COOL SPRINGS, TN
THE BUSINESS CENTER | PROFILE IN SUCCESS
tion and referral rates of a solid core customer base,” he explained.
“[W]e have a readily accessible owner/management team. And,
we encourage customer feedback.”
Johnson said his staff is trained to walk the customer to the car
and ask for a review before she leaves the premises. “If we can get
them comfortable in that process, they are happy when they leave
and usually find little to be concerned with later,” he said.
Our concept was to create a
luxury experience in a
not-so-luxurious business.
MILES JOHNSON
Subscribing to the notion of steady revenues
To better manage his labor and his resources, Johnson decided
to move toward a subscription-based pricing model in 2009 that
featured several unlimited wash plans. “My take is that most
carwashes are scattered in terms of pricing,” Johnson said, citing
examples of “managers’ specials, early bird specials, multiple
plans, SUV upcharges, etc.”
Instead, Johnson has elected to differentiate his business by
using four carwash plans and three detail services. “We believe
in bundling packages into simple, easy-to-understand services.
I think most customers want a good value, a clean car and great
customer service,” he explained.
“Our business is largely dependent on weather conditions,”
Johnson explained. “A successful subscription model effectively
removes weather from the equation and creates a stable, recurring
revenue stream.”
The program began with a ‘soft’ opening in July and began by
adding about 25 customers per month. In November, Johnson
lowered his pricing, started marketing the program and doubled
his customer enrollment in two months.
Connecting to the community
Beyond his forward-thinking pricing and marketing programs,
Johnson is also establishing connections to charity and his community. Most recently, he is working to partner with a to-be-deter-mined organization to make his business location a drop-off point
for various supplies for the victims of the Haiti earthquake.
Johnson is also taking advantage of the “social media phenomenon.” In addition to conventional marketing, like cable TV, radio
and print advertising, MILES The Auto Spa has a Facebook and
Twitter page and uses those mediums to connect to a wider market.
And finally, Johnson has taken steps to be a good environmental
steward in order to strengthen the bond to his community and
promote an image of responsibility within the carwash industry.
“We estimate our water usage to be 60-70 percent less than if a car
was washed at home in a driveway,” Johnson said. “Also, more of
the products we use, than not, are biodegradable and nontoxic. The
industry is getting their hands around this. We have embraced being as green a business as possible from the beginning.” PC&D
