As a carwash operator you are constantly looking at your wash and what you need to fix or replace to give your customers a clean car and an overall good experience. If you have an older wash a fresh coat of paint, doing preventative maintenance on your equipment and keeping your location well lit for a feeling of safety at night are good measures for a successful wash. If your location is already at this point you are ready to take your business to another level. Let’s look at what else you can do to make the people that try your wash become a customer for life.

Most operators use a variety of programs for the different needs of their customers. In this article, I will explore what makes the most successful fleet invoice, monthly unlimited, and prepaid wash loyalty programs. Other programs like birthday washes and fundraising programs are used by many washes and I do not want to downplay their effectiveness, but for now, let’s focus on these following programs that have consistently made more money for carwash owners and operators.

Fleet Invoices

This program, in my opinion, has the most dramatic impact on increasing your overall income. Start by looking at all the service vehicles in your city and surrounding area. Are there government vehicles, auto dealers, taxi companies, trucking companies that already wash at your location? Carwash operators seeking to bring consistency to their cash flow should consider approaching local businesses and making arrangements to wash their company vehicles. These types of accounts are one of the most reliable sources of income for a wash.

Businesses can have multiple vehicles per account — three, five, 10, 20 or more.

Most companies with fleet vehicles have strict policies on keeping their vehicles clean both inside and out. This makes for consistent monthly income that can actually increase with rainy conditions.

The average commercial vehicle is washed nearly three times per month and it will be more efficient to sell carwash services to a single business owner that represents multiple vehicles.

Many operators disregard commercial fleet accounts and unlimited wash programs because managing accounts can become overwhelming and involve a lot of work — that is if they don’t have the right tools. The good news is that with the proper tools and armed with the right information, managing commercial businesses in your community is far easier than you might think.

To read the rest of this article, look for the Autumn 2014 issue of Professional Carwashing & Detailing: Australia, which can be found here, this June.

Craig Kjorlien is a sales representative at WashCard Systems Inc. WashCard Systems is a customer loyalty and credit card specialist for car washes and coin laundromats. Learn more at www.washcard.com or contact Terry O’keeffe of Allok Business Development at [email protected]Phone 07 4630 6356.