Refund issues.

[Michael McKernan]

With money getting tighter and tighter, customers with little problems are asking for more and more money back. A lady "said" she spent $15 (30 minutes) in the bay washing. Complained PS didn't work and tri-foam had a hole in the hose. PS worked fine for me and the tri-foam did have a hole. Anyway she is demanding the entire $15 back. I got the message late today so I will call back first thing in the morning.
Any suggestions, I have an idea of what I'm going to tell her. Anyone else noticed this?

 

[Ric]

This seems to happen more often when the economy is down. However we have always continued our policy of making the customer happy.

We had someone last week that went thru the automatic and the underbody did not come on. We ran them thru again plus gave them a token note good for our top ($12) wash to use at a later date. They asked if instead we would give them 2 of our $5 washes. I wouldn't have the nerve to do that.

I'm just thankful we are now all tokens (have been for over 4 years). It seems as though when the economy sucks is when we would have the most trouble with idiots trying to get at the cash. I have not had 1 incident since going to all tokens.

 

[Michael McKernan]

I left out a couple details. She said she only washed her trailer, what kind I don't know. She lives in a different state and was passing threw. I emptied the bill validator and coins just an hour or so before she washed. It rained all day today, I'm going to empty them again and see how much money is in there. It is my least used bay.
I agree about making the customer happy. But I have a serious problem with someone washing anything and it not coming clean. Especailly 30 minutes worth. Her entire story just seemed phony.

 

[MEP001]

Luckily we have almost no complaints for refunds, but I do have cameras in all the self-serve bays and one in the auto. So far we've busted a woman claiming scratch damage based mainly on camera video because the marks didn't match her brush stroke. If someone did ask for a $15 refund because of problems like you mentioned, I can and would go back and look to see if they're lying.

I did have a woman claim to lose $5 in a bay because "the hose popped off," she even said it wet her down and she'd just had her hair done. I gave her the refund but also wrote down her description and license plate number because I know she was lying. I haven't had a hose break on a customer in about four years. It would've liked having video of the day it supposedly happened to confront her though.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

We have a lot of people that try and get change to do their laundry. Lately, I have been getting more calls about incorrect change and bills getting eaten. I have a strict NO CASH REFUND. I will apologize and give them the equal amount in tokens and usually a few scented trees. I was giving out cash and it began to get excessive so this helped to curb that problem.

 

[Sequoia]

Refunds

I cheerfully give refunds to the honest people and the few miscreants who abuse my refund policy. But, it is always in tokens, not cash.

When you look at the total revenue for your wash for a year, then factor the amount of bogus refunds, it's not worth losing sleep over. At least at my wash.

 

[Shorco1]

Hi Mike, No refund. She washed for the full 30 minutes. Apparently it was not bad enough to quit washing. People are using any excuse to get a refund. If you want to be a nice guy give a $1 token.

 

[Michael McKernan]

Hi Mike, No refund. She washed for the full 30 minutes. Apparently it was not bad enough to quit washing. People are using any excuse to get a refund. If you want to be a nice guy give a $1 token.

Hi Ken,
Hope to be back more often. I agree. I always ask the customer, why did you keep putting more money in? I will give her the money back for the time she had the function turned to tri-foam.

 

[Whale of a Wash]

Yestrday , hired a painter to paint at one one my apt. buildings, had a big bandage on hand. He explained that he got caught in the door at the Wmart supercenter, the other day. He put a claim in with them, said he wasn't going to hire a lawyer. The claim for them to pay his wages for three weeks as a painter (2500x3) Meanwhile he's out painting. I guess only a couple dollars sounds like a bargain. Also why don't we paint instead of carwashes, sounds like really good money!!?

 

[ScottV]

Had a customer complain about one of the SS bays yesterday. Said he put in $10 and the high pressure soap didnt work right. We had fixed a problem with the tank refill so it sounded legit, although he was a kid and the $10 sounded like a stretch.

I watched the video and was surprised to see that he used the full 20 mins of time that he gets with $10. So I will refund him the money and save myself the embarrassment of a confrontation questioning his claim.

Thank god for the CCTV DVR system I bought a few years ago!

 

[Greg Pack]

Hey I went to my favorite pizza place. The pizza was great but the beer was a tad warm. Everyone knows you can't enjoy a pizza with a warm beer, so I demanded a full refund for the entire meal. Boy was I given a funny look by the manager.....

