Since Squeeky Clean Mobile Car Wash & Detailing is a mobile service, the boom in portable technology has proven to be boon for the business. Currently Owner Elias "Lou" Spellos uses the iPad’s video capabilities to teach his customers about the different car cleaning techniques he offers. The videos upsell customers by visually showing the benefits of services such as clay barring and paint correction. These videos are generally posted online by chemical suppliers or car care forums.
The iPad also allows Spellos to save and study online videos of new detailing techniques. “Plus, I take pictures and I show other customers, using modern technology, things that I’ve done,” Spellos stated. “I show them, [on] the iPad or on my iPhone, the pictures and movies.”
Still, promotion is the name of the game, and Spellos also has added a couple of high-tech, attention-grabbing features to his popular detailing van. In the van’s back windows, there are two digital picture frames installed. These frames play fast-moving slideshow infomercials that highlight Squeeky Clean’s offerings.
The frames are turned on at night, but not every night. Spellos said he’s afraid to use them every night because he does not want a distracted driver to rear-end his van. Spellos often receives calls due to the slideshows, including calls from other business owners. “I’ve had business owners call me up,” he explained, “they go, ‘Somebody thought this up and thought about it outside the box.’”
Other eye-catching features installed on the van include a scrolling LED marquee as well as colorful neon lights in the wheel wells. But, are all these customizations street legal? Spellos went down the list, explaining that the LED marquee and neon lights are not legal. Surprisingly, the digital frames are. According to the law, the frames are the same as having a DVD player in a vehicle.
