December 11, 2024

One of the great things about the car wash industry is it is packed with people dedicated to excellence and continuous improvement. If you are like many operators, you are constantly looking for more information about their operations to find areas of opportunity.

Of course, the car wash point-of-sale provides a wealth of data on your sales, the health of your membership program, customer behaviors and more, but did you know that your tunnel can also provide you helpful information to improve your business? By tracking the following metrics, you can decode the story your tunnel is trying to tell you.

1. Vehicles Washed Per Month and Per Hour

Tracking the number of vehicles washed per month and per hour is fundamental for assessing your car wash's operational capacity. These metrics represent the total number of vehicles processed during these timeframes, providing a clear picture of your wash's throughput.

Understanding demand trends through these metrics can guide staffing decisions, ensuring that customer demand is met without compromising service quality. It can also be used to inform your marketing strategy. For example, it can help you craft promotions designed to drive customers to the wash during typically slower times.

Moreover, you can compare your vehicle wash numbers against historical data, previous weeks and even industry averages. This comparative analysis helps you understand your wash’s performance in context, identifying whether you are meeting, exceeding or falling short of potential volume.

2. Daily Conveyor Utilization

This metric measures the percentage of the conveyor's capacity that is utilized on average. Daily conveyor utilization is calculated by taking the number of vehicles washed in a day and comparing it to the maximum number of vehicles that could be processed if the conveyor operated at full capacity for the entire day.

You may feel like you are super busy, but conveyor utilization tells you whether you are truly at your max or whether you can wash more cars. If it’s the latter, you then need to figure out why you aren’t washing closer to your max capacity. 

3. Average Conveyor Speed

The average speed of the conveyor, measured in cars per hour (CPH), is crucial for optimizing vehicle throughput. Maintaining the right conveyor speed is a balancing act; while a faster speed can increase the number of cars processed, it must not come at the expense of wash quality. Monitoring this metric helps you maintain an efficient workflow while ensuring that customers receive a thorough wash.

Consistency is key. You want to keep conveyor speed steady across different days of the week and various locations. This is particularly important for multi-site operators who want to ensure that customers receive a uniform experience regardless of which location they visit.

4. Daily Conveyor Idle Time

Idle time refers to the periods when the conveyor is inactive, with no vehicles in the tunnel. Tracking this metric allows operators to identify downtime, which can directly impact revenue. A high idle time suggests that there may be issues with attracting customers or that operational inefficiencies need to be addressed.

By analyzing Daily Conveyor Idle Time data, operators can identify patterns and trends related to customer traffic. This analysis can inform decisions about staffing, operational adjustments, and promotional activities to optimize performance.

5. Average Daily E-Stop Time

E-stop time measures the average duration that the wash is stopped due to emergency stops, typically caused by incidents within the tunnel. High e-stop times can indicate inefficiencies or safety issues in the wash process, which can lead to lost revenue and a negative customer experience. 

Understanding this metric is vital for maintaining operational efficiency. Prioritizing safety while minimizing E-stop time is essential for delivering a reliable and effective service to customers.

What’s “Good?”

Monitoring these key metrics is essential for any car wash operator aiming to enhance performance and profitability. But it helps to know what you should be aiming for.

That’s why we created the industry report “Car Wash Metrics Demystified: Industry Averages and Optimized Strategies” by NoPileups™, our full-tunnel management and anti-collision system. See how you compare against industry averages and get actionable tips for improvement. Download the report now!