flex service site plan ...

[parsonii]

any issues you guys see? the lot is deep and narrow and only has one entrance and one exit. the flow is going to be tight especially in the back where the detail shop will be. i don't see the detail shop being a significant profit center ... initially it'll serve as a differentiator vs the 3 dollar EE in the area. thanks gentleman

 

[robert roman]

Tunnel and site layout is similar to Tommy concept and appears to meet basic design criteria for property length and width planning for express.

That said, overall design objective could not have been flexible service because after-care should be designed for speed and proportionally larger than vacuum area.

Present design is basically express exterior with a two-bay detail shop tacked on and suggests at least two things.

1) There are not enough vacuum spaces based on conveyor length

2) You are planning too much tunnel

Either or both could compromise business model and profit maximization.

I have been designing carwash and reviewing plans for almost 15 years.

Although present design is functional, I believe the property lends itself to alternative layouts as express or flexible service.

When overall design objective of express is compromised to overcome constraint, more often than not, the result is an oversized plant with more POS and vacuum than necessary.

 

[parsonii]

thanks rob for your analysis. i always appreciate your input. yes this is more an EE plus detail and not a true flex serve. the detail shop was an afterthought because i had the space in the back and i wanted to build up the entire property to give it a sense of presence and scale. admittedly it'll be more marketing and i can't imagine it'll add much in overall profit ... i played with the idea of putting the aftercare in the front of the property but esthetically it didn't appeal to me. i wanted the building front and center and as close to the curb because of the narrow curb exposure. probably most important is that the detail in the back allows me to physically build it later and first get the tunnel up and going. also i didn't like the idea of people getting out of their cars in the front of the property and standing around for even 10 minutes for someone to clean their dash. this is definitely less than ideal if i want aftercare to significantly increase my average ticket sale; frankly i want people on and off the property. if i can find a worker that enjoys the art of professional detailing and not so much express detailing and that portion is self sustaining financially and not a hassle for me, i think it'll add to the desirability of the overall wash site and experience.

as for there being too much tunnel or not enough vacuums ..... yes i thought about getting myself to 20 vacuums. but here too it was overall design look and feel. too ofter EE are a sea of free vacuums up front and you lose a building that cost over a million to build. i didn't want people to drive by and see only vacuums. also i've driven by multiple EE sites in the area and although many have 20 vacuums there always seems 5 or so open, even on busy saturdays.

again rob thank for sharing with me your thoughts.

 

[Earl Weiss]

1. I see you are in Texas so cold weather is not a concern. Why do you think you need a 150' Tunnel? (Are you adding a Buff and shine option after the typical wash and dry in the tunnel?)
2. There is an old saying "The Line is your sign". Put the vacs (assuming the top is North) along the west edge / approach allows people using your site to be seen from the street. Make the Tunnel 50 feet shorter and you have plenty of room to the west. Area to the North can be for more vacs or after care options.
3. Is the other $3.00 EE in the area drinking the unrestricted free vac Koolaid?

 

[Let'Er Buck]

Your site sounds a lot like ours. We located the building to one edge of the property and held the building to the front also. Take a look at leterbuckcarwash.com

We also have room at the back to locate a flex Serve area. Just not sure that we are interested in tackling at this time, maybe ever. If we were to do it again, I think that the free vacuums would be positioned in a way that you would have to wash first before vacuuming.

 

[parsonii]

i went with 150 feet because i want to load inside the tunnel and i may add the buff and shine option that sonny's has been promoting lately --- i think if it gets my top package above 15 dollars, it may be worth the investment. earl i'll play around with re-arranging the vacs and thanks for the suggestion. yes the 3 dollar EE all offer free vacuums and it's a prominent part of their signage. in this neck of the woods you gotta keep your base price at 3 dollars and push the free vacuums ... or you'll end up being a niche player.

 

[parsonii]

i googled earth your lot and yes it's similar. your lot is 360 by 136, mine is 400 by 132; lots of space in the back. i'll end up doing something in the back but didn't want to start with having to necessarily built it from the get go. i want initially to limit how much i build and how much i spend.

 

[smokun]

Like Bob inferred, the site is functional (but not great) for an express... but your project deserve a much better design that incorporates an aftercare component. Done right, that's where the real money will be made. Pay an architect who really understands flex-serve to redo it. There are a few really good carwash architects in the ICA directory that can save you money and do a much better design. One in particular will oversee the job and make sure it's done right and on-time. I offer this axiom respectfully: When planning a carwash, don't start vast projects... with half-vast ideas. Do it right the first time. The plan you offered wastes valuable space and has a counterproductive flow that will limit your opportunities. Redesign should increase your bottom-line profit potential 4-5 times over what your currently shows.

Just trying to help you from really hurting yourself.

 

[rph9168]

I agree with Steve and Bob. You should design your site to allow for flex serve even if you do not plan on it initially. I notice you have a detail shop in the plan. Flex serve is a natural fit with detail services.

 

[parsonii]

steve i've come to see you as the champion of the flex serve format .. may i call you sometime? please email me with your number. thanks

 

[smokun]

Sent my contact info on this site's email. Glad to help.
Call anytime. Pay it forward!

 

[parsonii]

reworked the flow .... i think this works better. fewer tight turns. if i decide to do make any portion express detail, i'll use the vacuum bays in the middle.

