New Level of Dumb Reached Today!

[Red Baron]

I thought I'd seen it all with the 50,000+ who've been through my IBA since we opened, but today witnessed a whole new level of dumbness heretofor unseen.

I watched my video to see who left 6 oil bottles, tree bark, Skoal tins, and other assorted trash in my bay. I was dumbfounded (close relation to found dumbness) to watch the goober pull his Z71 ahead after his wash when the dryers came on, then stop when the dryers got to his bed, hopped out, holding his hat on in the 142 mph windblast, run around and lower his tailgate so the trash would blow out.

I'm thankful that it took me 4 hours to locate the doofus coz I'd calmed down quite a bit. I'd replaced the lens on my cameras a couple weeks ago and the quality was just good enough to trace it after trying abouty 20 different combinations that it looked like it might be. When I called the guy I was further disarmed by him sounding legitimately that stupid: "Uh yeah that wuz me. I got out to put my oil bottles back in but the guy behind me wuz comin' in and I didn't want to git 'lectricuted." How can you be mad at a guy that stupid?

 

[MEP001]

I saw a guy get out before paying to lower his tailgate before the wash, so I looked in his bed and sure enough saw a bunch of trash and leaves. I said, "You'll have to go clean your bed out before you can use the automatic because the debris on the floor can keep the wash from working right," but he just glared at me and left. Good, I say.

 

[Red Baron]

I saw a guy get out before paying to lower his tailgate before the wash, so I looked in his bed and sure enough saw a bunch of trash and leaves. I said, "You'll have to go clean your bed out before you can use the automatic because the debris on the floor can keep the wash from working right," but he just glared at me and left. Good, I say.

Yep, one of the first lesson I taught my son, now that he's a partner in the new wash, is: We don't want everyone here. Some people are more trouble than they're worth and the sooner we identify them and send them to another car wash, the better off we'll be.

 

[CleanStreak]

My attendant called me a few months back to let me know that a car was struck by my Oasis IBA and asked what I wanted to do about it. Said the older lady was very nice about the whole thing and wasn't mad.

Upon review of the video, it clearly showed that she lurched forward about 4 feet half way through the wash, pinning one of the spray arms against the side of the car. That was not the end though! She stayed there for almost FIVE MINUTES while the HP nossels sprayed on and on until an overhead pipe broke free of its weld and started striking her car... Then, finally, the lady behind her convinced her to back up. She backed up about three feet, and stayed there for ANOTHER five minuted while the pipe was bouncing on the hood of her car.

When I called her she, of course, started into her story about how my carwash broke and hit her car. But, not to worry, she thought the damage was not too bad and she might not need to get it fixed.

The quickest change from sweet old lady to wicked witch from the west occurred when I informed her that I have two cameras in the bay recording everything that happens 24 hours a day. "you do????" - Yes, and I clearly saw that YOU are the one who broke MY carwash and caused extensive damage to it. She couldn't get off the phone quick enough.

In the end, the break away arms did what they were supposed to do and the pipe that broke was a simple repair and reattach a hose that came loose during it all and I was back in business by the end of the next day.

I never heard from the old lady again of course. Hope she visits the carwash down the street a lot

 

[soapy]

I had a guy call me this week and say he put $1.50 in the SS bay and nothing happened. It takes $2.50 to start the bay and I explained this to him but that I would refund his $1.50. He said he saw my attendant there but that he had gone into the equipment room. He wondered how to get a hold of the attend to get his refund. I replied that he might try knocking on the door.

 

[Red Baron]

I had a guy call me this week and say he put $1.50 in the SS bay and nothing happened. It takes $2.50 to start the bay and I explained this to him but that I would refund his $1.50. He said he saw my attendant there but that he had gone into the equipment room. He wondered how to get a hold of the attend to get his refund. I replied that he might try knocking on the door.

Soapy, by now you should know better than to present complex math equasions to car wash customers. lol

I am amazed at how many people think vacs and ss equipment will take pennies, dimes and nickels. I want to turn to them and say "When was the last time you used a nickel in a ss wash bay?"

 

[MEP001]

I am amazed at how many people think vacs and ss equipment will take pennies, dimes and nickels.

The Laurel electronic vendors tend to jam with a dime - early on I had a lot of problems with the most-used vendor and modified the chute so coins smaller than a quarter would fall out and on top of the coin box. I guess I need to do them all, because it's happening on others now, at least one a week.

One day I heard someone enter the auto bay while I was in the room, but after a couple minutes didn't hear the presoak come on. I went to look, and a kid in a Mustang had completely straddled the treadle and dragged the left spray arm across his hood. When I walked up to direct him around, he just looked at me and said "Why isn't it coming on?" I had to resist saying "Because you're a ****ing idiot."

 

[JustClean]

Lady called me at 1:30 am (yes AM in the morning). Took me a while to get to the mobile phone. She told me she was at my wash using one of the vacs but it wouldn't start as the coin was always falling through. I couldn't believe that someone in their right mind would call me in the middle of the night just for that. I told her to either use another coin or another vac!
Next morning I was thinking about that issue and since I had her number on my mobile I called her back the next night at 12:30am just before I went to bed and told her that I had fixed the problem and thanked her very much for letting me know the previous night.

 

[Red Baron]

A guy called me yesterday afternoon, irate that he'd purchased a $5 wash and my ACW gave him back $4 in quarters and $1 in tokens for his $10. I told him: "You got lucky, the sign right there on the ACW says you may receive a 50/50 mix of tokens with your change." The guy was not appeased: "I don't want any effing tokens, what the eff am I going to do with tokens?" I told him they work on our vacs and vending as well, but he through out the eff bomb a few more times; he wanted cash. I thought about it for about 1 second then realized he was the kind of guy that would seek revenge against my ACW, so I drove to the wash (1 minute) to find him still at the ACW waiting. I gave him his 4 quarters - he seemed a little embarassed, so I also gave him a couple of Armor All pads and a Wet Towel and made a friend of the idiot.

You know what they say, keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. lol

 

[CleanStreak]

I have another one - customers actually look serious when putting quarter after quarter into my vacs and it isn't accepting them. They always say the thing is broken - I point to the sticker that says USE TOKENS ONLY that is actually over the top of the coin slot.

"You mean, they don't take quarters?"

What was I thinking when I thought they would read the sign anyway...