We have all heard the saying, Liars figure and figures lie? Well today we shall look into the reality of the Survey of Automatic Car Washes. Did the industry in fact tell the truth? In the study of all those responding only 13% said they had no competition, which is probably a matter of mindset for if it were true it certainly will not be within a year or two. As the number of car washes in the United States is over 30,000. One could say that this is not a lie but rather wishful thinking. For instance one operator we talked to in Macon, GA who owned a full service carwash said he had no competition, but their were 2 self serve washes, 3 roll-over gas station carwashes and two hand wash detail shops all within less than two-miles. When we pointed this out to him, he said, well they are not competition, we have a steady clientele. Indeed he did, yet he could have much more if they were not down the block. I bring up this point for two reasons; first, truth is relative and second, many operators of smaller type coin-op car washes, roll over carwashes or hand car washes do not subscribe to the trade journals, attend trade shows or go online to participate in such surveys. One could say this means that the entire survey is without merit and that it is all a wash.
Well 43% said they have partial uniforms, which is an increase from previous years and an up-tick in the professionalism needed to be combined with ethics of the workforce.
http://www.carwashguys.com/0809023.shtml
However we see that still 20% of the car washes only pay minimum wage. Sixty-one percent pay 6-8 dollars per hour. Twenty percent pay over $8 per hour. The best days for car washes are Saturday, followed by Fri. followed by Sunday. 24% of full service car washes have lube bays for an add-on. In the 2001, 2002, 2003 surveys similar findings occurred. The most popular additional items sold were greeting cards for 53%, Coffee Bars for 27%, ATMs 22.5%, Pay phones 25%. Prices seem to be on an upward trend. Basic Washes: $9-12 was the average charged by 29% of the car washes. $12-15 by 36% of the car washes and generally in the middle end neighborhoods. $15-20 for middle income areas and upper middle and that was 23% of the people. We believe fixed site car washes have other issues:
http://www.carwashguys.com/0731022.shtml
Another issue, which plagues the car wash industry, is the level of crime. If you use the Beta google key word search for news and type in carwash not more than one day will pass where a crime has not occurred; not just petty crimes; kidnap, murder, rape, shootings, drug sales, etc and much of the lower level crime barely makes the local police blotter. Some big car wash vendor sales items for the car wash industry has been that of security cameras, anti-theft vending machines, etc. and we feel car washes have too much crime too, yet we rarely see this in the Industry Surveys;
http://www.parthe.net/cwg900/00000184.htm .
Most of the latest car wash industry surveys seem all right on first glance, but still we are in need of vast improvements in the industry. The biggest Car Wash Season in cold weather states tends to be in winter. In AZ, NM, FL in winter due to snow birds in sunny southern California it is in Spring and summer for the best months, there is a place and a season for every area and it is essential that you keep the customers happy when the lines are long so they come back when the lines are short, but if they do not want to come to you, perhaps you should go to them? This is the mantra of the emerging mobile car washing and auto-detailing sector as they attempt to get a piece of the industry pie. Of course most of the car wash owners and even the car wash industry surveys do not feel that the growing mobile car wash sector is actually competition? How do you feel about industry surveys and car washes? Think on it.
Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
