Car Wash Forum
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
How's the Dog wash going??
- Thread starter dogwasher
- Start date
I am waiting on responses. I converted a wash bay and put in two dog wash bays. After two years I have lack luster numbers. I might be priced wrong. $7 for 9 min 20 seconds (20 seconds added to warm up water). Not doing near the numbers that I heard the owners of the KR dog wash do in central PA. Chemical costs high, hard to keep clean, makes it difficult to offer lower pricing. Tempted to close the bays down and sell the equipment.
Hey Buzz, sorry to hear the report, let me know if your ever serious about selling...what type of equipment do you have?
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
No Regrets Here More Positive than Negative
Wow!!! Your posts deserve proper analysis & subsequent response. Doom & gloom for self service dog washing is not based on our over 3 years now of experience. Last week was a record of $465 reflecting the gradual increase as the months since opening have unfolded. Let's see if we can break down our reasons for success.
1. We did not allow a diversion of resources by falling for the overly cozy credit card acceptance hype & went with the better & more fiscally responsible ATM approach.
2. We encouraged the customers to help keep the dog wash clean through our signs & our website video & with proper coaching when we showed first time customers. Not perfect ... so we do try to get in there as we frequently walk by & through ... just in case the "free disinfectant" & mop was not used by the customer.
3. We relied mostly on free publicity & word of mouth referrals as to the reliability & cleanliness of our facility.
Mike Walsh www.kingkoin.com
Wow!!! Your posts deserve proper analysis & subsequent response. Doom & gloom for self service dog washing is not based on our over 3 years now of experience. Last week was a record of $465 reflecting the gradual increase as the months since opening have unfolded. Let's see if we can break down our reasons for success.
1. We did not allow a diversion of resources by falling for the overly cozy credit card acceptance hype & went with the better & more fiscally responsible ATM approach.
2. We encouraged the customers to help keep the dog wash clean through our signs & our website video & with proper coaching when we showed first time customers. Not perfect ... so we do try to get in there as we frequently walk by & through ... just in case the "free disinfectant" & mop was not used by the customer.
3. We relied mostly on free publicity & word of mouth referrals as to the reliability & cleanliness of our facility.
Mike Walsh www.kingkoin.com
So, you are making MORE money with your dog wash by letting your customers walk to the ATM to get money out and then to put it into your machine? Interesting...
There are some areas where dog washes go better than others. Factors could be:
beach or park close-by, customers living in units or houses (houses usually mean possibility of bigger dogs), weather & climate, etc. As with any other profit center on your yard you have to do your research first. And of course, nobody likes a filthy dog wash.
MEP001
Well-known member
There's no way he's making more money with an ATM than if he had credit card acceptance at the pet wash. A "diversion of resources" indeed...how does one become so myopic that they can't even mention something without putting a negative spin on it?
For that matter, how can an ATM even be considered as a part of your success? Is the equipment and service completely free?
For that matter, how can an ATM even be considered as a part of your success? Is the equipment and service completely free?
bigleo48
Active member
Well Mike, I disagree too with the ATM approach. Since you don't have CC acceptance you cannot make the case. I however have both cc acceptance in the petwashes and the ATM on site. I can say via hard data that petwash CC users spend almost 40% more that cash (includes ATM users).
I have had petwashes for 8 years now and we are staffed so we do not rely on users to keep the tubs clean. Your numbers are below ours in sales. I will also say that you numbers will likely level off next year.
Relying on word of mouth is almost the only advertising you can do (outside of free services like craigslist and kijjiji) as the revenues do not allow for much of an advertising budget. Our best advertising we did was car window flyers at the yearly big dog show we have here.
I have had petwashes for 8 years now and we are staffed so we do not rely on users to keep the tubs clean. Your numbers are below ours in sales. I will also say that you numbers will likely level off next year.
Relying on word of mouth is almost the only advertising you can do (outside of free services like craigslist and kijjiji) as the revenues do not allow for much of an advertising budget. Our best advertising we did was car window flyers at the yearly big dog show we have here.
What kind of numbers are the KR dog wash doing?
It's mainly on the weekend or evening. More when it had rained.
If I remember correctly, they were doing $1500-$2,000/Mo
There are 3 dog washes in my area. I’ve been into all of them once and only once. They smell so bad that I almost puked when I walked in, I was going to pull the numbers from his timers but couldn’t stand the stench, and I don’t know how anyone could wash their dog there. I have a friend in North Carolina that had a Dog wash at his wash and he said it was probably one of the worse investment he made, barely broke even with the added cleaning costs, he had to clean it at least 2 times a day. When he first opened it he was doing about $1200 a month, once the newness wore off he was doing about $650 - $800 a month.
My experience as well. Will sell all the equipment in one of my bays for $5k. Includes coinboxes, tubs, credit card acceptance, everything for $5k. National Pride is who I bought it off of.
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
Randy & others,
This is why the free mint scented disinfectant that Tom Hoffman tipped us off to ... is so important. Also it is important to train the customers as much as possible to use the feature along with the available mop ... & not to have a toxic type of attitude that people won't do it. Ventilation is also key. We have a breeze way effect (with 2 door n window openings) that occurs that improves the air quality.
Every car n dog wash operator is different ... like I mentioned ... at ours we walk by & through almost constantly when we are at the facility & do quick cleanups if needed & time-wise cleanups takes within a minute or 2 with a floor squeegee etc.
From my observations ... I would rather have better quality customers who do not mind bringing cash with them &/or occasionally using our reliable ATM than to possibly attract a large number of lesser quality exact same customers who also are so unappreciative that they make no effort to clean up at all after their specific doggy hair n fur mess.
