Most Outrageous Claim

So, we have full service wash, detail and lube.

We did a detail on a lady's old Honda.

She had remote key, but it was already broke and had been glued on. When our detailier try to start the car, the key came apart where it had been glued.

Customer tried to argue that it was "really, really" tightly glued and so our guys must have used unusal amount of force and hence broke the key. My greeter told me that the key was already broke when he took possession and that it was loosely put together. So, I diplomatically declined the claim as not our fault.

Also, her car battery died and we had to jump start it. She claims that her battery is less than year old and has no reason to die like that. Knowing that interstate batterires have at least 1 year warranty, I advised her to go to Advanced Auto Parts where she had purchased the battery so that they can replace the battery for her free of charge. She still kept going how we killed her battery. Finally, she left and came back this morning.

Now, she says that Advanced Auto Parts have record of her purchasing the battery, but it's not the one she currently has. In other words, she insinuated that we had stolen her battery and put dead battery while we detailed her car.

I mean, really? I hae seen and heard variety of claims, but this one just went over my head. I don't do this, but it was so outrageous, that I accidentally laughed in front of the customer. Obviously, that made her even more angry and I shouldn't have laughed, but it was unstoppable. I guess you could have some shady people do that, but boy that is so not right.

I just had to say that.

Hope you guys are having better days.

-tom

Is it even remotely possible that one of your employees did steal her battery? She may be a nutcase, but she may be telling the truth. Ask her to bring proof of purchase for the original battery; if she can't, then it's ok to tell her to go away. You can even call the store and give them her name and phone number along withe the year, make and model of the car and see if she's ever even bought one there.

I love car wash war stories.

We had a customer who had been through many a time and one day while going through his mini-van jumps the track. Does he honk his horn to try to let the attendants know there is a problem. Of course not. He decides to turn a ride through car wash into literally a drive through car wash, scrapes the rinse arches and one the air dryers as he does so and tear up the entire side of his mini-van.

Next he comes abck to the office and says, "The car wash scratched my car." So I go out expecting to see a little scratch. The entire side is top to bottom and stem to stern is scratched and scraped. So I tell him lets go in and see the video. "Oh you have viseo cameras," he replies. We ereview the tape and we see him clear as day drive through the wash hitting the equipment as he does so. CLAIM DENIED to say the least. He leaves and of course his insurance company calls. I asked if he told them he disregarded all instructions and drove through the wash and offered them a copy of the video which I sent them. That was the last I heard from them.

I don't know if he still comes through or not, but I only pay for claims that we cause, not those casued by carelsss customers. That one had to be $2-3,000 at least if not more.

Cameras are essential and will absolve you of many a stupid customer.

Yeah, I know fact that none of my employee switched battery. We do have camera so we can review for further evidence as well. But all my guys have worked with me over year and also it happened on busy Saturday where they didn't even have time for lunch. I took all my guys out for dinner that night because I felt sorry they couldn't even eat. Also, on busy days like that I walk around all day long to make sure things are moving smoothly. So, switching battery like that would mean you have to really want that battery for some reason and pull an ingenious stunt of David Blaine or something.

I have taken care of claims for which knew that it was highly unlikely that we could have caused the problem. Such as Sideview mirror having hair line crack right down the center. I think if tunnel were to mess up a mirror, it'll tear it apart versus causing fine and accurate crack like that. But of course, the customer is adamant that it wasn't there before and therefore we must have done it. The same story we hear many times. I guess you try your best to pick and choose the ones worthy of fight and some you just gotta suck it up to save your face.

Well, just like weather, it's the part of biz that you can't really controll, I guess.

-tom

tom-
I can see where you are coming from but in some instances, enough is enough. I have developed very little patience for people with claims that I know for a fact are not possible. People will lie, curse and threaten you, and I for one no longer allow people to treat me this way.

Scratches? Get outta here.
Dent in your door? Beat it.
Rusted paint chips caused by our process? Uh-huh.

I just don't think its fair to us operators that the old mantra of "the customer is always right" supposedly binds us to some higher principle than any other retail business, because more often than not, the customer is WRONG (or lying). My employees and I are people and deserve to be treated as such. The moment a customer delves into that "fuck you, asshole" territory, the conversation is over and if you don't leave, I'm sure the police will be happy to escort you out. I wash their cars, after all!

-Steve

Ha ha, Steve. I dig ya!

I don't want to admit, but I feel very much the same way. I still think taking care of customer is important but those very few makes our lives a total hell, you know?

Well, glad to know that I ain't the only one feeling petrified by thoes "few" customers... should we even call them "customers"?

Right on, partner!

-tom

Should we call them "customers"? Absolutely not! I stopped a guy from rinsing dog crap out of the bed of his truck one day. He and his buddy were pissed that I wouldn't let them. He said he was going to anyway, so I turned off the power to the bay. He went so far as to go around to another bay and start it, then told me he spent his money and could do what he wanted. I turned off that bay too and tossed the same number of coins he spent into the bed of his truck (along with the dog crap). He says "The customer is always right!" I told him "You're not a customer, you're tresspassing on private property." It took actually dialing 911 to get them to leave, which of course at that point they did very quickly.

Dude, that is so funny. Makes me feel good to in some weird way. Sorry you had to deal with such "trespassers".

But becareful that they don't come back to pull pranks on you or your wash. That's one of the bigger fears I have dealing with "trespassers". Maybe that comes from my gas station back ground. No matter how rude or bad the customer or the trespassers, I try to be polite and not that get too raved up emotionally, for fear of them coming back with a pistol in there pocket or something, you know?

Maybe car wash is more relaxed, but you never know what some crazy folks will do when they get some "evil" in their heart.

-tom

We had a customer come in last week. He was driving a 2008 GMC 1500. He leaves and comes back about a hour later saying we cracked his drivers side mirror and the top mirror cover was missing.

So my manager went into the wash and found the top mirror cover he takes pitchers and fills out a incident report and tell the customer he will review our camera system.

Well low and behold it was all ready broken.

My manager call him and explained it was previous damage and the customer says I will see you in court.

I mailed the customer a copy of the video lets see where this goes.

Shawn

Man, that seems to the be final words of all the disgruntled customers, huh?: "I will see you in court"

But fortunately, I have not seen anyone in court yet.

Has anyone really been to court due to any disputed damage claims? If so, how does it usually turn out?

-tom