No “I” in “Team” Jeffrey Crafton, director of lubes at Sayle Oil Company, puts his teammates and his customers first, adding to a workplace dynamic that’s like family.
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ADVERTISERS/PRODUCT INDEX
American Petroleum Institute (30)
Bartec USA (34)
BendPak ( 7, 38-39)
BG Products (18)
Devon Industries (35 )
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800.253.2363
888.500.0353
DHC Battery Testers (37 ) 844.294.6280
Factory Motor Parts (2)
Idemitsu Lubricants America (17 )
ISI Software (44)
Mighty Auto Parts (14)
Milton Industries (16)
RelaDyne (40-41)
Roth North America (13)
Royal Purple, Ltd. (43)
Samson Corporation (4)
Service Pro (8)
Shell Lubricants (25 )
Solid Start (3)
Valvoline (10)
• Eliminates need for pit – suction from top of vehicle
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• Available in 18 and 27 gallon portable or stationary versions
Adam Tatum, Scott Hempy, Enid Burns, Carol Badaracco Padgett
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Lenny Saucier, DIRECTOR OF RETAIL TRAINING, FULLSPEED AUTOMOTIVE
Pete Frey, OPERATOR, TAKE 5 OIL CHANGE
Adam Tatum, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, VIRGINIA GROUP
Bill Floyd, OPERATOR, LUCAS OIL CENTERS
SALES
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7/29/24 9:39 AM
FEATURE
20 FEATURE STORY
2024
Operator
of the Year
Jeffrey Crafton started with the Mississippi-based Sayle Oil Company when he was a teenager and worked his way up to overseeing company quick lube operations. BY
HANNA BUBSER
Award Runners-Up
Meet the 2024 Operator of the Year Runners-Up:
Joe Benza of Carolina Quick Lube and Tyson Daniels, a Grease Monkey franchisee.
BY KACEY FREDERICK AND ENID BURNS
Eyes on the Prize
Jeffrey Crafton has always had a hands-on approach to quick lube, starting back when he was a kid changing oil on his dad’s vehicles.
6 ONLINE
Setting and achieving business goals
9 NUMBERS
Popular social media platforms
QUICK HITS
11 INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Stress-Free Auto Care’s acquisition strategy
15 AROUND THE INDUSTRY
U.S. senators tackle driver data regulations
SERVICE
31 PIT STOP
Embracing ownership
33 CUSTOMER SERVICE
Crafting consistent interactions
36 CASE STUDY
Preparing for potential disasters
COLUMNS
19 MAINTAINING THE MISSION
Considerations for selling your shop BY SCOTT HEMPY
42 FROM THE SHOP
Anticipating colder weather BY ADAM TATUM
PODCAST: FOCUS ON THE VISION
(WITH COSTA
KAPOTHANASIS
OF COSTA OIL – 10 MINUTE OIL CHANGE)
This summer, it was announced that Costa Kapothanasis bought out Costa Franchising LLC shareholders, which means he now has full ownership over the Costa Oil brand, which includes over 50 Costa Oil - 10 Minute Oil Change stores as well as Costa Oil Performance Filtration and Costa Motor Oils.
Costa joins the podcast to outline what franchising has looked like for the brand and what the future holds for continued growth with the oil change-only model.
PODCAST: SET GOALS, GET RESULTS (WITH W. SCOTT WHEELER OF AUTOMOTIVE CONSULTANTS GROUP, INC.)
W. Scott Wheeler is motivated by helping others. He started Automotive Consultants Group, Inc. in 1999 fueled by boots-on-the-ground experience that showed him what shop owners really need help with: the elements that make up running and managing a business in this industry.
In this two-episode series for The NOLN Podcast, he discusses the role of goals in business strategy—including how elements such as KPIs and profitability are impacted in the long run. Scan the QR code to listen to these episodes and access The NOLN Podcast archives!
