a great touch free but can't match human prepping.

As far as prepping a customer's vehicle, my short stint at a tunnel made me realize that customers watch the preppers, and you have to do the same thing to each car (even if it doesn't need it)or they will complain.

I allow customers to self prep at one location and it is very popular, but can create a real problem with throughput. Some people use it as intended and just hit the wheels or bugs. Others think it is a space for a full blown hand wash before they go through the automatic. On quiet days I've watched people spend 30 minutes out there prepping. You might think it is harmless, but sometimes three people pull up at the same time wanting a wash, and the third guy sees the long line and drives off. People (here anyway)are busy and no one wants to wait in line. I've installed signage requesting a three minute limit to prepping and it has helped somewhat. At another location I dispense a value token with the auto wash. It is good for a vacuum or a self serve cycle, or a $1 discount off the next wash. I am attempting to educate customers that they can use their token for prepping prior to their next wash. It keeps them out of the way of the automatic line until they are ready to go in.

Hope this helps...

If you are going to take the effort, time and expense to provide more value for your customers, pay yourself for doing so. For example, I know an express conveyor operation (touch-less) that does an excellent wash but also offers a hand-prep option (high-pressure wand) for $4.00. The customers buy it up.

Why offer something like this for free?

This is especially so for an in-bay automatic because it can't wash that many cars an hour.

If there is no practical way to speed up your machine, you should want to build up average sales as high as possible.

Rain-X and Double Bond are also proven profit builders.

$2.00 to $4.00 for hand prep (if your willing to commit to the labor).

$2.00 or $4.00 for total body.

Package both with a base wash = $12.00 to $14.00

Want to give something away, give the vacuum. It costs less than labor or chemical.

Thanks for your thoughts guys, I think that I will try to get away with as little preping as possible,simply greet the customer and offer to run the brush over any obvious areas eg-grill etc,if it looks as though required.Just being weary of what the competition is doing Thanks again

Get a 55 gallon drum cut a 18x24 inch hole in it on the front towards the top. Put a standard handle with a hogs hair brush on it. Get a nice thick plastic sign with a base that you can drill into the top. Add a good foaming soap fill it half way up with water. Sign says “for though stuck on dirt” “windshield and wheels prep brush” “free pre brush” “kangaroo guts brush” or whatever you want. Let them prep their own cars…after I typed this I remembered Greg said this the other day…

I offer self prep option at all my automatics. Like Greg said people will sometimes abuse it. One thing I saw once that looked good was a self prep area for automatics that was far enough away from the front of the automatic bay that other people could pull in front of the prepping car and get a wash. If you have the room this is a great way to offer the self prep service.

what about an idea with a "safe" low pressure soap that can applied through an air driven pump. a parking spot where they can pull up pay say 50cents and soap down their vehicle with a presoak before the IBA...the 50cents gives them say 60seconds of spray time. a upgrade for those neglected vehicles. you offer a prep, low cost to consumer and on a restricted time limit. for me we offer courtsey glass cleaner and people will drain 4 bottles spraying down thier car before going through our IBA. I can only imagine leaving a barrell and mop head outside. 100's of my drying towels are stolen monthly with me here, where i am if it's not bolted down it's gone!

Don't do it. I don't own an IBA but MEP1 is right. Once you start, you'll never be able to stop and customer won;t be happy if one customer gets hand prep and one doesn't. They will not understand, just feel they've ripped off. In addition, high pressure prepping with a touchless IBA is counterproductive unless its to remove heavy mud or ice and snow, because touchless washing works best when the pre-soak is applied at low pressure/high concentration to a dry vehicle. The prepping only serves to wet the vehicle and dilute the pre-soak the IBA is putting on.

Thanks again fellas you have all given me great info for thought Glenn

Soapy also offers free drying towels for customers. I copied him and they have been a hit with customers. They certainly like the little freebies. Maybe that could help differentiate your wash from the others.