Win2020_SSCWN_web

TRICKS OF THE
Presenting some of the best discussions from the Self Serve, IBA and General Discussions sections of CarwashForum.com. To view more
posts discussing some interesting and common problems, as well as some of the best and brightest solutions, visit CarwashForum.com
(Note: Some posts feature minor edits for readability.)
Boom, there it isn’t!
Does anyone have a suggestion on how to stop customers from leaving the bay hose hanging
right across their vehicles and driving off snagging the hose and pulling it down from the boom?
... I need some way to ensure that the customer pulls the hose out of the way. WENDY’S WASH
I’m assuming you have a 360° center mount
boom. The problem is that it’s not swinging back
to the wall. Shim the mounting points so that the
side you want the boom to swing to is lowest. With
a little trial and error, you can get it to come to rest
about anywhere you want it. I use washers with a
chunk cut out so I can just slip them in or out without
having to take the bolt all of the way out. You
might want to have some longer bolts on hand as
well. They could be changed out one at a time so
you’re not wrestling an awkward boom on top of a
ladder. I.B.WASHINCARS
I “home” the booms so they swing to the opposite
end of the bay from where the wand holder is. The
weight of the hose will pull the boom tight to the
wall. If the boom swings itself to where the meter
and hanger are, the boom will always be 45° or
more away from the wall instead of 90° from where
the vehicles enter. MEP001
Do as mentioned above. It might also be a good
idea to put a J hook on the wall that you want
the boom to swing to. Some customers will take
the time to place hose in the J hook to keep it
against the wall even closer than just having the
boom swing correctly. Place the J hook several
feet away from the wand holder, so the hose
has to stay against the wall when in place. SOAPY
Hard to fathom... but a percentage of customers
unwittingly force the hose on to the J hook that is
meant for one of the center Z-booms. Of course,
“Home the
booms”
“WD-40”
“Shim
the mounting
points”
they just created a problem for the next customer.
Simultaneous use by 2 people of both the main
center boom & center-mounted brush (no foam) is
another irritation ... especially when the final result
is hose entanglement. MJWALSH
All is right again. Sprayed WD-40 at center of
boom and installed half inch washers on the side
where the wand holder is. Now all six bay hoses
swing right to the side where the wand holder is.
WENDY’S WASH
Lower fees, please!
In our ongoing commitment to reduce expenses, can anyone
recommend how to reduce credit card fees. Seventy (70) percent
of our sales is from credit cards? LB60605
Besides partnering with the right processor
to get the best rates, incorporating options
to raise your average ticket would be
next. The fixed costs get diluted the higher
the ticket. If like most, you should notice
that there are flat transaction fees, meaning
no matter how large the purchase, you pay
a flat fee to process. The higher the sale, the
more diluted these flat fees become therefore
reducing the percentage impact on
that transaction. Things like fleet accounts,
memberships, etc... can help raise your average
ticket. At least this has been what we
have seen… JLANMAN
I had GREAT success using a website
called Cardfellow.com. I’m not connected
with them in any way...except as a
happy user.
Cardfellow solicits bids from various
merchant account providers. If you use one
of their “bids” (for your business), the merchant
provider.... not you as the merchant....
pays Cardfellow a small percentage.
The provider they found for me has
been outstanding. CF also provides an auditing
function. Once or twice a year...I
ask them to make sure I’m paying the best
price. They also make sure that the merchant
services provider is charging you
only what was quoted. RUDY
If you are close to Kentucky, you need to
talk to Merchants Pact. They are located in
Louisville. ...Also monitor monthly statements
for fees that have been added that
you shouldn’t be paying for. DAKOTA HOSKINS
“Reduce
percentage
impact”
“Use a
monitoring
service”
SSCWN EDITOR CHIMES IN:
According to the creditcard.com Glossary of
Terms, an interchange fee, which is also called
a discount rate or swipe fee, “is the sum paid
by merchants to the credit card
processor as a fee for accepting
credit cards. The amount of the rate
will vary depending on the type of
transaction, but averages about 2
percent of the purchase amount. The
interchange fee is typically higher for
online purchases than for in-person
purchases, because in the latter,
the card is physically present and
available for inspection.”
24 • WINTER 2020