How to Design the Perfect Car Wash Menu
Whether you already own and operate a car wash business or plan on starting one, an essential part of your wash business will be the car wash menu. At many car washes, the wash menu is your first contact with customers as they try to decide what wash they want to buy.
For instance, at self-serve car washes, the wash menu is your salesperson that encourages and entices customers to spend money on the best washes with the most features and options. Since you are not there to upsell the hot wax, your menu has to do it for you.
At full-service and automatic car washes, the wash menu is also your salesperson. These types of car washes have cut their labor costs and done away with salespeople and, instead, rely on their wash menu to sell car washes.
No matter what type of car wash business you own or intend to open, the menu needs to be clear and concise and able to upsell your customers to the best wash packages. The car wash menu needs to describe the wash, what is included, and the price.
Step 1: Develop Wash Packages
The first thing you want to do is decide what you want to include in each of your wash packages. For example, a basic package could include a wash, rinse, and dry. An intermediate package could include the addition of tire foam and hot wax. An ultimate package could include everything, including a pre-soak, tire cleaner, sealer products, and a free vacuum.
You should have at least three different wash packages available. You can have more than three, yet you do not want to overwhelm your customers with too many options. So, a good number to stick to is no more than five wash packages—although, with fewer choices, customers are more likely to upgrade to your ultimate wash package than if you had a fourth or fifth option.
Another consideration when developing a wash package is taking into account the different seasons. In the spring, you could have a special wash package that is designed to remove pollen. Alternatively, in the winter, you could have a special wash package that helps remove sand, dirt, and salt from the vehicle.
Step 2: Determine the Pricing
You will want to establish prices for your wash packages and a la carte options. When pricing your packages, take into account your operational costs. You do not want to underprice the wash package so you are losing money, not making it.
Next, you want to make your higher-tiered wash packages more appealing to your customers by using competitive pricing points and options to entice them to upgrade to the better wash. For example, the cost between your intermediate and ultimate wash could be $2 or $3, depending on what is included to entice customers to upgrade.
With your a la carte pricing, you want to choose a pricing point that would make paying for one wash package and the a la carte upgrades more expensive than upgrading to a better wash package. For instance, the cost of your basic package plus an a la carte hot wax upgrade should cost more than your intermediate wash package.
Step 3: Be Creative with Your Wash Package Names
You can name your wash packages anything you want. You want to use fun names—names that reference local folklore or traditions or anything else that sounds exciting. You could even use themed names if your car wash was designed with a theme, such as the 1950s or space.
Having unique wash names will help your car wash stand out from the competition that uses generic wash names. What sounds better? The Intermediate Wash or the Milky Way? That is, if your wash has a space theme, but you get the point.
Step 4: Use Attention-Grabbing Graphic Designs
You need to make sure your car wash menu is easy to read and stands out. You will want to break the menu up into different sections for each of your wash packages and a la carte options.
For example, with three different wash packages, and arranging the wash packages horizontally, you would devote about 50% to 60% of the top part of the menu to your ultimate wash package. The package should take up the entire width of the menu.
In the middle, you would use about 30% of the space for your intermediate wash package. This intermediate package would take up about 70% of the width of the wash menu.
At the very bottom, you would use no more than 10% of the space for the basic wash package. The width of the graphic would not take up more than 50% of the wash menu.
Additionally, the size of the graphics should be different sizes. You want the ultimate wash package to have the biggest fonts and most color and to advertise it is the best value. You want to promote brand name products you use like Armor All, Rain-X, etc. in the graphic design.
The intermediate wash package should have a smaller graphic design, minimal colors, and a medium-sized font that is smaller than the ultimate package font. At the bottom, you would use no color, other than the pricing on your basic wash package. It should have the smallest graphic design and the smallest font.
If you want to create a vertical design, follow the same guidelines and put your ultimate package on the left-hand side of the menu and the basic package on the right-hand side of the menu.
Step 5: Create a Sub-Menu for A La Carte Options
Rather than try to fit every wash package and wash option onto a single menu, it is better to create a sub-menu you can attach to the side of your main wash menu. The sub-menu should list the name of the wash option with a description and its price.
You could also use a sub-menu to advertise vending products you sell at your car wash, such as air fresheners, snacks, beverages, and so on. This can be a small banner-type design that is placed at the top of your wash package menu. Be sure to include where the vending machines are located.
Step 6: Test and Retest
Once you get a menu designed, before you spend money getting it printed and putting it on display, get feedback from different people. You could get permission from your local grocery store to do a quick survey with people leaving the store.
Ask people to look at your proposed wash menu. Ask them what they like about the menu, what they don’t, and what they would change. Thank them for their time by giving them some type of reward like a coupon for $5 off any wash package.
Once you have gotten feedback and made any modifications, now it is time to test your car wash menu at your car wash. You may want to be present more often to get feedback from your wash customers about the new menu. Ask them the same questions as you did when you did your surveys. Make sure to reward them, too, for their time.
Step 7: Update Menus Periodically
You want to make sure your car wash menus are always fresh and stand out. The last things you want are wash menus that look generic, have faded from exposure to the sun, or need their prices and wash options updated. You may even decide to upgrade to digital touch screen wash menus!
By following these steps, you can create attention-grabbing car wash menus that can upsell your car wash customers to better wash packages, vending items, and more.
To find car wash supplies, accessories, vending machines, and other related products at wholesale prices, please feel free to shop online at Superior Car Wash Supply today! You may also contact us at 800-554-9274 if you have any questions or require additional assistance.