On 06/21/10, Monday, 1:44 P.M., I went to North County Car Wash which is jointly operated by Union 76 to have my car washed and my gas tank filled.
All went well up until I reached my residence and noticed a gash approximately 1 3/4" in lenght, consisting of 8 tiny but distinct and obvious punctures on my upper left front door below the driver's window. The damage appeared to have been caused by a sharp object that was brushed against the upholstery. Upon noticing the damage, I immediately drove back to the car wash (around 4:30 P.M.) and spoke with the line supervisor named Bobby. He politely informed me that the manager had left for the day and that I should attempt again at an earlier time of the day.
Today, 06/24/10, Thursday, at approximately 3:00 P.M., my first available opportunity, I visited the facility and again approached the line supervisor.
He vividly remembered me and the damage I complained about on 06/21/10. He told me to have Enrique Alvarado, the manager, paged by the cashier.
A few minutes later, Enrique arrived and without an attempt to investigate the occurence, he instantly informed me that it was not them that caused the damage and that there was nothing he can do to help me. He also said that under no circumstance that I can prove that the damage happened in their car wash.
I politely asked Enrique for the owner's name and he said that he does not know who the owner is and there were no additional information that he could offer to help resolve my issue. His rude demeanor was unbecoming of a manager! His actions were also textbook examples of how not to treat a paying customer.
Since Enrique Alvarado, the car wash manager, was evasive and unwilling to help, my next course of action was to consult the gasoline attendant to find out the owner's contact information so I can request his for his assistance. As I walked in the gasoline station's concession area, I saw a well-dressed individual coming out of the storage room. His appearance was consistent to an owner or a general manager of the establishment.
I politely asked if he is the owner or the general manager of the gasoline station and the car wash. He arrogantly answered "YES! I am the owner! AND WHO ARE YOU?"
At that moment, it was very obvious to me where his car wash manager, Enrique Alvarado got his customer service training.inspite of his rude, obnoxious, egotistical and intimidating tactic, I kept my composure because I desperately needed his assistance to have this matter resolved. My courteous approach did not help in getting his support nor his concern towards my complaint and problem as a paying customer.in addition, the owner of the gas station/car wash did not even attempt to check and see the extent of damage in my car or the source of my complaint. It was a behavior unussual of a caring business owner. It is a business owner's duty to be polite, to investigate and to gather facts to help resolve customer related issues.
At this point, I became irritated because the owner showed no compassion toward me. He was not helpful at all. I told him that I have been patronizing his gasoline station, Union 76 for the past 13 years and that I deserved a better treatment. I asked for his full name and he refused to give it to me. He only gave me his first name, Mark.
For my future reference, I asked him to write it in the back of the business card given to me by his carwash manager and he did. But in the process, he said "The. 4 cents a gallon that I made from the gasoline that you purchased and the car wash from my gas station (Union 76) will not make a difference in my business."
Maybe yes! It will not make a difference to his business at that moment in time; however, there are 3 cars in my household that accumulate approximately 60,000 traveled miles annually. My entire family members and friends will also be aware of this incident. And this is not including the vast network that I have acquired during my 13 years of residency in Escondido.
A network considered significant in number in the population of The City of Escondido. All of which will be informed and will be aware of the gruelling incident of bad customer service incident from the owner named MARK of Union 76 station in 750 N. Escondido Blvd. Escondido, CA.
Mathematically speaking, the. 4 cents he referred to will accrue exponentially in terms of consumed gallons annually. Hence, a substancial dollar amount in revenue for Union 76.
Obviously, the owner of this gas station was not brilliant enough to realize that the consequences of his actions will not only affect his franchised business but also that of his mother company. As of today, it will be my objective to inform and educate everyone around me of this rude, self-centered and egotistical owner named "MARK" of this Union 76 franchise.
It is my duty to prevent such an occurence to any of my affiliates and loved ones. I seriously regret patronizing UNION 76 since 1980. I will gladly direct my hard-earned money to their competitors. And that also applies to the entire breathing population that are acquated to me.
As the old adage says: "While it may be true that the best advertising is word-of-mouth, never lose sight of the fact it also can be the worst advertising."
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