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Common Scents in the Vehicle Service Business

Date: 06/22/2007

When competing for business, vehicle service shops from rental agencies and car washes to lube, detail, and service centers know that conveying the right image can not only make the sale but also encourage repeat visits and extra purchases. A critical part of that image, with a direct line to the buyer's emotions, is the sense of smell.

Though liquid air fresheners have traditionally been used to add fragrance, they pose pitfalls that savvy vehicle service insiders are avoiding with a new type of scented wafer that slips under the seat, ensuring consistent, foolproof fragrance distribution that lasts for days at just pennies per use. As service shops are finding out, crafting the right image at the right time via captivating fragrances can help clinch the sale and bring in additional business.

The pitfalls of liquid air fresheners
Not only do liquid air fresheners freeze in cold weather, rendering them useless, but they require staff time to prepare and apply. Spillage can occur pouring liquid from a container or pail into a spray bottle, leakage can occur in bottles or sprayers, and staff can apply too much or too little for an inconsistent or even unpleasant customer experience. Overspray can damage the dashboard, console, seats, carpet, interior or belongings. Overspray can hang in the air and overpower at first, only to have the fragrance rapidly disappear thereafter. That's no way to showcase a vehicle, which may be a customer's second most expensive lifetime purchase after their home.

The Scent of Success
Instead, savvy vehicle service shops are separating themselves from competitors with a new patented type of scented wafer, the Wonder Wafer. Staff simply put a single, roughly 2-inch square scented wafer under the car seat to ensure foolproof fragrance distribution that evenly and slowly releases from several days up to two weeks, for as little as five cents per wafer.

"We like for our vehicles to smell nice when customers pick them up," says Jimmy Watson of Interstate Truck Rental in Houston, Texas. "We tried the Wonder Wafers and they're the best method we've found."

"They last longer than anything we have tried," adds Avi Karpel of A List Limousine in Beverly Hills, California. "Our customers love the fragrances and the quality."

Because the Wonder Wafer is non-liquid it's freeze-proof and can be used anywhere, in virtually any climate, year-round. Patented for concept, design, formula, and under-the-seat application after years of development for the car wash industry, with
over 300 million sold worldwide, each wafer delivers a perfect dose of fragrance every time, never too much or little.

The Wonder Wafer eliminates the need for messy, staff preparation and application of air freshener. Since there's no more liquid, there's no more spills or waste, no more leaky spray bottles, no more over or under-spray, and no more expensive applicator machines to buy and maintain. This virtually eliminates any staining or damage to carpet, console, dashboard, upholstery, and belongings while eliminating the need to guess if fragrance was sprayed or applied properly.

"We no longer have bottles to fill, broken triggers, bottles left in customer's cars or messy liquids to deal with," says Joe Reding, owner of Car B Klean Car Wash & Gift Shop in Salem, Oregon. "Both our customers and our employees find the Wonder Wafer a superior product over conventional liquid sprays. Figure in the cost of bottles and triggers, plus wasted product (too many pumps) versus a single wafer and we save money using the Wonder Wafer."

In many service shops around the country, the scented wafers are becoming a welcome cash center in their own right with up to a 500 percent profit margin.

"The Wonder Wafer product line is one of the easiest extra services we have to sell," says Kirk Hutchinson of Hutch's Car Washes in Hayward and San Lorenzo, California. "My customers enjoy the large selection we offer and the lasting enjoyment in their vehicles. There are many types of retail air fragrances, but theirs has been our number one seller for many years."

Savvy vehicle service reps are discovering the scented wafer presents a ready-made conversation "icebreaker" with customers, while offering an easy means to personalize and customize the vehicle since 18 long lasting fragrances are available from Clean Car, Jasmine, and Pina Colada, to Island Breeze, Mountain Pine, and Baby Powder. If a fragrance isn't optimal, the scented wafer can quickly be removed from under the seat, and replaced with the customer's choice.

"It has saved us so much time compared to when we sprayed liquid in our customer's car manually," says Gordy of Royal Car Care in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "It has made it so much easier with our customers. They choose their favorite fragrance at the register."

For more info, call 800-826-6338 toll free; fax 817-281-9364; email ken@wonderwafers.com; visit www.wonderwafers.com; or write to Wonder Wafers International, 6418 Wuliger Way, North Richland Hills, TX 76180, USA.
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By Del Williams

Del Williams is a technical writer based in Torrance, California.

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