Wash Select II with Sierra Server programming

[lighthousecarwash]

Hey everyone,
I'm having some difficulty stomaching some of the information I received from Unitec about programming my WSII's. I recently purchased a new wash and there were 2 existing WSII's installed with Cryptopay conversions. I removed the cryptopay and installed the dual sided readers and purchased the Sierra site server that was going to solve all of my woes with running specials and marketing my autos. Here are a few of the problems and solutions that Unitec has given me.

1. I want to run a $2 off special every Tuesday from 3-6 on my Autos. I can program this into the server as a "special". It allows me to program it, set the time, dates, discounts, etc. But, last Tuesday, it did not automatically switch the prices to the discounted price like I had thought it would. I called Unitec, they say that with the WSII's that you have to program that every Tuesday manually and download the devices. The Sierra cannot schedule that change in prices automatically. I find this hard to believe because you can click a button that enables the Sierra to reboot every night at a scheduled time. Why can't they download the devices every night as well? Is what Unitec is telling me correct or is there a way around this?


2. I just opened and want to give all of the business' within a couple of blocks a 50% discount on washes for one month. I am able to configure this as a "discount", and assign all 4 washes, and a separate discount for each. Example ($12 wash got a $6 discount, $6 wash got a $3 discount). The server allows for this programming, but when I try the washes with the code, it only gives me the discount that is assigned to my lowest wash. Unitec says that you can only have a single discounted price for all 4 washes, not individual discounts for individual washes. Is this so?


3. I have CoinCo bill acceptors and programmed a 3 flag coupon for the top wash of $12. When I use the coupon, it only allows me to purchase the top wash. I want to give a free wash that they can use for any wash. I did a little playing around and found that if you assign it to the lowest wash and give it the price of your highest wash, that it gives a $12 credit and you can select any wash, so hopefully, this will take care of this issue.

4. Email setup does not make sense to me at all. I signed up for a gmail account and went through a document to get it all working with the Sierra server. I do see test emails now, but how do I tell the server what I want to get emailed? I have looked everywhere and can't find anything designating which things will be emailed and when. Should I get daily revenue reports and wash counts? Also, with the Fleet accounts, I can enter an email address for my customer's. It has a button to view invoices and to "send". Can I send this invoice directly to my Fleet customer, because right now, it gives me an SMTP error and does not send it. Can anyone help?


As anyone with Unitec's know, this stuff is outrageously priced and I'm certainly not happy with what I spent if I can't do a few simple things like I've addressed above. When looking at the Sierra Server documentation, it doesn't tell you anywhere that this will only apply to Sentinels, and not WSII's. Unitec was very unapologetic about the whole thing and basically said don't get upset with me, I wasn't the one that sold it to you!



Thanks,
Lighthouse

 

[jenward]

Good morning,
I've sent you a private message to address this post. Our Tech Support Supervisor will be contacting you to verify your system settings.
Thank you,
Jen Ward
Unitec

 

[BBE]

Good info to know. I talked to Unitec a few times about a year ago about adding a site server. At the time they were testing some brand new hardware thing for linking multiple locations that I never bothered to follow up on. I remember my main reasoning behind it was so that I could set the prices to change at certain days/times automatically. So it's good to know the limitations on that feature. Also another deal killer was that you can't integrate it into multiple locations. For instance if I created a free wash coupon code to use for a facebook giveaway, it can only be generated and used at one location, it can't be used at all locations, as the site server cannot link together and network multiple locations. Multiple wash select II's, yes, but only if they are on the same property.

Maybe there is something new that is offered now that addresses some of these issues, but it didn't seem like it was worth the 5k advertised price at the time.

 

[lighthousecarwash]

Yeah, I wander about the multiple location feature myself. The documentation seems to indicate that it can be done now, but I'm pretty skeptical about it now without getting a solid confirmation from someone who is using it.

Lighthouse

 

[BBE]

Lighthouse,

Do you know if when generating one time use codes with the site server it still has the quirk where the number has to end in a zero?

On just the ws2 you wouldn't be able to make a free wash code for someone be 3945. It would have to be 39450 because it has to end in a zero. This makes it impossible to have the codes go in a sequenced order and be able to tell where you left off.

 

[lighthousecarwash]

As far as I know, you still have to have the 0. I tried setting some up while my wash was closed for renovations and was just playing with it, but could never get them to work. After the new auto was in, we set some up with the 0 and they worked. Not sure if I was doing something else wrong before or not, but all I have programmed now end in 0. And yes, I think that sucks as well!

