If you are in the parking firm and own or carry on parking lots you may want to think on some added concepts to increase lot revenues. Whether you are looking to add value for your customers, advance your buyer base, or naturally increase your revenue, the increasing of a car wash and/or detailing service to your parking premise may be the answer. There are many options available to you if you want to provide these services. You can compact with a local independent firm in your area with a good reputation, co-market with a detail shop nearby who will service your lot, buy your own unit and run it in-house or purchase a franchise name and tool from a national company.
Increased Revenue
3000 Psi
Whichever route you choose, it is inherent to increase daily income, if you hire the labor or compact out. "Car washing and detailing not only provide value for your customers, but also maximize the per space value of your lot," commented Philip Hutcheson, owner of The Car Wash Guys franchise in Nashville, Tennessee, who currently had Central Parking in Nashville as a client. "It's all about convenience and rescue customers time. We're only washing their cars, but that can give them time to do other things they want to do," said Hutcheson.
Hiring A Contractor
If you select to hire a local firm to deal with the job, then try to be respectful of their time. You may wish to start out one day a week. For example - Wednesday is car wash day. You secure the money and park the cars in car wash row. The local firm 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, shows up on time and has some sort of re-claim device for wastewater.
To reach your revenue goal, increase services to more days and more hours a day as the work catches on. It will build slowly, but will give you an edge and higher average label charge per car. A typical financial arrangement with a detail service can net you to per car for a wash and wax and as high as per car for a full detail.
A Win-Win-Win
Here's an example of how a parking premise can partner 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 premise near Oklahoma International Airport. He washed their shuttle buses for free in replacement for use of a storage room to keep supplies in for his mobile detailing service. SunPark receives a division of each car washed and detailed. This connection provides a win-win-win - for the customers and both businesses involved.
SunPark was bought by new owners in 1998. The previous owners had offered a basic wash and wax as an added service, explained manager Larry DeLuca. "We took it a step further. We now also offer car detailing and oil change which have been well received by our customers. Our business agreement with The Car Wash Guys allows us to offer detailing at a contentious rate to what our customers could find elsewhere in the city, just with the convenience of having it done while they're away," he explained. When travelers arrive, they are given a card piquant them to plump added services also parking during their trip. They indicate their return date and if they desire a detail or car wash. Their cars are prepared the day before they return, waiting for them all shiny and clean. "The word of mouth about the added services that you don't receive at the airport has helped increase our firm as a parking selection of choice," commented DeLuca.
With Hutcheson's work in Nashville, for the monthly tenants, the cost of a wash or detail is added to their monthly fee as an ongoing service. Washes can also be used as an incentive to customers, i.e. Two free car washes a month. A lot owner can mark up contracted services for added behalf or add them as an incentive to preserve long-term customers.
For a parking firm in Tucson, Arizona, The Car Wash Guys team washed every car in the structure once a month and extends a special group rate of .00 per car to the lot owner. The customers were so happy to have the added "free" service that when the lot owner recently raised monthly rates there was only one complaint about the free increase.
Buying A Franchise
You can also buy a franchise if you're serious about adding detailing as a permanent source of revenue. One type of firm which lends itself well to a model for your operations is the detail Guys based in Reno, Nevada offers mobile detail units, training, marketing and computerized software in one perfect package. Each unit has a re-claim device, central vacuum law and enclosed lockable trailer. Visit their web site at; http://www.detailguys.com. The detail Guys and "brother" firm The Car Wash Guys set up franchises in 23 states to serve 110 markets nationwide.
Doing It Yourself
If you opt for the do-it-yourself route, following are some suggestions with regard to equipment. You'll need a pressure washer with cold and hot water, hot if you also want to occasionally wash down the lot or parking structure. For cars you need 1800 psi that will take an 8hp motor with a belt driven pump. (We do not advise direct drive.) Ask for a cat pump, operators say they have nine lives. You'll also need at least 50 feet of non-maring 3000 psi single braided hose or a reel and a wand. all the time control a wand of less than 24 inches - less opportunity to ding a car, which is parked too close or over spray cars already washed or cars you are not washing. You need a 200-gallon water tank. All this can be mounted on an industrial Cushman cart. Make sure the cart has four wheels, since water moves and weights 8.2 pounds per gallon. That's 1,640 lbs! guarnatee is not only an leading factor to look at when hiring a contractor, it's important if you plan to run the performance yourself. You'll want to get a liability policy of at least to million.
Hiring Employees
You will need to hire experienced labor or your employees will need some type of formal training. A firm called detail Plus in Portland, Oregon offers training courses at your place of firm and videotapes and manuals. For more information, visit http://www.detailplus.com. With professional training and behalf incentive bonuses of 10-15% for employees, you may be able to put together an perfect crew.
Environmental Issues
You'll also need to learn a itsybitsy about car wash wastewater. Even if you are hiring a firm on contract, you should at least be aware of the environmental laws pertaining to waste water. The basic law is this: do not allow wash water run-off to enter a storm drain. Block off storm drains and vacuum unevaporated water into a keeping tank for permissible discharge into the sanitary sewer. You or your undertaker of a package deal will need to search a drain which is associated to the sewer rehabilitation plan within your property or drive the waste to a nearby gas station, for example, to put in their R.V. Dump. This Bmp-Best supervision practice is consistent with nearly all Npdes-National Pollution discharge Elimination Systems permits. For added information, visit http://www.epa.gov and search under water pollution.
Co-Marketing/Network Of Services
If you apply the services of a gas station, this will also be an perfect opportunity to co-market with another business, maybe even help send them business. It pays to have a network of local businesses such as lock-out specialists, tow companies, or maintenance services. Remember you are in the automotive firm even though you just park them.
A Nationwide Resource
The Car Wash Guys is currently working with numerous parking garages nearby the country. We'd be happy to talk with you if you are concerned in adding services to your facility. We can also serve as a reserved supply to help search an independent detailing undertaker of a package deal or a franchisee if one is located in your area. The Car Wash Guys set up 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 just about all from cars, trucks, boats and aircraft to windows, buildings, graffiti discharge and more.
Best wishes on your plans to maximize revenue as a parking professional. Just remember, success can be found in the details! Think on this.
Parking Business, the Details on expanding Lot revenue
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