On the way back from the meeting, I stopped at a gas station that had a car wash. These types of gas stations allow the customer, via the pump, to specify a car wash in addition to the gasoline purchase. The price of the former is added to the price of the latter, and a code number is printed on the gasoline receipt. The customer then takes the receipt, drives to the car wash entrance, types the code number into a keypad by the entrance and enters the car wash. Usually, the customer need not get the car wash right at that time. Usually, the code is good for a few days, or even for a month.
After I received my receipt, I drove the short distance to the car wash. I saw in front of me a closed door. "I guess the entrance is at the other end," I said to myself, and continued to the other end. I looked there, and THAT door was closed too. How to get in? Well, I drove back to the gas pumps and asked the attendant how to get into the car wash. His answer? The car wash closed at 5:00, about a half hour before I had arrived.
In annoyance, I asked for my money back for the car wash. Even though I probably could have come back later, I rarely drive by that station.
This situation is what I term "leading customers down the primrose path." Setting up a customer expectation, only to dash it later, leads to dissatisfaction. What could the station have done differently? In order of increasing complexity, perhaps
- post a sign by the pump, giving the car wash hours
- disabling the car wash purchase option at the pump, and requiring purchase at the attendant booth
- programming the pump to display hours of the car wash before allowing customer to select it
- programming the pump to allow car wash purchase only during the hours the car wash is actually open.
What do you think?
1 comment:
Stuff like this is common practice in these car wash service stations and a number of other businesses. Most people find it too much trouble to complain and just use the code some other time, the station is then guarenteed a return sale, and the few that do complain the station is more than happy to refund the money - the few refunds they pay out are more than made up for the codes that people intend on using then forget about.
Now that you have been burned once for it, you will be on the lookout for it. I agree it's deplorable and immoral practice, but frankly what these service station car washes do to the finish on your car is deplorable. Go find a good standalone car wash without an attached service station, and start taking your car there, and in 5 years you will still have decent paint on it.
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