One of the latest trends in the car wash industry is providing vacuums free of charge. Is this an effective method to improve business at your express car wash? Here are a few tips to help you capitalize on this marketing strategy.
Make Sure People Know About Your Free Vacuums
They don’t help your business if no one knows that they are there. Remember: free vacuums are a customer acquisition tactic. For it to work, people who don’t already use your car wash need to know that they are free. Sure, they are also a perk for your existing customers, but where the free vacuum model really shines is when it draws in a passing driver who then becomes a loyal customer. In order for that to happen, you need to have visible signage advertising your free vacuums to everyone who passes.
They Have to Work to Be an Asset
You want your customers to associate your free vacuum service with an added perk rather than a cheap item that doesn’t work. The vacuums need to be high-quality, and you have to maintain them so that they remain functional. If someone stops in to use your free vacuums and they hate the experience, they are probably not going to return to pay for a car wash. Remember: this is an investment to help you get new customers. Think of it as part of your marketing costs.
Customers Have to Have Easy Access
If you only have one or two vacuum bays and there is always a line, no one is going to pull off the road to give them a try. Plus, you don’t want to have a conveyor wash that can take care of dozens of cars per hour only to have the parking lot fill up with people waiting for the vacuums. Remember: they are free, so even if there is an auto-shutoff, a person may just start them up again. There have to be enough bays, so customers are not waiting, even during your busy times.
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