Those who run mobile carwashes or mobile auto detailing business know that with high fuel prices of $3.00 or more per gallon that staying on the route is critical. In fact with today’s traffic it is almost mandatory that you adhere to the most efficient routing possible.
Most smart mobile car wash operators and their crews are on strict routes and since everyone owns at least one car, they target our customers, which are most near our current master planned routes. Usually when mobile car wash companies add units they fill up almost immediately. Some mobile car wash companies are not worried about new customers knowing they could put 50 units in their regional area of operation and keep them all busy. Even those areas, which are services by licensees, a franchisee or another mobile car wash owner sharing a common name of the original operator will run into the same problems of expanding until their businesses before the routing is completely efficient.
Many mobile car wash operators are slammed with business and they are satisfied with the current size of their business. Even those who once considered expanding are now uncertain if they will be adding units before next summer. Due to the cost of fuel many operators pack their routes so tight that they are only taking new customers, which are exactly across the street or next door to current customers.
Mobile Car Wash and Auto Detailing Companies make money when washing and they lose money when driving in traffic. Due to summer volumes and fall volumes many mobile car washing companies will not be expanding until Spring and only if the fuel prices come back down under $1.60 per gallon. Fat Chance!
Mobile Car Wash Operators would be advised to do direct sales and sign up their weekly
customers where their schedules allow them to do so, since everyone loves the service, rather than advertising and getting calls from all over the place. In fact one of the most recent concepts for mobile car wash owners is to turn off their cell phones while working and allow everything to go to voice mail and save the money on the phone bill and stay efficient while working instead of trying to talk with one hand and wash with the other.
Most Mobile Car Wash Operators feel bad about turning away business, but they need to be honest with their customers and explain the routing systems and tell them that they are not looking for new business, after all it is chasing them wherever we go. Perhaps you might expand your own auto appearance business in your market since your volumes will be high as soon as fuel costs come down; you have trained another crew and have considered the most efficient routing. Think on this.
