Mapping Your Customer’s Journey: The Road to More Unlimited Memberships

Mapping Your Customer’s Journey: The Road to More Unlimited Memberships
By Lanese Barnett, Vice President of Business Development at Amplify Car Wash Advisors

With broader consumer acceptance of unlimited monthly car wash plans due to their affordability and convenience, car wash owners also benefit through the reoccurring revenue and greater brand loyalty in an increasingly competitive space. When it comes to customers, mapping their journey – and most importantly, their experience – can help you better understand how a person interacts with your business so you can optimize that interaction to reach your goals.

A customer journey map is a tool to visualize the path a customer takes to becoming a loyal fan and can help a wash understand where a customer is, right now, so they can address their needs to drive new sales and reduce churn. The goal is to generate a clear action plan for staff based on what the customer experiences. A journey map is a living document that should change and evolve over time as more information is captured and internal processes are adjusted based on identified areas of improvement. Commitment from the entire organization to consistently use the information to continually improve customer service will make it most useful.

Here’s how to build out a customer journey map:
* Separate your customers into groups based on similar characteristics and choose a group or groups to map.
* Think through the customer’s lifecycle. What happens along the way from awareness of your brand and consideration to use it, to deciding to purchase a monthly wash plan, and then retaining those customers? Ideally, in the retention phase a long-term, satisfied monthly plan member becomes a brand champion promoting the business in online reviews and to family and friends.
* Locate your customer touchpoints. Consider how customers find and interact with your brand online, in person onsite, through signage, and in advertising. Identify where you can improve the customer’s experience, and where you may find gaps in your customer service or engagement opportunities. This will help you create or adjust your training and marketing strategies.
* Set measurable goals or key performance indicators to evaluate success. Making data-driven decisions will help you better manage your business. Customers are unique and so are businesses. singlebeak While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to understanding their wants, needs, and desires to influence behavior, there are tools to help you better connect with them by walking in their shoes. Creating a customer journey map can help you make more informed decisions about who your customer is and how to speak to them to grow your business.

See the article as published in Car Wash Magazine’s Spring Issue.

Jet Brite Car Wash

With decades of hands-on experience as operators, when it came time to sell our car wash business who we sold to was important to Sam and me. Chris [Jenks] and the team at Amplify listened to us throughout the entire process. They found the right buyer in ZIPS who would be a good steward of the brand and helped find the best path forward for us where we can continue pursuing our passion for manufacturing high-quality car wash equipment.  

Jet Brite Car Wash  
Dave Delesandro  | Founder

Ducky’s Express

I have been a multi-site developer and operator in the car wash industry for over 30 years. Four years ago, a partner’s health concern forced me to sell a portion of my portfolio, and during that process, I was introduced to Jeff Pavone of Commercial Plus. I was immediately impressed with Jeff’s knowledge of my industry and his volume of successful deal closings. In a very short period of time, Jeff found the right buyer at a very fair price, and the transaction closed shortly thereafter. I was looking for a team with honesty, integrity, and a proven track record of success, and I found all of that in Jeff.

Ducky’s Express
Richard Miller

Trademark Car Wash

These are some of the most exciting times for car wash owners. As we grew 350% in revenue in just one year, we recognized the time to partner up with a top-tier team that has mastered growth in retail and specifically the automotive industry. Amplify Car Wash Advisors had helped us acquire, raise capital, and was the perfect partner to help us reach this next chapter of the Trademark story.

Trademark Car Wash
Andrew Goldberger

Quick N’ Clean

My relationship with Commercial Plus over the past 20 years has been a very professional and trustworthy relationship. The feel of trust is very important in this business, and Jeff Pavone and his staff have exhibited a level of trust that makes me continue to feel that they have my best interest front of mind. I deal with many brokers across the nation, and my best experiences and results have been achieved with Commercial Plus representation.

Quick N’ Clean
Richard Karle | Owner

Zips

It’s been a great experience working with Amplify Car Wash Advisors to bring these sites into the ZIPS portfolio. We look forward to serving Dallas area customers with an enhanced car wash experience unique to ZIPS, with the added benefit of our extensive network of stores. This year we have continued our aggressive growth track with the goal to truly shine in our efforts to be the best express car wash provider in the industry and it’s acquisitions like this that help us reach our goals.

Zips
Gene Dinkens | CEO

ModWash

It was truly a pleasure to work with the Amplify team on our most recent acquisition of three additional operating locations in our home state of Tennessee. Their team provided great support and ensured a timely and seamless closing process, and we are excited for the additional growth opportunities this relationship will produce in our near future. We know this is the first of many transactions we will successfully complete with the Amplify team as we grow from our current operating store count of 23 to well over 200 locations across 14 states in the next two years.

ModWash
Brian Thornton | COO

Busy Bee Car Wash

For years I’ve talked to a lot of brokers with the same goal; sell your car wash chain as quickly as possible. But I chose to work with Amplify because they were interested and invested in the emotional side of selling my business and truly value long-term relationships. They weren’t forcing me to take a deal just to take a deal. They listened to my concerns and goals then educated me on all my options. And that’s how I decided on the right partner for my chain specifically. I went to bed at night after I signed the papers knowing I got the best deal possible versus just having any deal put in front of me that is only about money.

Busy Bee Car Wash
Jim Mulholland | Owner

Q Car Wash

We really appreciate Jeff and his entire team at Amplify. Their expertise and deep industry knowledge helped us navigate our options and best showcase our strengths to maximize our value. Caliber is a good fit for Q Car Wash as they look to expand in North Texas.

Q Car Wash
Viran Nana | COO

Cobblestone Auto Spa

I have known both Jeff and Bill for over thirty years combined, and respect them both as experts in our professional car washing industry. Their unique and individual strengths bring very strong talent and advice to operators, sellers, and buyers with sharp knowledge, client’s best interest in mind, and an actual personal touch. They hold the expertise and performance track record to hold a very high level of respect within this rapidly-changing car wash industry.

Cobblestone Auto Spa
Tuck Bettin | CEO

Oasis Car Wash

Turning over a business you started from one shovel of dirt 25 years ago and grew to several locations is a difficult and even uncomfortable process. So, when it came time for Larry and me to sell, we chose Amplify Car Wash Advisors to guide us through the process because of their strong reputation and thought leadership in the industry. Their team was professional and did a great job walking us through each step.

Oasis Car Wash
Dallas Hawkins | Partner

Busy Bee Car Wash

Selling our business after 52 years is big deal and certainly not a decision I took lightly, turning over our family legacy was an emotional process and I appreciated that the team at Amplify respected that. They helped me understand my options and found the best deal for me.

Busy Bee Car Wash
Jim Mulholland | Owner