Your car wash menu is one of the first things your customer sees when setting foot inside your business. Whether you need to create a new attention-grabbing car wash menu or revamp your old one, here are several ways to keep your customers coming back, and to increase your bottom line.
It is important to capture every dollar from each customer that comes into your business on a daily basis. A well-lit, attractive and engaging car wash menu will open your customer’s eyes and bring them into the entire car wash process and not make it just another usual stop in their busy day.
Here are several ways to create an attention-grabbing car wash menu:
- Keep it simple
- Change it around
- Add and subtract
- Ask for advice
- Prepare for the change
Keep it Simple
On average most customers will not read your sign for more than three to five seconds. This means that unless they find something that catches their eye in that amount of time, chances are they will stick with what they know or are accustomed to ordering. You will want to create a sign that is easy to read. Keeping your car wash menu simple still includes being sure to inform your customers about what you are offering. Be sure to emphasize your package taglines, making sure you list your highest priced package first. Keep your long list of inclusions to only a few items that are necessary. The additional inclusions should be included but blend into the background slightly so as not to overwhelm your customers.
Do not overwhelm your customers with lots of color on your menu either. A simple black and white menu with a larger font really does work best, and avoid using the color yellow as it is hard to read. Remember, the fancy colors and big graphics may be prettier, but you will lose your customer’s interest and become less effective in the long run.
Change it Around
Be sure to change your menu around. Putting your packages first will allow for easy viewing and quick decisions by your customers. Next, put your add-ons followed by any seasonal items. This will allow for additional customer service opportunities by allowing employees and management to suggest additional add-ons they might have missed in the menu or when their original choice was made. Customers are more receptive to your suggestions once their order has been placed. With that in mind, after they have placed their order is the perfect time to promote your gift cards, add-ons, or even ask for email addresses to send additional information at a later date.
Add and Subtract
It is best when designing your menu to re-work some of your packages and prices at this time if needed. Adding value to higher end packages helps customers realize that the lower packages may not be the best value for their money. Sometimes we do not realize that our customers may not know what something means on your menu either. Adding a few descriptions to your car wash menu is helpful to your customers too, especially if they understand what a particular product or service does for them. It is helpful to run additional promotional flyers for seasonal items instead of listing them on the menu. It keeps your car wash menu cleaner and allows for creativity when running your offline specials or promotional offers.
Keeping your car wash menu new and up-to-date also aids in keeping your customers excited about the changing options you offer, keeping things from getting stagnant and old. Be sure to remove add-ons that do not bring money in or are not purchased anymore. Instant gratification type products are becoming big in the car wash industry. Customers want to see added value in certain add-ons immediately by being able to see or smell the difference. Customers do not mind spending a few extra dollars to see results from a tangible benefit such as a new fragrance offered. This helps when there are several services that will not offer this instant benefit such as a window protectant or a sealer wax.
Ask for Advice
Understanding the way your customers will behave is essential in creating an effective, attention-grabbing car wash menu. Ask your customers to take a brief poll or survey and offer an incentive for their time such as a discount on an add-on on their next visit. Asking your customers is one of the best ways to find out what they like or dislike about your business and the car wash industry in general. It is also a great way to create a good customer service bond with your customers. Asking another car wash operator or visiting a car wash expo or other industry-specific show is another way to bring new ideas to your car wash menu. Why reinvent the wheel if something has been proven to work for another operator? You can take that operator’s experiences and ask additional questions relevant to your business and make it work for you too.
Networking is a great way to increase your bottom line by becoming aware of new equipment, processes and other useful information pertinent to the car wash industry. Another way to see if your new attention-grabbing menu works is to pass it out to family and friends. Have them give you their opinions and feedback of your new car wash menu before you have a new sign done.
Prepare for the Change
Prepare for your new car wash menu in advance. You may lose customers who are unaware that you have increased your prices on their next visit. There are several things you can do to ease into a new car wash menu, especially if you have increased your prices too. Give your customers fair warning that prices will be going up in the next few months. Remember, you may have customers that only come in on a monthly basis. Offer existing customers incentive to purchase several items off of your menu ahead of time and at the lower price via gift cards or pre-paid cards. This will take the “sting” out of the attitudes of your loyal customers. Be sure to market your new menu items ahead of time too, as this will create a “hype” to try something even before it has been unveiled.
If the task of creating an attention-grabbing car wash menu seems a little overwhelming, you may want to consider a proven expert in the car wash franchise industry, DetailXPerts, which already has a ready-made car wash menu that’s been well-researched, tried and proven to increase sales. Leave a comment below if you have questions about your car wash menu, or any other questions about the car wash business.
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