If you are in the parking business and are a parking lot owner or manager, you may want to think of some additional concepts to increase lot income. Whether you are looking to add value for your customers, expand your customer base, or simply increase your revenue, adding a car wash and / or detail service to your parking lot may be the answer. There are many options available to you if you want to provide these services. You can hire a local independent business in your area with a good reputation, co-market with a nearby retail store that will serve your lot, buy your own unit and manage it in-house, or buy a country franchise and team name. business.
INCREASED INCOME
Whichever route you choose, it is possible to increase your daily income, if you hire the labor or outsource. “The car wash and details not only provide value to your customers, but they also maximize the value for space of your lot,” said Philip Hutcheson, owner of The Car Wash Guys franchise in Nashville, Tennessee, which currently owned Central Parking in Nashville as a customer. “It’s about convenience and time savings for customers. We’re just washing their cars, but that can give them time to do other things they want to do,” Hutcheson said.
CONTRACTING CONTRACTOR
If you choose to hire a local company to handle the work, try to respect their time. You may want to start one day a week. For example, Wednesday is car wash day. You collect the money and park the cars in the car wash line. The local company arrives at the desired time and washes, waxes and details the cars and returns the keys to you. Make sure the mobile operator is licensed, insured, maintains quality employees, arrives on time, and has some sort of wastewater claim device.
To reach your income goal, increase services to more days and more hours per day as work progresses. It will build slowly but will give you an edge and a higher average ticket cost per car. A typical finance arrangement with a detailed service can generate between $ 2 and $ 5 per car for a wash and wax and up to $ 15 per car for a complete detail.
A WIN-WIN-WIN
This is an example of how a parking facility can be associated with a detail service. Tim Morse, co-owner of The Car Wash Guys franchise in Oklahoma City, washed and detailed cars for SunPark, a private parking lot near Oklahoma International Airport. It washed its shuttle buses for free in exchange for the use of a storage room to hold supplies for its mobile detailing service. SunPark receives a percentage of each car washed and detailed. This relationship provides a mutual benefit for the clients and the companies involved.
SunPark was purchased by new owners in 1998. Previous owners had offered a basic wash and wax as an additional service, explained manager Larry DeLuca. “We went one step further. We now also offer car and oil change details that have been well received by our customers. Our agreement with The Car Wash Guys allows us to offer details at a price competitive than what our customers might find elsewhere. parts of the city, just with the convenience of doing it while they are away, “he explained. When travelers arrive, they are given a card that invites them to select additional services in addition to parking during their trip. They indicate their return date and if they want any details or car wash. Your cars are ready the day before your return, waiting for you all sparkling and clean. “Word of mouth about the extra services you don’t get at the airport has helped grow our business as a preferred parking option,” said DeLuca.
With Hutcheson’s job in Nashville, for monthly renters, the cost of a wash or a detail is added to their monthly rate as an ongoing service. The car washes can also be used as an incentive for customers, that is, two free car washes per month. The owner of a lot can increase the contracted services for additional profit or add them as an incentive to retain customers for the long term.
For a parking company in Tucson, Arizona, The Car Wash Guys team washed all the cars in the structure once a month and extends a special group rate of $ 4.00 per car to the lot owner. Customers were so happy to have the “free” service added that when the lot owner recently increased the monthly rates, there was only one complaint about the free increase.
BUY A FRANCHISE
You can also buy a franchise if you really want to add details as a permanent source of income. One type of company that lends itself well to a model for its operations is Reno, Nevada-based Detail Guys, which offers mobile detailing units, training, marketing, and computerized software in one complete package. Each unit has a recovery device, a central vacuum system and a locked trailer. Visit their website at; http://www.detailguys.com. The Detail Guys and “sister” company The Car Wash Guys established franchises in 23 states to serve 110 markets nationwide.
DO IT YOURSELF
If you go the DIY route, here are some tips regarding equipment. You will need a pressure washer with hot and cold water, hot if you also want to occasionally wash the lot or parking structure. For cars you need 1800 psi which will take an 8 hp motor with a belt driven pump. (We do not recommend direct transmission.) Order a cat pump, operators say they have nine lives. You will also need at least 50 feet of plain 3000 psi braided hose that won’t break down or a reel and rod. Always operate a rod less than 24 inches – less chance of hitting a car, parked too close, or on cars already washed or cars not washing. You need a 200 gallon water tank. All of this can be mounted on a Cushman industrial cart. Make sure the cart has four wheels, as the water moves and weighs 8.2 pounds per gallon. That’s 1,640 pounds! Insurance is not only an important factor to consider when hiring a contractor, it is essential if you plan to run the operation yourself. You’ll want to get a liability policy of at least $ 1 to $ 2 million.
EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT
You will need to hire an experienced workforce or your employees will need some formal training. A company called Detail Plus in Portland, Oregon offers training courses at your workplace and videotapes and manuals. For more information, visit http://www.detailplus.com. With professional training and 10-15% employee benefit incentive bonuses, you may be able to build an excellent team.
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
You will also need to learn a little about sewage from the car wash. Even if you are hiring a contract company, you should at least know the environmental laws pertaining to wastewater. The basic law is this: do not allow wash water to enter a storm drain. Block storm drains and suck non-evaporated water into a holding tank for proper discharge into the sanitary sewer. You or your contractor will need to locate a drain that is connected to the sewer treatment plan within your property or take the waste to a nearby service station, for example, to be placed in the RV landfill. This BMP-Best Management Practice is consistent with almost all NPDES-National Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems permits. For additional information, visit http://www.epa.gov and search under water contamination.
CO-MARKETING / SERVICE NETWORK
If you use the services of a gas station, this will also be an excellent opportunity to jointly market with another company, perhaps even help send business to them. It pays to have a network of local companies, such as locking specialists, towing companies, or maintenance services. Remember that you are in the automotive business even if you park them.
A RESOURCE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL
The Car Wash Guys is currently working with numerous parking lots across the country. We would be happy to speak with you if you are interested in adding services to your facility. We can also serve as a resource to help locate an independent detailing contractor or franchisee if there is one in your area. The Car Wash Guys established training centers for their franchisees in Columbus, OH; Nashville, TN; Orlando, FL; San Antonio, TX; Oklahoma City, OK; Overland Park, KS; Denver, CO; Palm Desert, CA; Sacramento, CA; Bozeman, MT; Portland, OR; Lewiston, ID; Reno, NV; and Scottsdale, AZ. The Car Wash Guys was founded in 1979 and now washes almost everything from cars, trucks, boats, and planes to windows, buildings, graffiti removal, and more.
Best wishes on your plans to maximize income as a parking professional. Just remember, success can be found in the details! Think about this.
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