Unlimited Wash Clubs
Having recently attended the Car Care World Expo in Las Vegas, I couldn’t help but notice all the buzz around Unlimited Wash Clubs- What are the pros and cons? How do you price it? Is it profitable?
Some of the best features of an unlimited wash club include:
- Guaranteed monthly income
- Increase in loyalty & customer retention
- Weather independence
- Word of mouth through “member ambassadors”
- Increase in market share
- One pitch = multiple sales
Although all these factors are fantastic, there are a few cons to be aware of:
- Administrative maintenance due to credit card expirations, vehicle/license plate turnover, etc
- Slow to build your membership base
- Abusers try to use on multiple vehicles
- Members are less forgiving about weather-related closures and equipment breakdowns
While every operator chooses to set up their pricing structure a little bit differently, the recommended formula is to charge between 2.5 and 4 times the price of your best wash and only offer discounts on multi-car plans. Afterall, if they use the wash often, the have the potential to receive a heck of a deal already!
As far as abusers go, it is important to remember they are not as frequent as you might imagine. Try not to punish the majority of your customer base for a couple of bad apples. It is still important to mitigate the level of abuse by using tamper-proof stickers applied by your own sales staff and terminate the accounts of any known offenders.
If you decide to move forward with an unlimited wash club, be sure to promote it as much as possible. Get your loyal customers signed up first and encourage them to become your ambassador by telling all their friends and family. Use on-site signage, t-shirts, and possibly even a commissions program to promote the program internally. Lastly, market externally through cross-promotions with other vehicle-oriented businesses in town and mentioning the program in all your advertisements and social media.
