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In ancient Chinese philosophy, YIN and YANG represent
the constant push & pull in the universal balancing of life.
Through mindful periodic adjustment and adaptation, life's forces
must constantly be kept in balance. And so it is in the application
of FLEX-SERVE as an effective operating platform for high performance
carwashing & detailing… by way of its inherent versatility.
A Natural Process
Evolution has a way of purposely replacing outdated
or significantly inefficient methodologies. Anyone remember the
transition from service station attendants pumping gasoline, checking
oil, battery and transmission fluids, as well as washing windows…
all for the price of a gasoline sale? When self-serve pumping entered
the gasoline marketplace, many viewed it as merely a passing fancy
that would never… ever be embraced by the consumer. Pump your
own gas? In due course, evolution changed the entire way gasoline
was marketed.
Thus, evolution clearly is developmental growth
together with change through natural adaptation. Incrementally evolving
improvement. Likewise, FLEX-SERVE provides that needed enhancement
with an aggregation of best practices from full service and exterior
carwashing, traditional detailing, and leading edge production processing…
as well as discerning insights gained from consumer research scrutiny.
A New Classification
The time is right to adopt FLEX-SERVE as a new
category of professional carwashing and detailing, right along with
the traditional full service and exterior formats. In an effort
to avoid the lines of distinction being blurred by misinformation
or understanding, it is important to distinguish FLEX-SERVE from
other methods of carwash operation.
FLEX-SERVE is a "TOTAL-SERVICE" carwash
operating platform that provides a comprehensive set of 3 essential
components:
1. ULTRA-WASH - A significantly enhanced exterior carwash component
performed in a distinctively upgraded automatic carwash tunnel.
2. EXPRESS AFTER-CARE - separate component that provides adept cross-trained
hands-on staff performing rapid-delivery detailing services.
3. SELF-SERVE ACCOMMODATION - coin-op vacuums & impulse vending
in a 365/24/7 customer-friendly format.
FLEX-SERVE is NOT Off-Line Full Service
Off-line full service offers a well-intentioned
but, in truth, an imperfect fix to an already inefficient traditional
full service process. In which case, to confuse it with FLEX-SERVE
is to ignore significant operational and marketing improvements
created by the flexible new operating paradigm called FLEX-SERVE.
A Wash Is A Wash, Right?
Maybe, Maybe Not.
FLEX-SERVE markets its wash as an ULTRA-WASH to
distinguish it from others. Accordingly, FLEX-SERVE unconditionally
endorses thoroughly washing and drying the exterior of the vehicle,
conspicuously utilizing mounds of foamy soap lather throughout the
washing process. Furthermore, it anticipates removing the bugs,
crud and splats from the paint as well as cleaning the wheels and
tires.
It, without a doubt, means "NO-EXCUSES"
CLEAN. No touch-up cleaning required for wheels or whitewalls. And
dry… with No exit-end wiping required. A total commitment towards
establishing and maintaining the best process available, along with
continuous attention toward incremental improvement.
In achieving that, we also must recognize, and
absolutely commit to consistently making the cleaning and drying
performance of the process exceptionally good. In essence, the vehicle
MUST BE VERY, VERY CLEAN and essentially DRY. Not almost dry, or
mostly dry - It must be DRY… and free of water spots.
Successfully achieving a clean, dry vehicle may
very well mean making a critical evaluation of your current system.
Modifications will likely be needed, and finding the right mix of
equipment, chemicals, and positioning will require careful consideration
and professional assistance. Nevertheless, an absolute commitment
to upgrade must be exercised. The investment made will be quickly
recovered.
If new equipment is in order, you must be challenged
to find, research, and assemble all of the required washing &
drying elements, irrespective of the relative difficulty. There
is little room for compromise in this task because every oversight
will generate additional unwanted cost. Consequentially, you may
have to live with pain of your mistakes for a long time so avoid
cutting corners.
Adapt to avoid "Prepping"
When deciding on implementing a FLEX-SERVE ULTRA-WASH
layout and choosing equipment, a prudent commitment must be given
to provide the appropriate equipment that eliminates the need for
prep activity. We've all seen excessive pre-wash activities that
swell labor costs as well as create a perceived "need"
all the time in the customers' frame of reference. Rather than lock
yourself in to an ongoing open-ended process of additional labor
requirements, it is better to do everything possible to eliminate
the labor need. Once you start the prepping process, it is exceedingly
difficult to eliminate it without having customers feel compromised
and disgruntled. By giving hands-on treatment, you establish a precedent
that risks a struggling withdrawal. Avoid giving something that
you can't easily retract.
