Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

That this is not our fault?

144 replies

lanbro · 04/08/2015 07:13

I own a valeting business. With every valet we include an air freshener with our logo on that we hang from a rear view mirror. One of our customers has returned 5 days after leaving, removing the airfreshener but leaving it lying on the centre console and it has caused damage to the lacquer.

We always offer great customer service but in this instance I strongly feel this is his fault, and his attitude is not helping as he is trying to tell us we are breaking the law hanging them up in the first place. A quick Google shows that the highway code states windscreens should not be obstructed but no law as such.

He's coming up tomorrow to speak to our manager but will want to speak to me when he gets no resolution. We don't have a warning on the air fresheners although we do have a disclaimer about checking vehicle before leaving the premises.

So AIBU? Although we placed the air freshener in the vehicle, as stated on our boards (often people who don't like them say not to bother), we didn't put it on his centre console or leave it there for 5 days. This is the first time this has ever happened

OP posts:
Mulligrubs · 04/08/2015 09:48

I'd say for good customer service you should suck it up and pay for the damage. If you refuse then I think that would be bad for your reputation given that you did put the air freshener up. The fact he took it down is immaterial to other customers. You sort it with the customer and afterwards you can take it up with the manufacturer of the air fresheners separately.

From now on I'd stick a warning on the air freshener packets and leave them wrapped in the car as well so if it does happen again (unlikely I know but it could!) you have that back-up of saying "the packet had a warning on it."

SevenEleven · 04/08/2015 09:55

Look, you know what you have to do really, don't you. You know that, due to an oversight on your part, that this damage has happened and that you need to not only suck it up so that there is no damage to your company's reputation, but also make sure that you stop hanging the air freshener up and leave them in the packets, and finally make sure there is a disclaimer on them!

The customer was right to tell your air fresheners can cause damage, no matter how it happened and I think you need to rectify the situation.

Even with a resounding majority saying YABU you still seem to want to believe you are not.

BalloonSlayer · 04/08/2015 09:59

If the customer had removed the air freshener from the mirror because he didn't want one in his car/didn't like the smell he would have taken it out of the car and binned it. But he kept it in his car for five days. So all comments of "Yuck YABU I hate air fresheners" from pp are not relevant.

This guy didn't object to having one in the car, just to it being hung up on the mirror, which he finds a distraction.

Problem was - it turned out that the air freshener was designed to be hung up because it could damage the interior if left touching something.

He did not know that. You did not know that.

However it could be argued - perhaps by the manufacturer? - that this was obvious because the air freshener is clearly intended to be hung up.

Having said all that I think you should pay him something for goodwill's sake.

featherandblack · 04/08/2015 10:05

A quick google suggests this is a well known problem in the industry - so I think you should have been aware and warning customers.

Agree.

tiggytape · 04/08/2015 10:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hygge · 04/08/2015 10:28

DH recently had his car valeted and an air freshener (which DS calls 'a stinky' because they smell worse than the car does without one) was hung on his rear view mirror.

It might have been a faulty one, but after a couple of hours it blistered and some sort of dark purple goo leaked out of it. It hasn't been especially hot and sunny here either. But even if it had been, you don't expect something designed to hang in a car window to melt or leak in the sun.

People know how hot cars can get, if you design something to hang in a car window, you have to take that into account. Luckily in our case, we noticed the blistering and removed the air freshener before the goo did any damage.

I agree with what has already been said, don't get into an argument about where he should or shouldn't have put the air freshener.

Word of mouth is a powerful thing, but these days people are also taking to twitter and Facebook and god knows what else to plaster stuff like this all over the internet. You say your reputation was built on word of mouth, so you must realise your reputation could also be taken down by it. If not because of the air freshener and the damage then for the way you treat the man when he returns. You have to get that bit exactly right now, otherwise you could be part of a sad face in the Daily Mail story by Friday.

SoupDragon · 04/08/2015 10:34

The air freshener was hung up in the car. It is clearly designed only to hang up

No, it is clearly designed to be able to hang up. Which is not the same thing.

billabye · 04/08/2015 10:45

Sorry but yabu for hanging air fresheners from rear view mirrors, whether it's on your service menu or not. As mentioned up thread a car would fail its MOT for having one.

LoisEinhorn · 04/08/2015 10:59

If this had happened to me I would assume responsibility. I put it there instead of binning. Is it not sensible to assume that something like an air freshener could leave a mark if not used correctly?
We're all to ready to blame other people

KidLorneRoll · 04/08/2015 11:04

Regardless of whether you think this is your fault suck it up and pay for the damage. You need to consider the cost of the repair against future loss of business and retaining goodwill. Refuse to help this person out and you will definitely lose their business and the business of anyone else that they dissuade from using your services.

