Is This Your First Time At A Car Wash?

[Red Baron]

That's what I want to say sometimes.

I got a call this morning from a lady having trouble with a vac not sucking. When I get there I find the dial pointed at Pina Colada.

Lady: This thing don't suck hardly at all.
Me: Ma'am, did you turn the dial to vaccuum?
Lady: What dial?
Me: I got it, you're ready to go (then I'll go back home and eat my cold breakfast).

I do my best to make the customer not feel dumb when they do something dumb. "Oh Ma'am, that happens to everybody the first time." But it's hard sometimes.

And the scary part is, these people vote, and when they do it counts for just as much as yours and mine.

 

[MEP001]

I can think of a number of questions people ask me that make me want to reply the same way.

"If I put a $20 in the changer, will it give me all quarters back?"

(The guy who straddled the treadle in the auto bay) "Why won't it start?"

"I have the switch on 'soap,' why is nothing coming out of the brush?"

 

[I.B. Washincars]

"If I put a $20 in the changer, will it give me all quarters back?"

I don't see what is so stupid about that question at all. Although virtually no one want 80 quarters for a twenty most car washes dispense all quarters. It's terrible customer service, but most operators do it (I'm assuming) because it's easier on themselves. I stopped dispensing quarters 10 years ago and my last ACW purchase dispenses fives and ones. The quarter car washes are throwbacks to the old century.

 

[MEP001]

I don't see what is so stupid about that question at all.

What strikes me as "stupid" about it is how this person got to be 30 or 40 years old, has likely used a changer many times and has still never noticed that there's only a hole in for the bills and a hole out for quarters. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like it's nothing but common sense that it will give only quarters change. That doesn't mean I don't offer right away to give them smaller bills if they want.

The quarter car washes are throwbacks to the old century.

Not here. No one dispenses tokens only, very few mix tokens in with quarters, and the few that do that only do to reduce changer abuse. We've had zero problems with break-ins and people are totally accustomed to using quarters. Tokens at this point would only confuse them or make them feel ripped off. I've even considered making one side of the changer dispense tokens withe a bonus payout with larger bills, but I already know what's going to happen (They also don't read signs or instructions). For what it's worth, we do have credit card acceptance in the bays, and it has greatly reduced the need for a changer.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I don't dispense tokens only, but I do have a token changer. The other changer gives 4 quarters and the balance in dollar coins. I've never regretted switching to dollar coins for one minute. I virtually never have to break a big bill any more and never hear "I didn't want all these f%#@*ing quarters!" any more, when I use to hear it daily.

 

[MEP001]

We can't even get $1 coins without a special trip to the bank and paying $30 a bag.

 

[madscientist]

I've dispensed dollar coins (same general area as MEP1) and all I got was "I don't want these #$&%$^$^ things. What the #$^$^%$^ are they anyways?"

 

[MEP001]

Yeah, I forgot about that, people sometimes come in with dollar coins and think they're tokens from another wash.

 

[Waxman]

I dispense tokens only and seldom have to buy back unused tokens. My bays take quarters and tokens. So they can use their quarters if they want or buy tokens from me at $1 each. Works for me.

 

[washnvac]

I agree w/ wax. I have dispensed $1 tokens since 2002. My acws even give back tokens as change. I have never been broken into, or strung. I have a 5% yearly walk away that pays for the tokens.

 

[johnparker]

lol...i remember the first time i washed my car, i got so carried away that i kept washing it for almost three hours...yea its such a fun

 

[bigleo48]

How about this for not too smart; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbkQ-2PNkjw

Some people are just not too bright and I was reminded of it just a few minutes ago on my lunchtime walk. I was walking by some elderly people with a 2 year old (figuring they were babysitting). As they walked by a bridge over a raging river 20' below, the little girl asked to see. The grandmother sat her rear on the top of the railing, held her with one arm and let her lean forward to look directly below!!?!?!?!? Natural selection doesn't always work

Big

 

[pitzerwm]

In my IBA, I had a dry only for the SS people, it wasn't a big seller but many loved it. One day, a not real blond, was washing her Lincoln Town Car and I offered it to her for free. She attempted to back into it first, then I got her straightened out, then she left the driver's window down.

Since there wasn't anything I could do, I ran around to the exit to see if she was harmed. She had shoulder length hair, she was looking at the dry car and said "that did a pretty good job", I then said "you might close your window next time". She then looked in the mirror and saw that her hair was pointing totally to the right and said "OMG what am I going to do, I'm going to work". She almost ran over me as I was laying on the ground laughing.