CUSTOMER IS KING

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Don’t Get Stuck on Repeat

A self-proclaimed, life-long member of the oil change community, Clark says a lot has changed about the heavyduty maintenance industry. When the first two Speedco locations opened, oil changes on semis cost $85. Now, with new oils and new engines, quick lube services can run a truck driver up to $400 or more.

However, as more things change over time, many of the core tenets of customer

TheRightAssets

To build out his shop network, Mark Clark focused on building reputation equity alongside his physical assets.

service that Clark has built his brand on are still very much the same 30 years later.

“He’s got a ‘customer is king’ mentality,” says Craig Barr, director of store operations for LubeZone. “In everything we do, he puts the customer in front of those decisions. How we’re doing our services, what processes we’re using, he makes sure the customer is at the center.”

Barr is a long-time colleague and friend of Clark’s; they met in 2006 when both worked for Speedco. When Clark asked Barr to help run LubeZone, the quick lube branch of Epika Fleet Services, Barr says Clark’s dedication to his customers and teammates made the decision a no-brainer.

“He cares about everybody,” Barr says.

That care and respect Clark has for both his team and his customers has allowed him to help pioneer quick lube services in the heavy-duty maintenance industry. Making sure his teammates feel valued while performing oil changes, alignment checks and other services on massive vehicles helps them stay motivated and focused on providing topnotch service.

“His knowledge is second to none, and his leadership style… he loves his employees, the people that work for him,” Barr says. “He takes care of them and wants them to share in his success. He wants them to grow as he grows.”

That, in turn, helps make owneroperators knowledgeable about what's going into their vehicle and feel like them and their livelihoods are being taken care of.

“How you treat your customers and you treat your teammates is the biggest thing in any successful business,” Clark says. “You’ve got to have great customer service and you’ve got to take care of your teammates.”