I would probably send her a refund for a full cycle. That will more than make up for the tri-foam deficiency. If that doesn't make her happy she can get bent. Great customer service, policy eh?

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

Yes, I'm noticing this too - people seem to be trying to get something for nothing. (more than before.)

We generally give double what they lost - in tokens. Unless we think they are full of it, then we give them a token or two. We do not give cash refunds. "company policy, sorry, nothing I can do."

Maybe ask them to swing by with the trailer to discuss it & "see about a refund". See if the trailer is clean ... If it is, ask exactly what the problem is.

 

[Waxman]

I don't, fortunately, get too many refund requests. When I do, I ask plenty of questions to try and determine exactly what happened, determine if the customers expectations were in line, and if they are being honest. I like to think I can tell.

Despite whether I think the claim is valid or invalid, I always amp up my friendliness and customer service. This tact would change, however, if the same person repeatedly asked for refunds or complained. In that case I'd suggest they buzz off.

 

[bigleo48]

Mike,

First a video would help. Second, are you talking about a camper trailer? They are fiberglass (gel coat) and our automotive type soaps don't work on those surfaces very well, so she's wasting her time. They need an acid and perhaps a rubbing compound to remove the oxidation and finally a gel-coat sealant to do a good job.

I would give her at least a partial refund in tokens...but not cash. I would explain it's not a camper wash, but a car wash and explain why soaps are made for different surfaces and what she needs to get it done. Then I'd sell her a exterior detailing package for $300.

I always try to turn a bad thing into a good one (for me at least)

BigLeo

I left out a couple details. She said she only washed her trailer, what kind I don't know. She lives in a different state and was passing threw. I emptied the bill validator and coins just an hour or so before she washed. It rained all day today, I'm going to empty them again and see how much money is in there. It is my least used bay.
I agree about making the customer happy. But I have a serious problem with someone washing anything and it not coming clean. Especailly 30 minutes worth. Her entire story just seemed phony.

 

[Waxman]

May be off topic, but C.A.R. Products has a chemical called braker I use on campers with lots of success. It's non-acid and I cut it 4 to 1 with water.

Last customer to use some on their trailer LOVED it and even made a special trip into the detail shop to tell me how great it was.

 

[Micah Savell]

Hi Mike, It's been a long time since I chimed in but I have a definite opinion on this thread.

We all know that in good times as well as tough times there are people who seek to take advantage. We can just afford it a little easier in good times but still I believe that long term customer service is best. I use the word customer service because if I don't have definite proof that a customer has ripped me off then I MUST give them the benefit of the doubt.

Over the last 5 years we have been blessed with a couple milliion transactions at our washes. In that time I have only taken 4 people to task and three of those were because of attitudes and language.

Question, when YOU don't get what you think you paid for, how do you respond? I know, when I USED to put my money in a drink machine and it didn't work, I felt ripped off and my anger was taken out on the machine LONG BEFORE I read where the number was to call for problems. Sorry to any of you guys where I might have been a customer. That's how I now see my customers, not always right, but every customer is certainly worth a few dollars and I want them to come back because if they don't I won't ever have a chance to get even.

Didn't mean to write a book. Have a great day all!

 

[MEP001]

Micah, I try to react the same way. I even had a short piece published in a trade magazine in which I said how I once wanted to pick up a rock and beat up a machine that took my money and gave no product, and I try to always remember that whenever a customer approaches me for a refund. Unless it's a glaring and obvious lie, I refund them for whatever they request with no questions asked.

 

[johnny]

a little off topic,but today i lost it,i gave a guy his money back for a vac and threw him out.
he was using it to vac leaves out of a p/u truck bed.
there is a cure for a lot of things,but there no cure for stupid
and yes i did overreact
ok rant over

 

[lgriffin]

i have a refund system that i make the attendants on duty use when we have a customer complain.. I keep refund coupons in each of there wallets and if a customer complains usually the attendant will make them fill out the slip that contains there name, date, complaint, and what wash they purchased. We usually dont have any refund slips for the SS bays mostly for the automatics. But it works out because instead of giving the money back to customer we run them through for another wash so the money that comes out of the attendants change wallet circulates right back into profits so we did not have much of a loss... Maybe an idea for some of you all out there!!

 

[Kevin James]

Johnny, there is no way I would have give the jerk his money back for sucking up leaves from the bed of his truck. I would have shut off the power to the vacuum and kicked his butt off the property. What a moron.