‘Think out of the box and surprise your customers’
How can carwash and self-wash owners increase customer satisfaction? We talk to Peter Callens of Pantelco, an expert in customer experience. According to him, everything stands or falls with good communication to the customer in order to bind them to your business.
So you are an expert in customer satisfaction. What details make a difference in customer experience?
“A new self-carwash opened in my neighborhood. I wanted to try it out. And who was standing there? The owner. He gave me tips on how to use the facility as efficiently as possible. I did not expect this at all. A WOW experience for me as a customer. This will stay with me. Forever. This connects. Surprise, think out-of-the-box and connect”.
How important was that moment?
“From this experience, I am still a fan of this self-carwash. I recommend this place to friends and to acquaintances. Believe me: this is your best advertisement. Still more than 80% of new customers come from this corner. And you are much more likely to have them stay customers because someone from their circle of acquaintances recommended it. Super right?”
Do you have any tips for self-carwashes?
“If you’re an unmanned carwash, put your cell phone number on it. If the customer bothers to mention something, thank the customer. You can tie that up, too. Reward that customer. I’m not a fan of discounts because then you give away your margin. Reward the customer with kindness, keep them informed, inform them extra,…. Also, putting an extra vending machine with quality materials to clean the car creates additional sales and can even attract new customers. If you have a staffed carwash, you can excel in your customer focus. This is not the same as customer friendliness, which is more general. If you focus on the individual customer then you hit that customer.”
How do you do this?
“By connecting with your customer and asking questions. A bold question you can ask is: ‘Madam, you come here with your car. When are you really satisfied when you drive back out here?”
“Well, when those stains are out.
‘What do you mean?
‘Yes, I’ve tried everything but I can’t get them out’.
Aha, this is what the customer wants solved. If you succeed in this, you bind your customer. Usually customers have a problem but they don’t always say this. Ask about it!’
Also inform the customer about road works. Then try to increase your accessibility. Or if the coin system has changed, inform the customer long enough in advance and provide aftercare for people who only use the new system for the first time much later.
Loyal customers are also important. Why?
“Don’t underestimate your ‘fan’ base. After all, there are people who really enjoy coming to your carwash. Create a page on social media, share your latest news and pamper them. Possibly they would like a cup of coffee or tea with their visit or you have an extra gift for the children… Feel free to use some humor in your communication as well. Many people need it today.”
Good branding can also help. How about that?
“Here a lot of carwashes still have some work to do! Although I also see a lot of carwashes taking serious steps in this area. Make sure your carwash is seen and recognized. From afar. A strong image sticks and makes people come back to your carwash. Use a professional partner, not someone who just cobbles together a logo or a panel. Strong images stay glued to the retina and make people think of your carwash when they think of a carwash.”
What all does the customer want to find at the carwash?
Your customer wants to find seven things at your carwash:
- Value
- Location
- Speed
- Experience
- Result
- Energy (life, buzz)
- Recognition
Let’s discuss one item. And that is experience. What is important there?
“With experience, cleanliness is an important one. This is not always easy to follow up and yet. So crucial. The picture has to be right. By the way, there are a lot of frustration moments with the customer. Paying, the tokens not working again, the different adjustment, the new features on the installation, the vacuum cleaner that’s there in 10 turns… Figure out how to address those from the customer’s point of view and ask for feedback from your customers. You might be surprised how your own customers want to help you have a better customer experience.”
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