Published on : 23 July 20194 min reading time
A free car wash is a great tool to win happy customers and influence new business. It is also a guarantee to customers that if they are not 100% satisfied they will get a free car wash. No questions asked. You should use this technique whenever possible. Every single customer should leave with not only a clean car, but the feeling of just having had a positive experience. This turns into more referrals and happy customers who want more services. Of the many reasons people do not go to car washes, most have to do with customer satisfaction.
A good customer relations technique is to give someone a free car wash. Sometimes a customer may not have been happy with the previous week’s job. This may not totally be your fault, but nevertheless it’s your opportunity to turn their negative experience into a positive one and build your business in the process. We recommend giving a free car wash to anyone unhappy with a previous week’s wash.
Maybe this was the first time they used your service, and their friends have bragged about you so much that no matter how good you are their expectations have become unrealistic and can’t be met. Sometimes they might have a legitimate gripe, like a streaked window, a mirror that wasn’t wiped down, whatever. These things can be worked out. Offer to do their wash free this week. It’s easy and most people will take you up on it. It lets them know you’re serious about customer service – particularly their service. Many times if you offer they won’t accept, but it’s a nice thing to do. The next time you wash their car they may tip you, simply because they feel bad for having complained!
Always ask what it is they didn’t like about your service. It could very well be that their complaint is something you usually don’t look for, like not having wiped down between the grooves on the dashboard or a sticky residue on the center console, but they had assumed you would’ve seen it. Simply meet their needs. We actually got a complaint once about our best crew in Huntington Beach because they didn’t Armor All the inside of the glove box. Oh, by the way, don’t Armor All inside glove boxes. People hate that because it gathers dust afterwards.
You may wash a person’s car only to have them later park it where sprinklers go off and water spots are created. New customers might think you are to blame. Water spots left by our high-pressure systems are usually easy to detect. They are tiny, whereas a large white water spot is created by the calcified water that comes from sprinklers. Rather than argue the point, simply explain the difference and give them a free wash anyway.
Sometimes, a bird may come along and ruin all your hard work soon after you finish. You know, birds do sit on telephone poles and watch us work just getting ready to dive bomb the car the second we’re done. The cleaner and more attractive the car, the more the birds seem to like it. If this happens and the customer seems displeased with their Car Wash experience, you obviously have no control over the birds but you do have the ability to wash their car again for free and keep their business.
Money Back
A money-back guarantee is also a good customer satisfaction tool. Many times an unhappy customer won’t accept their money back. They would rather give you a second chance to do a good job. At this point, you should do the same as with a free wash. Give them a little extra attention, find out what they didn’t like and fix it immediately.
Mobile car washes and mobile auto detailers need to be proactive with their customer service policies. If you run a small business remember a little bit of “free service” goes a long way in keeping good customers coming back and promoted longevity and loyalty. It has always worked for us, it can work for you too. What is your favorite price? Think about.