THE CAR WASH INDUSTRY
THERE'S A LOT TO KNOW. A LOT TO LEARN. A LOT TO GRASP. HOLD ON TIGHT.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
Whether you are new to the industry, or have been in it for decades, car washing is an ever-evolving topic. We might not have all the answers for you, but we can help with a few things. Take a look at some of the hot topics below. If you ever have questions or need a topic addressed, fill out the form at the bottom and we'll get right on it!
REINVIGORATE YOUR ADDITIONAL PROFIT CENTERS
Having vacuums and other profit centers such as shampooers, fragrance machines, and pet washes onsite can create more revenue for you in ways a tunnel alone simply can’t. Most locations have space to add these additional profit centers, and should. With most vehicles that come on your location, they could be spending an additional $2.00-$6.00 on these services. Even if you have a minimum of 10 cars a day, on the low end that’s an additional $600 a month in profit from low maintenance profit centers. This is revenue you could be missing out on if you are not taking advantage of marketing opportunities or maintaining the equipment to work properly.
REVITALIZE YOUR IN-BAY AUTOMATIC CAR WASH
As mentioned in our first part to this series, it’s no secret that tunnels seem to be taking over the car wash industry. Tunnels can certainly take on a high volume of cars in an hour, but they do have their limitations. Whether you have self-serves, in-bays, vacuums, pet washes, or all of the above, there are ways to revitalize your business by focusing on areas the tunnel simply can’t. In part two of our three part series, we are focusing on the unattended areas of the car wash industry. This month we are focusing on what the benefits are for in-bay automatics for your customer, so you can focus on how to get that message out to your customers.
REJUVENATE YOUR SELF SERVE BUSINESS
It’s no secret that tunnels seem to be taking over the car wash industry. While they are able to send 50+ cars through an hour, there are several benefits the attended or unattended self serve car wash has over the tunnel folks. Whether you have self-serves, in-bays, vacuums, pet washes, or all of the above, there are ways to revitalize your business by focusing on areas the tunnel simply can’t. We are going to dive deep into a three part series around how to help the unattended areas of the car wash industry. Welcome to part one. This month we are focusing on what the benefits are in self serve bays for your customer, so you can focus on how to get that message out to your customers.
3 REASONS YOU SHOULD ATTEND A TRADE SHOW
It's almost that time of year when some of the biggest car wash trade shows come around. There are many reasons to attend any one of them, from having a break from your day-to-day commitments, the appeal of going to a new city (possibly), and being able to take a bigger look at the industry. While living out of a suitcase for several days doesn't appeal to everyone, attending a trade show can benefit you and your business. Here are three reasons why you should attend a car wash trade show.
THE BIG DEAL WITH PRE-AUTHS
It’s not easy to keep customers happy and returning. Taking credit card payments in an unattended car wash situation is tough. Here are some tips for how to manage customer perception and acceptance of pre-authorizations in an unattended business setting.
BUILDING BUSINESS WITH CAR WASH DATA
Consumer data is one of the biggest tools we have as business owners to help us build our business. As a marketer, I once had someone say to me, “If you can’t measure, then don’t do it!” That statement has rung true with every campaign, email, or piece of content I work on today. What I didn’t realize in my youthful years of marketing, is that this statement rings true for any element of your business, whether you are B2B, or B2C. Understanding your customer data is critical to knowing how to better your experience in your business.
TOP 3 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR CAR WASH LOYALTY PROGRAM SUCCESSFUL
Loyalty program success in the car wash industry can certainly have its challenges. Many business owners don’t even know where to start. However, as a business that has thrived in the loyalty business for nearly 30 years, we have some easy tips to help you be successful without having to sacrifice all of your time, money, or resources. Keep reading or watch the video to find out more.
REIMAGINING THE SELF SERVE BAY
The self-serve car wash has been in existence for decades in the United States. Since the idea of self-serve gas pumps became ever more popular in the 1930’s, self-serve car washes were quick to follow suit. Most customers were willing to pump their own gas in order to save themselves a few cents on the gallon. The idea sparked the same for the car wash industry.
THE MEANING OF MEMBERSHIP
When it comes to building your business, it’s important to note the difference between having a customer, and having a member. Your goal as a business owner should be to convert a standard “customer” over to a “member” as soon as you can.
BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
As global warming and water crisis have risen over the last several years and decades, so has the idea of being more concious about our environment in the car wash. The number of businesses moving to be more environmentally friendly is growing. Each of us has an individual impact we can be proud of. Each business also has a small amount they can contribute to being a positive influence on mother earth. Being that this month celebrates Earth Day, we thought it was fitting to talk about how you can become more eco-friendly in your business.
HOW DITCHING COINS CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS
While taking cash may still be critical to some of your clients, we can guarantee it’s not critical to all of them. By not accepting credit cards, you are missing out on a great chunk of business. In fact, some of your cash clients might be REALLY happy if you added credit card acceptance to your business. In the nearly 30 years of running a loyalty and credit card acceptance platform, we can proudly say we’ve never had a customer who has regretted adding cards to their business. Whether it has saved them time, money, or frustration. It has been a win for customers across the board.
RFID AND HOW TO GET THE BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK
For a long time, business owners and corporations wanted to have something which makes their business easier to manage. As silly as it sounds, barcodes simply became too much of a hassle to keep dealing with. A significant advantage of RFID over barcodes is that the device does not need to be positioned precisely relative to the scanner. An RFID device will work within a 20-foot range of high-frequency devices. There is no direct scan that needs to happen in order for RFID to work.
PAYMENT TECHNOLOGY CHANGES IN THE INDUSTRY
We have always had an ever changing economy, and to go along with it, an ever changing payment trend. From the rise and fall to bartering items such as conch shells, live animals, grain and ivory, to the payment methods of tomorrow. How we pay for things continues to evolve now more than ever. As we move into the world of mobile payments, tap and pay, and near field communications, let’s take a look back at where we have come from in the payment industry. At the end of the journey through history, we'll take a look into the future of payments.
LOYALTY: WHY IT HELPS YOUR BUSINESS
For years, companies have been trying to perfect the way a loyalty program can best fit their customers. There is no exact or perfect equation for creating a loyalty program. However, there is a lot of evidence saying no matter how you do it, you can benefit from simply having one available.
