Do you really care and, if so, what do you care about?
I’ve seen operators fixated on cost per car for chemical and it makes me wonder, should we care? The answer is, yes, you have to care, but let’s focus on what’s important.
Consistency
Be consistent! Make it the same application every time, the same chemical usage every time, and clean the same spots every time. Consistency will make life easier for you and your employees.
Value
Love the customer who buys the smaller package; you can create surplus in higher packages, but don’t cheapen the lower to provide less value. Make the top great! Not the bottom bad. Don’t worry about making the bottom too good; when you create surplus at the top and make it easy for them to buy, people will buy. Bottoms up!
Quality
Dry that car- don’t give your customer a reason to look around by leaving them with a spotty windshield. Don’t become fixated on cost at the expense of quality; accept cost for what it is and focus on the 100 percent! That’s ALL of your customers. Stop trying to provide less for the lower or that’s what you’ll get, less.
When I hear an operator brag about how low they can get their cost per car, it makes me wonder, are they actually cleaning and drying the car? So what if your cost for drying agent is only $0.02/car? If it’s not working or doing its job, you might as well save the two cents and make it $0.00 per car! So what if your average cost per car is only $0.15? If the car is dirty and not dry, save the money and make it $0.00!
Costs are costs and should be treated that way. Explore other chemicals and a better way to do business, but do not provide an inferior product just to make yourself feel good.
Focus on the 100 percent; use a better product to make everyone happier!
