Elderly woman behind the wheel in a small car

This elderly woman had her car washed this morning. She came back a few hours later complaining about the quality of the wash. After berating my employees and threatening to write letters and tell everyone she knows how bad the wash is, my employees call me. I arrive up front to find one of my employees scrubbing her vehicle at our SELF scrub station. I make him stop.

After examining the car for a total of two seconds, the sap stains and the ground in dirt were more than noticeable. I explained how the car wash has limitations, and how it will clean dirt, but not stains. She didn't want to listen while still telling me that she's never coming back. "It's not parked under trees" she tells me. I pull some leaves out from between the door and the body of the vehicle to show her. Next I show her the 15 drops of dried pine sap on her hood. I scrape a few of these off with a fingernail.

I tell her that I don't think that I want to rewash her vehicle based on how she treated my employees. "I didn't treat them bad, I was just factual." she said. My employees begged to differ. "Well can you just run me through the car wash?" I told her that she would have to apologize to both of my employees before I ran her back through. Somehow, she came to her senses and apologized. I'm 40. Should I have to teach a 70+ year old woman how to behave with some decency?

As she's entering the tunnel for the rewash I stop and tell her that one of her taillights is out, and that she will be ticketed for this. "Thank you" she said with the utmost of sincerity.

I don't know what you could have done any better, in fact IMO you went way above and beyond what could have been expected, considering her abusiveness and lies about parking under a tree. If she keeps coming back (and doesn't try the same stunt again), great, but if she doesn't is it really a big loss?

I got to tell you guys, this sounds just like my mother and my wife's mother and just about any elerly lady I know. It just works that way, get old they get cranky :) I warn you, you will be seeing more of this kind of thing as you get older hehe and some day they will be talking about YOU being old and cranky. :)

Sounds like you handled it with tact. Regardless of how the woman responded you impressed upon your employees that you have their back. That's far more valuable than the woman's business.

I love the Pearl Jam reference!

I hate it when customers of any age expect a miraculously brand new car at the end of the tunnel. These are usually the same people that wash their cars the least often, park their cars outdoors under trees, and generally only want the cheapest wash option.

I don't mind spending extra time prepping your car lady, but spend a little money! I'm throwing five dollars worth of prep solution on your car during the ten minutes it takes me to attempt to remove the year's worth of bird droppings and tree goo off your car!

I was wondering if anyone would pick up the Pearl Jam tie in. A great song.
For any Pearl Jam neophyte, here's the link.
http://popup.lala.com/popup/504684676369513090

We also have self scrub stations..we have the same problems..some ...we just can't please. I often watch them scrub their cars so hard it makes me cringe..If I rubbed that hard they would threaten my with their attorney...LOL