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Posted on: October 24th, 2013

Focus on the 100%

Far too many times I hear operators talk about adding something to the higher package to try and move customers up; or, when a new store is about to open, they start at the top package (which obviously includes everything they just purchased as wash components) and then start taking away equipment until they get…

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Posted on: July 18th, 2013

Congestion

In the book The Simple Life by Thom S & Art Rainer, the authors talk about removing congestion from your life. Some synonyms of ‘congestion’ are to block, choke, clog, jam or obstruct; pretty heavy stuff, not only for your life but also for your business. In Jason Fried and David Hannson’s book Rework, they…

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Posted on: May 22nd, 2013

Managing Emotions (Part 3 of 3)

Emotional Factors in Marketing & Branding Humans are emotional beings, so it’s not surprising that using emotions in your marketing strategy and branding can yield powerful results. Wikipedia defines emotional branding as the focus of “building brands by way of connecting a brand proposition and purpose to people’s emotional need states and aspirations.” In parts…

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Posted on: April 12th, 2013

Social CRM Done the Right Way

In a day and age that revolves so heavily around technology and online communities, Social Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and social customer service has never been more important for small businesses. To paraphrase the Wikipedia definition, “Social CRM is a philosophy and business strategy designed to engage the customer in conversation in an effort to…

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Posted on: April 12th, 2013

We Are All Getting Older and Damage Comes Easier!

Time marches on…nothing could be truer.  Despite all the breakthroughs in medical technology and age defying creams, we all get older.  That goes for the cars we drive also.  Cars today look better, have more features, get better gas mileage and, overall, are built better. That means they are on the road longer and are…

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Posted on: January 30th, 2013

There are Only 2 Business Models (Part 2 of 2)

In part one of this series, we looked at the pros and cons of the “High-Volume, Low-Margin” business model. I also made the statement that there are only two models and that standing in the middle of the road long enough will get you run over.  That would be a third model and we will…

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Posted on: January 30th, 2013

Managing Emotions (Part 2 of 3): Customer Service

Customer Service: Eliminating the Negative Emotions & Evoking the Positive It has been widely assumed that the service provider is solely responsible for managing emotions in an exchange.  For instance, a flight attendant should smile, a bill collector should sound intimidating, and a massage therapist should talk in a soft, relaxing tone. All of these…

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Posted on: November 26th, 2012

There are Only 2 Business Models (Part 1 of 2)

I was asked the other day, ‘which is better, fewer cars but more profit on those cars, or more cars but less profit per car?’  Really what this person was asking is-should I be Wal-Mart or Gucci?  Try as we may to prove that there is a third model in the universe, if you stand…

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Posted on: November 7th, 2012

Managing Emotions (Part 1 of 3)- Senses & the Service Industry

Our five senses (Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste & Touch) can evoke emotions that can set the mood long before we get the chance to even interact with the customer.  In parts 2 & 3 of this series we will talk about emotions & senses and their connection to customer service and marketing, but for now…

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Posted on: August 24th, 2012

While You Wait

Regardless of what kind of winter we have coming, your customers will wait in longer lines than at almost any point throughout the summer. We know it’s coming so our answer, for the most part, has been to process faster and wash cars faster to reduce (not eliminate) the wait time. But regardless of what…

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