Week 2 Part A: Communication Between Business & Consumer

I graduated from high school in 1997, and as a graduation present, my (single) mom got me a manual 1988 Volkswagen Cabriolet. Yes, 1988. It was a cute little car with some issues, like reverse not always working. To engage reverse, you pushed the stick shift down and up into 1st gear, but it didn’t stay there. Once, I turned the wrong way on a one-way street in Downtown San Diego and saw my life flash before my eyes, but that’s a story for another day.

 

The story I’m sharing today is about the last time I drove that car. My boyfriend (now husband) and I were pulling into my apartment complex when the front axle felt like it popped off. It didn’t; the CV boot broke, and the car had to be towed to a mechanic. At that time, I practically lived out of my car, hating to drag everything to my apartment. Jackets, shoes, work clothes, hundreds of dollars worth of CDs, and, now that I think about it, even my yearbook were in the car. Don’t ask me why. Instead of emptying the car and taking my stuff upstairs, I trusted the tow truck guy to take it to a reputable mechanic, leaving everything in the trunk.

 

A couple of days later, when I could finally retrieve my stuff, a girl at the front insisted I sign a liability waiver for any theft or damage. I signed it and found out my car had been cleaned out. They stole everything, even my yearbook. The owner tried to gaslight me, claiming the car was empty when it arrived. In 1998, with no Yelp or Facebook, there was no way to warn others about this mechanic shop except through word of mouth.  If this happened today, I'd blast them on every social media app available. 

 

In my research for this assignment, I reviewed SoCal Taqueria (best carne asada burritos in Murrieta, in my opinion), In The City Beauty Supply (overpriced but black-owned), and Affordable Auto Care (used to be affordable, now feels like a rip-off). The reviews for these businesses were polarized. SoCal Taqueria and Affordable Auto Care had mixed reviews, while In The City Beauty Supply had both positive and negative comments about their staff.

 

Personally, I usually leave positive reviews and rarely leave negative ones. I prefer not to return to a business after a bad experience. Having my own business now, I see how this might be a disservice. I’d like to know when I’ve disappointed someone so I can fix it, if possible. Responding to reviews, both positive and negative, is something I'm still figuring out, as my responses are starting to sound generic. I’d like to respond in a way that makes the customer feel like I remember them, even if I don’t.