10 Strategies to Up-sell Your Car Wash Services

If you’re looking for ways to grow or revitalize your existing business, let the following strategies serve as a checklist of things you may already be doing and up-sell strategies you might consider adding, to boost your profit margins.

1. Start Them Off Right

You can offer manual wash preparation before cars enter the tunnel at a full-service car wash or during special hours at self-service car washes. Our manual wash system aids in removing soil, snow, ice and bug buildup before entering the wash. This can be an up-sell or a complimentary perk. Either way, the customer tips will pad the detailer’s wages so the manual pre-wash can increase both customer and employee satisfaction.

2. Smell the Roses

Offering a fragrance choice, either at a self-serve vacuum station or through full-service employee application, is an opportunity for a quick, low-cost, high-profit up-sell.

3. Nice Wheels

Who wants to break their back or skin their knees scrubbing their tires and hubcaps manually? Not only do home tire and hubcap sprays range from $10-20 a bottle, but it’s a real pain to scrub away built-up dirt and grime. Providing customers with an automated, no-mess, no-fuss solution is an easy up-sell.

4. Triple that Foam

Presenting single, double and triple foam options with our Foam Curtain Arch creates a customizable experience. From pre-soaks to conditioners to waxes, this system allows for a wide variety of up-selling packages.

5. Add Some Bling

Another way to increase customer appeal and drive up wash volume is by adding some “bling” to wash tunnels in the form of multi-colored LED lights, which can both attract customers from the street and entertain them once inside the wash.

6. Finish in Style

A car wash equipped with an air dry feature like our Air-One Dryer means you can add a few dollars to your package fee. Follow up an air dry with the super absorbent material in our mechanical drying system Dry N’ Shine for an additional up-sell.

Some other strategies to up-sell your car wash services include:

7. Vacuuming Services

Instead of using them as an up-sell, provide vacuums as a free perk to increase customer traffic. Even if the service is complimentary, signage promoting free vacuums is usually enough to not only lure new customers in but also get them in the habit of getting a car wash every time they notice their interior needs a little attention.

8. Detailing Services

For self-service car washes, install an outdoor vending machine with merchandise from cleaning chemicals to shammies and cleaning cloths to air fresheners.

At full-service locations, following the wash, detailers can quickly wipe down any stray moisture left behind by an air-dry system. In addition to making customers feel pampered, these employees create the opportunity for up-sells such as waxes or polishes inside and out.

9. Lobby Products

If you’ve got a waiting room at a full-service location, add vending machines with sodas and snacks or even a freezer with ice cream treats. Not only is this an additional revenue stream, but it also helps increase customer satisfaction by decreasing their attention on wait time for their vehicle.

Full-service car washes are certainly not limited to beverages and food items, however. If you’re thinking air fresheners and dashboard bobble heads? Sure, but also consider adding a jewelry or key chain turnstile, locally handcrafted items or whatever you think will sell to your demographic.

10. Windshield Repair 

Sending a vehicle through the high-water pressure of an automated car wash with a damaged windshield can increase cracking. Whether you have someone to fix windshields on-site or you want to partner with a local windshield repair company, pointing this out to the customer can increase customer loyalty and add another source of revenue to your business.