When the pollen comes down and the bugs begin to splat the windows, these extra services really sell themselves, but different wash formats can market bug removal in different ways, with some offering it as a complimentary service and others as ancillary.
Stinger Chemical Vice President of Sales and Business Development Christopher Barboza says most full-serves add “bug prep on every package,” though some do charge extra for the service, especially for vehicles with baked-on bugs, and most exterior express models offer bug removal as an upgrade.
“Some exterior expresses will have an attendant that will utilize bug removers through a low-pressure spray gun on every vehicle. The same goes for automatics, especially touch-free units; they will have an additional front-end bug pass, usually the same alkaline presoak pass in a higher cost package,” Barboza adds. “Full-serves will [offer] à la carte bug removal as a detail service, and price depends on severity.”
Whether to charge for the bug removal service is really up to each wash and what is best for the market it is in, especially in high-demand areas.
“In all formats, signage is very helpful to point out that bug removal services are available. Also highlighting the bug removal options on automated pay stations is very important as an option to increase revenues,” Kipp Kofsky, president of Arcadian Services LLC, points out.
Barboza agrees. He says, “Washes can use POS material such as handouts, driveway [signs] or banners to get their [messages] across, especially if it is in an upgraded wash.”
Washes also need to be sure to train employees on the process and how to upsell the service to customers, going beyond simply telling clients it is an option by explaining the importance of removing bugs and the harmful effects of not doing so.
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