Win2020_SSCWN_web

TRICKS OF THE
Making cents…
“Charge what
you want”
I have read numerous threads about pricing and since you guys have been such a great
help, I wanted to kick around an idea. So, there are two other car washes in town. None of
which have a better location than me. The biggest competitor in town is $1.00 for 4:00. I have matched
that, but it seems way too long of time for $1.00 the other one in town is $1.25 for 4:00. I was thinking about
going .50 to start and .45 seconds per quarter. Do you guys think I will still compete at being .50 to start even
being a full 1 minute less per dollar?
“Try 50 cents”
“Attract
customers first”
…My biggest issue is that my car wash has been closed for 3 years so I am trying to get the word out that it has opened. I might drop to 50
cents just to get the word out that I’m open and to gain traffic and then raise it to at least match the other wash in town later on. FASTLANECARWASH
If you’re the best in town, you can charge appropriately
for it. 50¢ to start might be a good grand
re-opening price, but you’ll be the one getting the
worst customers that make the biggest messes if
you plan to run it that way. I’m $1.50 for 3 minutes
- my nearest competition was $1.00 for 2:40,
he raised his price to match mine, the other day his
worker said his customers are now saying they prefer
my wash, but they go back to his because mine
is too busy to get in. MEP001
I’d rather wash fewer cars and make more money
doing it. This is almost 2020.... $1 for four minutes.
May as well get a job with eves and weekends off
and no worries.... likely make more $. Please don’t
tell me you are also offering free vacs?!
My s/s is $3 for 4 min. Vac $2 for 6 min. Auto $8,
$10, $12, and $14. CHAZ
It’s a hard call whether or not to raise your prices.
On January 1st the minimum wage in Washington
state is going up to $13.50 an hour. Most
of the car washes have or are raising their prices.
I’m planning on going to $2.75 for 4 minutes in
the S/S bays, of that $2.75, 28 cents is Washington
state sales tax that we have to pay. At $2.75 I’ll be
one of the least expensive car washes, most are in
the $3.00 - $3.50 range. RANDY
Car washing is discretionary. Charge as much as
you can get away with. No one is being robbed.
They can go to the competition if they think you’re
charging too much. I.B.WASHINCARS
I’m down here in Texas and if you read on carwashforum.com,
we are cheaper than most members
on here. I think your real issue is that it sounds
like you just reopened this wash and you want to
get the word out and business back. I was in the
same position with my first wash 4 years ago and I
actually started at .25 to start and that gave you 1
min & 30 secs.... BUT I didn’t stay there long. I was
basically living at the wash on the weekends meeting
and greeting EVERYONE as I raised the prices
and I didn’t really hear many complaints because
we have great soaps, pressure, everything is always
working or fixed immediately and so forth. In summary,
I would lower your price and have a re-grand
opening with balloons, feather flags, etc. etc. then
work your way up as much as you can. RFREEMAN
I have customers who say I’m overpriced at
$3.50 for 5 mins but we are now 1 of 2 self serve
left in our area, we get a lot of vehicles that cannot
go through a tunnel or auto so I control that
aspect of the market. But the monthly membership
trend has been nipping at me as well but
that’s a whole other thread. DIAMONDWASH
In my opinion, if you want to get the word out do
the same thing tunnels do and offer FREE washes
for a week or two. Get people in the door to see how
good you are and let them see what a great operation
you have and what the regular price will be - same or
slightly more than competition - but for better stuff.
I did this once by simply pulling the coin boxes and
vaults and making stickers that said insert quarter -
retrieve below. Got people used to the system/price.
Kept stuff going by timers. EARL WEISS
I’m about $1/1 minute. $3 start. 2/1 ss/iba. Fully
staffed, used car lot, detail shop on site. Free towel
dry station. CC acceptance, air shammies in bays,
mat brusher, vending galore, 4 vacs, air machine for
tires. Be all you can be to the customer and charge
whatever the market will bear. It’s not a moral issue,
it’s business. WAXMAN
High pressure problems…
I have a self serve bay and the high pressure functions are not
working, but all of the low pressure functions are working. …In
the equipment room inside the control panels (probably not the
correct term) there is a button I can push that turns on the motor
that drives the high pressure pump and when I push that button
the motor comes on and drives the pump.
My two other bays work fine so the issue is localized to this bay.
I am not an electrician, but it is weird to me that all three high
pressure functions (rinse, wax, soap) would quit at the same time,
unless there is a fuse someplace that I am unaware of.
HITCHPALOTIVE
Check power from the rotary switch. It should
have two layers of outputs, one for each individual
function’s solenoid, the other just for power to the
motor. MEP001
Could also be the thermal overload - that would
be one of those “little fuses someplace that you
don’t know about.” Press the little blue reset button,
see if that solves it. It would be attached to
the motor starter, which is that “button I can push
that turns on the motor that drives the high-pressure
pump.” PAULLOVESJAMIE
Once when I replaced a rotary switch, I forgot to
remove the metal jumper from the old switch and
put it on the new switch. The result of that was
the same - no high pressure. SEQUOIA
MEP001 was correct, the “motor” wire to the rotary
switch had corroded and there wasn’t a connection
anymore. Thank you for all of the help,
probably save me several frustrating hours this
evening. HITCHPALOTIVE
Owning and knowing how to use a good voltmeter
is a carwash owner’s best friend. I don’t know
how anyone can get by without one. You could
have quickly discovered you weren’t getting power
to the motor starter coil...Then worked back to
the terminal strip and then the bay rotary.... Glad
you found the problem! 2BIZ
26 • WINTER 2020