Gas stations everywhere — whether newly built or renovated — usually consider installing one or more automatic car wash machines, to offer free wash with fuel to their customers.
The free wash service at gas stations has evolved from “others have it, so we have it” to “others have it, we have it better” — and now even to “others have it better, we have it best.” For car wash machine makers, customers wanting ever better equipment does push makers to develop machines that fit what customers want. For station operators, a well-designed, stable machine does raise the station’s service level and its competitiveness. Today, let us briefly look at what a car wash machine brings to a gas station. This is Part 1 of the series.
Free wash with fuel meets what customers expect
When people spend money, they always like to get more for the same money — and drivers fuelling up are no exception. For example, ¥100 of fuel earns a wash coupon, and with the coupon you wash the car for free. At the wash prices then common in most Chinese cities, the driver effectively gets about ¥25–50 back. Over time, drivers come to expect free wash with fuel. If a station does not offer it, the driver feels the expectation is broken, and next time will go back to a station that does offer free wash with fuel.
A wash bay keeps loyal customers
A gas station is like a barbershop or a restaurant: it wants customers to keep coming back to spend, so stations offer stored-value cards with many perks to attract drivers. If a station has a wash bay, a convenience store and other non-fuel services, it gives customers great convenience — not every visit to fuel up needs a wait before you can wash the car. Drivers who hold a stored-value card can wash their car whenever they come, and the station can also send members timely wash information: when the queue is short, the station can message its card-holding members from the system, telling them there are few cars waiting, so come and wash now. That raises member satisfaction, strengthens the customer relationship, and keeps loyal customers.
A VIP wash turns drivers into members
Many gas stations that install automatic wash equipment also see cars queuing to wash — card members and casual drivers alike. A station can set up one VIP wash machine, reserved first for card members. The VIP machine can be clearly better than the regular machines — in wash water, wash chemicals, brushes and more. That gives card members a sense of privilege. After all, to enjoy VIP service at a bank, you need at least a gold card with ¥200,000 or more.