Instead, if you have a seasonal bug problem, anticipate
the problem and attempt to build in the solution when you are choosing
equipment and designing the layout. If heated water will complement
the process, build it into the system. If a pressurized series of
arches with special nozzle configurations are needed, the recovery
cost will pale in comparison to lost time, disappointed customers
and added labor costs. View your washing methodology as a manufacturing
process and purely commit to "building" a better product.
A Caution about "Exit-End
Wiping"
When deciding on the ULTRA-WASH layout and scrutinizing
equipment choices, extraordinary care should be given to provide
the appropriate air drying equipment and the inclusion of abundant
spot-free rinsing that eliminates the need for exit-end wiping as
well as reducing the risk of streaking water runs.
The hands-off technology currently exists to provide
a dry, spot-free vehicle in most vehicles. However, with the changing
body styles and increased popularity of small trucks and jumbo sport
utility vehicles, greater care should be given to the selection
and upgrading of the drying process, especially with the allocation
of more drip space as well as responsible conveyor-speed control.
Products and Pricing Intentionally Differ
No need to burden yourself with the guilt of association.
FLEX-SERVE allows full service operators to leave problematically
oppressive "old baggage" behind and achieve the empowerment
of a fresh new operating platform that customers prefer. Instead
of express detailing services done by carwash attendants, improve
the integrity of your image with rapid-delivery detailing services
performed in an enhanced production area by cross-trained detailing
staff. Quicker and more profitable!
What Is Detailing…
And How Is It Perceived?
Detailing is perceived as a more meticulous level
of cleaning and reconditioning for vehicles. Carwash services are
considered of lesser value when compared to detailing activities.
It would logically follow that off-line full service hands-on care
would be inferior when compared to the rapid-delivery detail services
offered in FLEX-SERVE.
"Adaptable Flexibility"
Traditional full-service carwash configurations
all follow some basic lot layouts. Some big… and some small.
When FLEX-SERVE was developed, it was precisely designed to be scalable
to fit all operations, big and small… and everything in-between.
So if you currently own a full-service facility, chances are the
upgrade to FLEX-SERVE will be relatively simple because the area
you currently use for exit-end wipe-down and window cleaning can
easily be retrofitted for EXPRESS AFTER-CARE. That upgrade will
enable you to provide every one of the EXPRESS AFTER-CARE services
presented in a FLEX-SERVE menu, which means you'll be able to furnish
over 95% of what a traditional detail shop offers.
All that is required for EXPRESS AFTER-CARE is
an area 20-feet by 25-feet with a drive-through configuration. And
you only need ONE production cell to effectively upgrade to a FLEX-SERVE
format. If you have double that space, then you can add another
production cell and be able to produce even greater profits. Because
the FLEX-SERVE platform is scalable, you can add more production
cells, either in tandem or laterally, and increase your performance
capabilities accordingly.
Precision Formulated Teamwork
It simply takes a team of just 2 people to staff
a FLEX-SERVE production cell. And although the typical production
flow utilizes a standard team of 2 people, the flexible design enables
double-teaming (2 teams of two) to be utilized as needed during
increased demand times. Consequently, each work cell is designed
for a maximum staff of four equally supplied and cross-trained workers.
Extremely efficient cellular processing utilizes the clustering
of cross-trained teams that work in an ergonomically enhanced work
bay called a "production cell". The cell is designed to
accommodate one, or when appropriate, two production teams.
For example, a Ford Excursion or GMC Suburban with
a very dirty interior must be processed within the "15-minutes
or less" Express guarantee. If there are 2 teams available,
both teams will process the jumbo vehicle well within the time promised…
while providing dazzling service that gets the vehicle out in almost
half the time. Customers take note of such things and become invaluable
word-of-mouth ambassadors! So, it's not simply what you do…
but also how you do it... that matters.
Each cell has a design footprint of 25-feet X 20-feet.
