Demanding recessionary customers!

[Waxman]

i've found lately that the customers that are buying what i've got 4 sale are far more demanding than before times got so tight.

examples:
1. people wanting to use multiple discount offers together for a carwash (my policy is one promo at a time only).

2. a detail customer wanting my march madness detail discount, a sr. citz. discount, the vehicle delivered 3 hours early, and my personal vehicle left at her house all day 'in case of emergency'.

what? u want fries w/that?

has anyone else experienced customers comfortable with asking for the sun, moon and stars within the context of a typical business transaction?

 

[MEP001]

The worst I've seen is the occasional customer buying the bottom-level wash and complaining that it didn't get the car completely sparkling clean when it looked like they hadn't washed it at all in a year. They get a refund, a token good for a top-level wash and an explanation that touch-free autos were never intended to replace a hand or friction wash.

 

[mjc3333]

Every year it seems there is always one more that takes the cake!

I believe places like Wal-Mart give the general public the wrong conception when it comes to price and value.

We have become a country of "have it your way" and "prices are falling" to name a few.

Once the public gets a taste of more for less (Dollar stores , Wal-Mart, Etc.), they feel ALL businesses should follow.

My response to them "would you work at your current job for half pay" with prices falling?

Our small businesses cannot follow in the steps of big box retailers. A lot of what these retailers do are loss leaders to get the consumer in the front door.

The old bait and switch.

 

[Whale of a Wash]

It won't happen!!!!!! I am still waiting for the pre-Cellphone days where they would drive home and leave a message, and i would mail them out a refund . Now they call and say( it says to call the number you smart ass bastard, not to look for an attendant. ) I think it is McDonalds fault---They advertise everything is a $1. Then they started the drive thru- No one wants to get out of the car . Now everyone has to have a drive thru . And now the govt is going to give health care to the ones we like the least at the wash, and you can't triple up on coupons. (LOL LOL)
Heres a funnier one-- A friend is a mechanic out of his garage full time and car dealer--A guy brings his car in for a small job, he gives them a car to drive for the day, they come back the next day instead-- with the car being hauled by a tow truck, wanting him to pay for the tow, He said it had a full tank- they ran it dry, and had it towed in and gave him the business about it.
This was meant to be half way funny, But seriously--Who is turning the customers into Big babies????

 

[Turbo]

It won't happen!!!!!! I am still waiting for the pre-Cellphone days where they would drive home and leave a message, and i would mail them out a refund . Now they call and say( it says to call the number you smart ass bastard, not to look for an attendant. ) I think it is McDonalds fault---They advertise everything is a $1. Then they started the drive thru- No one wants to get out of the car . Now everyone has to have a drive thru . And now the govt is going to give health care to the ones we like the least at the wash, and you can't triple up on coupons. (LOL LOL)
Heres a funnier one-- A friend is a mechanic out of his garage full time and car dealer--A guy brings his car in for a small job, he gives them a car to drive for the day, they come back the next day instead-- with the car being hauled by a tow truck, wanting him to pay for the tow, He said it had a full tank- they ran it dry, and had it towed in and gave him the business about it.
This was meant to be half way funny, But seriously--Who is turning the customers into Big babies????

I hate to disagree with regular posters that answer the majority of the questions and make this site as great as it is but....I am very thankful for every customer. I have had many customers over the last 5+ years and I can recall just a handfull of people in the category above. I am not a natural people person but when failure is nipping at my heels (a few years ago) I can work a room (parking lot) like Bill Clinton. Me and my guys RUN to get people change, to get a towel because vending machine is stuck, etc. I am in, generally speaking, a less civilized area too. Most complaints at my 3 bay Jiffy Lube and 3 and 1 carwash are reasonable. Come to think of it I have been hit on as many times as I have been upset by anything like the above (I am 20 lbs overweight, wear a Jiffy lube uniform and am usually dirty).

One explanation may be that I am white and not an immigrant and 95% of my custoemrs are not white and/or imigrants. People know I am the owner because of that (unlikely I would be in a Jiffy Lube uniform in that neighborhood serving people if I wasn't). I am also realtively eloquent and empathatic. REAL service is appreciated in that neighborhood. Listening and smiling go a long way (and still saying no). Also, I have lower expectations that some of you.

 

[Red Baron]

Yeah I'm kinda both depending on the customer's attitude. I bend over backwards and touch my heels to give the customer who had a problem a reason to give me another try. My policy is to give them the wash they lost and a $9 coupon for another. When they say "No, I only lost $5," I tell them "Ma'am, our policy is to pay customers back double when they lose money here, that's just the way we do it." Of course you have to be a decent judge of who might be scamming you.

That said, I learned a good lesson from my sign guy, whose policy is: "Not everyone who walks thru my door needs to be my customer." I'd guess 2% of my customers are selfish, arrogant, and inconsiderate of my property and the next customer who follows him. I don't need their business, don't want it, and would just as soon they stay off my property so they don't give other customers the wrong impression of what we allow, and needlessly add stress to my life.

