Referral Programs

[candyman]

If and only if they were a very busy carwash would I do that. I don't like to sit and wait. Sometimes that person that needs the repair may be in a hurry and can't wait. If its a WSR maybe. HLR is a little longer and I charge more. I have a flea market I go to during the winter on Saturdays. I pay a flat $15 and they provide electricity for my Metabo and Iam located at the parking lot entrance, with my banner. That worked well for a short while. I started getting calls from customers that needed my service and wanted it that day. I sometimes had to leave that spot and go do the other work IF THEY COULDN'T COME TO ME. I remember a old saying " A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush". I trained someone to help out in that sistuation and that turned out to bite my behind, because I gave him too much information and training and he went out on his own. I wear the Delta Kits & NWRA Patch, but I dont advertize the logo on anything while Iam working. If you paid $25 per day and didn't pay anything else untill after thre 5th vehicle, to me that would be reasonable 5% for each additional vehicle. They would make addtional money, that wasn't planned or they had a capital layout investment. I've talked to some friends in larger cities that did just what you suggested. A few months later the carwash owner purchased his own WSR/HLR system and told the guys to hit the road. If they see $$$$ they will pay someone $7 a hour to detail the car and thats part of the detail if the customer purchases that service. It won't take them long to figure how much you are making off them, if you are paying 5% to them. I would rather pay a flat fee to be safe or a FLAT REFERAL FEE.
Consider everything when you solicit sites to attract customers.

[screenman]

How many cars a day does the average car wash handle?

[Frank EU]

I know some that do 500 to 600 on a good day.
This of course will lead to your follow-up re the statistics eh?
But I can tell you, from my own experience, that this figure is not going to work out.
Simply because most car wash customers are local regulars.
Been there, done that. Email me if you like Graham.

[screenman]

Frank, thanks for that and you are correct in that you knew exactly where I was going with this. Guy if the wash does 100 cars a day and it costs you $25 to be there this costs X amount per vehicle seen. Find somewhere that will see 1,000 that costs you $100 and the cost per vehicle is way less. I will let you do the maths.

[GlassStarz]

When I first started I cut a deal with a Carwash did quite a few for awhile but they operate on about a 75% return customers rate pretty soon you see the same people over and over and volume goes way down

[candyman]

I don't know anyplace within 50 miles of me that will do more than a few hundred cars per day, unless its after a snow storm which is also rare these days. My immediate area has those that prefer a car wash that you stay in the car and drive through, no attendats $3 -$5 . Then we have the majority,that prefers the 4 locations that has bays, and you wash your own car with a sprayer or brush, $1.50 for 10 minutes. The dollar figure kicks in, but we have some that prefer the only shop in town that the attendat drives it through the system and they wipe it down & vaccume the car out $7 -$15. Now add about 4-5 mobile & fixed detail shops that do less than 20 cars per day and the base price starts at $25 and averages $50 for Hand wash/wax/vacuume. Its hard to imiage a carwash that does 500 -1000 cars perday. I use to live in Ft Wayne and Indiannapolis, Indiana and they had a few car washes that would do a few hundred perday during snow season to wash the road salt off. You guys must live in really bg cities. Anyway like the last posts were talking about. You have the same people using the same service and after a short while you may run out of customers for that spot. We have a small influx of people from outside our area. Thats why I've increased my service area and now post on the web, yellow pages in areas that have a high traffic, more income, and a population that is constantly moving and growing. 20 -30 minutes driving time one-way to do one repair is not good, unless I have several to do while there. I see plenty of work here, its just a matter of slowing these fast paced people down long enough to allow me to do the work, and getting them to invest in there car. If the local law enforcement ever started enforcing whats on the Vehicle regs I would have all the business I could handle. Effective 1 july 2010, Virginia will write you a heavy fine for a cracked windshield.

[WW973]

anyone do work for AAA and if so how do u get signed up with them