THE NOLN PODCAST
Head online to check out NOLN’s library of podcast interviews. Hear from quick lube leaders about new strategies, service stories, and innovative operations that push the industry forward.
Listen to all the episodes and subscribe at: noln.net/podcasts.
NOLN NEWS
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SOCIAL STANDING
Given the amount of information that is shared each day on social media, it’s fair to say that scrolling on a phone doesn’t need to be mindless. During a single visit to a social media platform, individuals can take in everything from a breaking news headline to a recipe for homemade chocolate chip cookies.
Whether it’s a silly viral video or helpful how-to instructions, social media has proven itself to be a messenger that many people turn to for insight. Now, that’s not to say that social media is for everyone. There are plenty of people who prefer to stay offline. But some business owners—including those who run quick lube shops—have been able to find a place online.
According to data from the 2024 NOLN Operator Survey, most respondents resonate with Facebook as a preferred platform. Understandably, Google Business Profile is also high on the list as a vehicle that helps shops get seen by customers with a simple online search.
BUILDING A HOUSEHOLD NAME
Yinon Weiss, founder and CEO of Stress-Free Auto Care, shares how his company is working toward establishing a nationally trusted brand of shops
BY KACEY FREDERICK
OVER 10 YEARS
AGO,
TECH entrepreneur and U.S. Army
Special Forces veteran Yinon Weiss encountered problem after problem with his Jeep and was struggling to find a reliable shop that would take care of him. With each new name, he was taking a leap of faith—and he just so happened to keep striking out.
After starting his first business—a social media platform for veterans called RallyPoint—he wanted to start
something new. He looked back on the experience he had as a customer in auto repair, and realized the potential there was to create a single brand that was held to the same standard nationwide.
The idea turned into what is now Stress-Free Auto Care: a company that originated around five years ago and has been steadily spreading across California and Texas ever since.
Stress-Free’s approach to acquir-
ing shops is what has allowed them to grow while maintaining a stellar reputation. Weiss shares what his company is doing to identify and recruit some of the best shops as he works towards building a national brand.
A Modernized Experience
The concept began with a business Weiss started in 2016 called CarDash. The aim was to act as a national marketplace for automotive
A Bright Brand
Stress-Free Auto Care shops stand out with a distinctive purple and white color scheme.
services. The trouble was, however, that many shops the company was working with didn’t have much technology to be improved upon, if there was any at all.
When Weiss and his team decided to open their own shop up in 2019, it revealed how much potential there was for modernization in the industry, but it was something CarDash wasn’t invented to remedy.
“The goal with CarDash was to build a superior, new, modern customer experience that people expect from many other industries,” Weiss explains. “What we found was that we couldn’t really do that just by building a marketplace layer. We had to go deeper into the operational level, and actually transform operationally what happens at the shop.”
Weiss sold the intellectual property of CarDash to RepairSmith and went on to establish Stress-Free Auto Care: a nationally recognizable brand providing reliable auto repair.
Knowing Who to Acquire
From the get-go, Weiss had the idea of creating a national brand. StressFree Auto Care has already expanded from its home state of California into Texas, where Weiss resides. This growth was largely achieved through acquisitions, which continue to play a key role in the company’s plans.
In areas where Stress-Free has already established itself, it isn’t uncommon for shop owners looking to retire to reach out—the bright purple buildings and large signage makes the brand hard to miss. But for newer markets it can take a little more legwork to identify acquisition opportunities.
The first step Stress-Free takes in
We are the operators; we’re on the ground, we’re not some private equity shop that is just doing a financial engineering deal and are separate from the deal. We are shop owners, we own shops, and we run shops.
–YINON WEISS, FOUNDER/CEO, STRESS-FREE AUTO CARE
determining a good spot for expansion is by researching different areas: specifically, how much traffic the area sees and its consumer demographics.
Ideally, a shop in a commercial retail area will be more viable than somewhere more industrial.
Once an area with potential for business is found, notable shops within that region are highlighted. This includes shops that have established a reputation, have great reviews, a decent exterior, staff, and sales performance.
