Cougar Car Wash is a self-serve car wash located in The Colony, Texas, featuring six bays and twelve vacuums. Owned and operated by Steve and Tamera Westervelt since 2003, the car wash was originally purchased from Steve’s father. In recent years, Tamera sought an easy-to-use, modern payment system that could integrate seamlessly with their existing equipment to address long-standing operational challenges.
The Challenge: Limited Payment Options
For years, Cougar Car Wash relied solely on quarters for payment, which posed several issues:
- Customers often ran out of quarters before completing their wash.
- The two coin changers occasionally malfunctioned, leaving no backup payment method.
- Customers frequently requested more convenient payment options, such as credit card machines.
“Our biggest challenge was keeping enough quarters in the coin changers. If one of our two coin changers had an issue, customers had no other way to pay for services,” Tamera explained.
It became clear that Cougar Car Wash was losing revenue by not offering a flexible payment alternative. Many customers struggled to budget how much cash to bring for a full wash experience, often leaving early when funds ran out.
The Solution: Implementing Coinless
The Westervelts discovered Coinless at the Southwest Car Wash Show in Texas while planning a car wash remodel. They initially considered traditional credit card swipe systems but ran into space constraints. Adding credit card swipers to the bay doors would have required costly and complicated modifications.
Coinless offered a more practical solution. Its hardware retrofit system could be installed in the pump room, eliminating the need for door-mounted card readers. The mobile app enabled customers to select and pay for services directly from their phones.
“We also liked the portal where we can see customer activity and easily refund or give credits,” Tamera noted.
Improved Customer Experience & Operations
The Coinless solution provided Cougar Car Wash with more than just a convenient payment system. It also improved customer service and operational efficiency:
- Quick Issue Resolution: Customers can now report equipment problems directly through the app. The team uses the Coinless portal to monitor service requests and reviews, distinguishing legitimate equipment issues from user errors.
- Enhanced Marketing Opportunities: Tamera has started leveraging Coinless for marketing initiatives. One successful promotion on Facebook rewarded a user with 50 free credits for liking the page, leading to increased word-of-mouth referrals and app usage.
“It’s such a great way to provide credits, but also to verify when a credit is really due,” Tamera explained.
Results: Increased Revenue and Customer Engagement
Since implementing Coinless, Cougar Car Wash has experienced several key improvements:
- Higher Ticket Averages: Customers now spend more per visit, as they are no longer limited by how much cash they bring.
- Significant Payment Adoption: Payments through Coinless now account for approximately one-third of Cougar Car Wash’s total business.
- Positive Customer Feedback: The app has become a favorite among customers who appreciate the convenience of cashless, touch-free payments.
“I get almost a customer a day telling me how much they love the app,” Tamera shared.
The touch-free payment option has also become a key selling point in providing a safe, COVID-conscious experience for customers.
By modernizing their payment system with Coinless, Cougar Car Wash has not only increased revenue but also created a seamless, customer-friendly experience that continues to drive loyalty and growth.
