We’re all familiar with the phrase, “the customer is always right.” My employees and I do our best to make sure that our customers are treated well and that they receive the value they pay for — if not more! But, we also regularly come across situations where the customer certainly isn’t right. Do you have any suggestions you could share that would be helpful in training my team?
Chester, Moscow, Tenn.

If the customer were always presumed to be correct, most business wouldn’t be able to stay open. There need to be boundaries to every relationship, including with customers. There are at least two types of customers that you should empower your employees to say no to, and even for your managers to “fire” or “graduate” if necessary:

Mister Toxic. This is the person who is abusive to your employees or other customers, and who just creates a miserable environment when they’re around. Your employees don’t deserve that, and your other customers can feel the negativity. You don’t need the guy who always complains about some aspect of his car wash and berates your employees.

The Crook. This is the person who tries to cut side deals with your employees (e.g. paying them another $20 directly to get another $50 of detailing services) or tries to use altered coupons. When you serve this customer, you are showing your employees and other customers that ethics aren’t important.

Not included in this list are customers who you simply can’t make any money serving — but I’m hopeful you’ve already figured that out. From a marketing perspective, Mister Toxic and The Crook can be even more difficult to manage because you may be making money in the relationship. But, I’d suggest that you look beyond the direct ROI and begin to consider what these types of customers are doing to your overall business and customer and employee relations. At the end of the day, the customer isn’t always right — and make sure you aren’t setting that expectation for your team.

Champ, give me some thoughts on new social media channels. To be honest, I just can’t keep up with this stuff. I have a Facebook and Twitter account for my car wash, but there seems to be a new social media site popping up every month. Pinterest is the latest example — I don’t know what the site even does! I’m drowning in this stuff, and half tempted to drop it all. Your thoughts?

Sammy, Helena, Ark.

Forget Pinterest — did you know that there is a social media site for those who are mustache aficionados (StachePassions.com)? There is probably even one for folks who miss their mustaches. In other words, you’re right — there is a seemingly endless supply of places to spend time online, and your business can’t and shouldn’t attempt to be everywhere.

While there are lots of newcomers out there, I’d say Facebook and Twitter are the only two where your car wash has to be involved. Of the two, Facebook would be much more important because of its impact on Internet search results and how ubiquitous it has become as a communications platform.

Pinterest attracts more than 11 million visitors each month, with 70 percent of the audience a female, aged 25-34, and a craft and/or fashion enthusiast. Decide if you’re going after that audience or not. If so, great, jump on the list of brands chomping at the bit to get into Pinterest … just make sure you play it cool and learn how to fit in with the pinning crowd (not as easy as fitting in with the mustachioed crowd). If not, keep your eye on it down the road. The fact that it is visual could work to your advantage. Photos of clean cars, friendly employees and happy customers communicate value — which I would prefer over, for example, couponing on price.

Then again, I should pass along that a research study commissioned by the American Mustache Institute in 2009 found that mustached Americans, on average, earn significantly more than their bearded and clean-shaven counterparts. Maybe StachePassions is the next great frontier!

Champ Savage is a marketing expert. It says so right on his business card. He has traveled the world bringing ideas to business owners of all kinds, and his accolades are even more numerous than his passport stamps. Now, Savage lends his expertise exclusively to CAR WASH Magazine and its readers.