How To Deal With Negative Reviews For a Car Wash

Every veteran car wash owner knows the importance of maintaining a pristine reputation online. If your car wash gets any negative reviews, it could have a negative impact on the health of your business. When it comes to business reviews, you want to respond to every review, especially the negative reviews. The worst thing you can do is to respond in an unprofessional, condescending tone, even if the customer is in the wrong. You should never ignore bad reviews or try to delete the negative review, as this can make it seem as if you have something you want to hide. So how should you respond to negative reviews?

In the car wash industry, you may hear complaints such as:

• My car is still dirty around the license plate
• They left a scratch on the paint
• The vacuum wasn’t on long enough to finish the interior
• The prices are too high

 

They might have reasonable complaints, but they might be just trying to get something for free. Regardless of whether the customer’s complaints are justified, the way you respond goes a long way in determining whether this review affects your company’s reputation online.

When responding to negative reviews online, follow these guidelines to address a customer’s concerns:

Don’t Become Defensive in Your Response

Ignore your natural instinct to defend your business or get defensive in your answer. It is not going to help your cause, and it will likely hurt your company’s reputation. Keep a cool head and remain calm as you respond to the unhappy client. It is best to not address specific complaints in a review response. Your first response should be to apologize (even if the customer is in the wrong) and encourage the reviewer to reach out to your business by phone or email to address their concerns.  

Keep Response Brief

You don’t want to get into the details of the client’s disagreements in your reply. One of the main goals of responding to the review is to move the conversation to a one-on-one setting where you can address the client’s concerns. The consumer can address all their negative comments in a private setting where you will have the opportunity to address their concerns and make everything right. 

Respond Quickly

It is best to respond to reviews within 24 hours or by the next business day if at all possible. Providing a fast response shows consumers you value their input and are trying to provide the best customer service possible when customers aren’t happy with your services. When customers who see the negative review see you respond quickly, it installs confidence in the community and increases the likelihood that someone will want to do business with you.

No Canned Responses

We have all seen instances where a company will offer the same comment or canned response for every review. It is obvious the company is using some kind of automated software or extension to reply to reviews instead of personalizing responses for the client. Customers know you aren’t being genuine, and it could reflect negatively on your business. 

Offer Compensation

When possible, offer to give the client a free or discounted car wash or some other compensation to try to turn the negative into a positive. Offer to pay for a wash at another car wash. If the customer proves your car wash damaged their vehicle, offer to pay for the damages to the vehicle. 

Claim Your Business on Review Platforms

Don’t forget to claim your listing on all major directory platforms including Google My Business, Yelp, Foursquare, etc. Once you have claimed your listings on all the major directories, you might receive email notifications when you get a new review, so you’ll be able to respond in a timely manner without manually checking your reviews every day. If your comments section is live on your website, make sure to monitor comments for anything negative that may come your way. 

Is It Time to Clean the Pits

If you’re receiving complaints regarding the cleanliness of vehicles going through the car wash, it might be time to work with a professional pit cleaning company that will wash your car wash pits on a regular basis. Pit Crew has agreements with car wash businesses all over the mid-Atlantic and as far west as Iowa. We have been working with customers since 1982. Our service area includes the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Iowa, Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana. Contact us today to find out how we can service your car wash.