TIPs MONEY TIP In God We Rust, and other quarters to look for INSURANCE TIP Spring into Maintenance Upkeep The following is a Q&A with Nate Perry, an insurance auditor with Quinton Insurance – Car Wash Protection Program. Q. With it being the rainy season, what can car washes do to protect them from rain or hailrelated damages? A. Make sure their roof or roof coverings are well maintained to prevent water damages. Q. What kinds of insurance claims are more common this time of year? A. Property damage claims due to people driving into barriers, signs, curbs, buildings, etc. are more common because it is difficult to see with the foggy/rainy weather conditions. Q. Is there anything new that car wash owners need to know about in terms of insurance? A. Yes, most business owners’ policies are written on a sales basis. Meaning, the annual premium relates to the amount of sales. Due to the Covid-19 virus, a lot of businesses have experienced a loss of sales. Check with your insurance agent to make sure your policy accurately reflects the sales. This could reduce overall insurance rates. Sure, the above picture shows a regular old quarter, right? Wrong! When sifting through the vacuum debris or hoppers, keep your eye out for this 1937 Doubled Die Obverse Washington Quarter, as it is actually worth $600. In God We Rust? The mistake on this 2005-P Kansas state quarter, stating incorrectly “In God We Rust” can fetch you up to $100 according to www.lovemoney.com. According to the <strong>web</strong>site, a number of these quarters, which were minted in Philadelphia, were incorrectly imprinted with the motto due to a build-up of grease in the die, causing the ‘T’ to not print. And, finally, we have these 2004-D Wisconsin state quarters worth about $400. According to www.lovemoney. com, around 50,000 of these quarters were issued accidentally by the Denver Mint in 2004. Two error varieties exist: the low leaf variety, which depicts an arched leaf jutting out sideways on the reverse of the coin; and the high leaf version, which shows an additional leaf poking out of the cheese wheel that touches the corn husk leaf. Correct Quarter: CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS TIP Why, “take your comment & _______!” doesn’t work As much as business owners and employees would like to respond to rude or wrong or just plain crazy customers with a heave-ho response, there are better tools for handling such people. According to Indeed.com, its March 9, 2021 article, How to Deal with Rude Customers, offers up the following strategies: Be empathetic: The simplest way to handle rude customers involves using empathy. If you know why customers are being rude, it’s the best way to defuse the situation. Ask the customer why they’re upset. Once you have identified the issue, establish rapport with the customer by letting them know that you would also be disappointed if the problem was happening to you. Actively listen: Listen closely to what the customer is saying, instead of paying attention to the anger behind their words. If a customer approaches you over something not working correctly, a great response is: “That definitely is surprising! Let’s check why the product has stopped working unexpectedly.” This response recognizes the feelings of the customer without escalating their emotions. ‘Chunk’ the issue: This is the process of taking one big problem and dividing it into several smaller portions. Help a customer by setting up the steps needed to resolve a problem they are having with 26 • SPRING 2021 your business (such as setting up a membership account, or using the credit card system, etc.) Repeat what the customer has said back to them: A fundamental part of active listening is making sure you and the customer are in sync and to let them know that their problem has been heard of and will be responded to. Stay calm: Do not take the situation personally. The majority of the time, the comments and criticisms are not meant to attack you directly. A customer is just mad, and you are the person who had the misfortune of speaking to them. According to Indeed.com, if you are dealing with rude customers over the phone, you can just say something like, “I fully understand your concern. Let me just speak to someone and make sure this does not happen again. I’ll get back to you shortly.” Then put them on hold. This strategy encourages rude customers to reflect on the way they are reacting. Offer solutions: If this does not satisfy the customer, ask them what would need to change. If you give a negative message, make sure to counter it with a positive one. For example, you can say “While I can’t do that for you, I can do this for you.” Act quickly: Being able to address a customer’s issue quickly may just turn their unpleasant experience into a pleasant one and may even make them a loyal customer who purchases from you regularly and tells their family and friends. Be sincere with your apology: Even if you’re in the wrong, you should still apologize. Why? Because it shows the customer that you feel badly about their negative experience at your car wash. But, in case you’re not at fault, be careful with your wording and say something like: “I’m sorry that you have had an unpleasant experience with our service/product.” This way you’re empathizing with the customer without taking the blame. Watch your tone: Learn how to employ a neutral or nice tone as needed. Speak calmly and slowly. If a customer talks over you, let them talk. Do not raise your voice and hopefully, the customer will eventually calm down as well. Thank the customer: This one can be tough, because the customer may have just insulted you and/or your business but thanking them for bringing the issue to your attention can go a long way toward establishing a rapport with them. A simple thank-you to acknowledge their patience and time as you work to solve the problem is enough, according to Indeed.com. Follow-up if necessary: If the issue can’t be solved in just one phone call, tell them you can’t handle the problem while on the phone with them, and let them know you will call them back. It will also help to give them a timeline of when they can expect to hear from you next and let them know what information you expect to have by that time. Stick to the facts: If the client’s anger is making the issue difficult to deal with, you can try to keep everything factual, the Indeed.com experts state. Simply outlining the issue at hand encourages the customer to pay attention to their communication and makes it harder to keep an aggressive tone. Communicate what you can and can’t do: You can say something like, “I understand your disappointment, and I’m really sorry, but there’s nothing we can do about the issue,” suggests Indeed.com.
POWER PACK The Power Pack self-service car wash system is designed for the space conscious. The modular stainless steel framework is about 25% shorter but still includes most of the same features as the ASK ABOUT OUR IN BAY AUTOMATIC LED LIGHT KIT Super Saver 2500. COLEMAN HANNA SANITIZER • Stainless Steel Sanitize Station • Light aroma with a fine mist • Lightweight spray with a pigtail hose • Reaches all areas • Eliminates germs • Great for any location UNDER $10,000.00 *STARTING AT UNDER $10,000.00 CARWASH IN A BOX • Marinas • RV Parks • Beaches • C-Stores • Apartments • Car Rental • Auto Dealerships • Car washes • Laundromats International models available. SPRING 2021 • 27
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