If you have invested in a car wash, you want to get the most out of your venture. However, there are a few things that are common in the industry that could potentially reduce revenue. We’re going to look at a couple of things you can do as a car wash owner to improve your bottom line.
#1 Raise Your Prices
Every year, business owners raise their prices. If the person who cuts your hair charged you $18 in 2016, you’re probably paying $20 in 2017. Your grocery bill, heating and air expenses, and marketing costs have probably all increased as well. People understand that costs go up, so if you haven’t raised the price of a car wash in a decade, people may be wondering why not.
It can actually be a good thing to raise your prices. It tells potential clients that you are offering a superior service that deserves the proper amount of compensation. No one wants to go to the car wash in town that charges $6 because they expect a $6 wash. The $10 wash is the one that must be getting cars cleaner, faster.
Rather than losing customers, as many fear raising prices will do, you may be bringing in more who want to see why you think your wash is worth paying the extra few bucks. All you have to do then is prove that it is.
#2 Treat Employees Right
By paying a competitive wage and even offering benefits to full-time employees, you actually set yourself up to save money in the long-run. An ever-changing staff is bad for business. Customers start to wonder why you can’t hang onto your employees. Plus, when the person at the desk is always new and just learning the system, everything slows down, customer service suffers, and customers with questions are disappointed that no one ever has answers.
On the other hand, when well-trained staff members stick around year after year, it builds confidence in your business. Regulars start to get called by name (something every customer loves), and new customers can get confident answers to just about any question about your business.
Combating Industry Expectations
Other car washes in town may be content to charge the same price they did in 2007 and go through employees every few months, but if you want to boost your revenue and make your car wash business stand out, these are two areas to focus on.