Curb appeal is that all important first impression

by Joe Cameron

How often have you wondered why people, when confronted with multiple choices for the same goods and services, will choose one place over another?

Is it because they know or have heard that company A makes a better product than company B?

Is it because one company is more conveniently located than another?

Is it because you have seen company A’s advertisements and never heard of company B?

The correct answer is all of the above but there is another factor that is far more visceral. Curb appeal.

First Impression

Curb appeal is that all important first impression. Does this place “feel” like somewhere I want to spend my money? This is something that very few of us consciously ask ourselves but our minds do the calculations for us every time. Certainly a well-placed advertisement will serve to draw people to your establishment but if the prospective customer arrives and does not like the “look” of your establishment, all that advertising was for naught.

There are a lot of subjective terms in play here because someone liking the “look” or “feel” of an establishment is a completely subjective emotion. Getting a prospective customer to like the look or feel of your car wash then becomes something of a study in psychology and pop culture. There has been a lot said over the years about curb appeal and techniques to achieve this. Everyone knows that a well lit, tidy facility with all the modern conveniences and nice landscaping will win out over the rusting tin building built circa 1965 every time but in the car wash industry’s current state, we have a lot of car washes that could win landscaping awards that are failing. Certainly in a marketplace awash in nice car washes competing for the same dwindling revenues requires something to differentiate them from the rest and so the concept of curb appeal gets taken to the next level. It is no longer enough to be attractive; a business must become enticing.

Enticement

The word “enticement” is defined as the act of influencing by exciting hope or desire. While this may have salacious connotations, it is nonetheless a great thing to achieve with your car wash! I would make the distinction here between someone feeling enticed and someone feeling “compelled” which is another term I have seen bandied about when discussing curb appeal. To “compel” someone suggests that there is a lack of volition and I don’t know of anyone that enjoys feeling like they were strong armed into anything. Enticement on the other hand suggests something that is done willingly and gladly. We all want our customer to desire our services and enter the bay with the hope and belief that they will get great bang for their buck. We must first examine how we can make that happen.

Demographics

It is first most important to understand the demographic you are trying to entice. If your demographic is older and very conservative, it will probably be futile to market yourself as the “Rock and Roll Car Wash.”  Conveying the image of a clean, pleasantly landscaped, easy to use car wash would be a better plan. Bright, garish colors would tend to have an off-putting effect. If however, you have a young demographic with cars, the “Rock and Roll Car Wash” idea begins to make sense. Loud, eye catching and garish colors may sell well with this demographic while nice landscaping would tend to be wasted. Think Coldplay, not Caladiums! It is important to remember that the first blush attraction to an establishment comes completely from the overall effect, not from the details.

Overall Picture

It is difficult for the car wash investor, after having been intimately acquainted with every detail of their business from the beginning to step back and look at the overall picture but it is a crucial step in evaluating curb appeal. Just as we put ourselves in the customer’s shoes in order to learn the meaning of good customer service, we must also do this to evaluate how enticing the establishment really is. Bringing in a trusted friend or confidant who has not been involved with the business from ground breaking to ribbon cutting might be worth considering in assessing the curb appeal of your business.

Identifying Impressions

Another aspect involved in assessing curb appeal is identifying the impressions that you want the prospective customer to have and prioritize them based on the perceived needs of your target demographic. For example, an older demographic might be enticed by the appearance of safety and ease of use and so, making apparent your surveillance system, bright lighting and having your bays clearly visible from the street would be good ideas. A younger customer base might be attracted to a large detail area where they can show off their shiny, clean cars to passersby and is more likely to spend a great deal of time detailing their vehicles. In this case, consideration in the site planning process would obviously be necessary. It is never too early in the planning process to consider curb appeal!

Science Element

While there are many intangibles involved, there is an element of science also. Having at least a peripheral knowledge of how the eye sees things and how the brain processes this information is helpful. For instance, the brain processes primary colors better than others. Also, certain color combinations are more eye-catching. High contrast colors are particularly effective in catching the eye. Distinctive branding such as a logo or color scheme also plays into the enticement factor. A professionally rendered, distinctive logo can go a long way to giving the instinctive impression that your car wash is a reliable brand and is there to stay. A lot can also be achieved with signage. Again, color combinations and branding factor heavily in choosing signage and the awareness that your sign out front will most likely be the first thing to draw the eye, sort of making it the first of first impressions.

Ultimately, choosing a layout and color scheme that is as eye catching as you can get away with while keeping in mind the aforementioned criterion is the goal. Good taste and sensitivity to your surroundings must always be employed but the last thing you want to do is to blend in! I have always found that washes located in industrial areas do well by lending a generous splash of color to what would otherwise be very dull surroundings. I would even go so far as to suggest that if your layout and presentation is original and creative enough, you can attract the local media to do a story on your wash. I have seen this happen numerous times and it has invariably resulted in a busy wash. Favorable free press is never a bad thing!

The Details

Now that you have enticed your prospective customer to your wash, don’t let them down by failing to follow through on the details. Be sure that the goods delivered live up to the hope and promise inspired by your overall presentation. I would add something about soap only to say that fragrance plays a huge role in that all important first impression. Smell, far more than sight and sound, is the most evocative of the senses and has the ability to create and trigger lasting memories and associations. The last I heard, watermelon scented foam brush soap has never caused someone to have a negative impression! In considering curb appeal, never forget that until the prospective customer hands over their money, they are still just a prospect. Seeing clean cars come out of the wash may be the best and most universal enticement of all so remember that enticing customers is only half the battle, getting them and keeping them is the ultimate goal and there is nothing like a clean car for a fair price to accomplish that.

Joe Cameron is the national sales manager for Kim Supply. For more information contact Joe at jcameron@kimsupply.com or visit the company Web site at www.kimsupply.com.