I went to Dash Car Wash intending to decide between a regular wash and a membership. Before I had a chance to review my options, the attendant, Julian, came over and leaned on the machine while I was trying to navigate it. I would prefer to look at my options without the pressure of someone standing over me, so I respectfully told him that I didn't need any assistance and would be fine navigating by myself. His response was to laugh and say, “I get paid to stand here.” That set the tone for the entire interaction.
I ultimately decided to purchase the membership because it was the same price as the individual wash. I entered my information with Julian standing there. When I tapped my card, the screen clearly displayed “Approved,” but the entry arm did not raise. Julian was doing nothing to assist and was instead staring at his phone.
I told him the screen said approved, and he responded, “It wasn’t approved then.” I tapped my card again, received another “Approved” message, and the arm still didn’t move. When I got his attention again, he told me, “Most normal people would stick the card in the reader.”
By now, I'm beyond irritated with the level of disrespect he's speaking with, but I am not blessed to be part of a demographic that's allowed to get angry in public. My concern was legitimate: the machine was telling me my payment had been approved twice, and I was concerned about being charged multiple times without receiving the service. I was also needed to pull out my phone and access my banking app to verify while Julian was standing there looking in my car, despite the fact that I had already asked him to give me space.
I wanted to just leave, but the driveway was curved, and attempting to reverse out would have been difficult and potentially unsafe.
I asked to speak with a supervisor. Julian told me he was the supervisor. I then asked to speak with the manager, and he laughed again and said he was the manager, neither of which is true.
I called the customer service number listed on the website while I was still at the entrance. I could hear the phone ringing inside, but no one answered. Eventually, two other employees came into the building. Julian followed them inside and referred to me as “this crazy lady who won't leave.” I found that incredibly disrespectful and unprofessional, particularly after I had been trying to resolve a legitimate payment issue.
Once he went inside, I tapped my card again and was finally able to complete the membership transaction. At that point, I just wanted to get through the gate and leave, and I intend to cancel the membership immediately.
The worst part of this experience wasn't a malfunctioning payment system, it was the way I was treated while trying to resolve it. I was spoken to disrespectfully, my request for personal space was ignored, I was apparently given false information about who was in charge, and I was unable to reach anyone for assistance.
Dash Car Wash needs to take a serious look at both its customer service and its employee accountability. A payment-terminal problem is understandable. Treating a customer with sarcasm, disrespect, and deception while in a drive-through is not.
I would not recommend this location based on my experience, and I certainly won't be returning.