It’s a sunny Saturday, and I’m in a great mood blasting one of my favorite songs as I’m running errands. I roll into the local car wash ready to give my dust-covered car some TLC. I pay for the “Deluxe Diamond Ultimate Supreme Wash” — you know, the one with the extra foam and imaginary unicorn tears. As I exit, I notice there are bird droppings still proudly clinging to my windshield like it paid rent. When I asked the attendant if they could run it through again, I got a shrug so indifferent it should be studied in anthropology classes. No apology, no eye contact, just a shrug as he walked off in the other direction leaving me confused and feeling like I was an inconvenience.
The issue wasn’t the missed spot — machines aren’t perfect. The real problem was the total lack of care. I didn’t expect a hug, but maybe a, “Let me see what I can do,” or at least a full sentence delivered with a pulse. When your customers feel like a nuisance instead of a priority, they remember — and not fondly, typically driving them straight to competitors’ wide open arms. It’s not about the car. It’s about the interaction. In this case, the wash didn’t remove the dirt, and neither did the service remove the frustration.
Here’s how this customer experience could’ve been buffed to a shine:
- Acknowledge, don’t avoid — A simple, “Oh no, we missed a spot!” goes a long way. Empathy is free and never runs out.
- Own the fix — Offering to rewash the car or hand-wipe the area would’ve turned me into a raving fan instead of a ranting one.
- Empower employees — Teach staff to care just a smidge more than a traffic cone. When people feel they can act with kindness and flexibility, good things happen — even in the soap-slinging world of car care.