HOW I DID IT

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FEATURE

Adding on a convenience store or a car wash to your quick lube adds to the workload, but imagine having seven different entities to manage. Dave Ellard, co-owner of Triple Play Car Wash and Quick Lube in Attleboro, Mass., knows a thing or two when it comes to managing his time with seven different ones to oversee. He and co-owner Terrence Elder oversee a quick lube, gas station, car wash, detail shop, and a convenience store, complete with a Dunkin’ Donuts and Boston Pita inside that they operate, too. For most quick lubes, another profit center is added later on down the road, but this wasn’t the goal for Triple Play. From Ellard’s research, good performing quick lubes have another profitable business on the property. So, they added all of the operations at once, officially opening all of its doors back in May 2008. If you think managing one quick lube is tough, think again.

“The idea was to have a different kind of place,” Ellard says. “Our strategy was to do something bigger and more inspiring in the industry.” With their strategy and processes in place, Ellard says the business is looking to be in the top 10th percentile in all of the businesses. If you’re thinking about adding on another business, look no further. Ellard gives his tips on how he and Elder have been able to manage all of these profit centers efficiently from the start.

Tip No. 1: Have a management structure. With how big the entire operation is, there needs to be a strict management structure in place. In total, Triple Play has four managers on board to manage each entity: one at the quick lube, one at the car wash, one at the gas station and convenience store, and one at the detail center.

“When you have multiple profit centers, you still need to have managers that run the business independent from ownership,” Ellard says. “With a bigger site, it’s more critical that you need management who can juggle all of these entities.” And the managers don’t only oversee their profit center—they are actively working, too. Each manager performs as a working manager, working alongside normal team members, while also in charge of the day-to-day operations.

Tip No. 2: Be present as an owner. Not all quick lube owners are present for the day-to-day operations, but that’s not the case for Triple Play. While the managers run their own profit center, Ellard and Elder work on site on a full-time basis between each center, focusing on the bigger picture.

“We are here to coordinate, set the culture, One-Stop Shop For Dave Ellard, left, and Terrance Elder, Triple Play Car Wash and Quick Lube was about bringing more to the customer. So they had to work out a management structure that supports every part of the business.

and prioritize labor,” Ellard says. “In a site that is this busy, it’s good to have ownership here.”

The area they most frequent in is the detail center. Why? From the detail center’s waiting area, it’s the perfect place to see most of the business. “If you get caught up in doing the day-to-day physical work, you aren’t focusing on the bigger picture,” Ellard says. “The coordination process is very important, and you need a management structure to do that.”

The nice thing is, there’s still some flexibility involved for ownership. With two owners, sometimes it isn’t necessary for both to be there. On busier days, both Ellard and Elder are on site. And to do this, there needs to be a lot of communication between the two. It’s like being on call; one owner goes in to assess how the day will play out and texts the other owner to see if it’s necessary to come in or not. And if a big rush comes in and help

TRIPLE PLAY CAR WASH AND QUICK LUBE

OWNER: DAVE ELLARD AND TERRANCE ELDER

LOCATION: ATTLEBORO, MASS.

TOTAL STAFF SIZE: 35 (8 QUICK LUBE, 10 DETAIL, 3 CAR WASH, 8 C-STORE, 5 MANAGEMENT)

SHOP SIZE: 16,000 SQUARE FEET (CAR WASH + QUICK LUBE)

NUMBER OF BAYS: 9 (3 FOR QUICK LUBE, 6 FOR DETAIL)

is needed, each owner is just a phone call away to come in and lend a helping hand.

Tip No. 3: Treat them as one. When you have multiple businesses in one, it’s important to drive traffic to each. Ellard says a lot of people just have a car wash and market within the store, but Triple Play likes to cross market customers between their profit centers.

“It’s difficult, in most cases, to attract business every day when it’s a single entity,” Ellard says. “If you try to treat it like a stand-alone quick lube, you’re going to have problems.”

