Mix and Match
Offering several wash options pays off

By John H. Hansen

The carwash consumer has many choices when it comes to the type of carwash he wishes to use. Unfortunately, as we all know, too many customers are using their driveways as their wash location of choice. However, thanks to the new public relations and advertising initiative by the International Carwash Association (ICA), this driveway washing preference may soon begin to change.

Operators have many profit center opportunities available to them if their property size allows: a conveyorized, rollover or high-pressure automatic carwash; self-service carwash; vehicle detail center; lube station; convenience store; gas-pumping facilities; and even a Laundromat, to name a few. For the sake of this discussion, however, let's stay with the many different vehicle-washing options as opportunities for additional revenue and profits.

The only restriction operators may have in expanding their carwash services is lot size and, perhaps, some zoning restrictions. But even operators who don't think they have the space for another style of carwash may find it possible.

Conveyorized + self-serve

This style of carwashing usually requires the most space and the highest investment but also offers the possibility of the highest return.

Whether the conveyorized operation is a full-service or exterior-only, it can be joined with, for example, a self-service carwash on the same property. Construction and utility costs can be lowered when a conveyor operation and a self-serve wash are on the same property by utilizing a common equipment room. Additionally, by having the self-serve bays joined to the conveyor wash building, the vending machines and bill changers for the self-serve wash may be placed in a wall of the conveyor building facing the self-serve bays. Also, caretaker labor for the self-serve wash is accomplished by assigning an employee from the conveyorized wash to self-serve wash duties during the hours the conveyorized wash is open.

A natural addition to these self-serve bays would be a high-pressure automatic bay that would significantly increase revenue from the self-serve and would not be a distracting competitor of the conveyorized tunnel.

An express detail service operation could be sold from the conveyorized carwash and be performed in the least productive self-serve wash bay during the off-peak hours of the self-serve which may be the hours that the conveyorized wash is busy and can handle an increased volume of express detail sales in that under-utilized self-serve bay.

Self-serve

A stand-alone self-serve carwash can add other types of carwash operations, land size permitting, to take advantage of consumer demand.

As we discussed for conveyorized carwashes one, or more, high-pressure automatic bays would blend well with self-service. Again, common utilities are a big plus and the bay size for the high-pressure automatic can be very near that of a self-serve bay.

If the marketplace can accommodate a friction rollover wash operation, this can be installed without major site preparation or utility installation costs.

Some self-serve carwashes have installed short conveyorized exterior carwashes. These conveyors may be 35 to 45 feet long and would only require one trained attendant to collect money, oversee proper system operation, make sure safety procedures are followed, and provide cleaning of the entire facility, both self-serve and the conveyorized wash bay.

Should detailing services be desired, the least-productive self-serve bay could be leased to a detail service operator or operated by you with your own detail service employee. This employee could operate the detailing service from that bay at fixed hours. In this case, it would be necessary to install doors for security purposes at both ends of that dedicated detailing bay when the detail shop is closed.

High-pressure automatic

High-pressure automatic rollover wash operations are one of the hottest thing going in our industry today. While the initial investment may seem somewhat high for a small wash-bay service, the profit potential is high. A stand-alone high-pressure automatic (HPA) will make money if you are restricted in property size. Join one or more HPA bays with other carwashing types and you will find you have joined the best of all carwashing worlds.

An HPA is a virtual must with coin-operated wand-type self-service wash bays. The increased revenue of HPAs for the total venture presents you with a very pretty profit picture as well as increased traffic on the site. The additional construction and utility costs are minimized when the self-service and HPA operations are done at the same time.

HPAs and conveyorized carwashes are also a good marriage. This combination offers consumers a great choice depending on the time they have available, the price they wish to pay and the finishing touches they want--from carwash labor or their own personal final detailing of their vehicle.

An intriguing match for an HPA would be with a friction rollover wash bay that would also give the consumer his choice of wash. Obviously, this clear-cut choice also makes the carwash operator happy with the potential revenue from the operation of these two styles of washing equipment.

On-site hand detailing of vehicles is an additional profit center that would work well with an HPA operation. Just as with the self-service carwash, this detailing center could be operated by the carwash owner or leased to another company.

Friction rollover

The major oil companies have had great success in their use of friction rollover carwashes as profit centers on the same property as their fuel-pumping stations. Friction rollover equipment is relatively inexpensive and may be used alone, or with other styles of washing facilities on the same site to achieve profitable use of available land.

Certainly, a friction rollover will be compatible on the same site as a self-service carwash. This is a natural match to offer consumers an in-car automatic wash for their convenience and the do-it-yourself self-serve bays for their use when they have more time to wash their own vehicle.

As I suggested in our discussion of HPA carwashes, you could consider joining an HPA with a friction rollover to offer the carwash customer a true choice of vehicle cleaning types. This mix can be a winner because the carwashing public wants to make its own choice from a selection of methods. After all, why do they make vanilla and chocolate ice cream? They are both ice cream, but the purchaser wants the opportunity to choose a different flavor. So, why not offer different "flavors" of carwashing on the same property?

A friction rollover can also be successfully used with an automatic conveyorized operation. When used as a washing, waxing and drying unit, the friction rollover most likely will see the highest volume of wash use after the conveyorized operation has closed for the day. However, a variation of the friction rollover may be used as a polishing (or buffing) machine. These applications are very successful, especially when they are used in conjunction with a full detailing shop to increase production and customer satisfaction. These polishing rollovers offer a considerable amount of eye appeal to the consumer and must be taken into consideration as a major marketing tool.

The great part of the mix-and-match idea is that you, the carwash operator, have the opportunity to increase your revenue and, therefore, increase profits. This approach to carwashing is not new. These various mixtures of equipment types are used, in one form or another, around the world. Certainly, there is some risk involved, but you took a risk to enter the carwash business to begin with. The rewards, I believe, are generous--increased volume, happier customers, maximum use of available land and more money in your pocket. Take a serious look at your site and dream, then act on what could be in the future for your carwash.

John H. Hansen has served the car care industry for more than 30 years as a carwash operator, equipment distributor, installer and serviceman. He has experience in equipment manufacturing, engineering and marketing. He can be e-mailed at johnnyh1@adelphia.net.

Share this article: Email, Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Yahoo!MyWeb, Windows Live Favorites, Furl
Add this article feed to: RSS, My Yahoo, Newsgator, Bloglines

Read Comments [0]