Purplepoodle · 04/08/2015 11:07

I'd be contacting your solicitor to get some advice before he comes in to see what the legal Position is

ElkeDagMeisje · 04/08/2015 11:17

Do people really not know that if you leave items containing liquid on the lacquered areas of your car interior, they are likely to cause damage??? Especially in hot summer weather?

I'm not sure printing a warning on the air freshener would have helped you. It would simply be admitting you knew the risk of damage, and the customer would probably have claimed not to have read it.

Tizwailor · 04/08/2015 11:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Orrery · 04/08/2015 11:46

Let's not be coy now - you include a logo air freshner because that's your way of advertising your business and I suspect this is more about the customers sheer irritation that you forced your advertising into his car, and in a moment of thoughtlessness he left the dam piece of cardboard on the dash instead of chucking it out and is now super pissed that his car is damaged. You can't blame him for trying to get you to cover some of the cost, because in his mind he paid for your valet service, he didn't agree to advertise your business for you and now his property is damaged. Some bloody service that he won't use again!

I'm inclined to agree with him. We got the car back from an MOT once and the garage had stuck their logo sticker in the top right hand corner of our windscreen, they hadn't asked and we were left with the task of removing a bloody sticker from our window - hearing about this, maybe I should have invoiced the garage for cleaning supplies!

londonrach · 04/08/2015 12:01

Orrey I had the same problem with a sticker after a mot. Its the only reason why I never used that garage again. It was a blue sticker and took ages to remove...

BolshierAyraStark · 04/08/2015 12:34

YABU, you do realise that you now need to put a warning on them too as you have been made aware that they can cause damage?

TheseventeenthSixteen · 04/08/2015 12:37

It's just one of those bloody things that happen. It's not your fault and not his. BUT, because customers have such power to harm a company's reputation these days, i would offer compensation and be ultra wonderful about the whole episode. It might stick in my throat to do so, but I'd still do it, because word of mouth/facebook/twitter etc, is powerful, for good and for bad. Bottle of wine/flowers or whatever and an apology. I'd be then hoping that the customer would tell people what happened, but with a "But, the company was great about it, gave us compensation and a bottle of plonk" etc.

You sound to have a great reputation and your business has rightly done well because of the service you offer. So, i think I'd go with damage limitation and getting this customer happy and back on board again.

Twrch62 · 04/08/2015 12:59

Happened to me a couple of years ago, took the air fresher off the window, chucked it in the centre console and forgot about it. A week or so later went to take it out and the plastic console had melted where it was resting. I was a bit miffed, but didn't consider it anyones fault but mine.

Tuskerfull · 04/08/2015 13:25

I wouldn't expect an air freshener left on a surface to damage it, and I don't think that makes me a stupid person. You shouldn't have left this in his car unwanted. Pay for the damage and, in future, ask customers if they want a free air freshener or just get business cards like everyone else.

chicaguapa · 04/08/2015 13:44

We get an air freshner in our car when we get it serviced. I've taken it off and put it in the glove box. It wouldn't occur to me that it would damage anything, but if I go back to my car now and see that it has done, I will be annoyed with myself for having put it there. I wouldn't consider it the responsibility of the garage tbh.

Original poster
lanbro · 04/08/2015 14:20

Thanks for all replies.

Just to clarify, at no point did I say that the customer was at fault, just that it also wasn't our fault. I defend the point that I am placing unwanted advertising in customer's cars for my own benefit - we sell a lot separately and the advertising is a bonus (plus ours smell lovely!)

I've taken all points on board and I do think it's a grey area but customer service is important to us. I've advised my manager to tell the customer that we will make a contribution to any repairs as a gesture of goodwill if he gets some quotes, if he's still not happy I'll have to rethink!

Data specs requested, warnings printed and staff training underway.

OP posts:
Pumpkinpositive · 04/08/2015 14:48

I've advised my manager to tell the customer that we will make a contribution to any repairs as a gesture of goodwill if he gets some quotes, if he's still not happy I'll have to rethink!

Is he asking only for a "contribution" or the full amount of the repair?

Original poster
lanbro · 04/08/2015 14:56

At the moment he hasn't indicated what he is after. We can only offer and then go from there. I will see him personally on Thursday if that is not satisfactory.

OP posts:
Pumpkinpositive · 04/08/2015 15:01

At the moment he hasn't indicated what he is after.

Lets hope it's not a new car. Wink

Rosesareblack · 04/08/2015 15:04

A bit late to the thread, but the assumption that people want an air freshener that may or may not cause damage to their car is the problem.

Mention upthread that every other car on the road has one, no they don't. Just looking outside, none of our 3 cars have them, neither to neighbours on one side, 2 cars, or other neighbours. Presumably because they are not wanted, most certainly not in our case, neither hanging or in a pocket.

Why not ask customers if they want to be invaded by chemicals when they get in their cars, then the problem won't arise?