Advertise 50cent wash

[srhaz]

How crazy of an idea is this...

Way in the back of my mat by the bathroom ( a small hallway that virtualy gets no foot traffic) I have two old SQ tops that should be thrown out but they just keep running. They get a whopping one turn a week - probably the same customer. This spot will not support a new piece of equipment so I am not going to replace them and besides I have enough equipment. If I remove these two the spot will become a chair. (its a useless area)
So lets try something.
What about setting the level switch (or fabricate it) so the machine only fills halfway. And advertise this as a half load for 50cents???
Now you bean counters will say this will not make money DIRECTLY. But if it lures in a customer who knows they can count on a small load for the 3 white shirts they have. And hopefully they will use the bigger machines also.
But also, a advertisement of 50cent wash will turn heads and get people to come in.
My competetion has 10cent drys on certain days and is packed those days.

Equip mix;
12 Tops (plus these two)
12 Horizons
6 Supermates
4 Dex T400
2 27#
2 35#
1 50#
1 80#

[MSKLAUNDRY.]

Next you'll be offering half dry, LOL
Sounds like a decent idea if you can get the people to understand what a half load means.

[Anonymous]

Why drop the water and call it a half load - that is asking for complaints. Leave it as is and vend it at 50 cent and advertise the hell out of it. I doubt your cost to run that fully depreciated machine is more than 50 cents a load, plus you will make the money from the dryers and perhaps vending. Just be sure to have the ultra tiny small print that says capacity limited. I think you will find that many people will not want to wait or be in the back and will gravitate to the full price machines.

[Glenn]

Toss the washers and buy a used pac-man game.

[Anonymous]

LOL LOL LOL LOL

Sorry But when is the last time a customer put in less laundry into a washer. They stuff and stuff to save a quarter or two--LOL

All they are going to see is .50 cents and brain freeze well set in

Nope I won't do it.

HA HA you're funny guy ;)

I like .10 cent for half dry too

[Anonymous]

Loss leaders are great in every other business, why not this one. There are a hell of a lot of people with much more retail knowledge than us at places like Walmart, Macys, Circuit City, etc... The strategy of a limited quantity of something cheap brings people into the store and then they buy more or other things. Go with your gut instinct on this, don't let the nay sayers rain on your parade. Get back to us and let us know how it worked out.

[ajay]

I've seen a "lucky wash" sign for $1.00, when there's only one machine with that amount - hence the ad "lucky". I wouldn't cut the washer level. Still keep it simple.

[Coinwash]

Originally posted by kirby
Just be sure to have the ultra tiny small print that says capacity limited.
Originally posted by change
All they are going to see is .50 cents and brain freeze well set in
Warning! Will Robinson! Warning!. ... Warning! Will Robinson! Warning! ...

This is not a good idea.

Soda machine, Snack machine, Game machine, But this 50.cents
is a mistake. Don't lower your prices.
This is only my opinion

Sell the washers or give them away to a charity

[pete f]

I have had 2 mats were I kept one or two older machines, and kept the price cheap. Still, they did not get much use.
The only way would be to shut the hot water valve off, set the temp selector to COLD, then yank the button off. Try them at Cold wash Only for 50 cent, 75 cent ,see what happens.

Then start looking for something that makes money, like a snack vendor, game machine, etc, which will produce more revenue for the floor space then the two old tops.

[mike]

I think it's a great idea !

It won't make any money,
but it's a great talking point for customers,
(only 5% of which will use it)

I don't think I'd change the water level though,
as was said, brain freeze does set in after the price is stated
(I'm subject to that also)

It's the cheapest advertising you'll ever have !

I'm assuming it is "extra space"
and that it would not prevent you from putting in a game machine,
if you wanted to.

[Anonymous]

You tell them Mike - its a killer idea, I only wish I had thought of it first! I'm thinking about converting one of my double washers to vend cheaply for a few hours on Weds. mornings - I'll advertise it and all people will see is the cheap price - it will draw!

[MyLaundry]

If you advertise cheap price, you may create price war among your competitors. That is not healthy for our industry as a whole. Remember, our regular vend prices are already very cheap! Our vend prices did not catch up the inflation in the past 20 years ! We should not lower prices for any reason.

[JBTcajun]

Well guys I am a thin skinned costumer.
If you advertise 50 wash and that is what drew me into the store I had better get 50 wash.
Always remember that folk tel unhappy things to 10 people and happy things to 3.

[Anonymous]

Originally posted by JBTcajun
Well guys I am a thin skinned costumer.
If you advertise .50 cents wash and that is what drew me into the store I had better get .50 cents wash.
Originally posted by kirby
Loss leaders are great in every other business, why not this one.
Kirby this sounds like you. If it advertised I BETTER GET IT-- lol

This is bait & switch. Imagine a costumer comes in because he or she sees the sign in the window .50 cents washers.

They shlep in around 20 to 30 lbs of laundry, and see it's a come on.

1.) They do use the other machines and the bait & switch is a success.

2.) They freak out and call you at your bait and switch and go NUTS.

Kirby I would not you as that costumer Number 2

[mike]

I agree with the comments about "bait & switch"

I would not advertise this
unless you are EXTREMELY clear in the ad that
it is only 1 or 2 machines !

What I meant was, word of mouth to existing customers,
a convenience to customers
with only a couple of items of that color.

Kirby,
soon after I started my first store,
and raised from 50¢ to 75¢ a wash,
some customers complained that
with high unemployment, etc. etc.
They couldn't afford to wash.

I started a 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. (mon. to friday)
"early bird special" at 50¢.

I don't think I had more than 3 or 4 customers switch
their washing times.

"I'm not getting up at 7:00 a.m. when I don't have a job !"

People didn't use it,
BUT THEY TALKED ABOUT IT !