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.