Rewash policy for express exterior

I'm sure that everyone has been faced with the customer who washes his or her vehicle, spends 20 minutes detailing in the vacuum area, and then tells you that he or she was not pleased with the wash. The pattern is always the same..."I don't have time to rewash it now, so give me a free wash for the next time", or "I have already finished detailing the vehicle, and don't want to spend the time wiping the door jambs down again". They will show you their detail towel with dirt on it as if the car wash was supposed to clean the door jambs and wheel wells.

What do you do in these cases? Give them a free wash to use at another time or to use for the other vehicle that they plan on bringing later that day? Rewashing right now is already out of the question for these customers due to "time". Anybody have a good solution to this problem that shows a commitment to customer service while not giving away your services?

What can you do but give them a wash? the .50 it costs to do a rewash, then or later that week will probably be worth it in the long run. Thats just something that comes with it. I love the customers that wait until there next vist to tell you what a horrible wash they got last time. Again what can you do but give them a wash? Thats what I always did, I know some people took advantage of the situation but the real customers that you win by doing that is worth it.

You could track customers who ask for a rewash by their license plate numbers, and cut them off if they do it too often. You could also write their license number on the "free wash next time" coupon so that it's valid only for that vehicle.

We have a two track policy. First we tell customers that if they have a complaint about the wash that they may go through but only on that visit. They also habve to sign in on a daily sheet for free or re-washes. This includes their name, license plate #, phone number (for follow-up) and the specific reason for the re-wash (bugs, wheels, etc.)

Once they leave we are not responsible for what they drive through, A excellent example of this is in the winter and a customer gets their vehcile washed in the morning while the roads are still full of melted snow and salt. Then they come back later in the day and tell you, "I got my car washed here this morning and look at it now", like I'm somwhow responsible for the roads being wet. Or there's the customer that comes inm on a gloomy day and as they are going through the wash, it begins to rain.

I know having rainchecks or 24 or 48 hours guarantes would eliminate this problem. The only problem with these solutions is that I'd end up washing another 30-40,000 cars a year over again for free - not to mention the hassles of it rained here but not here. That's great for Phoenix, but would suck in Cleveland.

Sorry to digress. As for the customer who simply does not have the time to re-wash but want a free wash for their next visit. We use our wash books program. We keep a handful of books just for such purposes. The book wash ticket contains space for their license plate number and an expiration date of 7 days from today. If plate numbers don't match, no free(re) wash and I don't want them coming back for their re-wash a month from now and then have them complain about it again!

We do not offer re-washes to Club Card memebers as they are eligible to wash every day.

We will give them a free wash for them to use next time. We have found only a few really end up abusing this policy. We had a guy who used to come to our wash and would do this exact scenario every time. We eventually cut him off and told him that our wash apparently was not a good fit for him and he ought to try the full serve up the road and we would no longer give him rewashes. He cussed our manager out that day and left. Funny thing is, he still comes back but he doesn't ask for rewashes. It just seems some people live to abuse the system.

When you get that type of customer who wants to repeatedly use your carwash... Why not offer him/her an Unlimited Wash program? Sort of the "turn lemons into lemonade" concept. You could tell the customer that you have a "special program... just for him" and now you have the loyal customer PLUS you get your money up front! It won't work every time, but when it does work it would definitely be a better solution than giving a free wash.

That is actually a good idea Brandon. Without the RFID techonology though I hear it is hard to keep track of people. But still a good idea.

Your worst customers can be your best customers. we are not express and rarely get rewashes(tooting my own horn) but for those that abuse I would give the crap rite back to them you won't see them for 3-4 months then they come back and keep thier moulths shut. For me in the northeast we get gypsy pavers for the summer any spikey hair and something lettered up paving on the side of a white lowered truck we wouldn't even let them get near the entrance. they would usually have a truck full of crap in the bed and when they would wash one truck they would come back with another and say look at it, it doens't looked like it was washed. 2-3 would surround the attendant and itimidate them. I put a stop to that real quick. Now they know but we get a few stragglers that try to come in. That type of bussiness I don't tolorate!!!

Easy solution - no cover on your bed and we don't wash it.

I think thats a little drastic NO cover No Wash, I really did think abouth that in the Past Bill but even on a slow-drizzly day here in NH I think I would be out 100 bucks for today alone, thats a payday for one of my crew. We have 3 telephone poles with "truck beds must be empty and clean" each pole has a sign on it. Each time a truck does pull up we go out and inspect the bed before it's hitting the track. Most people know by now it was tough and a lot of yelling but no probs anymre just the gypsy pavers. But no prob anymore eithier "Maybe a new sign" "Spikey Hair and @#%&*Paving No Wash!"

You want to take the rsik of an open bed on a peak wash day that is your choice. We simply determined its not worth the risk. Peopel don't give a crap about what they've been hauling or how it might affect your wash. We wash many pick up trucks and they all come in with covers. We started that policy 8 years ago and have never varied from it. You'll find that a vast majority of pick up owners have covers. But people are lazy and if they don't have to put it on they won't. Once in a blue moon we get a pick up without a cover and we politely turn them away and send them to our competitor who still does them but charges extra to do it. If you explain the reasoning behind the policy to customers, they will understand and most will comply, especially if you are the best wash in town.

No rfid technology to implement it. We make our own club cards (see attachment) and our attendant have a daily sign in sheet to record their card number and time of day so we can spot check on video. It's been a good program for us and other than a few whack jobs who come almost every day, not a problem to control or account for. Each card's expiration date is dated for 30 days from their first wash so there's no need to prorate.

Bill, I like the card, thanks for posting it. Rain guarantees are a like a "tar babies", they are hard to handle without making a mess. IE: The 9 months I tried a 48hr, it didn't encourage more business on rainy days. Which is why you do them. All it caused was an a occasional customer to come in, days or even a week later, for a rewash and possible confrontation ("Well, it rained the next day but I couldn't get back in"). Now, you are the bad guy. And once you start a verbal policy, like "rain guarantee", it's difficult to get the word out it's over. Tar Baby! as Brer Rabbit would say.

Open beds...yes, a multitude of problems with them, but I would loose half of my business, here in the south, without em.(including my own) I do turn them away if they have been 4-wheeling and are covered in mud. We ask them to pre-wash it at the nearest self serve then come back. (Sorry, self serve operators)

In Northern California its truck country... we would loose 50% to 75% of business, we just make sure the bed is clean. Im sure that policy works in some markets but not in "Truck King" areas!

Do you charge extra for cleaning out beds? If not, how would you like to be the customers in a Mercedez, Jag, or Hummer behind some farmer's pickup full of hay or manure.

Try surveying your customers. See if they have covers for their trucks. Explain to them that you wouldn't have to charge them extra to clean out their beds if they had covers. If you communicate with customers and try educating them as to why its necessary, I think you'll be surprised at the level of cooperation and understanding - if you don't charge them extra they treat your wash like a garbage dump and your wash volume is greatly reduced on peak wash days as a result.

Yes, that may work better here given our population density and being in a metropolitan area. But I care more about the customers who bring their $30-$80,000 vehicles to me than I do about the few trucks we lose as a result. hell, I even made my brother-in-law get one for his truck and denied my sister-in-law a wash because she did not have her cover on (she has one) when she came. Sometimes you have to ask customers to be consdierate of others.