As long as people love driving around in cars, there will always be a demand for car wash operations. Whether you’re running one of those coin-operated car washes or your shop is being run by attendees, your services will always be sought after, particularly during the spring and summer months.
In fact, this demand is the reason competition can be fierce among businesses, which is why you’ll want to make sure that customers keep coming back to you. Whether through innovative cleaning solutions, better marketing strategies, or added perks aside from getting a good wash, you will need to stand out to keep ahead of other businesses.
In this article, we will share five ideas to ensure that your car wash business is always packed with cars waiting to be cleaned:
1. Do a good job at cleaning
Similar to any other business, you need to have a good product or service to succeed. No amount of marketing or added perks will cover up a mediocre wash job. It may seem like a no-brainer, but you need to make sure that the quality of your work is always excellent, if not better than your competition. Remember to keep your car wash equipment in working order, and be on the lookout for ways to improve your service.
2. Extend your opening hours
As a business, you need to fit in with your clients’ schedules. Many car owners like to have their cars cleaned after work hours because that’s the only time they have during the week. It’s also a good way to start the next day fresh with a clean car.
To ensure that you are catering to your clients, it is good to start your operations later in the morning so that you can extend your opening hours well into the evening during the workdays, but start earlier in the morning during the weekends. This is because weekends are usually when many car owners will have free time to sit and wait for their cars to be cleaned.
3. Improve your space
Aside from keeping your location clean, you should also improve your shop by reserving a comfortable space dedicated to car owners who wait for their cars. You can include magazines, free Wi-Fi access, or even serve light refreshments. Some owners will even add adjacent businesses, such as laundry and barbershops, so that their customers can run their chores as they wait.
4. Claim your business on Google
Claiming your business on Google is one of the best and easiest ways to drive new customers to your location. Your business may already be on the map, but you can add photos and set up a way for satisfied customers to give you reviews by claiming it as your own. This gives a signal to Google that your business is active and will give your location more chances of appearing in “near me” searches, which grew by more than 900% in 2017.
5. Encourage customers to give you a good review
Now that you have a space for customers to give you reviews, you need to actively encourage them to give you feedback. You can accomplish this through a simple reminder to visit your page and help keep your business afloat by letting others know about their experience.
If resources permit, you can even introduce a reward system by giving away merchandise for a review. In doing so, you’re not only boosting your online reputation but also forging customer loyalty through branded items.
Conclusion
Nothing beats good service, but there’s no harm in using proven marketing strategies to boost your reach. In a competitive business landscape, such as the car wash industry, having a few tricks up your sleeve can significantly boost your bottom line for a small added cost.
We are car wash builders in Calgary looking to help you build the car wash business of your dreams. If you are also looking for car wash equipment for your business, get in touch with us today to see how we can help!