Two such goobers were at my car wash yesterday. One guy pulls into a SS bay and rinses his truck. Prolly spent a buck fifty. His buddy pulls his truck in the middle of 2 vac islands, blocking 2 vacs, not to use either of them, but just a place to park while he walks over to the SS bay to talk to his buddy. They stood leaning on the bed of Goober #1's truck taking up 1 of 2 SS bays (and 2 vacs) for well over an hour, in my most popular (wide) SS bay. Now, you shouldn't need a sign to tell a guy that this is just not right. Invariably, asking a guy like that to pull out of the bay will earn me a smart ### remark.

I'd just as soon guys like that take their business elsewhere.

 

[Waxman]

Turbo;

I tell my employees NOT to run because it a) looks unprofessional and b) is dangerous. Do it your way, but running sends the wrong message, IMO.

I also appreciate every customer, even the lady who wanted it all and more yesterday. However I can't help but notice a trend towards asking for ever-more by customers and guess who absorbs the associated costs of 'more'?? I think you know who.

Appreciating customers and noticing their increasing demands aren't mutually exclusive.

We all run our businesses the way we choose. I just do not like feeling taken advantage of, especially when I give so much to the community in general and my customers specifically.

 

[Turbo]

Turbo;

I tell my employees NOT to run because it a) looks unprofessional and b) is dangerous. Do it your way, but running sends the wrong message, IMO.

I also appreciate every customer, even the lady who wanted it all and more yesterday. However I can't help but notice a trend towards asking for ever-more by customers and guess who absorbs the associated costs of 'more'?? I think you know who.

Appreciating customers and noticing their increasing demands aren't mutually exclusive.

We all run our businesses the way we choose. I just do not like feeling taken advantage of, especially when I give so much to the community in general and my customers specifically.

I should have been more clear. I am sure you guys provide great service and are frankly better at this than I am.

I was so depressed and terrified of losing a ton of money that it beat me down so far that I have high tolerance for misbehavior.

I have only been doing this (or any retail) for 5 years. In that time I have noticed no change in behavior.

The people that do take advantage of me are usually the bottom of the bottom. I just please them the best I can and know that they were raised poorly, act selfishly and will be on the bottom of the heap their whole life, resent it and not know how awful they are due to their ignorance.

Also, I have gang members that frequent my wash so I have to be smart about how I resond to behavior. They probably wont kill me but they could easily throw a brick through the window.

Happy Thoughts!

 

[Earl Weiss]

My 10 cents.
1. 98% of customers are not or should not be a problem. The other 2% are quite memorable. When dealing with the public, 100% satisfaction 100% of the time is not a realistic expectation. However , if the disssatisfaction rate is too high then perhaps the problem is not with the public.
2. There is reason coupons and offers state "Not Valid with any other offer".
3. Customers don't like to be "Told" to do something. I used to say something like "Move your Car" . This was often met with resistnace or a smart A$$ remark. Now I say; "Hi, how are you, could you please do me a favor and move the car so the_______ (pick the item, space, aisle) is open."
even better if it is in a traffic aisle since I will say it's in a really bad spot and likely to get hit. Some nimrods say "well the other driver will have insurance" to which I replay "Insurance! In this neighborhood you are lucky if they have a license."
4. I have had some customers whose expectations were unrealist nd afte roffering a free re wash etc. basiclay told them that there expectations did not mesh with our business model.

 

[Washmee]

After doing this for over 30 years my motto is, "The customer is always right...Except when they are wrong!". If someone gives me attitude, I will give it right back. I will bend over backwards to help someone if they treat me or my employees with respect. We have customers who complain everytime they come, but they still keep coming. I've "Fired" more than one customer over the years.

That being said, I agree with Waxman that people do expect more for less $$$ these days.

 

[Red Baron]

My surprising lesson has been that some of the most prominant people are the most inconsiderate.

An elderly lady from a wealthy farming family in a nearby town came thru my IBA a few weeks ago. She got confused and tried to pull out after the tri-foam pass, which shut down the bay on a day when we were backed up 2-3 deep in every bay. Since she couldn't see very well with tri-foam on her windshield, she pulled to the vacs and high-centered on a concrete curb, busting a hole in her tranny, disabling her car and leaking tranny fluid all over the parking lot. My wash down hose was frozen so I had to shut down 2 vac islands to keep cars out of the tranny fluid while I feverishly tried to get the IBA going again, back 3 cars up, etc.

I helped push her car off to the side, made sure she had a ride, then called a local mechanic to come and get her car.

A week later she pulls up and angrily says:

Lady: You own me $8 for the car wash that didn't work right last week.
Me: OK, I'll be right back.
Lady: You owe me another $8 because the mechanic charged me $8 to wash my car.
Me: Ma'am, you should probably talk to him about that.
Lady: No, you're the one who got the $8 because he washed it here.
Me: Ma'am, uh, yeah, that's the business I'm in. Never mind, here's a $20, that's all I have on me.

