Navigating Headwinds, Driving Growth

In this episode of Conversations with ICA, Kendra Johnson SVP Growth - ICA sits down with Alison Amira, Senior Director of Product for Engagement Solutions at DRB - a leading provider of technology solutions in the car wash industry, specializing in point-of-sale (POS) systems, tunnel management software, and business optimization tools. Established in 1984, DRB serves a diverse range of car wash operators, from single-site businesses to large multi-location chains. Alison brings extensive experience helping car wash operators leverage technology to drive revenue, grow memberships, and reduce churn. They discuss the challenges the industry faced in 2024, current operational pressures, and strategies for success in the latter half of 2025.What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeKey challenges the car wash industry faced in 2024 and todayHow disconnected technology can affect revenue and customer experienceStrategies for driving retail sales, growing memberships, and reducing churnPractical ways operators can use data and technology to make better decisionsTrends and tools that will shape the customer experience in the second half of 2025Episode Highlights(:49) Going back to 2024,  What were some of the challenges the car wash industry faced? Higher interest rates, labor pressures, membership churn and rising cost of goods to start.(3:45) Fast forward to today, what pressures are operators facing now?(4:57) What are the front lines facing technology wise? These are both challenges AND growth!(6:30) Ali talks about dashboards and how mismatched data reports can affect sales.(10:42) Ali addresses three critical pillars …revenue, membership and churn.(14:00) What are some of the modern strategies available to market to customers and prospects? SMS vs. email! Make it easy to say yes…AND say no!(17:33) How are operators addressing churn both voluntary and involuntary?(20:46) What does Alison encourage operators to focus on the latter half of 2025? Look for customer apps! Be sure to join ICA at Roadmap, November 3–4 in Dallas, TX, for two days of learning across Sales, Marketing, HR, and Operations. Registration is open now at carwashroadmap.com.Listen to full episodes at carwashmagazine.com and subscribe to ICA for timely data, trusted insights, and business intelligence built for the car wash community.