Istobal has launched a new vehicle drier at MFG’s Kidderminster site – its first in the UK.
Andy Link, head of UK sales at Istobal, says: “With our partnership with MFG we are always looking at new offerings to enhance the customer experience. There is demand in Europe for driers, but this machine has never come over to the UK until now.”
Link says the idea is that drivers who like to use jet washes get the same finish as with a rollover car wash if they use the drier. “The people that will use the Istobal Drier are those who want a high-quality finish on their cars. You often see customers with towels or chamois drying their cars after a wash, now they have the option of using the drier. It’s good for them as it means they don’t have wet towels in their cars plus it’s a new revenue generating machine for the operator.”
The drier is operated by a Nayax payment terminal, the customer selects the required timing option, pays with their card and then picks up the drier nozzle and presses the start button. The drier can be stopped at any point by pressing the stop button on the machine. It can be fitted in any jet wash bay to complement the jet wash.
Link says the unit is smaller than an air machine and costs less than £4,000. He adds that retailers should expect a return on their investment within the first 12 months of installation.
Feedback from customers in Kidderminster is good and MFG reports that the drier is doing well. And Link expects it to get used more in the drier months, when people want to leave the forecourt with a dry car when there is little chance of rain.
He says that since the launch at Kidderminster he has had enquiries from other operators who are interested in the machine.
