DRB FastPass / ARM

[easywash]

Hi I am currently running a 3 Bay automatic site and considering switching from my current Automated Teller System (ICS) over to a complete DRB system with FastPass and their ARM module

In particular has anyone had experience with their FastPass RFID / ARM module? Any feedback would be appreciated.

thanks,

Geoff

 

[sonicsoft]

Check Around

I have an XPT and I am pretty unhappy with the XPT. The fact that I have to pay an outside marketing company extra on a machine that I paid $25,000 for, in order to have visually pleasing menus is a bit ludicrous. At the same time the present version of the XPT with NON-TOUCH SCREEN BUTTONS sucks. It's counterintuitive when all the bank ATM'S are either both Touch Screen and Button Pushing or just touch screen.

They have a new XPT coming out, if you really like DRB I would wait to see how the new one does.

I don't have the automatic recharge module, but I do have the fast pass. The RFID reader and tags work GREAT! (THIS ALSO TOOK A TRIP FROM DRB)

I have had configuration issues that have not been resolved after 1 year, but the DRB people are coming down at the end of this month to hopefully fix some problems, not mechanical issues but problems with how receipts print. If you plan on taking credit cards I would recommend getting a change dispenser, dispensing $1.00 coins, using the cash cassette for $5.00's. This will save lots of aggravation on busy days.

At the end of the day no one in the car wash business produces a flawless product.

I would check out Micrologix out of NJ, they have been i the parking business for years, and this technology of RFID readers and automatic recharging cards is like second nature.

They have an awesome looking pay station that is reasonably priced.



Oh...yeah they also don't tie you to a credit card company for instant credit card clearing, I've found out that I can save about $500.00 amonth in fees if I could switch.

 

[New Investor]

Sonicsoft if you wanted the touch screen i'm just curious as to why you didn't go with ICS. I believe they are both good but if touch screen is what you wanted why didn't you go that way just curious.

 

[sonicsoft]

Drb

I don't like how the ICS locks, in fact everyone I know in our area who have ICS have been broken into with very little effort. One guy I know was out of the country and was watching his site via INTERNET and said it took about 9 minutes for them to pop open the ICS.

At the end of the day I chose DRB because we are a flex serve and at the time I felt DRB's POS functions were far superior to ICS's. If from the start I was going to be a an EXT EXP I would have probably bought ICS.

 

[easywash]

RFID headaches

Thanks for the excellent feedback on the RFID.

I have been a Beta Tester for ICS for nearly 12 months and we are still getting a 60%+/- read rate on the RFID tags. Some times the system is down for days on end.

I have over 700 tags installed in customers cars so you can imagine the frustration this causes.

I need at least 95% read rate to make it reliable enough to promote the way I want to.

I choose ICS originally because of the touch screen aspect on the customizable graphics an video. On that side the ICS system is great.

How solid is the DRB RFID system? do you ever have issues reading tags?

Right now I am replacing 20-40 tags a week that a faulty... they read one day they don't the next.

Any additional feedback would be GREATLY appreciated.

I am not trying to badmouth ICS but switching my entire back end system is not a choice I am making lightly but I don't like my business being bound by equipment that doesn't work properly.

 

[sonicsoft]

Rfid

Easywash how did you sell 700 passes?

We have sold about 100, and so far we have had very few cars with any problems. The cars that will cause problems are those with antennas in the windshield, DRB provided us with a list of problem cars and instructions on how to handle those cars.

I can monitor from Sitewatch whether or not my RFID reader is running, and can see if it's reading passes.

 

[easywash]

Easywash how did you sell 700 passes?

We have sold about 100, and so far we have had very few cars with any problems. The cars that will cause problems are those with antennas in the windshield, DRB provided us with a list of problem cars and instructions on how to handle those cars.

I can monitor from Sitewatch whether or not my RFID reader is running, and can see if it's reading passes.

see my post here: http://forum.autocareforum.net/showpost.php?p=5071&postcount=17

I run a 7 day free trial of any of my unlimited memberships. It works like a charm but you gotta have "stones" because the first roi numbers out of the get are a little scary but it pays off in spades over the longterm

 

[sonicsoft]

Easy Wash

What type of wash do you operate?

$29-$59

what are your price points

We are

$29.95 per month- Express $9.00 per
$39.95 per month- Executive Xpress $15.00 per
$49.95 per month- Full Service Top Package $25.00

 

[easywash]

Easywash stats

I run a 3 bay automatic with 6 detail centres, a vending centre and an automated dogwash.

My pricing is

Guardian $20 (includes 2 tokens)
Renew $16
Fresh $13
Simple $10


Unlimited:

Guardian $59 month or $659 year
Renew $49 month or $549 year
Fresh $39 month or $439 year
Simple $29 month or $329 year

 

[DavidM]

Has ICS indicated that they have a solution coming? We installed ICS autosentrys because we liked the customer interface and they were expecting to offer the RFID with automatic recharging soon. Now 7 months have passed since the date we were given and if your experience is typical, they are pretty far from having a product that can be made available. I certainly can't offer my customers something that only reads 60-70 percent of the time.

