Professional Carwash & Detailing

SS/IBA SOLUTIONS

and profitable extra service in carwashing. Washes offering the solution will quickly become known as “the one with tire shine” in their respective market areas, Huntington said.

Choose your investments wisely

Some updates, according to Huntington, such as software revisions and cosmetic enhancements, can be quick, easy and inexpensive, but the more extensive updates are more involved — and therefore more costly.

“Even with extensive updates, the cost is much lower than
new construction. Also, investing in updates means investing in
a proven wash at a proven site with a proven customer base,”
Huntington continued. “The existing business funds the updates,
then the business benefits from a nicer-looking, better performing
wash.”
McLain added that for the most part, these updates and changes
are not that expensive and the return on investment will make the
cost and trouble a lot easier to bear.

“Most of these upgrades can be accomplished in a short amount of time if the owner/operator is using some of their existing equipment for the renovation,” he said.

Know the
demographics

According to Al Huntington, progressive manufacturers
offer both types of in-bays — touchless and friction -— and
are constantly updating and improving each. “Touchless
in-bays do well in more affluent markets, with lots of higher-
end vehicles,” he said. “They also benefit from market-wide
acceptance, because they are most familiar to motorists.”
Friction in-bays, Huntington added, are preferred by
middle-market drivers, who enjoy their cleaning style and
greater speed of operation.

“If the owner/operator is doing a complete overhaul this may take more time. Owner/operators need to do their research on the process of the changes and when is the right time to do them in order not to miss out on high volume days.”

Make any upgrades known to the customers

Any upgrade made to an existing IBA should be the sole focus
of a marketing campaign for at least the first 90 days after the
upgrade is operational, according to Robinson of Mark VII. This,
he said, should include:
• Signage around the carwash site;