National Petroleum News (NPN) has been the independent voice of the petroleum industry since 1909 as the opposition to Rockefeller’s Standard Oil. So, motor fuels marketing and retail is not just a sideline for us, it’s our core competency.
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Car wash owners today need the flexibility to manage their operations anytime, anywhere. New technologies make it possible to monitor activity, implement marketing programs and troubleshoot technical issues, using SmartPhones and other hand-held devices. far less complicated and labor intensive to manage information, if it can all be consolidated and outlined in a report that can be read 'at-a-glance.' It works the same way in the car wash industry." cONNEcTIvITy & cONvENIENcE Technology that enables connectivity and remote management capabilities are certainly not a new introduction to the car wash world. What is changing, however, is the sophistication and applicability of these tools, with customization options to meet the unique needs of each individual business owner. "Data consolidation is extremely important for car wash owners today," said Carpenter. "These are people who are on-the-go and need a way to digest a lot of information in a way that won't be time consuming or cumbersome. Through investing in the proper site management tools, car wash owners are really giving themselves an opportunity to effectively monitor and manage their business or businesses, without needing to be on-site or wrapped up in the day-to-day operations." Unitec's Site Lynx™ application tool is a comprehensive solution for multi-site remote management and monitoring of equipment, programs and employees, all at the click of a button. By using Site Lynx's "Dashboard View," a snapshot of business' daily operations can be analyzed and understood quickly and easily. A site owner in the next state over may have very different needs: perhaps he runs five locations in five different states, but has the same need for data to be compiled and consolidated into a single report, to overview all of his operations on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Again, site management tools do the trick for him. These tools also allow owners to compare the performance between sites, obtain and analyze historical data and make adjustments based on trends. Car wash owners who are launching a new business, or who are interested in upgrading to the latest technology to hit the market, might consider Unitec's newest cashless product offering, C-Start™. C-Start was conceived specifically for the petroleum market and is quickly gaining popularity. "C-Start was designed to help car wash owners manage a more efficient business while maximizing opportunities to generate revenue," said Andre Guilbault, regional sales manager for Unitec. "It allows for faster, automated transactions and creates a system of simplicity for those who prefer not to handle cash on-site. We are finding that as soon as people learn about it, they want it." mARkETINg Beyond offering a discounted price for gas with the purchase of a car wash, marketing and branding capabilities are another key benefit for car wash owners who opt to invest in site and remote management tools for their businesses. C-stores are www.npnweb.com n NPN Magazine now able to accept their branded credit cards at the car wash, which increases that site's brand awareness and offers another payment option for the customer. Generating coupon codes, launching fundraising programs or implementing "two dollars off your wash, today only," campaigns, can all be done from the back office of a site owner's location, or from three states away, while he or she is traveling for business or pleasure. Web-based software allows these functions to be completed from Smart Phones or tablets, with a few clicks here and a few clicks there. More and more car wash owners are implementing these point-of-sale marketing programs. It's easy to do, often boosts customer satisfaction, and perhaps most importantly, starts to generate loyalty from local citizens who have the potential to bring in business, repeatedly. Site Lynx allows you to track the success of promotions, such as coupons and wash codes, to make sure you're getting the most out of your marketing campaigns. "We are talking with a lot of site owners these days about customer loyalty programs, how they lead to increased revenue and how they can be managed easily and remotely," said Craig Goodwin, regional sales manager for Unitec. "I have one customer who owns several convenience stores that have car washes on-site, and then he also owns a handful of stores without them. He literally sells car wash codes at one location, to motivate his customers to visit one of his other locations. And it works!" March 2013 1