A shop that passes those criteria will still have more standards to meet. With Stress-Free’s emphasis on modernizing the repair industry, any shop being considered for acquisition must have the space to
accommodate the equipment they use across all their shops: typically, this means a minimum of five bays.
The Stress-Free Process
Stress-Free Auto Care’s name expresses not just the experience of the customer, but also that of the owners who sell their shops to the brand. The company has optimized its acquisition process to make it as easy and simple for the owner as possible.
Part of what makes Stress-Free unique is that they understand the shop owner’s experience that others may not, enabling them to provide them with all the resources and guidance they need.
“We are the operators; we’re on the ground, we’re not some private equity shop that is just doing
a financial engineering deal and are separate from the deal. We are shop owners, we own shops, and we run shops,” explains Weiss. “We understand the challenges that shop owners have, we understand the staffing challenges that they have, and we can relate to that. And we come prepared to address those issues as best as we can.”
Though Weiss and his team have been through the acquisition process numerous times, most sellers they work with are in their 60s or 70s looking to retire and have never had to sell a business before.
The biggest challenge shop owners usually face is fears of what their staff will think is happening, which is why Stress-Free tries to be discrete throughout the process until it’s finalized. They’ll never show up to a prospective shop unannounced, or ever talk to anyone there without the shop owner’s permission.
Stress-Free always tries to retain all the original staff of an acquired shop, typically by offering them all higher wages and introducing benefits such as performance bonuses. Though the shop’s equipment sometimes needs a bit of an upgrade,
employees often view it as a path to expanding their skill sets.
“Most of the staff that we meet are excited to learn new tools, they’re excited to advance their career, they’re excited to learn new skills, and feel like they have an opportunity to progress—which is what our business offers,” tells Weiss.
Because they don’t require thirdparty financing, Stress-Free also has the ability to usually close a deal in a timely manner, which has also made the process easier for shop owners trying to sell. Additionally, StressFree doesn’t require shop owners to stay on for transition training after the sale—they’re free to sell their business and then move on to retirement.
Stress-Free has made the transaction as seamless and comprehensive as they can for shop owners, but it’s not in an effort to rush through it. It allows them to set aside all the time needed to engage in discussions with a seller on whatever their concerns or thoughts may be, which is a fundamental part of their acquisition process.
“It’s just helping sellers reduce their level of anxiety, or concern
about what it means to sell their business. There’s a lot of that,” says Weiss. “And that’s just educating them, and coaching them, and training them, and building trust with them.”
From the beginning, Stress-Free has had a vision of being synonymous with up-to-date, trustworthy repair services that span across several regions.
That vision has guided its strategy for identifying successful shops for acquisition and working with that owner and their team to seamlessly transition to the company’s brand.
That’s ultimately what has made Weiss’ acquisition strategy so successful: he knew what he was looking for, and he doesn’t accept anything that doesn’t meet clearly defined minimum requirements needed for the kind of shops he wants to run.
“There’s a lot of different styles and flavors of shops,” explains Weiss. “Some shops do European focus, some shops don’t; some shops have a culture of appointments, some shops don’t. And so, the more one can better narrow down their own operating model, the easier it will be to align with your potential acquisitions.”
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AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET CHARITABLE FOUNDATION EXTENDS 65TH ANNIVERSARY FUNDRAISER
The Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation was met with great success for its 65th anniversary fundraiser, prompting the organization to extend its initiative, according to a recent press release.
In honor of AACF’s 65th anniversary, a fundraising campaign launched on April 1 and was met with enough support to provide relief to over 22 families in the aftermarket.
AACF highlighted several organizations that made notable contributions during the fundraiser, including Valvoline Global, the Young Auto Care Network Group, 2G Ventures, Automotive Parts Headquarters, Inc., Gold Eagle Co., McCourt Marketing, NA Williams, and the Washington Automotive Industry Association.
