 |
| (From left) CEO Jim Sperlazza and General Manager Walter Redden |
Company Name:
Jemtown Inc.Year Founded: 1999
Founder: Jim Sperlazza
Current CEO: Jim Sperlazza
Number of Locations: One
Carwash Located in: Rocklin, Calif.
Wash Process: Hand wash
Carwash Equipment Used: JC Chemtech Systems arches and wheel blasters; Belanger dryers.
Add-on Profit Centers: Full-service auto repair, express lube, smog check center and gift shop.
MCC: To what do you attribute your company’s success?
Five Star: We are successful because we care about what we do. We strive to make sure each and every customer leaves our facility feeling our services were exceptional.
Most of our employees have been with us since the beginning. By having limited turnover, our employees are well trained and understand what we expect of them. They know the customer must be happy with our service.
We demand quality, and in doing so, we provide a good value to our customer. We always are looking to get each of our customers to visit just one more time a year. With a database of over 12,000 customers, one more visit adds a great deal of revenue and profit.
Five Star: Well, first and foremost, we are a hand wash. We don’t miss the things that equipment washes miss — the equipment can’t hit every crevice or indentation. By hand, we can. Many of our customers would never go to an equipment wash.
We offer a 72-hour rain guarantee and a 48-hour anything guarantee. That means if a bird drops a bomb on a customer’s clean car, they can just bring it back and we will wash it again. No questions asked.
We have a statement on our building that says “Attention to Detail” and that is how we operate our business.
Five Star: Cash, cash, cash. It is imperative that you have ample capital to survive downturns.
Continue to market the business during these recessionary periods. We gain market share because many carwashes reduce their marketing budgets. We have not. We spend and continue to build our business.
The other is value. Our customers are educated as to the value they receive from our service. We understand that we are seeking the limited discretionary funds of our customers, and they must feel that they have utilized these limited funds wisely. Our Web site increases its hits every month. We find we can educate, market and schedule appointments totally online. This brings our business into the electronic age and lends a great deal of credibility to our business.
MCC: What has been your most successful or rewarding marketing program?
Five Star: The most rewarding program is our online coupon program. We save the environment while offering a special discount to our wash club members. We have a new book online program that is really taking off. Customers have limited amounts of time and love the idea of booking an appointment ahead of time.
MCC: How important has environmental stewardship become in your business practices and marketing messages?
Five Star: We are fanatical about our stewardship. We went almost totally solar last year and now monitor our power production and display it for our customers to view live. In addition, we conserve water and are in the final stages of being “green certified” by the Sacramento-area environmental council.
We recycle and ask our customers to recycle. We provide receptacles for them to turn in used batteries and fluorescent lighting tubes. All of our marketing programs, including print media, include our commitment to the environment.
California is a state with limited water resources and being in the water-use business makes us vulnerable to these issues. By saving water and working with the local agencies, we are able to address this issue and deal with it effectively.
Related Articles: