Promoting Car wash's

Orinda Auto Detail

Orinda Auto Detail

Opti Coat Pro Certified
So I'm having a little trouble letting people know that we do a hand car wash and vacuum(mini detail we call it) It takes us about hour to hour and half to do it and only 10$ more than local swirl o matic full service wash. As far as full details and paint correction ect... goes were doing great but it's 85% of our revnue car washing only being 15% and I want to get more customers in. The thing I keep hearing is "do I need an appointment", "Oh I thought you guys only did full details" "Well when I want my car really clean I come here but if i'm in a hurry I goto other place". I'm kinda just thinking out loud here if you guys have any opions. I was thinking I could send out a coupon for like 5$ off just to get people to try us out, how ever I hate coupons with a passion. I'd rather just give them something extra like free carpet or rubber mat cleaning. Also I'm gonna make a sign that say CAR WASH on it and put it in front of the station. I was kinda thinking "Expert Hand Car Wash" or "Proffesional Hand Car Wash". We do wash cars here by the book 2 buckets, grit gaurds, Foam cannon, ect.. Thats why it takes so long. Thanks you for any advice. I just think I'm missing out on money. One more thing in my ramble here, does anyone think promoting wash's would have a negative image affect where people might confuse use for the "Hand wash" Mass volume swirl city car wash.
 
I know a guy who works out of a old gas station and has many sign's that say his first name and below hand car wash starting at 20 bucks. Once one is inside he has a large sign with everything with cost and does them in about 45 mins. I never use him but I see he's very busy 6 days a week.
 
Personally don't sell yourself short. If you chose to compete use the wash price as a lead in. Make sure your shop/garage looks like "wow"
"he can do so much more than wash a car" that is where you can upsell packages. This is not from a greedy perspective, you are just able to let a different market know what you are able to do.
Not all people are bargain shoppers. Many thought they were being loyal to a place they thought was doing a good job. Now they are "shopping around".
Keep your market spectrum where you can keep up. Too broad and you could disappoint people.
 
Jsmooth said:
It takes us about hour to hour and half to do it and only 10$ more than local swirl o matic full service wash.

"Well when I want my car really clean I come here but if i'm in a hurry I goto other place".
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Your customers are telling you what they want. If you could find a way to do a reasonable job and have it done in about 20-30 minutes you might be able to get them to use you for every wash. I know how it is... so tough to bring yourself to not go all out. It is what makes us perfect for the high end work. You can certainly sell the fact that quality and safety cannot be rushed, but it's hard for some people to wait an hour our more for their car to be washed. I don't know your resources to make many suggestions. How many guys and do you have mobile option?
 
Jsmooth said:
SI was thinking I could send out a coupon for like 5$ off just to get people to try us out, how ever I hate coupons with a passion. I'd rather just give them something extra like free carpet or rubber mat cleaning. A.
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The coupon could be a free service rather than reduce the price.

When I was at Detail Fest, I met Robert at Impressions. He is located in a bay at a oil change near a swirl them up drive through. He said the swirl them up actually helps business.

I took a picture of his sign. I did not crop it.

 
^^^
One of the reasons I like this forum is the level of class of the members. I have seen several posts on other forums where someone has asked for advice and then began defending their own position and arguing with those who are trying to help.
:autopia:
 
Nth Degree said:
^^^
One of the reasons I like this forum is the level of class of the members. I have seen several posts on other forums where someone has asked for advice and then began defending their own position and arguing with those who are trying to help.
:autopia:
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That's silly lol
 
Todd Helme said:
Can your shop handle the volume of increased business?
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Well we have one full setup wash bay then I have chem guy inflatedable mat. So I think we can. But I don't know how to get the time down on a wash..... Even if the car isn't that dirty still 40 minutes at least in one of the wash bays. The full service part goes quick but washing doesn't. I'm still a little confused to if I should do this or not. Realisticly I know we could do more wash's than we are doing now, not sure how many though hard to say because every car is different
 
I can't always put 2 and 2 together myself but in a perfect world I feel you should be trying to turn your 15% 'full detail' clients into your monthly / bi monthly wash & vac clients after the car has been brought up to your standards.

