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Working at the car wash with digital signage
A car wash in the Chicago suburbs has deployed an outdoor digital signage menu board to increase upselling opportunities.
October 8, 2014 by Christopher Hall — w, t
Outdoor digital menu boards are most often found offering value meals and sodas in quick-service restaurant drive-thrus — but a car wash just outside of Chicago has found another use for the same kind of outdoor digital signage solution.
Earlier this year, the owners of the Clean Image Car Wash in Plainfield, Illinois, decided it was high time to update the facility's signage, and ended up switching to digital signage, according to a case study from digital signage mounting and enclosure provider Peerless-AV.
The car wash's static services board, located at the entrance of the car wash, required regular upkeep due to weathering and consistent service changes. In addition, each and every promotion designed to increase sales and upsells required the printing of a new sign and manual removal and replacement of signs on a regular basis.
So the car wash deployed Peerless-AV's Xtreme Outdoor Digital Menu Board with its Xtreme optically bonded LCD display to move to a more modern look. With a kiosk-enclosed, fully-sealed display and a rain cap that doubles as a solar shield to reduce solar load, the menu board is a complete weatherproof signage solution designed to be both visually-appealing and cost-effective. With the new digital signage solution, customers waiting in line could more easily review the current services and promotions than
with the previous, too-busy static board, leading to an uptick in add-on services. In addition, Clean Image now has the ability to swiftly change promotions on a daily basis, without the cost of creating and removing signs or any manual labor out in the elements.
Clean Image Car Wash co-owner Greg Augspurger answered a few questions from Digital Signage Today about this novel digital signage solution:
DST: What led you to think digital signage was something that would benefit you and your customers?
Augspurger: Prior to using a digital signage solution, we were relying on a static services board that displayed the various offerings to our patrons and would include promotions we were featuring. The problem with that solution, however, was the upkeep. Each time we had a new promotion or changes to our services, we needed to print a new sign and remove the previous signage. Because the signage was outside we had to contend with the climate, as well as the water and cleaning products used in the car wash. If the sign started to look weathered, we would need to replace it. We wanted to minimize these costs and provide our patrons with a solution that was eye-catching and easy to update. This is when we turned to digital signage.
DST: How did you and Peerless address environmental issues such as spray from the hoses, sunlight, etc. that might damage electrical components?
Augspurger: Peerless-AV has a strong reputation in manufacturing outdoor digital signage solutions. Being aware of this, we knew they had the experience to provide a solution that would hold up against both the elements and the environment. The [solution] we now have in place is fully sealed so nothing can penetrate the display. The display inside the kiosk can operate in extreme temperatures, which is good for us in Chicago because even if the car wash is not open during a snowstorm, the TV will still be protected. We won't have to cover it or worry about it malfunctioning once the weather becomes warm again. The display also has impact-resistant safety glass, so if the TV is sprayed with a [pressure washer] hose, we can rest assured that the screen will not shatter. The kiosk itself is made of powder-coated aluminum, which resists fading - a great option since the menu board will be out in the sun.
DST: How has the response been? Have you seen an increase in spending or some other way that you are getting a satisfactory ROI from the menu board?
Augspurger: Within the first month of installing the menu board, we saw a 10-percent increase in car wash packages and a 30-percent increase in add-on specialty services. Increasing add-on services was a goal of ours, so we feel confident in saying the Peerless-AV solution has helped us to meet this goal. Since we can easily update the content on the menu board, we are able to better target the promotions around our add-on services. This has definitely attributed to the increase.
DST: What else can you tell me about the deployment? Are you selling third-party ads on the screen? Do you show any other kind of content? Will you be adding more?
Augspurger: We are currently not selling third-party ads on this digital signage solution. However, we are considering adding a second digital menu board in the car wash tunnel where we foresee selling third-party advertising to our customers while they are in the car and going through the wash tunnel.
In addition to replacing the static content we had been using, we will also be adding our weekly and holiday specials to the digital menu board since it is so easy to change and update the content. On Tuesdays, we host a "Ladies Day," offering discounts to all of the ladies and on holidays such as Veteran's Day, we provide discounts to our veterans. The digital menu board will allow us to better advertise these discounts and other special days to our customers.
DST: What am I forgetting to ask you about that you think is important or noteworthy about your deployment of this technology?
Augspurger: The most important thing to note from this deployment is the ease of using this digital signage solution. We were comfortable with the static signage, which we had been using for years. After installing the menu board, we no longer need to worry about replacing the signage and can focus more on the content we are displaying. The digital menu board is maintenance-free as well, which is something we find very useful.
About Christopher Hall
Included In This Story
Peerless-AV
Peerless-AV is a leading designer and manufacturer of audio visual solutions, including award-winning outdoor displays and TVs, indoor/outdoor kiosks, video wall mounting systems, and more.
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