Foam brush super foamy or watered down?

[acbruno]

My foam brush puts out foam with the viscosity of shaving cream. I have used other washes in the area that pour out the suds from the foam brush at a high rate with a lot of water more like foamy water to me.

To a customer, which method would be best?

Thanks!

 

[pitzerwm]

IMO the more foam the more perception of value, and the longer for you that it takes them to wash it off.

 

[MEP001]

I give them lots of foam. It's the cheapest function next to rinse, and there's no reason to be stingy with it. Our only competition has their foam brush so thick that you only get a small puff of foam every ten seconds or so, and I love it because I know it won't soap up a car.

I've had only one person comment negatively on the fact that it puts out so much foam, and when I told him that I have it that way so the people who use the foam brush first on a dry car will do less damage, he understood completely. But I also have it extra rich so they'll spend more to rinse it off.

I agree with the perception of value too. Give them more than they expect for their money whenever you can. We're probably the only ones anywhere that give more than a minute for a buck on the fragrance machine, and I never see customers throw down the gun like they got ripped off. I see that all the time at washes that give only 40 seconds, even for 75?. I even watched a poor guy once who deposited his 75?, went to his car door and it was locked, fumbled for his keys and got the door open, then finally found the trigger on the gun just as the time ran out, and what did he do? Threw the gun on the ground and left. At our wash he still would've had 30 seconds left. He likely wouldn't have realized that my generosity allowed him to get some use out of his money spent, but he wouldn't have left mad. Not only that, if he uses our competitor's fragrance next time, he would feel ripped off.

 

[rph9168]

I like the foam to pass the "plop" test. When it hits the surface it should make a plop sound. That means it has rich foam but a little wetness to give it some body. If the foam is too light it is difficult to apply and get into the hard to reach areas.

The more they put on the longer it will take to rinse and time is money. I agree that if you give them more than they expect it will keep them coming back.

 

[Kevin Reilly]

If you talk to 10 different operators will you get 10 different answers and if you talked to 10 of your customers you will probably get the same and even some who don't have any idea! In the wintertime (California) we have it dryer, but in the summertime (gets to 100+ degrees) we like it wetter otherwise it will dry on the car quicker. Geographics make a difference but No. 1 is personal preference and that will come with your own personal experience.

Have talked with some operators in my area and they say dryer is great because it takes longer to wash off the soap. Again that's a personal preference.

 

[Jeff_L]

Ask your customers who use the function, they'll tell you how they like it. Tell them you've been adjusting things to get them a better foamy soap setting and see if they like it. Take their opinion and make your adjustments from there.

As operators, we probably all like it to by showy for the customer using it, and for the customers just pulling so they see it.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Summer time thick foam. Takes longer to rinse off.
Winter time runny foam. Don't want the foam to freeze up on the car.

 

[MEP001]

I also use the "plop" test, and since we're in central Texas I can leave it a bit on the wet side year 'round. I keep it thick, wet and fast enough that there's always a glob falling from the head in the hanger (which is more than 7 feet off the floor).

 

[TurboJet]

Steady creamy flow. Too thick and it doesn't break down eventually, my cheap customers will just keep pushing it around when the time expires. At least at my wash.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Recently replaced my yamada pumps with flo jets and noticed the soap was runny and customers were complaining. Couldn't figure it out and then found my guy had the PSI set too high - about 60, when he put in the flo jets. Reduced it to 30, with the air at 15 psi, and the foam was thicker. So, basicaly the customer was getting more product and was less happy! Perception is everything. Sometimes leess is more, and it's the sizzle, not the steak.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

The plop test is the only way to go. That is the best 'show' that you can get. My flojet pumps are set at 30 for both the air and the product. I haven't heard any complaints yet.