IN-BAY/SELF-SERVE SOLUTIONS
• Advertising, etc.
“Remember,” Robinson said, “you
invested in the upgrade to provide better
wash quality to the customer and increased revenue/lower operating costs to
you, so don’t be shy about getting in the
customer’s face about how great it is and
why they should take advantage of it.”
McLain suggested having a “customer
appreciation day” to help notify your mar-
ket of any upgrades. “When the customers
come to use the facility for the discounted
or free wash make sure you have an at-
tendant there to explain the changes and
educate the customer of the new features.”
Huntington said less obvious updates,
such as those that improve throughput,
should be promoted in customer-centric
terms. “If a wash improves its cycle time
from five minutes to three and a half, it
could promote this with a street-facing
banner that reads something like: Now
Faster! Wash in Under 4 Minutes!”
Looking to the future
The future of the IBA is bright, according to McLain. “With all the new technology that is out there the IBA is always
evolving. Manufactures are working on
how to be greener about their products.
Reducing water usage is a big concern for
new investors and with reclaim and other
technologies manufactures are finding
news ways to conserve water.” McLain
added that green chemicals and safety are
also at the top of the list in terms of future
developments.
Huntington said there are strong trends
in the current in-bay market that will
continue for the foreseeable future. “In-bay
customers are looking for better, faster
washes with more extra service options.
Operators are responding, with better-
cleaning equipment, higher throughput
and profitable add-ons like tire shine.
Done properly, these improvements can
halt or even reverse declines in wash
volumes, while building per-car revenues
and profits.” Tomorrow’s in-bay machines,
he added, promise further improvements
on all of these fronts. “It’s going to be
exciting to see what’s coming to the in-bay
market.”
Like any industry, we’re always search-
ing for the next big thing, said Robinson,
adding that there’s always room for
incremental improvements. “I expect there
to be a lot of focus on lowering operating
costs, particularly in the area of energy
consumption, over the next few years,”
he said. “As an industry we need to move
past unsubstantiated claims of being
‘green’ and provide solid evidence to
customers and legislators that professional
carwash equipment is the most efficient
way to clean vehicles and protect the envi-
ronment at the same time.” PC&D
