The
viability and future of the full-service carwash business seems to be a subject
that is being addressed and debated all over the country. Trade magazines,
industry consultants and operators from all walks of life are questioning the
future of full-service. When Modern Car Care asked me to write on this
subject, I thought I would write an article that goes against the grain--one
that might not be popular--not just because that's my style, but it's what I
truly believe in. So here it goes.
Is full-service carwashing here to stay? Absolutely. To
me, the full-service concept will always be viable. Our society is
time-conscious, no question. Today's customer is smarter and demands more, no
question. Society is price-conscious. But do people in our society want to wash
their own vehicles? I don't think so. Consumers want to be served. Consumers
will continue to go to sit-down restaurants, take their clothes to the dry
cleaners and wash their cars at the carwash that serves their needs. This
carwash offers exterior washing (and its forms of washing) and full-service.
They can get their cars vacuumed, dusted and washed. The bottom line is that
consumers want service; those who deliver customer service and value will wash
cars until the cows come home.
Among those of us in the industry, there seems to be a lot
of confusion about the full-service sector. There is a ton of mumbo-jumbo about
full-service--such as flex-service, off-line full-service, combinations of
full-service/exterior-only--and all the proponents of multiple-profit centers.
It's all a little confusing. Perhaps it's because I believe that a full-service
carwash can stand alone.
You would be surprised what I have been advised to do in
the 20 years I have been in this business. Many so-called industry experts have
preached lube centers, delicatessens, convenience stores, gas dispensers and the
all-impressive coffee shop program to me for years. I have read many articles
about their claims to fame for selling gourmet coffee. But so many of us are
focusing on multi-profit centers that we have lost sight of the core of our
business; I believe it's called carwashing.
I am not here to bash multi-profit centers. I simply want
to let newcomers to our industry know that they are not a necessity or a
prescription for success.
I admitted earlier that we go against the grain. I believe
that we at Wash Tub are (are you ready for this?) full-service purists. We wash
and detail cars, period. Can we just wash and detail vehicles, or do we have to
sell cappuccino and doughnuts and lube the chassis to survive? P.T. Barnum used
to say, "As long as they spell my name right." Being from Texas, I'm
gonna dance with what "brung" us. We are going to try to be the best
full-service carwash company we can be. We are going to try to give our
customers the best value and service we can and we are going to charge for this
level of service accordingly. The chips will fall where they may.
Is the full-service carwash business here to stay? I'd bet
the ranch that it is.
Matt Vizza is president of San Antonio, Texas-based
Vizza Wash, Inc. dba The Wash Tub Car Care Centers. The Wash Tub is #14 on this
year's Top 50 Conveyor Carwashes.
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The
viability and future of the full-service carwash business seems to be a subject
that is being addressed and debated all over the country. Trade magazines,
industry consultants and operators from all walks of life are questioning the
future of full-service. When Modern Car Care asked me to write on this
subject, I thought I would write an article that goes against the grain--one
that might not be popular--not just because that's my style, but it's what I
truly believe in. So here it goes.
