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free vacs again

mac

Well-known member
One of my customers called and was complaining about how his vac income has been cut in half. There is a wash about 7 miles away with an express exterior and some self serve bays. They set up a central vac that is free for anyone - no wash purchase necessary. Maybe this business model will catch on with other businesses. It would be great if some local bars would give free drinks, restaurants free snacks, or shoe stores free socks. I'm thinking that the guy is just desperate fo get more bodies on his lot, however in his location, a small town south of Miami, all he is getting is a lot of dirt.
 
A lot of people drank the free vac Kool Aid. Since many have stuck with it they must feel it works for them. I know some who have tried it and done away with it, or so I have heard, and some who have restricted it to car wash customers.
 
The wash right next to me did it about 6 months ago. I haven't seen an impact from it, but am watching closely.
 
On Fridays we have a dozen places that offer free wings, tacos, or pizza at their bars.-- Either free works, or many places just give things away. Alot of bottom feeders that go looking for free, and then stay all night, and maybe spend more.
With the hassle vacs can be, it seems ridiculous to give it away, but i am not in that competitive an area, as i am the only ss guy in a town of 150k.
 
Given the price of gasoline, seven miles seems like a far distance to travel just for the sake of obtaining a free vacuum. So, I suspect the express is either more proximate to more people than your customer has or something else is the cause.
 
Nobody likes a freeloader. Free vacs open to the public is not a common setup. My experience has been that most operators do free vacs to public when site layout prevents the more traditional setup of gated vacs.

Considering the price of admission of a base wash(usually $5) , the vacs aren't free, but included in the purchase price. The marketing of unlimited self vacuum seems to work well around here. I get asked by customers fairly frequently why my vacs aren't free like they are at the Goo-Goo.
 
On Fridays we have a dozen places that offer free wings, tacos, or pizza at their bars.-- Either free works, or many places just give things away. Alot of bottom feeders that go looking for free, and then stay all night, and maybe spend more.
With the hassle vacs can be, it seems ridiculous to give it away, but i am not in that competitive an area, as i am the only ss guy in a town of 150k.

There is a lot bigger profit margin in selling alcohol than there is in a car wash.
 
Mac,

I don't like free, it attracts the wrong kind of people. How about dropping a vac token with every wash. Very easy to do (PLC and a $100 hopper).

That may actually get people to vac more as a token might not be enough for everybody who doesn't vac weekly.
 
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