 

[parsonii]

lost my other pic that i posted

 

[smokun]

Seems like you are stuck on a typical express format, and feel comfortable with the detail component being treated like an orphan. Candidly, and with only the best intention, I feel that you're making a mistake that will cost you dearly in lost revenue as well as customer retention. The plan reflects a basic lack of understanding regarding the flex-serve process and its unique cost-effective savings and management benefits of centralized labor and the positive flow of the process. Looks like an equipment vendor may have convinced (and maybe confused) you to go heavy on self-serve vacuums and the unaccommodating rigidity of the express wash & free vacuum process primarily due to a lack of understanding of the proven performance benefits of flex-serve. By doing it, you will mistakenly sacrifice two-thirds of your potential profit... without ever knowing it. Even if you initially wish to only operate an express format, it is still foolish to avoid planning for the eventual upgrade to flex at a later more enlightened time. Bottom-line, the operation will needlessly leave too much money on the table while sacrificing a powerful competitive edge by not upgrading to the flex-serve format. Depending on the site and marketplace, the oversight may be critical to your overall return-on-investment. I suggest that you seek a more competent architect or planner... as well as better information of your site's potential. While this may sound harsh, it is truly intended to save and improve your chances for success.

 

[robert roman]

My comments on 1st drawing were made solely on the basis of observing conditions presented and comparing them with general guidelines for property width and length planning.

2nd drawing is far less pleasing aesthetically. Besides this, how can we compare the two?

1st step in property planning is determining public need for a new wash.

Tunnel in 1st is 150’ implying peak hour 150 or production frontier of 156,000 washes a year.

2nd drawing has 130’ implying peak 130 or 135,000 washes a year.

10 percent attraction for assisted-services implies peak hour 13 cars.

Working in teams of 2 people at 20-minutes per service requires 4 service bays and eight people to produce 12 express details an hour.

“if i decide to do make any portion express detail, i'll use the vacuum bays in the middle.”

Since a service bay should be at least 16’ wide, I believe you may be pre-planning a disaster.

This leads me to ask who is driving the wagon train.

1st drawing is typical of architects, technically correct and aesthetically pleasing but lacking understanding of complete model of the carwash industry.

2nd drawing is typical of dealer, pave entire site and see how much equipment can be squeezed onto the property. For example, vacuum spaces are 12’ wide whereas vacuum lane at full-service wash is 14’ wide.

Why 14’? So people can open all of the doors and still have room to walk in between vehicles.

12’ wide is more appropriate for angled parking spaces. 11’ is like working in sardine can.

You have over 1.2 acres to work with and principal constraint is property width.

My advice would be to settle on a business model and then follow process instead of the other way around.

 

[smokun]

While I agree with most of what Bob offers, the arbitrary benchmark of "2 people at 20-minutes per service" is an over generalization. As Hopefully Bob might concur, that many services only require a few minutes, and two teams of 2 cross-trained detailers usually have far greater productivity, including double-teaming. The dynamic of high-performance production processing is a key component to significant net profit generation. And the flex-serve paradigm distinguishes all hands-on services are accomplished by cross-trained detailers working in teams of two in an ergonomically advanced production area called aftercare. I invite anyone interested in learning more about the dynamic to study the Jump-Start Guide or contact me for a complimentary professional-courtesy explanation.

I also agree with Bob's suggestion to qualify the site... and then determine alternative operating format choices. Once done, you'll undoubtedly appreciate the financial merits if flex-serve. Keep in mind that it provides everything that express offers... plus the choice of hands-on aftercare. The aftercare component provides for a powerful competitive advantage of a one-stop shop; better that either a stand-alone express or a full-service operation. Customers like the convenience of choosing either a quick ride-thru express & go... or tailoring the experience to a myriad of hands-on rapid-delivery aftercare extras. Once you compare its infinite adaptability, the decision to opt for flex-serve is easy.

 

[DixieCarWash]

Parsonii, Your site also sounds a bit like Wash masters in Arlington. Can't remember how long that tunnel is. Big Man did it but they have the similar site layout. The tunnel with the vacuums along the side and a 2-3 bay detailing center. Buff and dry from what I hear are excellent additions to washes looking looking to increase revenue. Beats hand drying if you want higher conveyor speeds.

For an express wash it's simple to have the wash then the free vacuums on the side.

Also people work off of impulse. From what I've seen it's better to have the wash run parallel to the street and the side of the tunnel bay closest to the street be windowed so that people passing by see the wash and decide they want their vehicle washed.

For a flex serve wash here's how I'd do it. Note that this drawing is a general idea and not exact but you get the idea of the layout. For the detailing center one can afford it you might incorporate a people-mover belt like those from AVW. For those who just want to vacuum their own car offer free vacuums as well. Free vacuums and tunnel easily visible from the street. Again the side of the tunnel facing the street would be mostly windows. Same concept applies for store fronts in shopping malls. People drive by and see the wash in action and naturally they will want to try it. They drive in and before they hit the auto-pay stations they see the other services we'd offer the wash sells itself.

Also 150's tunnel is nice. But I believe you can get about as much out of 120-130' tunnel which is average for both express and flex sites. Note that equipment manufacturers are getting even more and more creative at coming up with ways to maximise tunnel space and making the most of every foot.

Sorry for all the arrows in my drawing. Hopefully y'all can understand it.

 

[parsonii]

getting better but not quite there:


1. reverse the equipment in the maintenance room far and near wall
2 allee elm trees to the far right of the lot
3. move the employee parking to the end of the vacuum row to the far right
4. move the vacuum turbines to a more remote location to the lower right corner of the site plan where there is a rectangular bit of land that juts out.
5. make the vacuum slots wider to 13 feet. definitely getting two hose drops between cars. having one is a pain and an irritant when im vacuuming my personal vehicle

i know no longer a flex serve and im leaving money on the table

 

[DixieCarWash]

Typically Vacuums are located in the dumpster building. Then employee parking on the other side of that. Not absolutely necessary but 9 times out of 10 this is done. At least at the washes I've visited.