Bubbles Car Wash delivers high value email offers to build ultimate customer database using Campaign Enterprise
The operators of Houston-based Bubbles Car Wash and Bubbles Express Car Wash know two very important things about their customers' behavior: They will share their email addresses if there is an incentive; and customers will redeem a high value coupon if the value is delivered.
By offering a free high value car wash package for both their Hand Wash boutique customers and express customers just for opting-in, Bubbles has built an extraordinarily large list of customer email addresses from 13 stores in the greater Houston area, according to Bubbles Car Wash co-owner Bill Lawrence.
"We maintain a database of our customers -- approximately 180,000 -- and have collected 60,000 opt-in email addresses," Lawrence says. "That's a huge database for anyone, especially for a car wash."
Getting customers to share
The Bubbles Hand Car Wash stores are high-end, full service "boutique" car washes featuring nice lobbies, custom detailing and no machines; technicians hand wash all the automobiles. Bubbles Express is an exterior express wash where customers ride thru a 130-foot wash filled with state-of-the-art equipment and technology, and exit in a clean, dry car in less than three minutes.
Lawrence had purchased Campaign Enterprise email software well before an email list had been generated. Since his business had done no email marketing prior to the purchase, "I realized we couldn't send an email to customer phone numbers, so we'd better start asking customers for their email addresses," he said.
To begin an email database, Lawrence says front counter personnel were instructed to ask preferred customers to share their private information, including email addresses. When customers asked why, they received two reasons: By becoming a preferred email customer they automatically save $3 Monday through Friday on Bubbles Early Bird special; also, by sharing information, they received a 24-hour clean car guarantee.
"That's how we did the first 30,000 subscribers," Lawrence said. The challenge to this process was that the front desk people would often not write down the email address correctly, or if they have the customers fill out cards, then the data is often illegible.
Automating coupon eligibility
So Bubbles tried something different: it automated its preferred customer registration and tied it to their website online. First, Bubbles' point-of-sale system checks the database each time it prints a paid receipt, to see if the customer is in the database already. If not, the system prints a message on the customer receipt, in big bold letters, saying "How would you like a free Bubbles VIP Combo Package Wash worth $28.95? Go to (Bubbles URL) and put in your customer code (license plate numbers, says Lawrence) and the sale transaction number. Register online and we'll email you your free car wash."
Custom database programming then checks transaction numbers to make sure of a bona fide sale, and a check of the SQL database makes sure the customer has not previously registered the vehicle. If not, then they're directed to a page that asks them five easy questions that help determine the level of service the customer received (Bubbles uses the score from these surveys to review management performance). Customers are then directed to a screen that allows them to volunteer their information, including email address.
Bubbles' SQL server then emails the customer a link that lets them know they are just a few seconds away from their free, $28.95 car wash. Customers then click the link and they are given a unique bar code, good for only one wash. They come in, redeem their free wash, and they've been confirmed as preferred customers.
Special emails
The email coupons sent out by Bubbles Car wash are more than standard email specials… they are deep discounts on some of the most valuable packages offered by the boutique wash. A typical Bubbles email promotion will include an auto detail special: three of Bubbles' most valuable detailing packages, bundled together and marked down about 30 percent. Sometimes this includes in a few prepaid washes on a wash card, Lawrence says.
These special emails don't get a typical response, however.
Lawrence says they'll send out an email blast on Thursday morning, and in three days -- Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- the email will generate over $70,000 worth of detailing in the five boutique stores… all because of the email. No radio advertising, no outside banners, no posters, no point-of-sale, no point-of-purchase, nothing. Nothing else except the email blast.
"At first I thought it was a fluke, but we've done it now four times," Lawrence says.
Lawrence says they're always tweaking the email message because they're always looking for better ways to say things, better ways to position the value, or ways to improve the subject line to peak interest.
Backup email capture
Another way Bubbles Car Wash captures customer information is by using the Bubbleator, a commercial humvee vehicle sporting huge, built-in bubble machines, sent to all kinds of local events to make bubbles and give away -- you guessed it -- free car washes. "But what we give away is a card with a code, where people have to go to the website and enter the code, and start the same process as with the receipt offer, where they opt into the database," Lawrence says.
"We love to do product sampling. We believe in our product, and we want to put it in your hands for free," Lawrence says. "And we're not going to give you our cheapest wash… we're going to give you the best, most expensive wash we have, because we want that to be your expectation level from us."
In the Bubbles Car Wash corporate facilities, there's a 12-foot by 18-foot server room with a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of HP servers on three rack cabinets refrigerated by commercial-level air conditioning. "For a car wash," Lawrence exclaims, "some might think this is overkill."
"We've got three SQL servers, and we've got Campaign Enterprise. We host our own exchange server, our own web servers, and our own voice over IP system. Our point of sale system replicates all essential data from all locations to all locations… every 30 seconds… but nothing pulls the trigger and creates a compelling reason to buy like the email blasts that we send out," he says.
Bubbles Car Wash (http://www.BubblesCarWash.com) has been a Campaign Enterprise user for about five years, and has just finished upgrading to an expanded version of Campaign Enterprise 10. The plan is to improve their already productive email offers even more by tracking click throughs and other key indicators of customer interest.
"We love the software. It makes us money every day," Lawrence says.
About Arial Software
Founded in 1993, Arial Software is widely considered the leading developer of permission-based email marketing software used for delivering email newsletters, customer specials, automatic responses, exclusive offers and more. Arial Software products are used by corporations, retailers, universities and other organizations to deliver personalized messages directly to subscribers, customers, prospects and members. More information can be found at http://www.arialsoftware.com.
If you are interested in an email best practices case study, contact the Arial Software Media & Press Relations department here.
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