Lighthouse

 

[WikiWash]

Good info to know. I talked to Unitec a few times about a year ago about adding a site server. At the time they were testing some brand new hardware thing for linking multiple locations that I never bothered to follow up on. I remember my main reasoning behind it was so that I could set the prices to change at certain days/times automatically. So it's good to know the limitations on that feature. Also another deal killer was that you can't integrate it into multiple locations. For instance if I created a free wash coupon code to use for a facebook giveaway, it can only be generated and used at one location, it can't be used at all locations, as the site server cannot link together and network multiple locations. Multiple wash select II's, yes, but only if they are on the same property.

Maybe there is something new that is offered now that addresses some of these issues, but it didn't seem like it was worth the 5k advertised price at the time.

You will probably have to have a site server at each location. You will just have to remotely manage them separately on your computer but stinks you would have to buy another one to do this. Maybe they have something new now I don't know.

 

[WikiWash]

Lighthouse,

Do you know if when generating one time use codes with the site server it still has the quirk where the number has to end in a zero?

On just the ws2 you wouldn't be able to make a free wash code for someone be 3945. It would have to be 39450 because it has to end in a zero. This makes it impossible to have the codes go in a sequenced order and be able to tell where you left off.

Whenever some one has an issue with my wash I use the last seven of their phone number as a code for their refund many of them do not end with zero and this is programmed thru my site server. Before the server you had to have zero at the end.

 

[WikiWash]

Hey everyone,
I'm having some difficulty stomaching some of the information I received from Unitec about programming my WSII's. I recently purchased a new wash and there were 2 existing WSII's installed with Cryptopay conversions. I removed the cryptopay and installed the dual sided readers and purchased the Sierra site server that was going to solve all of my woes with running specials and marketing my autos. Here are a few of the problems and solutions that Unitec has given me.

1. I want to run a $2 off special every Tuesday from 3-6 on my Autos. I can program this into the server as a "special". It allows me to program it, set the time, dates, discounts, etc. But, last Tuesday, it did not automatically switch the prices to the discounted price like I had thought it would. I called Unitec, they say that with the WSII's that you have to program that every Tuesday manually and download the devices. The Sierra cannot schedule that change in prices automatically. I find this hard to believe because you can click a button that enables the Sierra to reboot every night at a scheduled time. Why can't they download the devices every night as well? Is what Unitec is telling me correct or is there a way around this?


2. I just opened and want to give all of the business' within a couple of blocks a 50% discount on washes for one month. I am able to configure this as a "discount", and assign all 4 washes, and a separate discount for each. Example ($12 wash got a $6 discount, $6 wash got a $3 discount). The server allows for this programming, but when I try the washes with the code, it only gives me the discount that is assigned to my lowest wash. Unitec says that you can only have a single discounted price for all 4 washes, not individual discounts for individual washes. Is this so?


3. I have CoinCo bill acceptors and programmed a 3 flag coupon for the top wash of $12. When I use the coupon, it only allows me to purchase the top wash. I want to give a free wash that they can use for any wash. I did a little playing around and found that if you assign it to the lowest wash and give it the price of your highest wash, that it gives a $12 credit and you can select any wash, so hopefully, this will take care of this issue.

4. Email setup does not make sense to me at all. I signed up for a gmail account and went through a document to get it all working with the Sierra server. I do see test emails now, but how do I tell the server what I want to get emailed? I have looked everywhere and can't find anything designating which things will be emailed and when. Should I get daily revenue reports and wash counts? Also, with the Fleet accounts, I can enter an email address for my customer's. It has a button to view invoices and to "send". Can I send this invoice directly to my Fleet customer, because right now, it gives me an SMTP error and does not send it. Can anyone help?


As anyone with Unitec's know, this stuff is outrageously priced and I'm certainly not happy with what I spent if I can't do a few simple things like I've addressed above. When looking at the Sierra Server documentation, it doesn't tell you anywhere that this will only apply to Sentinels, and not WSII's. Unitec was very unapologetic about the whole thing and basically said don't get upset with me, I wasn't the one that sold it to you!



Thanks,
Lighthouse

They are a horrible company to work with and their tech support is going down hill too. They don't even fully understand how their systems work. I have had similar negative experiences and they don't car because its not their problem. They said to contact a distributor. Well my distributor no less about them then I do. They call me when they have problems lol! Unreal. I feel your pain.