What's new
By:
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!

Marketing a milestone

D

dewey9876

I CLN CAZ
Has anyone marketed a milestone like washing a million cars? We are considering giving away a trip or something to our one millionth customer. Any ideas or thoughts on how to do it would be great. Also any ideas on when to start promoting it, we are about a year away from hitting that mark.
 
I think you need to do it in a way that doesn't make customers think you are rich off the carwash.

Think of McDonalds 'over 99 billion served'. I don't think:'wow. congrats, mickey d's'. I think: 'big whoop, that many served...a huge company, no surprise and who cares.'
 
Wow, a million cars! At an average of $10 bucks a car, you have made 10 million dollars! If I build a wash near you and only take 1/3 of your business I would still make a killing!

Seriously, don't dare mention that you have washed a million cars. I don't care how long you've been in business, there is no way to make that sound like you are not raking it in. Find some other reason to blow your horn.
 
Another way to market yourself and still give away the prize would be to call it a customer appreciation event, hold a raffle for the prize and give all the ticket sales to a local charity.
 
Dewey, I think that almost ANY marketing is better than none. The more splash the better. McDonalds, although not considered the best in cuisine, knows a few things about marketing. Just sayin.
 
The above comments are right on. At our 50th year or so posted "Over 5 Million washed". Got lots of comments about how rich we must be. My typical response is "Yep, been able to cut back to 7 days a week."
 
Hmm.. yea I see all of your points. Lets just get this clear a million cars over 22 years is NOT raking it in! (waiting for calculators to stop clicking) LOL! Still want a 1/3 of that? But I understand not everyone will look at it like that. I was looking at it more like the McDonalds marketing, and to create a buzz over giving the vacation away.

Let me ask this would you not go to a certain business because they were successful? or did a lot of business? Usually a busy restaurant is busy for a reason, good food/good service. Wouldn't a busy business possibly mean they do a better job than the compitition or at least are doing something right? Couldn't this possibly cause someone to want to check you out if your that good???

Thanks for the input!
 
I go to businesses that have good customer service, quality and ease of use. The success of the company is not why I go there. But if they are successful, they should remain in the community for me to visit. If they have quality products/food/service, human nature says they would get repeat business. Giving back to the community or recognizing your customers is an easy thing to do and usually well recieved. Give a wash away or provide a sponsorship or scholarship for the local high school. I think that might earn more future business from many instead of from one winner.
 
You might create a "campaign" that says something about "not really doing a million cars" but your computers will "pick" a winner to be your "millionth" customer for this year. You could use the actual millionth, or whatever. Maybe scale back the prize and do it each year.
 
my2cents said:
I go to businesses that have good customer service, quality and ease of use. The success of the company is not why I go there. But if they are successful, they should remain in the community for me to visit. If they have quality products/food/service, human nature says they would get repeat business. Giving back to the community or recognizing your customers is an easy thing to do and usually well recieved. Give a wash away or provide a sponsorship or scholarship for the local high school. I think that might earn more future business from many instead of from one winner.
Click to expand...

I agree with all of this and we already do many things with and for our community- fundraisers, sponsor sports teams, donate door prizes to many many different events etc. etc.

We also try to have the great service a great product etc. We arn't looking to get repeat business from one lucky winner. We were looking to create a buzz, maybe get that person who hasn't used us before say "wow, they must be doing something right over there"

We already do alot of marketing some on the radio so this would just be another thing to promote etc.

thanks again for the thoughts and comments.
 
Perhaps rather than advertising how much business you have done, you can annually celebrate your wash's birthday. Like "Happy Birthday Joe's Car Wash. 20 years and still washing." Something to that effect.

Offer discounts, raffled prizes, free washes, anything you can muster up. It's your birthday, but you give the customer the presents for keeping you alive so long. If you want to do something bigger on the "big ones" like every five or ten years, I'm sure you can think something up.

Washing your 1,000,000 car is great, but it is essentially opening up your accounting book to the public - not a good thing to do. Celebrate how long you have had loyal customers.


Good luck.

Mike
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top