Why Can’t People Follow Directions?

[Big Dave]

Where I take my FJ they would laugh at me if I told them I don't want it washed. They specialise in 4X4s, so washing someone's vehicle is just something they don't do. A dirty vehicle is a badge of honour.

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[VISITOR]

It's ironic because I give one to every customer. I just didn't get mine out because I thought that it was a simple state inspection and they would do what I said. The attendant even said that he was going to stamp DO NOT WASH on my info paper to make sure it wasn't but, alas, he did not and here we are.

i was going to print/laminate a full page sign (do not wash in bold letters) and slide it under the front windshield so they see that as well. luckily i haven't had to thus far. sometimes you have to dumb it down even further for people these days..

[Don M]

I recently took my wife's Ford Escape in for warranty work. I had JUST finished a 4-step detail/winter prep on the car, and it was in immaculate (but dirty from being driven in the rain the day before).

When dropping it off at the dealer, I looked the Service Advisor straight in the eye and said: "I do not want it washed after the work, because #1, I am very particular about my cars, and #2, **I** AM a professional detailer, and your guys are not!"

Happily, the car was just as dirty when I picked it up as when I dropped it off.

[DFB]

I feel this pain, and I think as car guys we've been in this situation at least once.

This is my list going back to when I got my license and the end of 2004, there's probably more but I don't really care to remember.

- Paint removed from the rear bumper of my first car, someone backed the car into an engine stand. The dealer had it repaired.

- On the same car, I had it in to fit a factory rear spoiler at a body shop. They lost the keys and had to have the whole ignition system replaced with two new keys and fobs. On what was supposed to be a few hundred dollar job, would have cost them $1000's to have that addressed.

- The XR6 was handed back to me with paint missing from the front bumper, noticed by me upon arriving home. The dealer again repaired it.

- I've had wheels ruined when new tyres were fitted. I was then told that I did that, so never had them repaired. Very upset over that.

- The Jaguar was in for a service, when I got it home, I noticed the hood and front quarters were covering in some sort of greasy substance, all streaky/smeary. I phoned and abused the service advisor, full Victor Meldrew style, about delivering a car back to the customer like that. He insisted I return the car, but I refused to let them touch it again, then wasted an hour getting it clean in the hot summer sun.

The thing is, people make mistakes, I get that. And in most cases, the dealer or business involved will take care of the problem. But that doesn't take into account for time and effort wasted on crap like this. Not to mention being so un-present at what you are doing to even notice the DO NOT WASH notes or cards left in the vehicle. I actually put a card and have it noted in the service requests/tasks so that the tech performing the service has it in writing in front of them.



This is the Victor Meldrew reference by the way.............................. "I'd like to speak to the manager and be quick about it"............. "does he know who's calling?".................."no he doesn't but he will shortly!"

[Klasse Act]

I feel this pain, and I think as car guys we've been in this situation at least once.

This is my list going back to when I got my license and the end of 2004, there's probably more but I don't really care to remember.

- Paint removed from the rear bumper of my first car, someone backed the car into an engine stand. The dealer had it repaired.

- On the same car, I had it in to fit a factory rear spoiler at a body shop. They lost the keys and had to have the whole ignition system replaced with two new keys and fobs. On what was supposed to be a few hundred dollar job, would have cost them $1000's to have that addressed.

- The XR6 was handed back to me with paint missing from the front bumper, noticed by me upon arriving home. The dealer again repaired it.

- I've had wheels ruined when new tyres were fitted. I was then told that I did that, so never had them repaired. Very upset over that.

- The Jaguar was in for a service, when I got it home, I noticed the hood and front quarters were covering in some sort of greasy substance, all streaky/smeary. I phoned and abused the service advisor, full Victor Meldrew style, about delivering a car back to the customer like that. He insisted I return the car, but I refused to let them touch it again, then wasted an hour getting it clean in the hot summer sun.

The thing is, people make mistakes, I get that. And in most cases, the dealer or business involved will take care of the problem. But that doesn't take into account for time and effort wasted on crap like this. Not to mention being so un-present at what you are doing to even notice the DO NOT WASH notes or cards left in the vehicle. I actually put a card and have it noted in the service requests/tasks so that the tech performing the service has it in writing in front of them.



This is the Victor Meldrew reference by the way.............................. "I'd like to speak to the manager and be quick about it"............. "does he know who's calling?".................."no he doesn't but he will shortly!"

Come on Deyon, you've put a tree in a toilet of some of your customers based off how they are too

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[Setec Astronomy]

Of course the problem with this is that most people LOVE the fact that their car is getting washed and vacuumed while they are at the dealer. A guy I used to work with told me one time that he takes his car to the dealer for oil changes because the price was the same as going somewhere else and they give you a free car wash. I guess he left out the part where they try to sell you windshield wipers and say things to you like "did you know your rear brake pads are down to 40%?" (actually heard by me said to some poor woman by a service writer in the waiting room of the dealer while I had my car there for a recall...in between nervously running to the wash bay to look in the window to make sure they hadn't ignored the "DO NOT WASH" I had them write on the service ticket--this was before I started plastering signs on the car)

[Desertnate]

I guess I've been fortunate. In all the years I've been detailing my own vehicles, I think it has only been washed against my wishes once. I've been to several dealerships of multiple brands in my area and each time I ask them not to wash it the response has ranged from, "Sure, not a problem" to "Yeah, your car is way too nice...we don't want to mess it up" to "Don't blame you, all of our customers who really take care of their cars all tell us the same thing, it won't look as good as it does now if we wash it".

I did forget to say things a couple times with my wife's Toyota. It got washed, and it might have picked up a few swirls. It was my fault, but ultimately the car is a physical thing. I can't get angry and let it eat me up, regardless if it was my fault or someone else, when there are far more important things to worry about. It's life. The damage was never permanent and I polished it out at some point.

[Optimus Grime]

The issue has been resolved. The service department manager is a fair main and is reimbursing me for the cost to polish out the scratches and redo my coating. I’m still pissed that I’ve got to take a day of my vacation and redo something I wasn’t hoping to have to do for another 3 years or so.

I do find it a bit funny that on my way home I got this text.

[Bill D]

What are you going to write on the survey?

[John U]

Two dealers I use both have an orange triangle "hat" they sit on the roof to designate a "No Wash" car.