Clint Perez, senior director of marketing at LivingSocial, spoke with us about how his company can offer carwashes and detailing shops the opportunity to increase customer traffic and retention.
PC&D: Are you finding that carwashes are using LivingSocial?
CP: Yes! Our goal is to partner with talented merchants across the country and provide our customers with valuable offers for carwashing and detailing services. It’s pretty great being able to work with such quality businesses and help them grow, promote their services, and find new customers.
What kind of help can you offer up carwash owners?
Like any small or mid-sized business, carwashes often face a challenge when it comes to marketing. Some of our carwash merchants are family run or just don’t have the resources to dedicate to a full-time marketing staff. That’s where LivingSocial comes in.
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We act as a virtual “CMO,” giving merchants direct access to millions of potential customers and helping turn the potential customers into life-long regulars with no upfront costs. Additionally, unlike traditional advertising, we can provide real, measurable results.
We are constantly improving the way we work with our carwash merchants as well. For example, we are now able to offer multiuse vouchers, where a customer would purchase a deal for three visits to your carwash over a six-month period, greatly increasing the potential to convert them to a regular.
What is the best way to use LivingSocial as a business owner?
We have worked with thousands of merchants, both big and small, across the country. Because we know what our merchants can expect when running a deal with us, we offer them the following advice:
Be Prepared – When running a deal you can expect to see an increase in traffic coming through your carwash. This may require hiring additional staff to service the customers or to answer the phones.
Training – Make sure that any employees that will engage with voucher-bearing customers are able to answer any questions related to your deal. You can probably expect questions about the specific services that are covered in the deal, as well as clarification of fine print.
Customer Service – Treat voucher-bearing customers like full-paying customers. A good impression helps drive repeat business.
Promote – Be sure to inform customers about repeat service programs or discounts for additional service in the future.