They already know your service and they know its good. You have to let them know it doesn't have to break the bank everytime. More importantly for you, the cars are even quicker to clean up because you've done the works on them already.


edit: just saw your reply above. if its about speed, maybe go rinseless for the quickie customers? Especially on a car i've polished / sealed I can do a rinseless pretty quick
 
Gurge said:
I can't always put 2 and 2 together myself but in a perfect world I feel you should be trying to turn your 15% 'full detail' clients into your monthly / bi monthly wash & vac clients after the car has been brought up to your standards.

They already know your service and they know its good. You have to let them know it doesn't have to break the bank everytime. More importantly for you, the cars are even quicker to clean up because you've done the works on them already.


edit: just saw your reply above. if its about speed, maybe go rinseless for the quickie customers? Especially on a car i've polished / sealed I can do a rinseless pretty quick
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Yeah that could work for those customers, But I think I need to practice my ONRing first I almost always seem to put something on the paint when I do them that way, If you would be so kind next time you do one write it up step by step! still discomboulated as to what to do lol. Just know that I'm working on about 15% profit after all said and done right now and I would like it be 22%
 
Jsmooth said:
One more thing in my ramble here, does anyone think promoting wash's would have a negative image affect where people might confuse use for the "Hand wash" Mass volume swirl city car wash.
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Is this the image your worried about???:rofl

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_F2Kf17d6U&feature=related]Rose Royce Car Wash the Video & Movie - YouTube[/ame]
 
Jsmooth said:
Yeah that could work for those customers, But I think I need to practice my ONRing first I almost always seem to put something on the paint when I do them that way, If you would be so kind next time you do one write it up step by step! still discomboulated as to what to do lol. Just know that I'm working on about 15% profit after all said and done right now and I would like it be 22%
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todd did a great writeup as shown above. That's the autopian way. I tailor my technique a bit to speed things up when necessary. and really, you just can't always do a rinseless on every car. sometimes they're just too dirty.

Biggest difference is that unless its hot & in direct sun, I do not wash then dry a panel at a time. I ONR the whole car then go back and dry.

Microchenille mitt, 2 buckets w/ GG, couple swipes on a panel with one side of the mitt, flip it, couple swipes with that clean side, rinse mitt, repeat

Once the whole car is clean and wet with ONR (which is a great opportunity to clay a car with ONR lube if clay is part of the deal) I then use the leaf blower for the cracks and some of the standing water. The majority of the water I pickup quick with a WW towel. what's left I go over with a plush MF and megs spray wax or maybe even ONR at clay lube strength in a spray bottle.

for the wheels you can use leftover ONR after the wash with an old MF just for wheels. that still requires some drying though. A lot of times I just use sprayway on the wheels (foaming glass cleaner) and wipe down with some old mf's. this doesn't do the wheel barrels at all really though. tough to get the wheel barrels no matter what with a rinseless IMO. may just want to do them by hand the old fashioned way
 
Gurge said:
todd did a great writeup as shown above. That's the autopian way. I tailor my technique a bit to speed things up when necessary. and really, you just can't always do a rinseless on every car. sometimes they're just too dirty.

Biggest difference is that unless its hot & in direct sun, I do not wash then dry a panel at a time. I ONR the whole car then go back and dry.

Microchenille mitt, 2 buckets w/ GG, couple swipes on a panel with one side of the mitt, flip it, couple swipes with that clean side, rinse mitt, repeat

Once the whole car is clean and wet with ONR (which is a great opportunity to clay a car with ONR lube if clay is part of the deal) I then use the leaf blower for the cracks and some of the standing water. The majority of the water I pickup quick with a WW towel. what's left I go over with a plush MF and megs spray wax or maybe even ONR at clay lube strength in a spray bottle.

for the wheels you can use leftover ONR after the wash with an old MF just for wheels. that still requires some drying though. A lot of times I just use sprayway on the wheels (foaming glass cleaner) and wipe down with some old mf's. this doesn't do the wheel barrels at all really though. tough to get the wheel barrels no matter what with a rinseless IMO. may just want to do them by hand the old fashioned way
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Thank you I'll try it
 
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