Still no credit cards?

[mac]

I continue to see brand new installations at gas stations where they don't have credit card acceptance for the automatic. Maybe I'm missing something in the grand scheme of marketing. I put in an automatic in a station that didn't take cards and retrofitted it into the coin box. Sales went up 25%. In a way this may be a good thing as it differentiates owner operators here from the oil companies. You would just think that with their marketing savvy, they would have caught on to this.

 

[MEP001]

Maybe they don't care about credit card purchases at the machine - there's a convenience store with a Laser next to our wash, and I very frequently see people in there buying a snack and paying for a wash at the register and paying by credit card. Maybe what they gain in sales at the auto cashier they lose in other purchases in the store.

 

[rph9168]

We have several c-store customers that feel that they would rather have customers come into the store to purchase a wash hoping they will buy something else when in the store. Ever since pay at the pump became so popular it seems that c-store operators think anything that gets people into the store is good. I am not so sure they are right because I have seen people drive off and not get a wash because they had to go inside the store. Personally I think the convenience of being able to buy a wash without going into the store outweighs not having credit card acceptance at the wash.

 

[MEP001]

Personally I think the convenience of being able to buy a wash without going into the store outweighs not having credit card acceptance at the wash.

This may be why our auto does so well with the C-store's Laser less than 100 yards away and on the same concrete. I'll have to check and see if they take CC at the cashier, but I'll bet they don't.

 

[mac]

The issue is especially prevelant with PDQ machines. Really mystifyies me. I guess we shouldn't let them in on this though.

 

[Dean Taylor]

There is a method to their madness. They want you to come into the store. Along the way you will buy your milk, beer, lunch etc, etc....

Most times you can opt to purchase the wash with your gas at the pump too. Either way, it gets the client in the routine of buying gas or supplies in the store to get the wash.

I end up buying gas and supplies where I get my wash, but not at my local Laser wash, their reclaim water stinks really bad.


Either way, you have purchased something else to get the wash.

 

[rph9168]

I know that they want customers to come into the store in hopes they will buy something else but I am not sure that works as well in practice as it does in theory. I think they also lose car wash business because people do not want to get out of their vehicle to get a wash. If they are busy in the store and a customer has to wait in line or deal with a clerk that either speaks little English or doesn't give a d*mn about selling a wash they are also losing future business. Having a car wash at a c-store is about adding a convenience. Forcing a customer to go inside or to buy gas to get a wash defeats that purpose.

 

[John Racine]

I'm a BP Branded Jobber and have 6 Gas / convenience stores with with car washes. We are also a distribute and sell car washes and chemicals. None of my locations have Credit Cards at the Wash Select. For years my theory has been that a customer that wants a wash will buy it at the pump or come inside to purchase it. At this point i'm not so sure, I believe that consumers are looking for what is convenient. If they cannot purchase a wash from our location at the entrance to the wash they will go somewhere were they can. But for Gas / convenience operators today the money is no longer in fuel it is in convenience items and the car washes.

 

[newhampshiretech]

credit cards

up in my area I cant think of a customer I serviced that didn't have cc at the kiosk. all the corporate mobils we had contract with as well as CN Brown (big oil co outta maine). all had cc readers at the kiosk whether it be unitec, hamilton,acw access . I honestly don't recall a single customer who didn't have cc.

well actually for a while we had a Sunoco first laser installed by my company in like 1992 it had a pdq audit touch code only no cash no coin no credit. but we upgraded them to an access and an M5.

 

[dclark3344]

In my opinion most people put gas in their cars more often than they wash them. The C-stores business is to sell food, fuel and convience items if the customer pays at the pump they are asked to buy a carwash or the cash register they are likely to buy other impulse items. This is more of a convience item for them with one transaction fee, not their main revenue generator.