Modern Car Washing: Creative Strategies for Self Serve and In Bay Success

Self-Serve and In-Bay Automatics Offer Untapped Potential in Car Wash Industry, Experts Say

A Shift Toward Differentiation and Experience

Host Matt DeWolf welcomed Nikita Klinisovs of McLean Solutions to discuss the overlooked growth potential of self-serve and in-bay automatic car washes. “It almost makes you wonder, is it a best kept secret for a reason or is it something left to be explored?” Klinisovs said.

Customer Experience Is Becoming the Differentiator

The episode highlighted how car wash operators are increasingly focused on customer experience as markets become more saturated and as sites become more visually and operationally similar. “The more the little things start to matter,” Klinisovs said. “Those little things end up making a huge difference. Now what you see when you are there, even what you smell when you are there, what kind of interactions with people you have, and what kind of interactions with technology you have all start to matter.”

DeWolf agreed, noting the evolution in consumer expectations. “There was a time in this industry where everything was pretty different. You could go from place to place and be like, wow, that is a really different way of doing that,” he said. “Now everybody in the space has to have that conversation and we are competing at a whole different level.”

Local Branding and Community Connection

Klinisovs said that operators of self-serve and in-bay automatics, particularly smaller chains, are in a position to innovate and create memorable experiences. That focus on local branding and community connection sets these models apart from large tunnel chains.

“There is nothing stopping you from being the town’s car wash,” Klinisovs said. “Working with the local high school, doing fundraisers, sponsoring the baseball league. That is the difference in maybe them choosing you over a larger brand that is from out of town and that they do not feel connected to.”

Market Demand and Site Location Advantages

According to Klinisovs, in-bay automatics continue to outnumber tunnels by more than two to one nationwide. “They are also in areas where tunnels probably would never really go, such as smaller towns and locations where it is hard to get larger plots of land,” he said.

The notion that self-serve demand is dwindling in the face of tunnel growth is a misconception. Industry advertising and new consumer options are expanding the market overall.

Membership Models and Volume Growth

DeWolf and Klinisovs explored the growing use of memberships in the self-serve and in-bay segments, with Klinisovs advocating for creativity in adapting subscription models to fit the customer profile.

“Membership is more complicated on the self-serve side,” Klinisovs said. “But at the end of the day the point is to wash more cars. Activity breeds activity and yes, it balances out seasonality. The idea is to push volume higher.”

Cleanliness and Product Quality Still Matter Most

Both experts agreed that operators need to go beyond marketing and sales and focus on product quality and site cleanliness, especially as customers weigh their options in crowded markets.

“We are selling clean at the very core,” Klinisovs said. “It is really hard to sell clean when your bay is filthy. Your only way to interact at that point is to have them use that function and go, whoa, this is awesome.”

Team Motivation and Closing Thoughts

The conversation closed with advice to keep teams motivated and engaged. “The little victories along the way are huge. The little reasons to celebrate life, effort, work, overcoming stress, and growing matter,” Klinisovs said.

As competition rises and differentiation becomes more important, self-serve and in-bay automatic operators are uniquely positioned to carve out local loyalty and memorable experiences.

“There is all kinds of stuff that can still be done,” DeWolf said. “We started this off talking about how things have gotten a little bit similar, but that similarity creates innovation.”