IBA Rewash Policy

Greetings ---

What is your rewash policy? Do you ever give the customer their money back? Do you have signage with your policy on it? Pictures of your signage would be helpful as well.

My rewash paolicy at my IBA is 'free rewashes, no questions asked'.

That said, I do tell the folks whose car needs to be scrubbed that they need to have their car scrubbed.

People with unrealistic expectations must be made aware that their expectations are unrealistic, but in a nice way. Every car wash has limitations and sometimes a good ole-fashioned hand wash is what is needed.

If a customer comes in and gets my IBA wash and is dissatisfied because their car has been sitting in the driveway for a month under a Pine tree and my wash didn't clean it I usually take it in the SS bays and scrub it myself while they watch. I do not charge them for this, but I explain the facts; wash more often, don't park there, cut the tree down, and wash more often. Did I say wash more often???

The very few times we've had a customer dissatisfied with the wash, it was with dried-on bird poop. By the time they had pulled out to complain it was soft enough to wipe off with a cloth, so no rewash needed.

Waxman said it best,and most succinctly

I guess it depends on your operation and how often you are attended. It is much easier to handle these problems and not refund money if you have an attended location, address the problem immediately and rewash in the IBA.

Previously I had several unattended SS/Auto locations. If anyone called to complain I figured that was reason enough to send them a refund, plus a coupon for a free wash. I did explain to them that some cars need a scrubbing,but after that if they used the IBA at least twice a month the car would stay clean. If you are set up, perhaps tokens for a SS wash and a coupon for another IBA wash would be a way for them to address their problem, and get them back on the IBA horse.

I spend a lot of time at my current SS/IBA wash. I bought this place about six months ago. It was suffering from poor management and I am really trying to get the customers back. I watch customers and if I see something that I'm not happy with I'll often stop them myself and offer to address it in the SS bay, then send them back through the IBA or give them a coupon. I try not to wait for complaints to come in. But I'm not kidding myself The touch free wash doesn't produce 100% clean cars in my area, the road soils are red clay based and just too tough if allowed on there too long. But my personal policy is "dirty cars aren't allowed to leave the property"

There will always be an occasional customer whose expectations are not met in any automated car wash, whether it be the IBA or express tunnel. A liberal rewash policy and a little education might go a long way in retaining these customers.

Having said all that, take a hard critical look at your IBA wash process and see if it can be improved to reduce these complaints.

Very well said. As a new owner/operator, I err on the side of caution and make the water nice and hot, the soaps rich and the wash time slow. Maybe not the way to make the most $$ or do the best volume, but it's creating a good rep that I'm working on.

Customer perception is everything and can be very 'funny'. Like last week a customer who is a regular thought the pressure in the IBA was much lower than normal and it didn't get off dried bird droppings. I brought him right into the pupm room and showed him my pressure gage on the CAT 3535. Yup, pressure was okay. Gave him a rewash. It got the bird gunk that time. He was ecstatic, said he'd be back, etc.

Another regular told me when he came thru a few weeks ago that my side blowers never came on; only the top. I checked it and all 3 were operating as normal/. Point is, I told him I'd look into it, acted concerned about his 'issue' and I did follow up. And next time I see him I'll tell him I checked it out.

I think if you're around and accountable and nice and you actually care about customers and work as greg says on improving your wash constantly, you create an atmosphere where customers feel 'taken care of'. And that creates repeat business. It also minimizes the negative vibes from the occasional poor wash job, broken hose or other problem.

Greetings ---

Good Point Greg, provide a better wash, reduce the complaints, your comments hit home with me. Instead of solving problem C fix A. I like it!

Rewash aren't questioned, unless overly muddy, road tar, tree sap etc.

Right on. To me, good customer service is sometimes about stating the facts, even if they aren't popular with the customer.

It doesn't do you or the customer or your wash any good to simply rewash a vehicle with excessive tar, road paint, tree sap etc. on it. That stuff needs a scrubbing or removal with the proper chemicals/detail process.

Any car wash that was capable of removing such stubborn items would also likely damage the heck out of paint.

I dont think waterson meant that his wash can remove them. He means if the customer is complaining about those items he doesn't rewash. I agree with him and you waxman.

Sure; my point, I guess, was to educate the customer about challenging elements sticking to a car's exterior; tree sap, guideline paint, even baked on bird droppings. These items need more than a typical car wash to remove them.