When it comes to selecting a glass cleaning product, keeping the customer in mind is key, says Shawn Rowan, vice president of sales for Ardex Laboratories Inc., adding, “You want to make sure the products are user friendly.” In order to ensure customer satisfaction, glass cleaner manufacturers are making their products as safe as possible.
“One of the most important trends [is] just making products that are safe and do not have any harsh chemicals or odors,” states Juliette Silver, CEO of Panaram International Trading Co. Inc. “I feel the trend is definitely going to be products [with] very little odor and very little harsh, strong chemicals added to them.”
When selecting a product, carwash owners and operators should consider what their customers complain about most when getting their glass and cars cleaned. Rowan notes that one of the biggest complaints he hears in regards to glass cleaning is nicotine on the inside of a car and bugs on the outside of a car.
“You should always use a product that is very active at removing nicotine and things of that nature from the glass,” Rowan explains. “That is mostly the biggest complaint that I hear in the industry, that [carwashes] are trying to remove the nicotine that is stuck from people smoking in the vehicles and things of that nature. On the outside, the biggest complaint is removing bugs from the windshield.”
Glass cleaning products typically are ammonia-based or contain no ammonia. Those with this chemical compound are said to dry quicker than those that do not contain ammonia. However, many customers have complained of a pungent odor when certain ammonia-based products are used. To help fight the stench, manufacturers are starting to consider unpleasing smells when crafting new cleaning formulas. In fact, continues Rowan, many professional products, particularly those used in tunnel applications, incorporate sweet-scented fragrances.
Furthermore, in addition to transforming a stinky smell to an aromatic scent, carwash owners and operators can generate happier customers by selling their glass cleaning products, suggests Silver. “We feel that if customers love the way their glass looks, which is one of the biggest problems that carwashes have, when they come out of the carwash they would be interested in buying the product.” This is a great way to add a little extra revenue by selling the product straight to the customers, in addition to offering them high-quality glass cleaning services.
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