In the last few years with all of the technology surrounding the car wash industry one thing came apparent in the full and flex serve market. There is a demand for unlimited wash packages. Though some of the research is still quite new, it has shown to be very profitable in high volume sites. But let us take a look at mediocre volume and low volume sites, would you just be hurting your own bottom line in long run. I know that this is the underlying question for a lot of car wash owners. The fear is that you will take your best paying customers and reduce your monthly profit by offering them an unlimited plan. Though this is true, you have to buy into the idea of unlimited by pricing yourself right and promoting the unlimited program. Sure if you only sell 10 unlimited programs then you will shoot yourself in the foot, but if you sell 1000 you will be getting a check every month rain or shine.
Unlimited programs should be priced roughly between 2 times and 2.5 times the package price, so simply the $10 wash should between $20- $25 monthly for unlimited program. Remember the goal is to make it lucrative enough so that it seems silly not to sign up. We are going to follow the example of Planet Fitness business model. If you aren’t familiar with planet fitness they offer a gym membership for $10 a month, and the first thing you think about is “how in the world do they make money?” They make money because they sign up thousands of members some of which will never come in for several months but it is so cheap that they simply continue to pay. The ideal unlimited membership will have an activation fee as well as a termination fee and should be for a set period of time, typically 12 months.
So we have talked this far about what the unlimited package should be. So, what is the one reason every car wash should have the unlimited plan? The reason simply is loyalty, when you sign your customer up for an unlimited plan you can be sure that you are likely the only car wash they are going to use. The customer will now have money invested in and carry more pride with the car wash, it is your job at this point to keep them and continue to build your loyalty program. Don’t be afraid to have your advisors sell them for a commission, remember they sell it one time and they are customers for 12 months. Don’t have an advisor? Sell it on the kiosk, and if you can’t sell it on the kiosk, its 2017 get a pay station that will.
I truly believe we are close to seeing members only washes start to sprout. Time to get with it and join the unlimited club, but once you do don’t forget to market it and sell it.
What are your thoughts about unlimited plans? Join the conversation here in our forums https://carwashadvisor.com/forums/topic/unlimited-plans/