These are peoople who are worth a lot of money and she was determined to get that 8 bucks from me if it was the last thing she did. She probably then told all the ladies in her church what a crook I am.

 

[Red Baron]

Earl, I agree with your approach and that's what I do, but some guys just have an attitude and don't respond even to courtesy. I'll usually say something like: "Sir, this extra wide bay is my customers' favorite bay and some will drive right on by if they see it's occupied. And since the weather has killed us in the last week I need to keep this bay available as much as possible."

This only after some guy opens the trunk to get out his wash kit, while another customer is stacked bhind him, or maybe he gets out his chamois and goes to work spending 30 minutes drying every nook and cranny. More often that not, the guy who is that inconsiderate anyway, is the guy who will respond to my courtesy with a smart ### remark. He can then leave, and if he keeps running his mouth he'll be disinvited to return.

I had to call the police a couple of weeks ago to run off guys who were using my wand as a mud pry bar and refused to stop after I told them it ruins my tip.

 

[Whale of a Wash]

I can't believe she didn't want money for the repair of the tranny?
Is it a sense of entitlement, or a very high threshold for embarrassment that allows these people to act like that. Or do they enjoy seeing how much power they get over others. Anyone figured out-- why they act like this????

 

[Red Baron]

I can't believe she didn't want money for the repair of the tranny?
Is it a sense of entitlement, or a very high threshold for embarrassment that allows these people to act like that. Or do they enjoy seeing how much power they get over others. Anyone figured out-- why they act like this????

Good question. My observation -- having lived in a couple of small towns for many years -- is that often there are power-broker families in those small towns who:
1. Have ALWAYS gotten everything they wanted in that town, and expect to be treated differently.
2. Are VERY protective of their ricebowl and will shoot down others if it appears they may achieve a level of success that might threaten their position.
3. Are used to walking over the working-class because, well, because they aren't worthy of anything better.

I saw this in the tiny town of Spur, Texas where we lived and where I operated my karate school and roofing company for 8 years. I'd been doing the financially poor school district's flat roof work for 20+ years. During tight times I reroofed their Ag Shop at my cost and their Library for free. When they got a hailstorm and a $200,000 insurance settlement and could afford to do the roofs right, a handful of local powerbrokers felt like "$200k was too much to hand to the Adams." This in spite of our company having done many many projects 3 times that big. They shot us down over and over on the bid, giving it to a large company from a large city. I left that town over that.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Earl, I agree with your approach and that's what I do, but some guys just have an attitude and don't respond even to courtesy. QUOTE]

Very true. Some nimrods seem to percieve courtesy as weakness. After courtesy has failed a couple of times another tactic may be called for.

 

[Red Baron]

If I'd have done something as a kid or teen that caused the owner of a business to contact my parents, the first words out of my parents mouthes wouldn't have been: How did you get my address/phone number?

My parents likely would have beaten my butt then grounded me...after they marched me right down to the place of business so they could watch me apologize.

Wonder of all wonders, my son would have had a similar type of experience. It's probably just a coincidence that my son is a level-headed productive member of society (multi-awarded fireman) that you would never catch disrespecting your property.

 

[lustralover]

we have a dog wash. its $5 for 6 mins. People are cursing my out. because dog is not gromer pefect. I even had one laidy ask about hur dogs anus glan. i am like WTF. I told hur "i am not a Vet". She said "but its a dog wash".
i told hur its a dog wash ,not a groomer. The B wrote a article in the paper ,two days later. Calling use a ripp off , Thay use dawn dish sope.

people want me to match a trillon dollar comanys price. i have two washes. i tell people "you get what you pay for". i worse one are the old snowbirds in florida, Thay everything for a nickle. Thay want there money back for chemical draw time.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Customer calls. Claims: 1. Wash knocked of front license plae; and 2. He did not notice ; and 3. He got a $50.00 ticket while parked for no plate; and 4. Wants us t pay for it.

Tell him to get us a copy of ticket.

Ticket says "License Plate improperly displayed on dashboard."

You would do what for the customer?

 

[Red Baron]

Customer calls. Claims: 1. Wash knocked of front license plae; and 2. He did not notice ; and 3. He got a $50.00 ticket while parked for no plate; and 4. Wants us t pay for it.

Tell him to get us a copy of ticket.

Ticket says "License Plate improperly displayed on dashboard."

You would do what for the customer?

I would go home, drink 2 6-packs and try to forget that I'm in the car wash business.

 

[jprb]

I had a guy, probably a regular customer, who called and complained that he'd lost money in an automatic car wash. He had had trouble on a two previous occasions, and I had mailed a refund, along with two tokens for free washes on both occasions. When he called this last time, he left a message, yelling and complaining, cursing and shouting about what a rip-off we were. I called him back, and told him I was sending his FINAL refund and he was NOT to come back to our properties.

I don't need that kind of abuse from people, and even after I had sent him refunds, he was still calling us a rip-off, so I'm sure he's bad-mouthing us anyway. My thinking is that I don't need that kind of customer!

JPRB