Run Your Automatic Car Wash With Intention

By Lauren Shanesy

For some retailers, a car wash is nothing but the “building out back” (or as some operators affectionately refer to it, Bob).

A car wash can offer significant profit margins for retailers, but it’s not passive income. Running a car wash requires intention, attention to detail, assurance of quality and its own category strategy. It requires the same intention that operators give to fuel, foodservice and inside sales, experts at The Car Wash Show agreed.

“The car wash is not a rotisserie chicken—don’t set it and forget it,” said Brett Fraser with the Western Carwash Association while moderating a panel at the event, held last week in Nashville, Tennessee.

During the session, panelists from convenience retailers including Sheetz and Kwik Trip offered ideas for how retailers can run their car wash like a business instead of an afterthought amenity.

You Only Get One First Impression

Customers will make assumptions about the quality of your car wash based on its appearance.

Signage is one of the most overlooked opportunities and one of the first things panelists said operators should make sure is updated. Outdated, faded or mismatched signs can immediately signal neglect to customers.

“I see 15-year-old signage … and it just looks bad,” said Rich Andreas, VP of sales and marketing at Washworld, a manufacturer of in-bay automatic and self-serve wash equipment. He added that refreshing signage is “one of the quickest things someone can do to dress up their wash” and “a very inexpensive fix” that has a major visual impact on consumers.

“[Signage is] your real first conveyance of what you do to the general public,” said Scott Soisson, car wash sales manager at Sheetz. “If it’s not good, chances are they're not going to feel the rest of your operation is good.”  

Beyond signage, basic maintenance or cleanliness issues can undermine customer trust. Dirty or cracked doors, algae buildup and worn payment screens all send the same message: The operator isn’t investing in the wash.

Consumers think “if the doors look like this, what’s the wash going to do to my vehicle?” said Shannon Jandt, car wash manager at Kwik Trip.

When retailers see their site every day, it can be easy for them to overlook problems that will stand out to customers.

Panelists stressed the importance of stepping back—literally. Operators should evaluate their entire location from the customer’s perspective, not just focus on the areas they know well. “I always tell people, take a couple steps back, go to the other side of the street and actually look from the parking lot of that location. Take in the whole building and everything it represents,” said Andreas.

Jandt added that bringing in someone from outside the business can show you things you’re missing and reveal problems you no longer notice, from worn surfaces to cleanliness issues.

At the core of this exercise is understanding the customer mindset. “It’s all about the customer perspective. Why are they there? They’re there for a convenient wash that’s quality,” said Soisson.  

Layout and Visibility Can Make or Break Success

For c-stores, site layout is one of the biggest challenges. Car washes are often located behind the building or out of direct sight, which can limit usage.

“We have customers who have been coming to our site for years and don’t even realize we have a car wash on site,” Jandt said.

Directional signage, lighting and visual cues all play a role in guiding customers to the wash. “What can you do on your leader boards? What can you do on your buildings? We rely a lot on our retail operation for getting the word out, and marketing campaigns,” Jandt said, with Soisson adding that Sheetz markets the car wash heavily at the gas pump.

Operators also need to think carefully about traffic flow and how it impacts user experience. Layout decisions—from entrance direction to the placement of payment units—can either simplify or complicate the process. “A lot of simple things can just make it more user-friendly. You’ve got to make it really easy … really comfortable, because once they find that wash … it’s easy and comfortable to come back,” said Andreas.

One challenge that in-bay automatic washes have is throughput. If customers see a long line at the wash, they likely won’t want to get in it. “We try to be intentional [with the way the building is facing]. We try to make sure that guests don't see the stacked line when they're pulling in. We want them to see cars that are nice and shiny and clean coming out,” said Jandt.

Proper Pricing and Promotions

One area where c-stores can compete with standalone car wash operations is on price. With car wash being part of a broader value proposition tied to fuel and in-store purchases, you don’t need to push the wash price to make a profit. “Car wash is not our only business. We’re trying to offer the best value … encourage them to shop our whole lot,” Soisson said. 

Take a look at what your competitors are doing, and don’t outprice them. “I don’t think that you should be raising prices every year,” Jandt noted. Soisson said he just increased his price for the first time in six years. Both retailers noted that they keep prices the same across their multi-state footprints for consistency.

Unclear or confusing menus or pricing packages can create a lot of friction for the customer who doesn’t understand what they’re buying. “Keep your menu simple. … They want to know what they’re getting, and quickly,” said Soisson.  

The panelists suggested a straightforward “good, better, best” package structure with icons or checkmarks, reducing the need for customers to read and interpret detailed descriptions.

Loyalty apps are also where operators can market their car wash in addition to the pump. Neither Sheetz nor Kwik Trip currently have car wash memberships, which can create long wait times that deter customers. Instead, they offer promotions at the pump or primarily market through their loyalty app.

“I give away a lot of washes … the app is our main conduit to talk to our customers,” Soisson said, noting that app-based promotions drive trial and repeat usage.

Jandt also noted that your website needs to be updated. Consumers often search “car wash near me,” and your location needs to be easy to find.

Car Wash Technology Is Making Strides

Technology is improving and giving operators greater visibility and control to prevent downtime, improve consistency and enhance the customer experience.

Panelists highlighted the value of connected systems that provide real-time insights into equipment performance, payment issues and maintenance needs. These can help solve—or in some cases even predict—equipment issues without an employee constantly having to monitor the site.

“You know that there’s a credit card issue or the screen isn’t working,” said Andreas, describing how systems now communicate problems without requiring constant site checks.

“We have 200 sites out there. How do I know what one's down? How do I know they have doors stuck open? Or that they’ll run out of chemicals? Our operations teams are focused on the convenience stores and not always going out to the car wash,” said Soisson. “So we are working on automating. I will know before I run out of chemical, and we will automatically ship replacement chemicals. We can roll maintenance out ahead of time, sometimes before equipment is even down.”

Never Stop Improving

The panelists also emphasized that the most successful car wash operators are those who continuously reinvest in their car wash.

“Each year, I think everybody needs to try to add in something or improve something,” said William Ross, regional sales manager at Istobal, noting that small touches like hand dryers or credit card readers can be a big upgrade for consumers.

Even relatively small changes can deliver significant returns and signal to customer that the wash is high quality.

Facility Development & Store Operations Automotive services