Strategy: The Art of Car Wash War

What if Alexander the Great owned a car wash? Or how about Napoleon or maybe even Genghis Khan? Aside from some unorthodox signage (“Foot Off Brake, Car In Neutral And Hands Off Flaming Arrows”), I bet they would be pretty good operators due to the fact that these men were brilliant strategists.

The Art and Science of Signage

There has never been a more important time to communicate effectively with your customers. There are more car washes than ever before, consumers have less disposable income available and what they do have, they are less willing to spend. So this is no time to take your most powerful and most important marketing tool for granted. Namely, your onsite signage. Signage is not just about listing information- it is a commercial that customers start watching the moment they enter your property. In addition it has a huge impact on your bottom line.

Improving Customer Loyalty And Frequency

The Great Recession has affected businesses across the globe and car washes have been far from immune. One of the biggest reasons is that, while consumers are still shopping, they are doing so less frequently. The key then, is to attack that specific problem and make sure you are doing everything possible to improve customer frequency.

Kyle Doyle, President of Blue Sky Image Group was a guest on the weekly WashIdeas Podcast. The theme was "Focusing on Focusing". Kyle, Ryan Carlson and Kate Carr discussed news, green marketing, and smart ways to attract new customers. Check out the podcast and signup for the weekly WashIdeas podcast. Click here to listen.

How To Attract New Customers

The reality for all businesses is that some customers will be lost over time. Some because of things you do control and others for things you don’t. The key is to acquire more new customers than those you lose. That’s why acquiring new customers is one of the three main objectives of car wash marketing (along with increasing customer frequency and increasing average ticket).

The Danger of Coupons

Unfortunately couponing is the most used and abused tactic for bringing in customers. Most operators that use coupons regularly don’t realize the long-term damage bad price promotions do to their bottom-line. The major problem with coupons is that when used as a regular and generic incentive, they devalue your services and result in a disloyal customer base.

Menu Sign Design

Next to a greeter, menu signage is your single most important element. Essentially, your menu sign is a salesperson, whose job is to present customers with options and make recommendations. The key behavioral pattern to remember with menu sign design is that if consumers are confused or overwhelmed by their choices, they will almost always pick the most “basic” option or pick what they’ve purchased previously.

Perception Is Reality

I know this sounds obvious, but to get consumers to spend more (or at all) you have to do a good job of cleaning their car. What’s less obvious is that perception is more important than reality. For example, I once visited a carwash site where the owner had recently replaced his ancient equipment with a brand new rack. At the same time he switched over to a top-quality chemical. The owner was proud of the results and the cars were coming out better than ever.

Car Washing In The Media

A list of videos (mostly TV commercials) depicting car washes.

Webinar: The Building Blocks of Car Wash Marketing

What It Means To Be Green: A Guide To Green Marketing

Green marketing might be the car wash industry’s biggest opportunity since we swapped out the brushes for the cloth. To date however, few operators have been willing or able to make environmental issues a core part of their business strategy. This is despite the fact that car washes are intrinsically “green”.

Why Good Car Wash Website Design Starts With Sitting On a Bench

Nothing has changed business in the last 15 years as much as the Internet. Yet, despite its far-reaching presence in the lives of millions, most small businesses, including car washes, have yet to tap the full potential of the web. Before we start thinking about the actual design of the website, we need to understand the purpose of the website. Far too many operators think of the website as a modern version of a yellow page ad. However, it is far more than that.

Hosting Carity/Fundraising Events

Hosting special events is one of the best ways to promote and create buzz. They create anticipation and give your marketing a clear focal point.

Increasing Revenue Per Car

Increasing your average ticket has always been an important part of a successful carwash, but with car counts shrinking or stagnant at many locations, there has never been a more urgent time to focus on getting the customers you do have to spend more per visit. That means that a focus on — or even better, an obsession with — increasing your average ticket should be at the top of the priority list.

The Power of a Rain Guarantee

I was on a carwash message one time where a new operator was asking about whether or not he should offer a rain guarantee. There were several posts from experienced operators who said it wasn’t worth it because some customers want to redeem it even after it has expired. It was clear that these operators had bad experiences with a rain guarantee because they never asked the most important question: "why?" They had simply thought they you should offer a rain guarantee because that’s what other carwashes do. However I believe that the successful implementation of a rain guarantee (as well as every other policy) rests on the operators understanding the "why".