The Incident Report Rules!

Everyone in the Car Wash Industry can agree that customer satisfaction is paramount to building a successful business. Most would also tell you that vehicle damage and customer injuries are common risks that can occur at any moment. Part of the risk management plan at your wash involves preventing losses before they happen, but it is also essential to have processes in place to respond when a loss does occur. If your employees can react to an incident with an efficient resolution, you can actually increase your customer satisfaction and further cement their brand loyalty.

The following suggestions should provide some important guidance in meeting this challenge:

• Only trained employees should be permitted to respond to an incident at the wash. This means that there should be a designated individual assigned to this task along with at least one other person to act in their absence. The degree with which the accuracy of the information is collected is critical to mitigating the effects of the potential loss.
• In the event of an incident, there should be a written action plan (check list) in place outlining the necessary steps to take according to the type of claim encountered. Appropriate contact phone numbers need to be readily available.
• Customer contact on the suggested resolution should not exceed 24 hours. The faster the response time, the better chance you have to achieve a positive result.
• Every operation should have an incident document readily available. Keep a clipboard or electronic device in plain view.
• The incident form needs to be both simple and designed to gather the pertinent facts surrounding the claim.
• Make sure your process includes reviewing and cataloguing all video surveillance of the incident. Check out the McNeil & Co. Car Wash Safety Bulletin on video surveillance & storage for a refresher on what your wash should have: http://bit.ly/2zi80WM
• The document must be completed on every incident regardless if it is expected to be reported to your insurance company. This is especially important when the customer states they are okay or agree that the damage is their fault. No exceptions!
• Many claims surface days, weeks or months after they occur. Pictures, video surveillance & witness statements should be immediately collected and kept in a safe place where it can easily be accessed at a later date.
• Make the reports a part of your monthly safety meetings. They can be a great resource for you and the employees to learn.
• As difficult as it might be to turn away business, there should be some rules in place for turning away a vehicle not suitable for your car wash. Examples include issues with height, aftermarket parts, and significant prior damage, just to name a few.
• Keep in mind that your customer relies on your employees to be experts in determining the safety of caring for their vehicle. When they enter your tunnel with your approval, they believe that you have already assessed the dangers and ruled they are acceptable. This also holds true for while they are walking on your property. Your responsibility is to perform operations in a reasonable and prudent manner with regards to their safety.
• Don’t be afraid to “fire” a customer. Negative people breed more negativity in others. In the long run, you will experience better profitability by establishing this policy.
• Be firm in your position.

 

This is by no means an all-inclusive list, but would be a good start to managing on-site incidents and developing a greater degree of customer satisfaction. Although instituting this type of program might seem time consuming at first, the cost of not adapting a process will prove to be substantially worse. If you don’t have something in place now, don’t delay any longer!

Remember, a safe wash protects people and profits!

 

 

Awareness Can Save Life & Limb

Often times, the simplest things can be the most effective solutions to potential disasters.

Safety at your car wash can be greatly improved with a few basic tasks. It doesn’t have to be rocket science to make it work. For instance, how often do you hold safety meetings where the subject is how to improve the attentiveness of employees and visitors at the wash? The amount of incidents that occur as a result of employees not being tuned in to their surroundings is significant. So, ask yourselves, does this indicate that there is a lack of proper training? The following are some reminders that need to be reviewed regularly to ensure that your employees aren't overlooking these simple tasks:

• Employees need to be trained to recognize the common hazards associated with vehicles on the property
• Directional signage must be used wherever possible to avoid confusion while driving
• Apparatus, such as Stop-and-Go signals, may be used as long as they are not a distraction
• Enforce strict "no cellphone" rules for employees on the clock to avoid distraction
• All employees guiding cars onto the conveyor must be trained BEFORE they start
• Additional training is needed for employees performing any process on the exit of the tunnel, especially in regards to safe areas for specific tasks
• Keep distracting conversations around moving vehicles to a minimum
• Make sure employees are well rested and alert before performing tasks
• Take into account that stress plays a significant role in causing distractions on the job
• Implement and enforce rules for use of tablets associated with new POS systems
• Be sure the conveyor has an audible device that can be heard while it's activated
• Make sure newer employees are thoroughly trained on all job related tasks and associated risks before they begin their duties
• Have your employees create a list of distractions they see at the car wash and use your next safety meeting to discuss the causes and develop solutions to mitigate the risk

The primary purpose of these items is to help employees and customers remain aware of the activities going on around them at the car wash. Although the above list is by no means complete, adopting these practices can be a good start to creating a less distracting environment for everyone. Don't overlook the simple things at your next monthly safety meeting.

Remember, a safe wash protects people and profits!