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$1.00 to start?
- Thread starter zepher
- Start date
Give me your thoughts...
A wash is charging $1 (one token) for 2 min. Bonus time given if $5 (5 tokens) inserted. If they go to $2 (2 tokens) for a 4 min start what results might they see?
Would revenue increase? Would customers feel cheated because the start price "doubled"? Would most customers not even notice because they spend more than $1 anyway? The wash would now become the "highest" startup price in its market versus now being the "lowest" startup price...does that matter?
Inquiry minds need to know
A wash is charging $1 (one token) for 2 min. Bonus time given if $5 (5 tokens) inserted. If they go to $2 (2 tokens) for a 4 min start what results might they see?
Would revenue increase? Would customers feel cheated because the start price "doubled"? Would most customers not even notice because they spend more than $1 anyway? The wash would now become the "highest" startup price in its market versus now being the "lowest" startup price...does that matter?
Inquiry minds need to know
pitzerwm
Active member
Here is some food for thought:
Years ago, in an ICA convention, Joe Mapes was speaking and someone asked him, how you dealt with vandalism/people hanging out at the wash, Joe replied "raise your price".
His theory and I happen to agree with him, that the low lifes hang out at the cheaper washes.
Think about it.
Years ago, in an ICA convention, Joe Mapes was speaking and someone asked him, how you dealt with vandalism/people hanging out at the wash, Joe replied "raise your price".
His theory and I happen to agree with him, that the low lifes hang out at the cheaper washes.
Think about it.
pitzerwm
Active member
Here is another bit of thought.
I have friends/people that I know have made a lot of money being slum landlords. Personally, I don't want to own a slum unit. Be the best wash in town and have the highest price. I never got around to making the sign but I wanted to put up one that said, " this is the most expensive car wash in town because you deserve it". I was the most expensive wash in town for many years. I also was the most expensive laundromat in town.
I have friends/people that I know have made a lot of money being slum landlords. Personally, I don't want to own a slum unit. Be the best wash in town and have the highest price. I never got around to making the sign but I wanted to put up one that said, " this is the most expensive car wash in town because you deserve it". I was the most expensive wash in town for many years. I also was the most expensive laundromat in town.
MEP001
Well-known member
I've never dealt with bonus time, but I've run a crummy old wash that was 50¢ to start when I took it over. After a couple years of worrying that it would hurt business I finally raised it to 75¢, and the revenue immediately went up about 25%. The worst mess makers stopped coming. The revenue went up about another 20% when I later took it to $1 to start, and again all I lost were undesirables.Ric said:
Turn the question around.
You are in an unfamiliar town and pull into a self serve to wash your car, because it is dirty and you want it clean. Are you ... really ... going to get back in your car and drive away with a dirty car based on price for services?
I want to focus on the repeat clientele who come in to wash CARS and are willing to spend $3 - $5 to wash plus maybe buy some vending products or vacuum. I'm willing to let the low end truck bed washers and ... whoever else ... go to the cheaper competitor.
I figure the good client cares more about good pressure, quality soaps, and high reliability of the equipment rather than whether it costs them $1 more. On the other hand, the minimum-time bed washer probably looks at just the opposite.
Who do you want to focus your business success on?
You are in an unfamiliar town and pull into a self serve to wash your car, because it is dirty and you want it clean. Are you ... really ... going to get back in your car and drive away with a dirty car based on price for services?
I want to focus on the repeat clientele who come in to wash CARS and are willing to spend $3 - $5 to wash plus maybe buy some vending products or vacuum. I'm willing to let the low end truck bed washers and ... whoever else ... go to the cheaper competitor.
I figure the good client cares more about good pressure, quality soaps, and high reliability of the equipment rather than whether it costs them $1 more. On the other hand, the minimum-time bed washer probably looks at just the opposite.
Who do you want to focus your business success on?
I.B. Washincars
Car Washer Emeritus
Of course you don't, you're too cheap.
I've been at $1 to start for about 10 years. I went back to $1 from $1.50 when I switched to $1 tokens. To make it easy to spend $1, I price everything at my five ss washes for $1; vacs, vending and bay start up. I give 2:20 minutes (I think) for $1 in the wash bays. I constantly have customers telling me that they drive across town to my $1 car wash. My revenue increased yearly after the decrease to $1 until the economy crashed in 2008. My revenue has increased steadily since. Still not at pre-crash levels, but have seen many local ss washes foreclosed and I am doing fine. My washes are not new or fancy, but I keep them very clean, well maintained and well lit up at night. The fancy new $1.1 million wash in town is up for sale for $450k. His start up price is $3 for 6 minutes. Go figure.
