In a matter of 45 minutes I have had one of the best and worst customer service experiences to date.

First, the good.  After a few weeks of great weather in the Naperville Illinois area, I finally brought myself to getting my car washed.  I didn’t have a car wash of choice, at least until now.

On my lunch break, I decided to stop by the Brighton Car Wash on 75^th street in Naperville.  I was greeted by a nice man who showed me the menu of choices and asked which I would prefer.  My car was pretty dirty, so I went with the “works”.  Well, that’s exactly what I got.  As I watched my Jeep Wrangler shed its grime in the automatic “bath”, I was greeted by another Brighton employee.  A nice hello and a few words were exchanged and I stepped outside to watch as the finishing touches we applied. 

This is where it really got good.

A young man continued to clean every single spot on the car with great care.  I found myself digging into my wallet and watching the tip grow and grow.  10 minutes went by, then 20.  As he raised his towel for me to come and retrieve my gleaming beauty, his tip had grown from 20 to 40% in the time it took him to just care about something that wasn’t his. 

The Jeep was immaculate and I left with a skip in my step because I was treated like the only customer they had.  I now have a car wash of choice.  Brighton.

Then, the bad.  While leaving the car wash with a smile, I decided an oil change may be a great addition to the work that was put into making my car sparkle.

After driving for a bit, I located an area oil change garage.  I pulled up and was greeted very nicely and asked if I would like the “Signature Service”.  I agreed and went inside.  Moments later I was summoned by the manager and brought over to a computer with a list of “upgrades”.  I found myself standing there going over a laundry list of things that they felt I needed.

With spirits still high from the car wash experience, I decided on new wiper blades and topping off my antifreeze.  Simple enough, let’s move on.  The total came and was a bit steeper than I had expected. Maybe that’s the “signature service” I received.  My car was waiting for me and I stepped inside and drove off.  After about 8 miles, I decided to look to see how the windshield wipers were looking.  They were looking just like the ones I already had.

So I got on the phone, and tried calling the number on the receipt.  I tried repeatedly.  Finally, someone answered.  He told me my phone was bad and I needed to call back.  So I did, repeatedly until someone answered.  I was then told I needed to come back with my receipt.

I drove 8 miles back and confronted the manager who proceeded to pound his chest and offer me a “my bad”. 

Thanks. 

He struggled with one blade and then requested my assistance on the other. As I drove away, while my car was now complete with the items I paid for, my experience left me empty.  It’s not that I was looking for a handout. Or even a gesture of thanks. Just a little bit of care. Pride. Going the extra step that it takes to win my business and create loyalty.

In that regard, “My bad” doesn’t quite cut it.

In this time of bad economies and even worse job opportunities, it makes sense to me that companies ought to take a page out of Brighton Car Wash’s book and add a little bit of extra care to customer service.

What stories do you have? What companies or brands make you feel good about being their customer? Feel free to share in the comments below.