Car wash sales is one of the foremost thoughts of a car wash owner like you. Your daily concerns include creating effective marketing programs and ensuring smooth operations. With the car wash industry becoming more and more competitive, you really have to think ahead of your competitors. Thus, you always ask yourself: what other ways can help attract customers and keep them loyal?
Have you heard of RFID systems for car wash operations? RFID, or radio-frequency identification, has become essential to car wash marketing and consequently, car wash sales. Many car wash businesses have found it useful in day-to-day car wash operations. An RFID system can provide you with valuable assistance in marketing, office administration, enhancing customer experience and keeping customers loyal. What is RFID? Read on and find out more about this new technology.
How can RFID boost your car wash sales
RFID is a technology that uses radio waves to automatically identify people or objects, says the RFID journal. According to logisticsit.com, it uses tags that contain electronically stored information. These tags receive and transmit radio signals to readers that pick up the signal. A common example is the RFID technology used for electronic toll collection where tags are placed on vehicle windshields to RIFD technology has become a must-have that it’s almost always installed as part of a point of sale system. When it was first introduced to the car wash industry in 2005, it was to identify prepaid customers. In a report by carwash.com, tags are placed on vehicles’ windshields to identify customers as they enter a car wash station . Over time, it has proven to be more useful than just tracking prepaid car wash services.
Enhanced customer experience
The profitability of a car wash business has made it a popular choice for start-ups. The industry has been growing year after year. You have to remain competitive to increase your chances of success. What can you offer to your customers that your competitors can’t? They wash cars too, just like you. The trick is to focus on enhancing customer experience. Adding RFID makes it easier and more convenient for car wash customers to use car wash facilities. According to Tony Force, software architect with XpresSystems Inc. in an article published by carwash.com, with most RFID systems, customers won’t even have to roll down their windows. Once the customer drives up to the car wash, the tag is recognized by the reader and their preferred car wash service is activated. RFID provides customers with speed, convenience and simplicity.
RFID readers enable you to provide faster service to members and increase your customer base. Unlike bar codes, you don’t even need a line of sight for your reader to identify the vehicles. RFID tags can be read as long as they’re within range. With RFID, you create a car wash experience for your customer like no other.
Marketing programs
Marketing strategy is the heart of your car wash business’ success. RFID can be a great marketing tool if you just know how to use it. It allows you to collect vital customer information that you can use for your marketing database. Your customers’ visits can be easily tracked. This will give you access to your customer demographics. RFID provides you with flexibility in marketing programs. Gao RFID Inc. says you can utilize it for your monthly wash plans, wash club programs, fleet account programs, loyalty programs, and the like.
Indeed, you can expect an increase in your car wash sales if you know how to correctly maximize the use of RFID. Brian Bath, vice president of Sales and Marketing at Innovative Control Systems, Inc., cautions that the biggest mistake you can make is purchasing RFID and expect it to do all the work for you. You still have to do the legwork and market it properly to get the customers’ attention. Customers have to be aware of it for it to be effective.
Office efficiency
Aside from boosting car wash sales, efficiency is also at the top of your priorities. Not only would you want to be more efficient – you also expect the same from your employees. Your job is to support your employees and provide them with whatever they need to be more efficient. On top of making it an awesome experience for your customers, RFID also makes the job easier for your office personnel. RFID systems provide you with a management record easily programmable services that can customize the car wash experience. You can also get notifications that will automatically track payments and information. You are assured of accurate records, including that of stock inventory. These reports came from Retail Info Systems News. RFID equips you with a system for fast, automatic and accurate data entry. Thus, you can avoid costly mistakes.
However, you need to pay a close attention to managing RFID. Just like any other car wash technological advancement, it is a complex system and requires special installation. Trials and tests are also necessary to ensure that it functions to its full potential, cautions EMS-RFID.com.
Conclusion
Granted, having an RFID system installed can be expensive. It can also initially require a lot of your effort to put processes around it and ensure it delivers the car wash sales that you expect. On the other hand, it can do wonders for your marketing programs, customer base and your employees. Investing and hard work may very well provide you the boost in your car wash sales that you have been looking for.
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