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The automobile’s
multi-billion dollar sphere of marketing influence often revolves
around a supply stream of consumables such as gasoline, tires and
other stuff that wears out or is used up. Thanks to Mother Nature,
another such consumable is based on the continuum of cars continuously
getting dirty and requiring a cleanup.
The shrewd execs back
in the oil company boardrooms are grinning at the prospects of the
latest self-serve conveyorized exteriors. Once again they anticipate
gaining a significant competitive edge from the very people who
will become their rivals. And once again, savvy manufacturers seeking
to expand the market for their own wares will supply their edge.
The cautionary axiom
to “those who ignore the lessons of history” is that they
may be doomed to repeat the costly mistakes of the past. In this
case, the overwhelming marketing force of price and convenience
may forever change the face of owner-operator carwashing, relegating
the independent exterior-only carwash operations to a considerable,
very costly disadvantage.
Free
With A Fill-Up!
The first time the carwash industry felt the powerful influence
of major oil company participation was in the late Sixties and throughout
the Seventies, when carwashing was used as a premium incentive for
gasoline sales. Prior to that, gasoline was partnered with carwashing
merely as a convenience that added to the traditional carwash revenue
stream.
The equation changed
when carwash equipment manufacturers sought out the huge oil company
market by offering volume carwashing with only a trace of labor.
Prior to the introduction of stay-in-your-car exterior-only carwashing,
gasoline vendors were intimidated by the traditional labor-intensive
format of carwashing. Exterior-only washing changed that perception
and paved the way for the era of a “FREE carwash with a fill-up”.
Carwash
Industry Also Learned Something
A lesson learned with the advent of exterior-only carwashing was
that consumers liked the choice of only washing the outside of their
vehicles. Prior to that, customers at automatic carwashes had two
choices: “all… or nothing at all”! Which meant supplementing
full-service washing by other means. Exteriors offered an intelligent
alternative to many.
Just
As Before, Technology Eliminates Labor
Automated teller machines and gated entry systems now provide a
means of replacing even more labor from the traditional exterior-only
format, creating a conveyorized self-serve format. Capable of achieving
high volume processing, the attendant-less exterior washing format
will again embolden the oil company re-entry into the marketplace
with a robust format based on absolute convenience.
Big
Box Retailers Have Similar Agenda
The only difference this time is that big box retailers such as
Wal-Mart, Sam’s, Target Costco and the new juggernaut of Sears
/ K-Mart may have also learned a few things by reflecting on the
past, and seeing the benefits of a collateral profit center that
generates traffic and becomes one more reason for customers to come
and shop. And like the major oil companies, they already enjoy valuable
real estate locations that are conspicuous and easy to use.
Never
Underestimate The Strategic Power Of The Penny!
Once more, with the rise in the cost of gasoline at the pump, consumers
are placing enormous emphasis on pricing differences based on pennies
per gallon. Disproportionate as it might be, the awesome impact
of a few cents can actually shift a marketplace dynamic and drive
consumers from one location to another for a handful of pennies.
The gasoline companies know this all too well, being masters in
the art of selling motor fuels. They control the supply stream of
gasoline and also dominate its retail marketing to the consumer.
Safeguard
Your Operation By Doing Things Better
Exterior-only carwashing now has a serious Achilles heel: the potentially
overwhelming competitive disadvantage against gasoline company and
big-box marketing.
If you’re an independent
carwash operator seeking emancipation from labor while enjoying
the volume benefits offered by conveyorized carwashing, heed this
prudent advice: The adaptability provided by Flex-Serve is probably
your most sensible alternative.
The Flex-Serve paradigm
was designed to be resilient to competition that fails to serve
the entire needs of consumers seeking automotive appearance care.
Flex-Serve provides the consumer convenience of an umbrella of comprehensive
choices of as-needed services ranging from a quick, competitively
priced stay-in-your-car wash and dry to a myriad of extra services
ranging from a full array of push-button tunnel premiums to rapid-delivery
detailing, all taking a minimum of time.
Flex-Serve operators
can essentially take their customers off-the-market by providing
all those services and avoid the burdensome labor by using a handful
of cross-trained staff focused on performance in a specially designed
production environment.
The results provide
maximized net profits, more powerful customer retention, a flexible
operating footprint with enhanced staff performance without the
typical headaches associated with carwash labor.
Take advantage by anticipating
potential competition and adopting a flexible plan that remains
continuously adaptable to all the appearance care needs of your
customers. Upgrading to Flex-Serve will make all the difference
in being strategically pro-active… rather than just competitively
reactive. The choice is yours.
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