Detailing @ the Coin-Op

[Pro-Techt]

Does anyone offer detailing at their Self Serve? Depending on the wash volume and/or amount of bays you have, I could see doing an easy conversion of 1 of the bays(next to equipment room) into a mini detail shop. Or, depending on the weather, it could be done under a canopy. The tunnels do a great job of cross marketing detailing, couldn't it be done in this setting too?

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I was thinking the same thing, and would love to hear from some ss operators that have done this.

 

[MikeV]

I had a kid detailing under a canopy at my wash. He did very well when he worked, problem was that he didn't work much. An aggressive soul should do well.

 

[mac]

As others have pointed out, the main thing that will make this work or not, is who is doing it. Good detailers can do well. There is a wash here in south FL where the owner does detailing, but since the market overall has been dismal, the jury is still out on his success. Throw in a lingering tropical storm and it really gets slow.

 

[bigleo48]

I am currently doing this and in the process of building a detail shop. Here are my views;

First, I believe this to be another needed profit center. Materials and tools are relatively inexpensive and basic process make it fairly easy to perform basic tasks such as interior cleaning, shampooing, waxing etc. I think when I'm up and running $300 or more per day avg is realistic based on my location. Doing a completely clean, shampoo and wax on an avg car for $125 and taking 2 to 3 hrs to do is not bad money.

Second, using an existing bay is expensive (unless the bay in not used). My bays are new and fully loaded with almost every option, they cost about $75k each, so I want to leave them to what they were designed for.

Lastly, labour...you need people to do this and that can be a pain. We have an incentive program here where the person performing the work gets a cut.

BigLeo

 

[Waxman]

Detailing is an excellent added profit center, and, in my opinion, belongs at the carwash!

I began 20 years ago, doing detailing only and built my wash years later after buying 3 connecting lots next to my rented location.

I just moved the detail from the rented location into a new building I built on the carwash lot.

I couldn't be happier! The cross-marketing effects that naturally occur between the 2 businesses are amazing! I have been toying with the idea of offering express services and planned to really kick off this 'new business' (because it really is a new service, compared to all-day details and buff jobs, etc.) in 2009. However, my customers began requesting express as soon as we moved into the new detail shop, which is 15 feet away from the wash, as opposed to formerly being 150' away.

When a carwash offers any 'aftercare' services, whether express or not, they begin to fill a much greater need for car owners. Once you wash AND detail, you become a place to get car cleaning done instead of just a basic wash and vac and smelly tree. You now offer services ranging in price from $2 to $200+! What a great place for your customers!

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I kind of agree with Big Leo on this one. I don't have the room to add another building on my site to do detailing. I don't really want to close off a bay to do detailing either since I already plan on turning one of my bays into an automatic and the other into a dogwash that will house my auto equipment in the backroom.

I really do want to offer this service though. Does anyone have any 'outside the box' ideas that could make this feasible on my site?

 

[MEP001]

I've seen detailing done at a self-serve under a simple canopy erected next to the equipment room. They did all the washing in a bay, then pulled the car into the shade.