David

 

[easywash]

ICS Upate

I too bought the system with the promise that by the time I opened they would have a system that worked. I opened Sept. '06. I started beta testing Feb 1, 07

That said I got an email from ICS today saying they are working on it.

I am not looking forward to switching over my entire back end but... you gotta do what you gotta do.

I'll let you know what happens.

 

[jeff swift]

I am also a beta tester for ICS on the RFID system and did have an issue initially with reading vechicles. ICS and the antenna manufacturer came to my site to investigate the issue and determined that the antenna placement that was originally recommended had to be changed. After we changed the antenna layout the RFID has been 100% consistent. I have had a few issues with customers that were not configured correctly and have to be careful where to place the tags on certain vehicles. I have just opened a second site with the ICS system but I am just starting to get my club up and running at that location.

I have found ICS support to be excellent and they will help you 100%

 

[easywash]

Ics Rfid

With all due respect I sounds like you got an email from ICS asking you to post something about your system as I was asked to do if they fixed my system.

My experience with ICS has been the exact opposite. I had 3 customers yesterday alone cancel because the tags did not work.

In MANY cases we will install a tag and it works with 100-300 read strength (which is good). Two days later the very same customer comes back and absolutely nothing we do will get that tag to read (and we've done nothing to our system), so we manually put the customer through the wash. Next time the customer comes back the tag works just fine.

The tag in my vehicle does the same thing.

So we call up ICS, their technicians logs in... plays around with the RFID settings and they get the system to work... GREAT! Two days latter.... 90% Failure rate again.

We call ICS again, they login, change some more settings and the cycle continues.

I got an email on Monday from my ICS rep saying... That they were working on it and that my post on this board would likely shake things up a bit and hopefully get me a resolution...Why do I have to post on a board to get a resolution?

Well it's now Friday and I've received nothing from ICS.... No phone call, not an email not nothing.

Meanwhile from a customers:

Subject: trial cancellation
Description: Please cancel my 7 day trial effective immediately. The reader won't read my tag. Thanks

More lost revenue, more unhappy customers.

Jeff I am happy for you that you system works as described... Maybe ICS should fly up and fix mine.

 

[sonicsoft]

Drb

Easy Wash

I had the same thing occur with DRB on another BB with a posting that I placed about their service.

If people don't think that these boards get traction, you are wrong, all the manufacturers are watching and reading.

I say if it doesn't work the fastest way to get it fixed is post on a car wash BB.

I believe the major problem in our industry which prevents it from growing and prevents us from being 10-20 unit operators like the lube guys, is that our support system is non-existent, and we are left to the crap shoot of untrained, unqualified distributors.

These manufacturers make millions a year, yet they have no set system to support us on an ongoing basis.

Moreover most of these guys have never been in our shoes, and understand the day to day trials. Frontline understanding is the only way to truly understand the dynamics of a business.

So BOO on DRB BOO on ICS, and BOO on all the other POS guys.

 

[DavidM]

I am somewhat encouraged by Jeff's post that at least ICS has been able to get this working in one location. Unfortunately, one location isn't saying much. I want a reliable system and sites like easywash's suggest ICS doesn't have one yet.
Jeff, how long has your RFID been working well? How long was it in before ICS was able to get it working properly?

Back to the original topic, are there any DRB success stories?

 

[easywash]

Easywash RFID Update

Hi am hoping to have a complete update for you guys on my progress with ICS later this week. Stay tuned

 

[DavidM]

Easywash, Any news yet? Has ICS been able to get anything resolved?

 

[easywash]

ICS RFID Issue Fixed

I wanted to take moment to update you all on the status of the challenges I have had with ICS and my RFID system.

Firstly I want to thank the forum for giving me the venue to air my concerns and ultimately get movement I needed to have my concerns taken seriously. I also really want to thank ICS for sticking in there with me until the problem was solved.

I have been reluctant to post an update until we had a couple good months under our belt using the system. Now that we have had 90+ days without interruption I can say that the system is working GREAT!

January ? March, ICS visited my site on 3 occasions at their expense and on the last trip we also had 2 technicians from Alien Technologies (the RFID supplier) onsite to work with us as well.

Once we had all the proper testing equipment onsite we were able to identify the problem immediately. Our cables running from the Antennae to the Readers were simply too long at nearly 80ft on average. By the time the signal reached the readers it was less that a 100th of what it should have been.

Due to our site configuration the cables were the longest ICS had ever used hence the fact that none of their other installation were having the issues that we were.

The solution was to buy some waterproof boxes and mount the readers in the wash bay within 20ft of the Antennae. As soon as we did that we were getting near perfect reads.

The challenges I was having were due to the custom configuration of our site and are not indicative of the technology in general. For those of you who may have read my posts and it effected your decision to purchase an ICS system please do not let my experience sway your decision.

My system is now working properly and I would whole heartedly recommend the system to those of you who really want to increase your bottom line and most importantly build customer loyalty. Once you put that tag in their car they are not going anywhere else to wash.

Sincerely,

Geoff Baker
Easywash