How Does Automatic System Work? Did I get ripped off?

[Rhonda66]

Hi all - Hopefully just a quick question. I'm not in the biz. I was a customer today, but it's something that might concern people in the biz and I'm sure you're faced with all the time.

I paid for a $14.00 "Works" car wash at my local wash today. I gave the attendant exact change. When I was exiting the wash, I noticed the illuminated sign was flashing that I got the $12.00 wash, not the $14.00 one I paid for. My question is could this just be an honest mistake or does the attendant ring up the sale and that is what prompts the illuminted sign to flash? I was going to go back to ask the attendant about it. Then I thought if he is pocketing $2 from all the "Works" sales thinking no one will notice, that I would want to know if I was the owner and I should contact that person, or at least a Manager, instead of confronting the employee.

What do you guys think? Thanks!

 

[Kevin Reilly]

You should have confronted the employee at the time and it could have been an honest mistake. However now I would contact the owner or manager.

If the manager is the same guy that took your money then I would contact the owner for sure.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Yes, you should tell the owner. It may be an honest mistake . if you have ever been a cashier, you know mistakes happen. When I have heard this I gave friends money and asked that they go to the wash and get the top package and make sure they get what they pay for. If not, to report back to me. Honest mistakes do not happen on a regular basis.

 

[Mitch]

Wow!

This forum never ceases to amaze me. Even our customers are using it! Mitch

 

[Rhonda66]

You should have confronted the employee at the time and it could have been an honest mistake. However now I would contact the owner or manager.

If the manager is the same guy that took your money then I would contact the owner for sure.

It definitely was not the owner or the Manager.

 

[Rhonda66]

Yes, you should tell the owner. It may be an honest mistake . if you have ever been a cashier, you know mistakes happen. When I have heard this I gave friends money and asked that they go to the wash and get the top package and make sure they get what they pay for. If not, to report back to me. Honest mistakes do not happen on a regular basis.

That's what I thought - I don't want to accuse the guy, but the owner/Manager should know and then they can do what they think is best. I own a small biz too (a thrift store albeit, but I deal with employees, the general public and cash) and I would want a head's up. Thanks for the replies guys now I'll head on out!

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Rhonda, was there a customer behind you ready to enter? If so, they may have bought the $12 wash and you were seeing their wash selection flashing.

Was this a conveyor wash (stationary equipment, car moving)? Or was it an In Bay Automatic (stationary car, equipment moving)?

 

[MEP001]

If you go back, wait until he comes back with the change, then ask for a receipt. If he indeed did rip you off, this will trip him up.

 

[jfmoran]

Asking for a receipt, won't always solve the problem as many POS's allow the cashier to print a duplicate receipt from a previous transaction which can then be given to the next customer. We had this problem at one of our washes and since at that time our tunnel controller and POS were not linked I had to start watching the car count on my controller and matching it with the POS car count.

 

[Earl Weiss]

In a similar vein, the DRB allows a receipt to be printed and then the transaction to be canceled before the car enters the loop. Then a new transaction can be entered for the car.

 

[Chiefs]

While it could be how the lights are arranged in the tunnel and their subsequent timing, it could alos be that the owner has a "silent partner" and doesn't know it. Employee theft in the car wash business is always problematic. Its the nature of the best. As an owener, its always a struggle to stay one step ahead of the employees.

Years ago, our CTA kept getting busted. I found out it was the employees kicking it that way the whitewalls would come out dirty and they could then "panhandle" the customer to redo their whitewalls (for a tip).

When you get a hole in the dike, the trick is not running out of fingers to plug them with.

Call the owner, he/she will appreciate it.

Bill