This basic footprint will adequately serve the largest passenger
vehicle on the road, the Ford Excursion, which measures 21.5-feet
in length with rear doors wide open, and 15-feet in width with doors
open. Free and clear access to all parts of the vehicle for unencumbered
task completion reduces time and worker fatigue.
Matching Performance With
Demand
It's important to keep in mind that the FLEX-SERVE
operating platform enables carwash operators to "throttle"
their EXPRESS AFTER-CARE volumes in direct correlation to their
performance capabilities, thus avoiding any backup delays.
Although new operators find an initial spike in
EXPRESS AFTER-CARE volume during the beginning weeks, most FLEX-SERVE
operations tend to hang around 20-30 percent of total wash volume
in hands-on AFTER-CARE services.
Moreover, the net profits for those EXPRESS AFTER-CARE
services far exceed even the best full-service operations simply
because FLEX-SERVE operations can price their services more effectively
and consistently maintain a far greater return on investment.
More Adaptability
FLEX-SERVE is adaptable in other ways as well.
Although most operators deem it best to provide EXPRESS AFTER-CARE
services all year round, some may not be able to in areas with harsh
winter weather unless they enclose the EXPRESS AFTER-CARE activities
inside the protection of a heated, well-lit area.
Although it makes sense to offer all of the services
all year, some operators simply choose to offer EXPRESS AFTER-CARE
services seasonally, with an interruption for their few harsh weather
months. If special circumstances keep some operations from initially
offering the complete FLEX-SERVE platform, adroit marketing will
enable the successful launch of an initial program with an anticipated
phase-in of the remaining services at a later date.
Very Competitive Pricing
By establishing 3 separate profit centers within
the FLEX-SERVE paradigm, each one becomes an independent operating
unit that permits closer scrutiny and more effective resource management.
FLEX-SERVE carwash pricing provides robust competition to even the
most low-priced in-bay automatics as well as becoming any rival
full-service operation's worst nightmare. And by pricing sharply,
the full-service disparity will become painfully evident to the
consumer who most likely will remain a full-time customer of the
total-service offered by FLEX-SERVE.
Full-Service Operators Frequently
"Steal From Peter… To Pay Paul"
It's no secret that full-service operations are
forced to cover their overhead by taking a significant portion of
their push-button "extra services" money to offset burdensome
labor costs unassociated with that actual revenue stream. Wouldn't
it be nice if those profits remained intact instead of being drained
to cover inefficiently deployed staff? FLEX-SERVE achieves that
by segregating the operating units and providing better control
over waste.
TOTAL-SERVICE Is Superior
To Exterior-Only Operations
Moreover, FLEX-SERVE also offers a more sensible
business dynamic than mere exterior-only washing operations because
it enables a carwash to fulfill the entire needs of their carwash
customers, instead of asking them to go elsewhere for supplemental
services.
Indeed, FLEX-SERVE provides the most effective
customer retention platform of any carwash or detailing service
because it ostensibly "takes the customer off the market"
by eliminating the need to visit others. That's why Flex-Serve operations
are referred to as "TOTAL-SERVICE" carwash operations.
There's simply no need for customers to go anywhere else.
Unmistakable Advantages
Inspire Upgrading To FLEX-SERVE
At last there is a way to effectively operate a
carwash together with providing labor-intensive services in a very
profitable way… without continuing the absurdity of letting
"the tail wag the dog." Instead of trying to make an out-dated
full-service concept work by merely moving it off-line, investigate
the significant benefits of moving up to the next level of washing
in the 21st Century: FLEX-SERVE. It really does fit just about everywhere.
What Are You Waiting For?
If you are currently operating a full-service facility,
you can absolutely retrofit your operation to an effective FLEX-SERVE
because the operating platform is infinitely scalable. If you presently
clean windows and perform a final wipe-down after the conveyor,
you absolutely have room for an EXPRESS AFTER-CARE production cell,
and the FLEX-SERVE production cell improves overall performance
by over 200%!
Looking for robust NET profits? Incomparable consumer
acceptance? Greater versatility? More powerful customer retention?
FLEX-SERVE provides the quintessential Yin & Yang "balance"
to savvy carwash operators who recognize the absolute need for a
sensible alternative to full service washing… as well as a
potent new dynamic for exterior-only operations. Your time has come
for TOTAL-SERVICE CARWASHING!
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