If retailers have a car wash and don’t have a customer-loyalty program in place, they’re missing out on potential revenue. Plain and simple. Before getting into what to consider when choosing and implementing a loyalty program for your car wash, first retailers have to know what drives its customers. After all, customer loyalty is a customer’s “feeling” that directs a buying decision toward a company’s services over a competitor. The problem with this is that feelings can easily change. A loyalty program can help car-wash operators by enhancing customer feelings about their car wash.
There are two parts to loyalty: behavior and attitude. Behavior is the customer’s response to market conditions and is measured by customer retention—the customer’s act of making a repeat purchase at a site and choosing a specific car wash over the competition. The second part of loyalty is attitude. Attitude is the judgment and perception about a company, brand, service or product. This is typically measured in terms of customer satisfaction and is actually a predictor of customer behavior.
A loyalty program is the perfect combination of strategies to influence both customer behavior and attitude. And the blend of the two continues to evolve.
A shifting trend in consumer loyalty
Today’s consumer puts a high premium on convenience, which has led to the introduction of the subscription-service model. Think about all of the subscription models that have been introduced over the past few years. From razors to dog food, there’s a subscription platform for almost any product or service. A car-wash subscription model is a win-win. For customers, it provides convenience and value, while car-wash owners receive a solid monthly revenue stream.
Earning loyalty earns higher profits
In the highly competitive vehicle-wash business, customer loyalty is the key to a successful car-wash operation. It’s been proven that loyalty-program members are more likely to come back regularly and spend more when they’re at the car wash. PDQ can help build customer loyalty through WALS (Wash Access Loyalty System). Designed specifically for the car-wash industry, WALS offers wash operators the flexibility of creating a variety of marketing and loyalty programs to draw in new customers and retain existing ones. Best of all, it lets wash operators implement and manage their loyalty programs online.
The web-based application provides operators the ability to run and manage the following types of loyalty programs.
- Subscription: Allow unlimited washing for an automatically recurring monthly charge.
- Loyalty: Offer customers the option to purchase washes in bulk at a discounted rate. These washes are then stored in a customer’s individual account to be redeemed later.
- Promotional giveaways: Market the car wash by creating promotional wash codes and sharing them with potential customers at local events. Retailers can even partner with local businesses to cross-promote a wash with their enterprise.
- Fleet: Set up fleet accounts with local businesses and sell washes in bulk that they can redeem as needed. This program easily tracks redemptions and provides insight on usage.
- Fundraiser: Connect with the community by offering fundraiser programs to local organizations. Use WALS to create single-use codes that can be easily downloaded and inserted into customizable coupons.
- Gift accounts: Sell gift cards to customers looking to purchase a great gift for someone special.
A loyalty program is a great way to gain new customers and keep current customers engaged. In addition to the bottom-line impact, the combination of a loyalty program and corresponding software allows car-wash owners to truly understand their customers. First connect with customers, next engage them with a loyalty program, and then optimize strategies based on the insights gained.
Have questions on car-wash loyalty programs? Feel free to reach out to us.
This post is sponsored by OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions