Is $3 for 4 minutes reasonable with a $2 startup?

[blurdgman]

I am presently charging 66 cents/minute that amounts to $2 to start for 180 seconds.

I intend to raise that to 75 cents/minute or $2 to start for 160 seconds this coming winter, that's equivalent to $3 for 4 minutes.

When I started 26 years ago the charge was $1 for 4 minutes.
Do you feel that $3 for 4 minutes with a $2 startup is reasonable?
What do you charge?

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Where are you. That's astronomical here in my neck of the woods, but may be in line for your market.

 

[captain cw]

I'm jealous. 45 seconds per quarter, with a $1 start up and I'm one of the more expensive locations. Can I please move to wherever you are?

 

[Randy]

There are a number of washes in our area that are at $3 for 4 minutes and they seem to be doing very well. I?m currently at $2.50 for 4 minutes and I?m considering going to $2.75 or $3.00 later this fall.

 

[MEP001]

I remember 20 years ago people from California would comment "Wow, 75 cents for three minutes? I'm from California, and it's like $2.50 for three minutes!" Without knowing your location, general condition and quality of your wash and your client?le, there's no reason you should consider any pricing advice given here valid. We're 42? a minute, and we're the highest in the land. I wouldn't recommend that you increase to 75? a minute, but someone else will surely come along and say that you should.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

^He's dead on.

 

[Jim Caudill]

I charge $1.50 to start, and that buys you 4 minutes. I used to harp on folks updating their information to show their location, but have grown weary of trying to get folks to understand that if they want meaningful feedback, they need to supply the proper input.

Simply stated, your question is quite meaningless without further information.

 

[Waxman]

I'm $2 for 3 1/2 minutes.

The correct price for anything is 'whatever the market will bear'.

However, have you thought about decreasing time rather than increasing price? I mean, you are increasing price but you'll get fewer complaints by cutting back time and keeping price the same.

 

[blurdgman]

My location is in northern PA. We have plenty of precipitation both rain and snow. We have 23 and 26 year old SS washes and run them tip top. Utilities are killers 12 months for gas, electric and sewer $32,800.

 

[blurdgman]

My post indicates a $2 startup and that remains steady, therefore we do reduce the time. Our CC customers average between $4.70 and $5.60 depending on location and time of week and account or 31% of the business. We pay back the highest percentage to AMEX but those are the biggest spenders.

 

[randall]

what is the start up time in dallas tx

 

[Whale of a Wash]

From what you said you have a really nice well kept up wash, and 26yrs ago were at $1. Those were the days when a Dollar was really a dollar. Today it seems more like a dime. I take in quarters and all my bills are in the hundreds or thousands - I always felt the owner is always too reluctant to up the prices, and the customer doesn't really care too much-- if they like the wash they feel it's worth it. I lowered prices at one wash that has a 4 lane road under constr. to $1 for 3min. No one got too excited about it and some thought I was too cheap before, at $1.75- 3Min. If i lived closer i would change the prices for you , so you don't feel the pain, Seriously Change them tomorrow, and in a week you'll wish you had done it 6mo ago.

 

[Reds]

I'm in a small middle class town and I'm at $2 for 3? minutes. I started in 2005 at $2 for 4 minutes. I only got a couple complaints when I was at 4 minutes and only got a couple of complaints when I went to 3? minutes. Some people just have to complain about something. I am considering going to 3 minutes this winter due to utility costs. 3 minutes is not nearly enough time to wash your car, and by the time folks are done they have spent enough to get a wash and rinse in my IBA. I am busiest in the winter with people washing the salt brine off of their cars. In the winter a majority of the SS customers are just rinsing their vehicle and I watch them actually run around the car to try to get it rinsed in 3? minutes. In my case the decision is dictated by expenses. You gotta do what you gotta do, so I am going to 3 minutes for $2 in November when the heat comes on and the nights are longer.

 

[n175h]

Wow, we can only dream of that kind of money in south Texas. 25 cents per minute with many at 25 cent start times. I'm at .75cent start time and people complain I'm too high. Sheesh. We've got 19 bays for 8500 people in our community, so the pie crumbs are few.

David

 

[Charles Ho]

Prices in North Texas Suburb

Plano - 8+2 - $2/4:00 - Attendant present approximately 60 hours/week.
Frisco - 7+1 - $2/4:30 - Attendant present approximately 15 hours/week.