I'm am glad many of my fellow long term laundromat owners tipped us off to the practicality (can pay for its investment many times) & the increased traffic that can occur with a well located debit & credit card accepting ATM. For some operators who are sure that they gain enough net profit from credit cards & RFID or whatever on every last piece of equipment ... dominating as much as possible with that ... rather than properly updated coin & currency approaches ... then I would hope that they would show more respect to those of us who see the value of properly updated coin & currency. Unwittingly encouraging banks to make coin processing more costly as the "new norm" is also bad judgment in my humble opinion. Once cash is gone or diminished too much ... like some advocate ... we can forget about the presently still available "lever" to help keep the "going rates" of merchant fees as low as possible.
Mike Walsh YouTube USA Deficit Sleuth
This is why the free mint scented disinfectant that Tom Hoffman tipped us off to ... is so important. Also it is important to train the customers as much as possible to use the feature along with the available mop ... & not to have a toxic type of attitude that people won't do it. Ventilation is also key. We have a breeze way effect (with 2 door n window openings) that occurs that improves the air quality.
Every car n dog wash operator is different ... like I mentioned ... at ours we walk by & through almost constantly when we are at the facility & do quick cleanups if needed & time-wise cleanups takes within a minute or 2 with a floor squeegee etc.
From my observations ... I would rather have better quality customers who do not mind bringing cash with them &/or occasionally using our reliable ATM than to possibly attract a large number of lesser quality exact same customers who also are so unappreciative that they make no effort to clean up at all after their specific doggy hair n fur mess.
I'm am glad many of my fellow long term laundromat owners tipped us off to the practicality (can pay for its investment many times) & the increased traffic that can occur with a well located debit & credit card accepting ATM. For some operators who are sure that they gain enough net profit from credit cards & RFID or whatever on every last piece of equipment ... dominating as much as possible with that ... rather than properly updated coin & currency approaches ... then I would hope that they would show more respect to those of us who see the value of properly updated coin & currency. Unwittingly encouraging banks to make coin processing more costly as the "new norm" is also bad judgment in my humble opinion. Once cash is gone or diminished too much ... like some advocate ... we can forget about the presently still available "lever" to help keep the "going rates" of merchant fees as low as possible.
Mike Walsh YouTube USA Deficit Sleuth
MEP001
Well-known member
"I'm am glad many of my fellow long term laundromat owners tipped us off to the practicality (can pay for its investment many times) & the increased traffic that can occur with a well located debit & credit card accepting ATM. For some operators who are sure that they gain enough net profit from credit cards & RFID or whatever on every last piece of equipment ... dominating as much as possible with that ... rather than properly updated coin & currency approaches ... then I would hope that they would show more respect to those of us who see the value of properly updated coin & currency."
First off, your argument is based on the recommendation of other operators who likely can't stomach the cost of adding a swiper to many pieces of equipment vs. the dozen or so for a car wash and pet wash. Second, you're missing out on the customers that will potentially use the car/pet wash solely for the convenience of being able to swipe a card and wash. Third, you seem to just plain ignore the fact that pretty much everyone who accepts credit/debit cards attests that customers spend more, which offsets the bank and merchant fees.
First off, your argument is based on the recommendation of other operators who likely can't stomach the cost of adding a swiper to many pieces of equipment vs. the dozen or so for a car wash and pet wash. Second, you're missing out on the customers that will potentially use the car/pet wash solely for the convenience of being able to swipe a card and wash. Third, you seem to just plain ignore the fact that pretty much everyone who accepts credit/debit cards attests that customers spend more, which offsets the bank and merchant fees.
bigleo48
Active member
Mike, I'm in Canada and we have updated currency (even mylar bills), we have $1 and $2 coins that are extremely common. I have a Bank owned ATM (that charges less for non-members than private ATMs) that is in a heated room in the center of the property and is often used. Still, I have CC acceptance in every bay and tub as customers demand it. Some hate using coins, having to go to the ATM, then the coin machine and then having to listen for beeps and watch their time...not very relaxing. The just swipe and wash is a very appealing option. I even have pet owners using credit because the coin beeping sets their dogs off. I also have some people who have a misplaced sense of paranoia on using CC cards and wont use them no mater what.
I can just imagine how that works: Customer drives into the bay / dog wash (blocking), discovers he has no money, goes to the ATM where already another customer is trying to get money out and finally gets back to the bay. This is precious time wasted. And I am talking from experience as we have a central C/C station where customers can buy a code to use on all bays.
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
JustClean,
I could see that on the central C/C station code happening. I can honestly say that at our place we have not experienced the blocking problem caused by the ATM. Most people are considerate enough to bring enough cash or park in a non blocking area first. Dog wash wise it can happen in a non vehicle way; but there is very little delay. A large percentage of the dog wash customers come in as more than one person or they can hook the dog up with our doggie hitching post temporarily if & only if they see that they need to use the ATM or possibly cash a check. The ability to use bigger than one dollar bills & a larger value coin in the dog wash & in the self serve car wash definitely helps. Our people even tend to park in a non blocking area when the need to use the available rest room!
mike from the heartland of USA
I could see that on the central C/C station code happening. I can honestly say that at our place we have not experienced the blocking problem caused by the ATM. Most people are considerate enough to bring enough cash or park in a non blocking area first. Dog wash wise it can happen in a non vehicle way; but there is very little delay. A large percentage of the dog wash customers come in as more than one person or they can hook the dog up with our doggie hitching post temporarily if & only if they see that they need to use the ATM or possibly cash a check. The ability to use bigger than one dollar bills & a larger value coin in the dog wash & in the self serve car wash definitely helps. Our people even tend to park in a non blocking area when the need to use the available rest room!
mike from the heartland of USA
