I'd love to get some feedback on marketing that's been proven to work. I have a 5 bay SS and 1 IBA. We're about to close on the deal and I'm thinking about a launch/grand opening type offer and I want to walk around and flyer the neighborhoods, businesses, schools, and apartments. what have you tried that's worked? thanks
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Marketing a new wash (collecting emails)
- Thread starter mcwashes
- Start date
Yeah agreed. My plan, and I didn't elaborate on it until I saw some feedback here, is to flyer the neighborhood. I want the QR code on the flyer to take them to my website that has a form for their email and/or phone number since I can market to each. They enter their info and I generate some code they can then bring to the wash to get a free wash. The problem I'm running into is having that code auto generate on my website that's not currently linked to any paystation. I've talked with several distributors locally and apparently what I'm asking for doesn't exist which is shocking.
Do you guys know any solution for this type of approach? Seems like this should be a simple fix but I was told that's an $80k pay station like what the big tunnels use. Which sounds silly to me when I can probably figure out a work around for free once I know more about the back end of hte paystation.
and to clarify, I don't want a generic code. It needs to be specific to that person that entered their info and only good for one wash so I don't have an ongoing free code that 100's of people can use until I clear it on the system. My CRM can handle all the forms and confirmations and will basically put the customer into a membership portal I'll create. So, I'll be able to have them confirm their email or a confirm a text message prior to getting the code. Simple stuff that ensures I get a legit number/email for the free wash.
OurTown
Well-known member
What pay station is at this wash?
Ah, yeah that makes sense if I can get a better understanding on the back end of the pay station we end up with
we use optspot -- customers can text a keyword to 30400 and it will enroll them into our text club for drip marketing, and also sends free washes upon enrollment, birthday, and anniversary of enrollment.
you can also send out text blasts for any special events or discount promos.
you can put at the entrance "your first wash is on us, text dandy to 30400" and put up banners around the area for more traction. if you can get them to wash at your site 2-3x you have much higher chance of retaining them as long time customers.
you can also send out text blasts for any special events or discount promos.
you can put at the entrance "your first wash is on us, text dandy to 30400" and put up banners around the area for more traction. if you can get them to wash at your site 2-3x you have much higher chance of retaining them as long time customers.
Maybe im just a little old school but personally the only thing more annoying then getting promo emails and texts is spam calls. If some business somehow gets ahold of my email/number which I hope they dont which is why I give fake ones but if they do then text me or email me It probably will remind me how annoying they are and I wouldn't go back. Marketing is good but to an extent. Maybe im a minority. Maybe not.
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@liftheavy - thanks for the heads up on that. Can you walk me through how they actually get the free wash? Does the text response generate a one time use code that works with your paystation? I just looked them up and for $2500/mo it's not something I can see using but I'd love to know how it's working for you. Most of the functions they provide I can create and have ben doing for a while now but I'm sure they have it dialed in. Seems like they're more geared toward tunnels? I definitely like the short code use because it captures their phone number. However, to @Blanco s point, do you give a heads up early in your drip campaign that you're going to send them a free wash on their anniversary or other dates so they don't just get the free wash and then text stop 5 minutes later?
@Blanco - I hate getting spammed. I really hate getting texts about insurance and car warranty etc. That said, if I go to a store and I'm the one that initiates, I'm clearly ok being contacted by them and it's on them to not make me reply stop or unsubscribe. If they actually add value to my life, or there's some benefit to being on their marketing blasts, then I stay signed on. My oter option has been to flyer the businesses and neighborhoods and multifamily. If they enter their email address or phone number, it's a double opt in type system where they have to confirm their info in order to get the free. So, I'd have their actual contact info (knowing some portion use a dummy email account like I do in these situations) and I'd be able to market to them to try to keep them coming back. I also think physically walking the neighborhood and businesses will allow me to meet a lot of the customers. I've already been doing it with the businesses and it certainly helps put a face to my wash. We'll see how it translates but it's only upside unless people don't like the way I look - very possible.
@Blanco - I hate getting spammed. I really hate getting texts about insurance and car warranty etc. That said, if I go to a store and I'm the one that initiates, I'm clearly ok being contacted by them and it's on them to not make me reply stop or unsubscribe. If they actually add value to my life, or there's some benefit to being on their marketing blasts, then I stay signed on. My oter option has been to flyer the businesses and neighborhoods and multifamily. If they enter their email address or phone number, it's a double opt in type system where they have to confirm their info in order to get the free. So, I'd have their actual contact info (knowing some portion use a dummy email account like I do in these situations) and I'd be able to market to them to try to keep them coming back. I also think physically walking the neighborhood and businesses will allow me to meet a lot of the customers. I've already been doing it with the businesses and it certainly helps put a face to my wash. We'll see how it translates but it's only upside unless people don't like the way I look - very possible.
their normal packaging is around 399-499. i think your referring to their freedom package, which is a package for operations involving 3+ sites.
you would generate bulk promotional discount code on your POS/paystation and send it to optspot. it is very hands off. customers will get sent to a link where they have 24 hours to redeemed the coupon after they click the link. can be gifted to other people as well, and you can also get a free wash for referring people.
another cool thing is it will ask the customers how they liked their wash after they redeem their coupon, and if they say it was a 5 star, it will link them to your google review page and ask them to leave a review.
you can also give them view access to your reports and their churn program will text people letting people know about their cc declining.
another cool feature is they can set you up a fundraiser page where people can buy your washes online and 50% of the proceeds will go directly to the organization of choice via stripe.
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Lmao thats great.
One thing I'll say is just make sure everything works. Make sure everything is right. Make sure it's always clean as much as possible. The best way to retain customers is by having a properly run car wash. Word of mouth goes a long way.
Yeah fortunately I'll have the time to be on site and do my other business work from this location. This may be a questions for another thread altogether but what do you guys think about putting a window in? I was considering cutting the block, installing some high security glass and keeping the window fairly small, but where I'll be sitting to do my other work I could look out and get some light...I'll have 16-20 cameras and I'm putting in a 40-50 tv as the monitor - so yes I'll be able to look up at that screen, but I also like the idea of a window...hate the idea of inviting more theft..
But to the point of the comment - I'll be on site daily, and on weekends I'll pop in randomly around kids games and activities.
Ahh, that's better pricing for sure. I do like the fundraiser deal. I went to their site and they have a handful of customer sites linked and so I went to all of them and like the setup.
I have a crm that will allow me to do all of this. I wonder if they're using the same thing and simply upcharge more for the hands off function. Because I like to control the whole process, I'll probably build out the same types of features on my site and I can blast to all socials through the site, get the feedback/review program setup..it's a great use of all the features so thanks again for bringing it to my attention.
I will say, if I get mine working properly, I can easily duplicate it and probably get your cost down significantly. But there's something to be said about them having it all setup and it's working for you.
