Empire Car Wash Group Gains Data Capture, Fraud Prevention, and Analytics Insight from EverWash-omniX
John Grefe, one of the managing partners of Empire Car Wash Group which stretches from the upper portion of Manhattan into the posh areas of Long Island, saw growth of 40 percent in revenue in 60 days after implementing the EverWash program in all of Empire’s locations.
Seeing into the future
To take business to the next level, the partners needed analytics—meaningful data specific to their business to prevent fraudulent transactions, align resource needs with projected traffic, and improve wash operations.
WashX, the EverWash and omniX vehicle analytics platform, met their needs, turning existing security cameras into an intelligent set of eyes that recognized vehicles multiple ways, including make, color and license plate, then compared the information with the EverWash database in real time.
“Being able to find the exact time that that customer came in cut the time to review customer complaints,” says John.
The Power of Analytics
The metrics were also valuable in studying the efficiency of each location. “We were able to get a baseline timeframe on how long it took a car to get from the entrance to the exit,” notes John. “Then we started to study each individual steps. How long does the vacuum take? How long does the prep process take? How long does it take to get through the tunnel? And how long does that finishing step take?”
The WashX data became valuable when Empire installed new equipment that was intended to reduce the prep process and the drying time. “What we found,” continued John, “was that not only did the installation of that equipment reduce the amount of labor that we needed every day, it saved us about five minutes per car. So, when you think about that on a 200-car day, five minutes, that’s a thousand minutes!”
Metrics to Move Customers to Memberships
“WashX data prompts our cashiers to mention to an often-visiting customer, ‘Hey listen, this car has been here three times in the last 30 days. Do you know that a membership can save you money?’ That’s a real selling opportunity for the memberships,” reports John.
“Conversely, when the data shows that a customer has never been to the wash before, it’s a good idea to just share more about the program. The data guides us about who is ready for the sales pitch, who is not a viable prospect, and when we should take a paced approach,” he concludes.
