BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — In Professional Carwashing & Detailing’s August feature, “Going beyond the point of sale,” Assistant Editor Maria Woodie discusses how, with the right features, POS systems can help car care businesses thrive.
Below is an inside look at a section of this August feature, which discusses the marketing potential of a POS system.
“Years ago POS really had more of an administrative function, but now there is the administrative piece as well as the marketing piece that has really become strong throughout the years,” states Kevin McLoughlin, vice president of client services for Washify.
POS system mainly report and show past transactions, shares Adam Korngold, president of Washify. However, a good POS should also get a customer to wash more often, he adds, which is done by implementing promotional programs such as an unlimited/loyalty programs and online marketing. He explains that a loyalty program would keep customers information on file while also providing them with some type of reward system, such as points or a certain number of washes receives a free wash, rain guarantees and/or special, limited discounts. This in turn keeps the current customer base purchasing services more often while also generating additional business.
“For an unlimited membership you get your customer to lock in, and the POS is going to save the credit card and bill that customer every month [by] a certain amount; and by doing that, now the carwash owner has a guaranteed revenue stream coming in,” says Korngold, adding that taking advantage of the various tools POS can provide, such as wash books, gift cards and additional specials, are also great ways to get customers to purchase more often.
“POS should really be a marketing system, more than a point-of-sale,” notes Korngold. It doesn’t just end at the point-of-sale, it continues integrating the POS with the website, with online wash books, detail scheduling — all things that allow the customer to pay for your product at the carwash off-site, either through a phone app or a website.”
You can find the entire feature on POS system capabilities here.
