Tiaan W

Extremely Poor Customer Service – Disrespectful Manager

I am extremely disappointed with my repeated experiences at Thunder Brothers Car Wash (Labori Centre, Paarl), and I feel compelled to warn others. Earlier this week, I visited the Labori Centre branch and was met with a staff member at the counter who was visibly irritated and annoyed. When it became my turn, I received short, abrupt responses with no eye contact and a very dismissive attitude. I then left. Later that same day, I went to the Wineland Square Thunder Brothers (under Checkers Hyper) to enquire about an interior detail. I was told it was too late for the day. The manager of both branches assisted me and explicitly told me that I could bring my car in on Wednesday or any weekday morning when they open, and that they would have space for me. Today, I did exactly that. I arrived at 8:00 AM, stood in line, and was assisted by the same manager. From the start, there was once again very little eye contact and an unfriendly attitude. When I requested the Royal Treatment (which includes outside wash and interior detail), I was told no, because they supposedly already had two vehicles booked for interiors for the entire day. I find it very hard to understand how only two interior details can be accommodated in a full working day. When I questioned this—based on what I had previously been told—the manager suddenly claimed that I “should have come on Wednesday” and that I “didn’t listen properly,” completely ignoring the fact that he himself told me I could come in the morning during the week. He then tried to shift blame to another staff member, suggesting that “some lady probably didn’t book me,” despite the fact that no booking was mentioned or required during our original conversation. When I calmly said that I would rather go elsewhere, the situation escalated further. I was met with attitude, sass, and outright rudeness. The manager told me that I am “always struggling” with them because I don’t listen properly. As I walked away to remove myself from the situation, he continued making unnecessary comments about me, loudly enough for me to hear, and then proceeded to speak negatively about me to the customer waiting behind me. What makes this even worse is that my friend was with me at the time, as she was there to pick me up after I intended to leave my car. She witnessed the entire interaction and was just as appalled and shocked by the manager’s behaviour, to the point of being lost for words. This behaviour is completely unacceptable, unprofessional, and deeply disrespectful—especially coming from a manager. I left feeling frustrated, and disrespected. I have given Thunder Brothers multiple chances, but after this experience, I will not be returning. I strongly suggest that management urgently address the attitude, communication, and customer service standards, particularly at the managerial level.