Win2020_SSCWN_web

$ELLING $ELF $ERVE
(Continued from Previous Page)
THOROUGH - Another great advantage
found in a SS wand bay (versus other professional
carwashes) is the total control
it provides. Not only can the customer
precisely focus on especially dirty (or
delicate) areas, he can make the decision
to “luxuriate” with (or minimize) his use of
functions such as PreSoak, Foam Brush,
and Triple Foam Wax/Protectants.
ECO FRIENDLY - Hands on SS wand
washing is also the hands down winner
when it comes to the environment. ICA
studies have verified that other commercial
washes can use 4 times as much
water to clean a car. And home washing
can use several times more than a tunnel!
And, of course, home washing and
parking charity events not only waste a
lot of water, that effluent also makes it
way to our lakes and rivers through the
storm sewer and imperils aquatic life.
TIME - Another thing about home
washing worth mentioning — it not “only”
wastes water and harms the environment,
washing in the driveway wastes time too.
It only requires about 10 minutes or so
to wash in a SS bay. But when you add
it all up (hauling hoses, buckets, soaps,
etcetera and then putting it all away), it
can easily take 4 times as long to wash
in a driveway. Before home washers assume
they’re saving money washing in the
driveway, they need to ask, “how much is
30-40 more minutes of my time worth?!!”
ECONOMICAL - I must acknowledge the
reality of competitive carwash pricing
within the context of the Exterior Express
phenomenon which took off like a rocket
about a dozen years ago. Those EE’s offer
a fast, convenient basic wash for about
$5 or even less. And that low level of price
certainly used to be the exclusive domain
of the SS wand bays. The thing is, that
“below market” price is tantamount to a
Exterior Express’
$5 (or less) “come
on” street sign
prices and Free
Vacs have lured
a swath of the
price prioritized
public away from
self serve wand
washing. But, as
we shall see, there
are ways for SS to
“skin that (cost)
cat”, as well as
tactics to offset
the “convenience”
factor of EE.
The author’s 12 year
old Caddy has aged
as well as his lovely
wife, Colleen. JJ
insists that is in no
small part because
of his devoted use
of self serve/coinop
washes — for his
ol’ CTS, not
his wife.
“teaser”, because the majority of EE customers
feel they need to choose a level of
wash that costs on average $2 more than
that touted street sign price.
Note: the following comments are an update.
Originally, this “Letters” column referred to
keeping my 12 year old Chrysler Concorde
mint via SS washing. But that car was
totalled in a bad accident in 2010 — “forcing”
me to buy the CTS. But apart from the
two testimonials being separated in time,
they are exactly same-o same-o!
Personally, I see the bottom line
every time I proudly walk towards my
own car. I drive a 2008 CTS that looks
virtually showroom new. In fact, this
Fall my son-in-laws’ parents came from
out of state to visit us for the first time.
When they walked into our home (thru
the garage) they had a double-take reaction
and said “WOW, you have a brand
new Cadillac!” When I said, “Uh, no.
It’s actually almost 12 years old.” They
did another “WOW!”
Admittedly, that awed reaction is
due in part to the CTS body style not having
changed all that much since it was
revamped way back in 2008. Regardless,
dark cars in general and red paint in
particular (as is mine) are markedly more
susceptible to surface disturbances. So I
know my exclusive and regular use of SS
wand bays definitely has played a big part
in its ageless-ness. I only wax it once a
year. But judging by how well it has held
up (even with Michigan’s salty roads in
winter), I bet I could get another 10 good
looking years outta this vehicle!
Around And Around
And so we go-around/come-around to
why and how this article began — expressing
our shock that any knowledgeable car
lovcr would be shocked to see very expensive
cars being washed at coin-op carwashes. It
seems that the SS may be remiss in driving
home — MARKETING! — the special, totally
legit selling points of its own segment of the
professional carwash industry.
Yes, carwashing’s competitive climate
has changed. (Don’t get me started on alleged
man-made Climate-Climate Change.
Hmmm, well, unless you’re marketing SS to
environmentalists ... and we will definitely get
into that in Part 2 of this article.) But I hope
that owner/operators would strive to educate
the public — enabling everyone to really appreciate
all the values and value to be found
at a professional self serve carwash.
Speaking of “what goes-around/comes
around”. Nowadays, one might get a sense
that SS is once again the “lowly step-sister”
to tunnel/exterior washes. But prior to the
turn of the century and for several decades,
Self Serve was verified by ICA surveys to be
“America’s Most Popular CarWash” — exactly
as the SSCWN’s original masthead slogan
so proclaimed! In that light, consider this
analogy:
In the 80’s CD’s were first sold to the
public and audiophiles as THE technical
plateau of recorded music. Then - sonuvva gun
- decades later, we realized that “old fashion”,
analog vinyl platters were, are and probably
will long be the truest, “cleanest” — THE best!
Sooo, in a way, SS is to CarWashing what
Vinyl LP’s are to CD’s ... IMHO.
And, oh yeah, I do get it. The industry
is “complicated” in its overlapping diversity
of vested interests. However, there are ways
for SS to vigorously assert itself and “thread
that needle” without pricking fellow professional
carwashers too, too badly. And so,
in the sequel to this article, I would like to
produce what Bart Bouchein had requested
some years ago ... and more:
• Templates for a mini-brochure
that could be used as a hand out, direct
mail, on a website, or whatever.
• A variety of marketing tips.
• And a slew of graphics that can be
personalized for ads and POS signage.
BTW and in closing — did you notice
the slogan on my baseball cap? Some of ya’ll
(for more reasons than one) will take issue
with that. Is it tongue in cheek? Sure. But its
puckish point of wanting to “Make SS Great
Again” ain’t all for laughs. Stay tuned.
10-4.
12 • WINTER 2020