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"Canned Response" needed!!!

Waxman

Waxman

Super Moderator
Because I am at my business 6 days / week ( and have been for decades at this point) , I find myself getting more and more annoyed at customers when they tell me some version of : "....you're NEVER here." I've tried saying things that I think are witty, like : " yeah, I only work nights, weekends, and holidays now...", but that type of reply goes right over their heads.

The most recent one was Saturday, around 3:30 p.m. I was working alone, as all my employees had left for the day. I was in the wash bay, cleaning a Silverado truck that we have for sale. I found it very rude when Customer X said how infrequently I was 'at work'. After all, here I was, the only employee at the business, working hard on Saturday afternoon. Don't get me wrong; I love my job. I was enjoying the tasks I was performing until Customer X came along.

So, seasoned Veterans of the car wash biz, how do you handle these situations?
 
I don't have a canned response, but you reminded me of something similar.

I was at one of my washes at around 8:00 PM on a Friday. I got done with whatever I was doing and was locking the door and preparing to go home. As I was turning the lock, I look across the front of the bays to see crap flying out of a truck bed being washed. I just shrugged my shoulders, got a soft drink, and sat down on a nearby brick wall to kill time until Bubba was finished. One of my friends pulled up and saw me chillin with my Diet Pepsi and stated "You've got it made.". I replied, "Yep, it's 8:20 on a Friday evening and I'm sitting here waiting for that guy to finish making his mess, so I can clean it up. Yeah, I've got it made..."
 
I.B. Washincars said:
I don't have a canned response, but you reminded me of something similar.

I was at one of my washes at around 8:00 PM on a Friday. I got done with whatever I was doing and was locking the door and preparing to go home. As I was turning the lock, I look across the front of the bays to see crap flying out of a truck bed being washed. I just shrugged my shoulders, got a soft drink, and sat down on a nearby brick wall to kill time until Bubba was finished. One of my friends pulled up and saw me chillin with my Diet Pepsi and stated "You've got it made.". I replied, "Yep, it's 8:20 on a Friday evening and I'm sitting here waiting for that guy to finish making his mess, so I can clean it up. Yeah, I've got it made..."
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I would have asked him to clean it up, then without telling him, taken a picture of his license plate as he watched to make sure he knew I took it. Bet he would have cleaned it up. If it's crap I don't want in my pits, I give them a broom and shovel then I wait for them to finish.
 
Waxman said:
Because I am at my business 6 days / week ( and have been for decades at this point) , I find myself getting more and more annoyed at customers when they tell me some version of : "....you're NEVER here." I've tried saying things that I think are witty, like : " yeah, I only work nights, weekends, and holidays now...", but that type of reply goes right over their heads.

The most recent one was Saturday, around 3:30 p.m. I was working alone, as all my employees had left for the day. I was in the wash bay, cleaning a Silverado truck that we have for sale. I found it very rude when Customer X said how infrequently I was 'at work'. After all, here I was, the only employee at the business, working hard on Saturday afternoon. Don't get me wrong; I love my job. I was enjoying the tasks I was performing until Customer X came along.

So, seasoned Veterans of the car wash biz, how do you handle these situations?
Click to expand...
Are they upset because they can't find you at the car wash? Do you let them know that you're at your detail station when you aren't at the car wash? And why are they looking for you, to get help with the wash or are they looking for a detail?
 
Forget any response. We have a second line for each car wash (from GoDaddy although many offer the app based service). My number and email is posted everywhere, need to be blind to miss it. Customers feel that they can always reach me, perhaps not in person but reach me so I can help them with whatever issue they are experiencing (real or imagined).

Just this week a customer was using a SS bay and the meter box died on them when their car was covered in soap. A transformer fuse blew which took me a day to diagnose and repair. I could not help them immediately with the bay issue but resolved the issue to their delight with a wash code for a top of the line wash in the IBA on me.

The second line number defuses any statement that I am not around to talk to however I do place parameters on the hours when the line will ring aloud (7am-10pm)
 
31 years doing this business. I get that all the time- "you're never here anymore". Also- "I'd like to talk to you sometime about the car wash business. You make good money?" I always respond to that one with "Hey, you should attend my car wash introduction class that I teach every year on Christmas morning". They respond "What? Christmas morning? I'm not coming on Christmas morning!" Then I respond "then you don't want to be in the car wash business because I'll be here I'm sure". And then when someone makes the comment similar to "you've got it made" I ask "are you at work right now, right this second?" "No". "Well I am and I'll be here a few more hours".
 
Since I am on the 7 day a week plan I say I am glad there are not 8 days in the week. If there were I would have to work an extra day.
 
Wenormally get to the car wash at around 5am so we don't have to interact with any of thecustomers, get our work done and get out of there, we don't hangout at the car wash. Every once and awhile someone will come in early and wil ask me about how much money we make or say WOW! your've really got it made. I reply "I can tell you stories for hours about all the $hit that goes on here, I have the police on speed dial and your on video and audio" that always shuts them up. Or they want to buy the car wash. I always tell them it's for sale, land value only, $650K and it's yours, the car wash sits on prime realestate.
 
I just tell them that my wife has restricted me to only working 70 hours per week. Then I watch their faces go into shock as they contemplate how much more I work than them.
 
I chuckled at Earl's & Soapy's response-approach! As long as those responses were done in just the right tone of voice & body language! Relief expression on one's face with ... a very accentuated swipe across the brow etc!

Randy,

Every demographic is different but a lot of the conversations I tend to have with most of my customers turns out to be a lot of "fun" bantering back & forth! I kid you not.
 
Waxman said:
Because I am at my business 6 days / week ( and have been for decades at this point) , I find myself getting more and more annoyed at customers when they tell me some version of : "....you're NEVER here." I've tried saying things that I think are witty, like : " yeah, I only work nights, weekends, and holidays now...", but that type of reply goes right over their heads.

The most recent one was Saturday, around 3:30 p.m. I was working alone, as all my employees had left for the day. I was in the wash bay, cleaning a Silverado truck that we have for sale. I found it very rude when Customer X said how infrequently I was 'at work'. After all, here I was, the only employee at the business, working hard on Saturday afternoon. Don't get me wrong; I love my job. I was enjoying the tasks I was performing until Customer X came along.

So, seasoned Veterans of the car wash biz, how do you handle these situations?
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I’m not sure why they even care. As long as your wash is well maintained and you supply quality services and products. It shouldn’t matter if they ever see you - it is self-serve. I’d probably say something like “I’m surprised too that my weekly 70 hours don’t overlap your weekly 10 minutes”.
 
MEP001 said:
Are they upset because they can't find you at the car wash? Do you let them know that you're at your detail station when you aren't at the car wash? And why are they looking for you, to get help with the wash or are they looking for a detail?
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I'm not sure they are looking for me. Our hours are m-f 8-5 and sat 9-2 and sun by appt. my # is posted at the wash. we are fully staffed 6 days / week. i'm always here.
 
We have a cell phone number posted in 8-10 locations around our wash and I always carry that phone with me at my "day" job. Usually that keeps people happy. For the VERY few times that I have gotten a complaint to my face (of that nature), I was usually not polite with my response... I have no patience/tolerance for uncalled for rudeness.
 
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