“If you want to stand out from the crowd, give people a reason not to forget you.” This quote byRichard Branson, famed entrepreneur and founder of Virgin Group, is still true today and many car wash operatorsare following this sage advice, incorporating cutting-edge technologies, products and services to create a trulyunforgettable customer experience.

Whether it’s uniquely scented soaps, eye-catching light displays or just good, old-fashioned customerservice, car wash operators are constantly tapping into new and improved features to differentiate theirfacilities. These innovative ideas allow operators to stand out from the crowd, cultivate customer loyalty andboost business to all-new heights.

“It used to be all about improving the product,” said Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender.

“That’s still true, but today customers also choose places based on the experience the businessprovides. A car wash is a commodity until it does something special that thrills customers.”

Kizer and Bender are consumer anthropologists, keynote speakers, authors and consultants who have helpedthousands of businesses in the retail, auto, service and other industries since 1990.

To illustrate the importance of customer experiences, Kizer and Bender use two popular doughnut stores as anexample. “Dunkin’ sells tasty doughnuts, but Voodoo Doughnuts sells doughnuts with a twist,”they said. “It’s a creative and fun place to visit. Voodoo’s branding makes it stand out, too.If you want to get married in a doughnut shop by an alien, Voodoo is the place to go. Do they have to do that?Of course not, but in comparison, Dunkin’ is a commodity, Voodoo is an experience.”

According to Bender and Kizer, car wash operators have countless opportunities to create fun and memorablecustomer experiences. “In a car wash, the experience might include an enthusiastic greeter and friendlypersonnel; loyalty programs that are easy to understand and even easier to redeem; or an assortment of productscustomers can peruse before heading to the checkout,” they said. “Even the coffee served can lend to– or detract from – the customer experience.”

Think Outside The Circle

If you want to improve the customer experience at your car wash, it’s important to complete a circleexercise. In each of their presentations, Kizer and Bender shared a helpful business exercise they call theCustomer Care Circles of Experience. Here’s how it works:

Draw a small circle on a flipchart and list all of the cool things that you do for customers inside the circle.This circle should include the basics, like having a place for customers to wait while their cars are washed andsomeone to work the register—basically all the mandatory things you need to run a business.

Now, draw a larger circle around the smaller one. This outer circle represents the extra things you do forcustomers, like towel-drying their cars, an unannounced sale, an attendant who says, “With yourpermission, I would like to run your car through again if you have time. I noticed we missed a spot,” ormaybe even a handwritten thank you note for choosing your car wash over the competition.

Once you’ve filled in the circles, it’s time to step back and evaluate your offerings. “Theouter circle is where great customer experiences live,” Kizer and Bender said. “But once customersget used to the things in the outer circle, or competitors knock them off, these things get relegated to theinner circle. When every car wash does them, they become expected. We recommend that you do this exercise at astore meeting at least once a quarter to keep your offerings fresh.”

Stand Out With Innovative Features

Searching for ways to improve the customer experience and make your car wash pop? Here are some ideas fromoperators and businesses that have taken the extra step to stand out.

NoPileups by DRB Systems

NoPileups by DRB Systems is a state-of-the-art car wash tunnel management system incorporating video and advancedcomputer technology. This system helps car wash operators increase capacity, identify broken or misalignedequipment and prevent unnecessary collisions. While other tunnel management and anti-collision equipment onlycovers the exit, NoPileups protects cars across the entire length of the tunnel. When a collision threat isdetected, it automatically stops the conveyor and records a 15- to 20-second video so the operator can identifythe cause of an issue.

Brian Krusz, founder of Sgt. Clean’s Car Wash in Ohio, said NoPileups has benefited his business in acouple different ways. Not only does the technology increase the efficiency of his five car wash facilities, butit also gives his customers peace of mind, thus improving their overall experience.

“Because we advertise to consumers that we have NoPileups, they know we are embracing technology andincorporating safety into our facilities,” he said. “Also, our team members are sending the vehiclesthrough closer and closer, knowing that NoPileups is going to be there as a fail-safe. It allows them toidentify the issue in a rapid way and get the system back up and running again.”

According to Krusz, NoPileups has been good for both his customers and his team. “It has provided thatsafety aspect that offers our customers and our team reassurance and confidence,” he said. “It’snew and innovative, and we’re embracing it at all five of our facilities.”

Pleasantly Scented Soaps

Car wash soaps have come a long way in recent years, particularly when it comes to the variety of scentsavailable. It may seem like an insignificant detail, but the soap fragrance you choose can make or break thecustomer experience. Soap aroma has the power to put a smile on your customers’ faces or send them runningfor the hills.

Plus, psychologists have discovered that sense of smell is closely linked with memory, probably more so than anyof our other senses. This is your opportunity to create a pleasant memory for your customers as opposed to anolfactory nightmare.

“All of our soap is scented on both the first row and the last one,” said Krusz. “We hit themwith lavender first, and then we use a fresh linen scent before the final rinse. It smells just like freshlywashed clothes getting pulled out of the dryer, to give them that warm, fresh feeling.”

Eye-Catching Light Displays

If you want to create a memorable car wash experience for your customers, why not put on a show? Many car washoperators are tapping into innovative lighting displays to keep customers informed and entertained.

Tyler Slaughter, partner/operations director with Camel Express Car Wash in Nashville, Tenn., said, “We usestrobe lasers, and they create what’s called refraction. When the light shines through the soap, it dancesall around. It bounces off the bubbles inside the soap, and it looks like a disco party inside your car. It’sreally cool.” He said it’s been a big hit with their customers, too.

“We use TSS lighting at all our facilities,” said Krusz. “Our indication lights let thecustomer know that they’re getting what they paid for, but then there are also flashing LED lights weutilize to make it a fun experience for the consumer, especially for kids.”

Top-Notch Customer Service

If you want to make your car wash pop, one of the most effective features you can incorporate is also the oldest:good ol’ customer service. While it may not seem as exciting as groundbreaking technology, superiorcustomer service is essential if you want to stand out from the competition.

“Customer service is always at our forefront,” Krusz said. “At Sgt. Clean’s Car Wash, we’reall about the consumer. They come in to get a clean, dry and shiny car in the most fast and efficient way—andwe’re here to make that happen. We offer what we call the WOW factor, and that’s exceeding thecustomer’s expectations on their visit. All of our team members are in uniform, they’re smiling,they’re visible onsite and they’re at the pay stations. We provide the most effective service with asmile, and that’s how we stand out from our competitors. Anyone can wash your car. But the difference isin the people.”

When it comes to offering exceptional customer service, Krusz believes employee training is key. “We have acorporate trainer and an HR director,” Krusz said. “We’re constantly doing customer servicetraining on a daily and monthly basis.”

Leave A Lasting Impression

Even if your car wash offers the coolest features and the most innovative technologies, this does notautomatically translate into an enjoyable customer experience. According to Kizer and Binder, there arecountless other factors involved, including everything from the waiting room furniture to the cashier’sfacial expression.

“Just remember that the average consumer makes a value judgement about places – good or bad –in just 10 seconds or less,” said Bender and Kizer. “The question is what does your car wash say tocustomers in that 10-second window? And what are you willing to do or change to make it stand out?”