Drive thru carwash

[Windshield Doc]

Hi,
I have talked to a guy that owns a drive-thru. We have talked about me setting up at his wash upto a couple days a week. It is very nice and has high traffic. The carwash has someone working it all day to assist line the cars up on the pull-thru belt. It offers customers free vacuums under a canopy. The facility has a air-conditioned waiting room also. I would be able use one of his canopied spots. What would you guys recommend for a price to pay him per day? Is there a way that you all would recommend for marketing at the wash?

[chipper]

hey bud, where is this wash located? what businesses is it surrounded by? off a main road? what town is it in? what's the washes car count like?

gotta account for all that. i know here in houston, i work out of a wash just like that, and it's not all what the owner said it would be.

[Windshield Doc]

The wash is busy all day. It is off of a main highway. Surrounded by all different kinds of businesses... Banks, Quick lubes, Hospitals, resturants, Office buildings, also by a international airport. Is $50 a day a bad price. I pick which days I want to come

[GlassStarz]

Car count is important 100 a day s the minimum I would consider myself. And the ability to freely talk to the customers is import

[screenman]

Good price if you do 10 repairs not so good if you only do 1, it is a numbers game. the one thing I would add is vehicles coming out of the wash have a lot of water and contaminates in the damage, either chips saver it before it goes through or you better be good with dryout unless of course you repair before it goes through. I would imagine there are far better places to set up than a car wash.

[Windshield Doc]

What are some places that you would recommend? As a new mobile service I don't have my name out there yet so I need to set up somewhere to get business.

[jayjacque]

Screenman's warning about wet windshields is a point well taken. But still, many people who wash their cars are prime for added car care service like we offer. And of course there is the convenience of having it done right then and there. If you get it for $50 a day I'd think that is a bargain, especially if there is no lease, so if it's not working out you can just stop any time you want. I reckon you gotta get yourself a nice big sign or well-placed banner, but that's pretty minor in the big picture of things.

[chips-ahoy]

I was a bike bum for about five years, which means I bummed around the country on my Harley, and my means of support was windshield repair, I was with glas-weld and I made a box for my kit and resins to fit in my saddle bags, I to set up at car washes in each town I traveled through, some were good and some bad, but I said all that to say this, water in no problem if you will use alcohol to wash out the break, also while the alcohol in in the bullseye go into the vehicle and with a butane lighter you heat the area and rub it out with with your thumb, the method works , I have done many repairs while wet, thanks chips-ahoy

[GlassStarz]

When I started i worked out of a Carwash with 150 cars a day I paid him $25 or 20% of my weekly total whatever was highest I just cut a deal with a big Gas Station here thats does about 2000 cars a day gave him the same deal am free to roam the pumps and low pressure sell the customers on WR and Headlights the carlots are really slow right now so I went back to basics a couple days a week

[mzcollins]

Hey,

You may want to consider offering a percentage of your tickets. For example if the average repair is 50 bucks, offer his 10-20 percent of that. If his average wash ticket is 5 bucks, then its like getting another wash for him. I would rather have a percentage deal, than a flat rate, that way he will be more accepting of your approaching all his customers and if there is a slow day, you are not giving him too much. Either way with a percentage deal, you both win proportionately! I think it's better for everyone that way..........good luck. (don't forget to have referral coupons printed up to give those customers whose windshields are too far gone for repair and need replacement.....you could add another 5 or 10 bucks for each successful referral to a local replacement shop (if you only do repairs)!