6 ways to stand out against your competition
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6 Ways to Make Your Car Wash Stand Out

6 ways to stand out against your competition

As any industry grows, more players come to the game. This can seem daunting but it’s also an opportunity to focus on how you can create a better offer & show why you’re better. You all know that quality, well-maintained equipment & premium chemicals are a must, so this list talks about some more unique ways of standing out.

1. Above & beyond…

Deliver extraordinary customer service. It’s not enough to have an attendant on site. They need to actively go up & interact with your customers, show them exactly how to get the best out of the equipment & learn the regular’s names. Finish off by thanking them for visiting the car wash.

Above & Beyond
Kind gestures...

2. Kind gestures…

Hand out cold waters on those hot summer days. It’s hot on the forecourt & a cold water will never go unappreciated.

3. For the love of kids…

Lollipops for kids & treats for dogs. It goes without saying that people love their kids & their animals. If you show them some love, you create loyalty for life.

4. Feedback…

Address customer pain points. Seek feedback & take action on criticism. Don’t assume it works well – ask the people who pay to use your facilities.

5. Socialise…

Be social in every way. Get active in your local community, help raise funds for charities & show up on social media. Share local events, lost dog posts & celebrate your customers.

6. Make them smile…

Surprise & delight customers. Hand out free fragrance trees, wet towels or hold a sausage sizzle on the weekend.

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Time to Titrate

The warmer conditions are here & these environmental changes often require alterations to your chemicals. We recommend you titrate monthly to ensure superior chemical delivery.

Get your Titration Test Kit from Prowash here >>

Titration
Download our Titration Sheet here

What We’ve Been Up To…

Car Buffs at Raymond Terrace waved goodbye to their aging M5
to make way for a LaserWash™ 360 Plus
Splash N Dash in Merimbula removed their LaserWash 4000 to
upgrade to the LaserWash™ 360 Plus
LASERWASH-360-PLUS

Want to know more about what the LaserWash can do for you & your car wash business?
Watch videos of it in action, see it’s ROI generating features & optional extras.

Click here

Don’t forget the fundamentals of Car Washing

Click here to check out our Simple Social Media Tips for car washes
carwash signage
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Effective Car Wash Menu Board Signage

Effective Car Wash Menu Board Signage – it matters!

You’ve financed, planned & built your car wash. But how much energy have you dedicated to your car wash signage, in particular your car wash menu board signage? Believe me, this deserves your time & attention. The menu board at your car wash is critical to get right. Think of it as a 24 hour sales person. The menu needs to quickly & simply convey both the value & price of your offer to your customers.

Your car wash menu board signage firstly should:
  • Be appealing
  • Be clear & simple
  • Align with your brand
  • Communicate the value & difference between the different wash packages
  • Include any usage terms & conditions
But that’s not all – there’s some little details that will make all the difference & I really encourage you to speak to your designer to incorporate the following points into the artwork:
  • Aim to only have 3 wash packages, or less – research shows more than 3 creates customer confusion over the options
  • Your top wash (the most expensive) should always be first on display – top or top left, the same way we read. The text should be larger than the other options on your board.
  • The top wash package should also be highlighted in a contrasting colour to draw the eyes attention to it & increase conversions of this wash package.
  • As a rule, if people are in a rush or feeling pressured to make a decision they will opt for the most noticeable.
  • If you have a wash club or loyalty programme, advertise it somewhere on the board showing the potential savings for regular washers.
  • Avoid any pointless information – your customer is concerned about what they are getting & what it will cost them, nothing more.
  • No clutter. Avoid excess images & colours.
Below are some examples of some menu boards that could be improved & why:

 

 

Here’s an example of effective car wash menu board signage that we recommend for our Carwash World customers that follow the tips above:

I cannot stress enough, owning a car wash is owning a retail store. You need to make this process as simple to understand as possible while explaining the service & the value the customer can expect to receive for their money spent. Simplify the process! We always suggest no more than 3 wash packages & don’t go overboard on pointless details that your average Joe customer won’t understand. If you’re not sure how your car wash stacks up as far as ease of use & offer goes, invite 10 acquaintances who don’t use your wash to try it out. Ask them to fill out a 10 question survey & give feedback on how they found everything. Chances are, there are things you thought were pretty straight forward that are confusing for your customers.

‘Discovery exists not in seeking new lands but in seeing with fresh eyes.’

I have pdf versions of these suggested menu board templates that I can supply to Carwash World customers – just shoot me an email sarah@carwashworld.com.au

Car Wash Chemicals and Weather Conditions
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Car Wash Chemicals and Weather Conditions

Car Wash Chemicals and Weather Conditions

With the change of seasons comes a change to washing conditions.

Now is a great time for you to be testing and adjusting your car wash chemicals as the seasons change. With this subtropical ridge across a lot of the country, it doesn’t quite feel like Autumn in Australia even though it is April. However the cooler temps and rainfall is just around the corner. Small tweaks will vastly improve your wash results in the future.

Are you noticing the lower panels on vehicles are still dirty after washing in your automatic car wash?

If so, it’s time to check titrations – you may need to adjust the low pH to remove this surface grime, especially after frequent bouts of rain. You’ll then need to reevaluate and readjust again once Autumn comes to a close & Winter begins.

We recommend at the change of each season that you also titrate your soaps. This ensures that you’re offering the best chemical delivery and eliminates any customer complaints about poor wash results.

Also now that Daylight Savings is finished, are all your lights working? Don’t leave your customers in the dark!

If you need some help with getting your chemical offer right, the team at Carwash World are happy to divulge with you our knowledge from years of testing and tweaking.

Improving Customer Experience at your Car Wash
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Improving Customer Experience at your Car Wash

How owners can look at improving customer experience at your car wash.

2018 is well underway for the team at Carwash World. No doubt you’ve probably set yourself + your car wash business some new goals & milestones to achieve in the coming months. One of those goals will undoubtedly be how you can go about improving customer experience at your car wash.

Car Washing is a retail business & we’d encourage you to look at everything from your customers perspective.

iWash Vending Machine

Just because you know where everything is & how to operate it, doesn’t mean it’s that easy for your customers. Take a step back & do some people-watching to identify if everything is a seamless as you hope. You’ll be surprised to find that something you find very straight-forward, often confuses your end user.

It’s easy to forget some of the little details when you’re down & out busy, but the upkeep & presentation of your car wash is paramount.

Studies show that well maintained, tidy car washes are far less likely to experience vandalism & theft. Bright, inviting lighting makes people feel secure after hours & markets to people driving past. Quality security cameras will act as a deterrent for pointless vandalism & opportunistic thieves. Remember, no car lover wants to clean their car with dirty equipment in unkempt surroundings – it’s the equivalent of not wanting to eat from a restaurant when you can clearly see the kitchen is dirty & messy. I’ll pass on the food poisoning thanks!

Contact Sarah via email: sarah@carwashworld.com.au to obtain our Site Review Checklist to help you refresh & refocus for the New Year.

You will be able to download & print this Site Review Checklist. It’s recommended you perform a regular site ‘Walk Through’ by using this list (or one similar) to identify & rectify any items not up to scratch at your car wash . The implementation of daily, weekly & monthly lists gets you & your staff into a committed routine where improving the offer & experience of your customer is front of mind.