This interview is an excerpt from “The How of Carwashing” podcast. For the complete interview, please visit www.thehowofcarwashing.com.
In theory, online customer feedback sounds like it should be the business owner's dream.Happy customers can share their positive experiences; unhappy customers can help businesses improve their operations and customers service. But the reality sets in quickly: a negative review can not only damage a business’s reputation, it can cause significant challenges for the business owner and car wash staff.
For car wash owners and operators, this often takes the form of the damage claim. Though only a small percentage of customer interactions, these claims can leave a disproportionate impact on stress levels. Especially when a damage claim is declined, a negative review often follows, making the dispute public.
Pete Ness, 30-year veteran of the software and car wash industry, helps operators avoid damage claims and improve the customer experience with his collision prevention tool, NoPileups. But even with the best of systems, damages can still happen.
“There is a pretty universal energy from [operators] that you pay for accidents,” Ness said. “Almost everybody overpays for accidents in exchange for having some peace of mind for this problem. We did too. We would pay for things we were pretty certain we didn’t do.”
So how can car wash operators prepare for these emotionally draining negative customer interactions that turn into bad online reviews?
Keep it in perspective – Most customers will leave satisfied but won’t take the time leave a review. David Begin, president of the International Car Wash Association, says Google’s location-based prompts to leave reviews have made it easier for happy customers to leave positive feedback, but there will inevitably be a few customers “who come to our wash with expectations that are not in line with what we offer, so we try to explain to them what we are able to do and what we don’t do.” Even if it’s only 1 percent of customers who leave dissatisfied, he said, “when you wash 600 cars per day, it means that you have 6 customers on average who are dissatisfied with your service.”
Uncertainty can cause a lack of customer trust, but a consistent and clear process communicated with empathy can lessen the pain for everyone involved. Having photos, a video camera system, and displayed policies can protect operators from unfair damage claims. Ness says staff training is also vital: “If you have somebody yelling at you, you can’t not deal with it. So you always want to have somebody on site who is trained.”
Respond kindly, quickly, and effectively – When a car wash operator can express an appropriate and timely customer service response to an online review, it not only improves the interaction with the customer but also displays professionalism
to future customers. “As soon as there’s an argument about who was at fault, you lose,” Ness said. “But saying ‘Hey, get a hold of us. Let’s get this taken care of’— that’s the right attitude.”
At the end of the day, operators cannot control a customer’s reaction to a damage claim or keep them from posting a critical review, but they can minimize the negative experience by preparing their car wash business before it happens. By keeping it all in proper perspective, having clearly defined procedures, training your employees to handle these situations effectively, and responding professionally and quickly to negative online reviews, carwash business owners can greatly minimize the operational and emotional challenges of handling damage claims.
For the complete interview with Pete Ness on the topic of handling carwash accidents, please visit www.TheHowOfCarwashing.com to listen to episode 28. The How of Carwashing podcast is a free on-demand audio program focused on helping you start, operate and grow your carwash business.
