“HELP, I’m drowning.”

It’s a cry out you hear every day.

A cry from business leaders drowning in data.

The dawn of the information age and access to vast seas of data has brought us more information than at any other point in history. Managing it is a top priority for every business. But managing data is table stakes. The true value of data lies in actionable insights that ignite sales and profits.

International Carwash Association has its own mountain of data about the lifeblood of our business, car wash consumers. Since the first ICA Consumer Study was conducted 25 years ago, it has been our goal to provide car wash operators and suppliers with meaningful information from which to refine their own business strategies.

In the 2022 ICA U.S. Consumer Study, we interviewed a census-balanced, nationally representative sample of 1,794 adults who own or lease a vehicle. Insights from the study provide an in-depth understanding of the factors that drove and continue to drive this business success story. We asked 70 questions, offering the opportunity to mine the data for insights across hundreds of different variables.

But let’s focus on the single most important question every operator wants to know.

What does the data mean for your business?

Here are three simple questions to ask that will help you unearth actionable insights and make the 2022 ICA Consumer Study your study.

1. How satisfied are your customers?

The 2022 Consumer Study provides the first-ever barometer of customer satisfaction. By asking your customers this simple question, you can benchmark your location(s) against the national average for all car washes. You’ll no longer need to guess at how you’re doing relative to other operators. You’ll know.

2. How satisfied are your customers compared to washes like ours?

The Consumer Study allows us to segment data by wash type.  So, while it’s important to know how you’re performing relative to all washes, it’s far more insightful to know how satisfied your customers are relative to your wash type.

3. Why are your customers more or less satisfied?

Five key factors drive customer satisfaction: quality, price, value, experience, and service. Nationally representative data from the Consumer Study allow you to compare yourself to both total PRO washers and customers who use your specific wash type. Now you can pinpoint specific areas of strength, weakness, and opportunity to enhance customer satisfaction, loyalty and drive repeat business.

The 2022 ICA U.S. Consumer Study is packed with data and actionable insights to help you ignite sales and profits. The 28-page total U.S. report is now available as well as segment-specific reports for each of the five major wash types. Learn more about accessing the 2022 Consumer Study at https://www.carwash.org/consumer-study.