Ellard says they get a lot of traffic because there are a lot of reasons for customers to be on the property, whether it’s grabbing a cup of coffee, filling up on gas or getting a car wash. The goal is for Triple Play to be a customer’s one-stop shop, and they promote this through cross-promotions. For example, when a customer comes in for an oil change, they’ll receive a free car wash. If

All for One Each of the four main areas of the business has its own manager. That allows Ellard and Elder to work on cohesivenss among those areas to benefit the entire operation. you buy a car wash at the gas pump, you get 20 or 30 cents off per gallon on any gas purchase, depending on the type of car wash you get. When you buy a car wash directly from the car wash entrance, you’ll receive a coupon for $10 off an oil change. And if you buy a car wash at the gas pump and proceed to the car wash, you’ll receive both the gas discount and the $10-off coupon. Ellard says the car wash offers really help to boost quick lube business.

And with offering these coupons and discounts, a shop owner also has to make it convenient. Adjacent to the gas pumps, vacuums are there to use, free of charge. The shop also offers express detailing with no appointment required. Even while getting an oil change at the quick lube, customers can get express detailing in their car while they wait. It’s easier to sell the extra amenities when it’s right at a customer’s fingertips.

“We put a focus on convenience and customer service,” Ellard says.

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KRISTY BABB

Is the executive director of the Automotive Oil Change Association (AOCA).

INFO @AOCA.COM OR 800.230.0702

AOCA Government Affairs at Work Getting results in these key issue areas

THE GREAT AMERICAN FAST LUBE IS AN automotive marketplace niche champion— an evolutionary powerhouse streamlined to give the most consumers maximum care at a cost they can afford. As a result, routine maintenance protects each driver’s vehicle investment while also helping to keep roadways safe and clean for everyone.

Behind the scenes of this smart, straight-forward industry, however, operators must daily navigate a mine-field of regulation and unfair competition from automakers and their “authorized” dealers. AOCA’s Government Affairs Committee works year-round to disarm those risks via advocacy, research, and development of recommended practices and compliance training programs.

The Topic: OEMs and authorized dealers market vehicle sales and ownership costs using the highest oil change service intervals for misnamed “normal” driving conditions.

Why AOCA Membership Matters: AOCA developed the Recommended Practice for Customer Management of Oil Change Intervals, which empowers consumers with the complete picture of OEM-recommended intervals including the most commonly applicable “severe” conditions. What’s at Stake? Customer satisfaction and avoiding unfounded fraud actions.

The Topic: OEMs and authorized dealers violate the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act prohibition against tie-in sales of OEM brand products and services. Why AOCA Membership Matters: AOCA successfully files complaints with the Federal Trade Commission, undertakes critical operator and consumer surveys, and advocates for mandatory OEM/ dealer MMWA consumer rights notices. What’s at Stake? Industry viability

The Topic: OEMs and authorized dealers conceal and deny engine defects through prohibited tie-in sales of OEM brand products and services.

Why AOCA Membership Matters: AOCA investigates early warning signs of defects (ex. ballooned oil filters in Hyundai/Kia vehicles with Theta II and Nu engines; mysteriously dropping drain plugs thousands of miles post-service) and files complaints with both the Federal Trade Commission and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. What’s at Stake? $5,000 to $10,000 per engine

The Topic: OEMs encourage state legislators and regulators to impose regulations to support “normal” service interval fiction.

Why AOCA Membership Matters: AOCA successfully advocates against state legislation and regulation that would penalize necessary application of “severe” intervals. What’s at Stake? Potential $500 per-service fines

The Topic: OEMs encourage state and federal regulators to officially eliminate aftermarket competition on the basis of new vehicle technology. Why AOCA Membership Matters:AOCA successfully advocated for Right to Repair legislation, which must now be expanded to include telematics; see Massachusetts H4122. This issue overlaps with the MMWA prohibition against tie-in sales and service when OEMs/authorized dealers use vehicle display panels to command drivers to use OEM brand service.

What’s at Stake? The future of new vehicle services

The Topic: Members of the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) proposed label and receipt requirements for engine oil and transmission fluid products that would destroy aftermarket competition.

Why AOCA Membership Matters: AOCA successfully advocated for the correction of those regulations with NCWM and SAE to preserve and protect aftermarket competition, including the long sought-after requirements for (a) official recognition of the suitable-for use transmission fluid standard; and (b) mandatory detailed bulk product receipts from distributors at delivery.

AOCA also developed the only training program for engine oil and transmission fluid labels and receipts applicable to installers, retailers, distributors, and manufacturers. What’s at Stake? $100,000 to $300,000 per legal case, as well as fines, penalties and product losses.

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