Steps to Success - Five Steps to Increasing Car Through Curb Appeal

 

 

By: Anthony Analetto

Originally Published in AutoLaundry Magazine

Does you car wash look taken care of and proud to be a member of the community? Try driving to work from different approaches for a few days.  Write down everything that catches your eye. Fresh flowers, new paint, bright colors, clock towers, lighted cupolas, large glass surfaces, employee activity – if it draws your attention, write it down.

 

Curb appeal refers to a evaluating how well a business’s facilities are maintained, its architectural style, landscaping, signage, and more. How many of the things that you wrote down above are prominent at your car wash?

 

As car wash operators, we’re in the business of selling CLEAN. At minimum, everything about your wash must scream out to customers passing by at 40 M.P.H. that you sell CLEAN. At best, your curb appeal can differentiate your wash from the competition, command trust from your customers, and increase your car count.

 

There are many ways to use curb appeal to create a positive first impression and set your car wash apart. It is a quality that is not as obvious as a new coat of paint or a big sign. Improving your wash’s presence also does not necessarily mean spending a huge amount of money. Many things that build curb appeal merely require careful planning and attention to details. Below I have organized the process into five steps. I hope it provides a useful starting point for you to begin maximizing every detail of your car wash’s appearance to increase your car counts.

 

Step 1: Come up with a concept and complete plan

The first thing you should do is walk as far away from the front of your car wash as you can. Leave your driveway; go across the street and down the road. Check every approach where a customer can see your wash. Now take a really good look at it. Notice what draws your eye right away. In most cases, the conveyor exit should be the main focal point from at least one approach – preferably the one with the easiest access. If it’s not, it’s a good starting point for improvement.

 

The goal of building curb appeal is not specifically to make an attractive wash. Focus your plan based on what you want to communicate to prospective and existing customers. Basically, what’s in it for them? There are many factors, but I like to start with the big three. First - a clean dry shiny car. Second – a fast service time. Third – a solid value for their money.

 

What visual features of your car wash communicate any of the big three advantages? The purpose of this step is not to come up with a bunch of quick fixes. Whatever you do, don’t head straight back to your office and start ordering signs. If that was your first impulse, it means there is some room for improvement. Addressing the opportunity means making a complete and detailed plan. The goal is getting the greatest bang for each dollar you spend on building curb appeal.

 

Step 2: Focus on the conveyor exit

Car washes sell clean cars. Attention should be drawn to where they are produced, the conveyor exit. Nearly every realtor will tell a person planning to sell a house to paint the front door and make sure there is nothing blocking its view from the street. The advice is to make it stand out, which shows you are proud of what is inside. The same recommendation applies to the conveyor exit at a car wash.

 

Too often the end of the tunnel is just a hole in the side of the building. To build curb appeal you want to accentuate it. First look at landscaping. Do any shrubs or other movable items block its view from the street? If so, can they be removed or lowered? It is rarely a bad idea to create the most spectacular flower display your budget can afford next to the exit, provided it is easily seen by passing cars.

 

Next, consider architectural features that focus attention and project pride about your conveyor exit. A simple painted border in an accent color can have a strong impact. Other considerations are awnings and landscape lighting. If you can imagine tall colorful landscaping on either side of your tunnel with lights illuminating an awning over the conveyor exit imprinted with the message “Clean Cars Exiting Every 30 Seconds” - you are on your way to making an exit that builds curb appeal.

 

Step 3: Maximize your driveways impact

When maximizing your driveways impact, think two things – busy and clean. As a rule, the appearance of being busy cleaning cars will always enhance your curb appeal. Full serve locations should stack cars for wiping down as close to the curb as possible. Think of your finishing area as a theater. You need to put on a show that convinces every potential customer that you take cleaning cars very seriously. Are your attendants all dressed in clean identical uniforms? Do you have visible supply carts with colorful signage equally spaced in each lane across the front of the finishing area? I’ve seen some operators go so far as to match shirt and towel colors. Another inexpensive accent that can work very well on slower days is to set out wind master signs in a bright color printed with “Estimated Wait Time Less Than 5 Minutes”. Every detail that creates a clean professional and efficient image will contribute to your curb appeal.

 

None of the tips above will work effectively to maximize your driveway’s impact if it is not clean and in good repair. If it is asphalt, it should be sharp black with bright painted lines. Concrete must be power washed regularly and you may want to explore how much it would cost to add a decorative finish. Problems with the condition of a driveway build slowly. Looking at it everyday, what you barely notice as a small weed growing out of a crack is actually an eyesore destroying the curb appeal of your wash.

 

Step 4: Get the most out of your employees

At a full serve location, one of the most important features that can build curb appeal during operating hours is the employees. Clean sharp uniforms are just the beginning. Bright colors work well. Ties and caps can also build a professional image. More important than how they are dressed, is what they are doing. During busy hours, quick activity finishing cars will project fast service time and good value to customers. Now, walk across the street again during a slow period with no traffic. Do your attendants look like they are anxiously waiting to clean the next car that comes in? You are selling CLEAN and even if there are no cars being washed, your attendants should show constant activity, constant cleaning. Have them sweep their area of the driveway. If there are any signs out front, have an attendant with a towel and a spray bottle cleaning it. Wash windows; hose down door mats. No matter what, if you are open, your attendants should be passionately cleaning something, anything, visible from the street.

 

Step 5: Make the best use of your building and landscaping

Once you have a clean driveway with an attractive and busy finishing area, turn your attention to landscaping and the building itself. Commonly, landscaping is added as an afterthought or completely absent. Remembering that a professional car wash is in the business of selling a beautiful appearance, attractive plants and shrubbery demand more attention than they often get. More and more operators are turning to landscape architects to design an attractive exterior. Just like a beautifully landscaped house, a well planned setting can demonstrate pride of ownership. This facet of curb appeal can increase customer’s confidence in the quality of the wash you deliver.

 

Next examine the building. Is it clean and freshly painted? Do you have lots of lighting and glass? Do any of the fixtures look dated? A clean modern building communicates to a customer that you will provide a clean car using modern technology. Updating fixtures and railings can be a relatively cost effective way to modernize an existing structure.  There also exist many foam architectural enhancements that can be used to give your car wash a contemporary look and feel with no major construction. Adding awnings to windows and doors as well as canopies to other areas of your wash can also have a dramatic effect on curb appeal.

 

Summary

Today’s hyper competitive economy demands more than turning out a clean, dry, shiny car. Customers will develop beliefs about the quality of a car wash, the level of service, and value provided simply by the appearance of the facility itself. Improving a sites curb appeal involves careful planning. It requires using visual cues to communicate that your wash delivers a fast quality product at a good value. My biggest suggestion is to walk away from your wash and think in terms of how your car wash’s appearance projects those qualities.  With attention to detail, improving your site’s curb appeal can have a tremendous impact on building your car count.