Stupid customer took out my poodle/rocker brush.

[Axxlrod]

So, my manager calls on Saturday morning (first sunny Saturday in a long time, of course)and tells me how a lady in suburban decided to make a sharp left hand turn half way down the tunnel, and drove up on top of our poodle brush frame and into the attached rocker washer.

Lady swears that our conveyor "pushed her vehicle sideways up on top of the equipment" and its not her fault.

Poodle brush frame is bent downward and is now jammed against the outside conveyor rail, bearing is destroyed and brush shaft is bent. Rocker washer shaft is bent also.

Luckily the customer behind her saw the whole thing, and is willing to give a statement.

Insurance *should* cover this, but I'm still out the deductible, lost revenue and definitely some aggravation.

 

[E.Joramo]

The old Lean over to wipe the dash with one hand still on the wheel syndrome. Seen it happen before.
Erik

 

[pitzerwm]

Take her into small claims court to get your cost from her.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Take her into small claims court to get your cost from her.

Well, before you take her to court try just making a claim with her auto carrier.

Have done this succesfuly.

 

[Axxlrod]

I called my insurance company and reported the damage. They said they'll try to subrogate to the customer's car insurance carrier since she was behind the wheel and drove onto the equipment.

 

[captain cw]

A friend of mine had someone take a tandem axle trailer through their SoftGloss and got stuck. Then they tried to drag the wash out the exit door. Because of video cameras, the drivers insurance bought a new SoftGloss. Cameras in the bay have saved my butt a few times.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I called my insurance company and reported the damage. They said they'll try to subrogate to the customer's car insurance carrier since she was behind the wheel and drove onto the equipment.

Whatys' your deductible? How much will this affect your rates?

While tyyou may havve a duty to report an incident to your carrier, I would rarely make a claim with my carrier before pursuing the driver directly since balancing the deductible and rate increase versus the potential recovery is rarely a good choice.

 

[wood]

I would forget her insurance, it might be a roadblock, slow down the process, waste a time.

the deductible? get creative with your equipment supplier. it can be offset.

wood

 

[Chiefs]

First of all, get the repairs/replacement accomplished and then chase her insurance carrier. Also, do not forget to to get compensated for the lost revenue and installation costs. BTW do you have this on video. If so, it strengthens your case and leverage with the insurance company

 

[Waxman]

A carwash carries insurance. If an accident like this occurs, a carwash owner should, imo, contact their own ins. agent who then, in turn, handles the claim with the insurance company of the responsible party (clear in this case who that is).

It is absolutely appropriate for a carwash owner to request a service from a company to whom the owner pays thou$ands each year in premiums.

Get what you pay for!

 

[Earl Weiss]

A carwash carries insurance. If an accident like this occurs, a carwash owner should, imo, contact their own ins. agent who then, in turn, handles the claim with the insurance company of the responsible party (clear in this case who that is).

It is absolutely appropriate for a carwash owner to request a service from a company to whom the owner pays thou$ands each year in premiums.

Get what you pay for!

Yep, and then then your insurance company will ratchet up your rate because you made a claim.

Why go this route first if you can simply get the driver's insurance to pay?

Suffice it to say been there done that twice in the last year. Customer drove into something. Called their ins. In one case, broken window i fixed it beforre the adjuster came. In the other their ins. company sent an adjuster. In both cases within a couple of weeks of sending repair bills and photos I had a check.

 

[Waxman]

Yep, and then then your insurance company will ratchet up your rate because you made a claim.

Why go this route first if you can simply get the driver's insurance to pay?

Suffice it to say been there done that twice in the last year. Customer drove into something. Called their ins. In one case, broken window i fixed it beforre the adjuster came. In the other their ins. company sent an adjuster. In both cases within a couple of weeks of sending repair bills and photos I had a check.

I think you misunderstand me.

All I would do is make my insurance company chase the driver's company. My insurance company would, I'm sure, ask me to do the legwork but I am not an insurance agent, I am a carwasher. I don't chase other people's insurance company; I get my agent to do that as a part of the service I pay so much darned money for annually.

The claim is against the driver's insurance policy not yours so your rates would not go up because your company isn't going to pay out; the drivers is. I am simply stating to ask your company/agent to facilitate your receiving a check from the driver's company.

Isn't that how insurance works???

 

[rph9168]

You have to go after the other guy's insurance company yourself unless you don't mind that it will affect your rate in the future. Your insurance company will not "chase" the other guy's company unless you file a claim. If you file a claim that becomes part of your record that will affect your rate whether they have to pay anything out or not. Doesn't sound right but that is the way it works.

 

[jfmoran]

Wax,

Insurance agents don't handle any grunt work, they are merely a conduit between you and the actual insurance company, they are salespeople. If you want your insurance to go after the other guy you have to file a claim and they will turn the claim over to their subrogation unit, who will then actively pursue recovering the money.

 

[Earl Weiss]

You have to go after the other guy's insurance company yourself unless you don't mind that it will affect your rate in the future. Your insurance company will not "chase" the other guy's company unless you file a claim. If you file a claim that becomes part of your record that will affect your rate whether they have to pay anything out or not. Doesn't sound right but that is the way it works.

Waxman - Maybe RPH put it in a way that it makes it easier to understnad. It is not that I misunderstood you. I think you misunderstand the system.

 

[Waxman]

Maybe it is me, I don't know.

A customer hit my carwash and my agent was very helpful to me in that they did do the gruntwork as I recall. Must be an exceptional company I deal with.

Time to rate them on the acf!