Though the anniversary fundraiser was set to officially finish this summer, AACF has now extended it to the end of the year.
“We are deeply humbled and grateful for the incredible support we have received during this milestone campaign,” said Jon Owens, AACF board president and national sales manager at Epicor. “The generosity and compassion displayed reflect the true spirit of the automotive aftermarket community. Together, we are providing essential assistance to those facing adversity.”
BRIAN MANLEY OF COLORADO NAMED 2024 ASE INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR
Brian Manley, an automotive instructor at Cherry Creek Innovation Campus in Centennial, Colorado, has been recognized as this year’s Byrl Shoemaker/ASE Education Foundation Instructor of the Year, according to a press release.
Manley was awarded a paid trip to the recent ASE Instructor Training Conference, where he was named Instructor of the Year during the opening session. He’ll be recognized once again on Nov. 20 at the ASE board of directors meeting in New Orleans as part of the annual ASE Service Professionals Recognition Awards.
An ASE Master Technician, Manley has helped schools become ASE accredited as an active evaluation team leader for the ASE Education Foundation and has helped compose ASE test questions. He’s also served as a member of the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation’s board of directors.
As an instructor, Manley has worked towards a 90% retention rate among his students, helping them gain internships with local auto shops and checking in with them after they graduate. He’s also made an effort to recruit more women into the automotive industry.
“Not only did Brian stand out as an exceptional instructor, but he is also committed to helping his students outside of the classroom, placing them in meaningful internships to help them excel in careers as automotive service professionals,” said ASE Education Foundation President Mike Coley.
WOMEN IN AUTO CARE AWARDS $425K IN SCHOLARSHIPS AND TOOLS
Women in Auto Care has announced this year’s scholarship recipients, setting a new record in the total amount awarded, according to a recent press release. Eighty-one awards, consisting of both cash scholarships and toolkits, were given out this year. Representing a total value of $425,000, it marks the highest amount of awards given out by WiAC since its scholarship program began 20 years ago.
WiAC has expanded its scholarship program in the past year through partnerships with industry organizations, such as $35,000 in scholarships provided in part by Garage Gurus, a $10,000 scholarship with Dorman, and toolkits from NAPA and Acuity valued at $8,700 and $3,000 respectively.
Additionally, award recipients will be given an Industry Swag Box containing items introducing them to WiAC, Auto Care Association, and other prominent aftermarket companies. Monthly Connection Circles will also be held online for scholarship winners to meet their peers and connect with mentors.
“2024 was another record-breaking year for our scholarship program,” said Elle Lawhead, WiAC chair. “I am extremely grateful for our community and every one of you who has supported our efforts. Because of your support, we were able to make the dreams of 81 females come true. Because of you all, they are now able to pursue a career in the automotive aftermarket!”
U.S. SENATORS CALL FOR REGULATIONS ON AUTOMAKERS SELLING DRIVER DATA
U.S. Senators Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon have sent a letter urging the Federal Trade Commission to investigate how automakers are collecting and using vehicle data, reports The New York Times.
The letter referenced a previous report from the Times which showed automakers were collecting data on how vehicle owners drove, such as sudden braking or acceleration or driving over the speed limit. That information was then shared with insurance companies.
This is the most recent of other letters that have been sent from Congress to FTC calling for action on vehicle data usage.
General Motors, Hyundai, and Honda are the predominant focus of Markey and Wyden’s letter, which had been selling information to an analytics company called Verisk, which in turn handed the data over to insurance providers.
The senators’ letter added that the fact the companies were making only a few extra cents per vehicle in exchange for the data, with Honda receiving 26 cents per vehicle over four years, and 61 cents per vehicle for Hyundai over six years. GM would not disclose how much it had been paid by Verisk for the data.
“It is particularly insulting for automakers that are selling cars for tens of thousands of dollars to then squeeze out a few additional pennies of profit with consumers’ private data,” the letter stated.
Though the automakers’ arrangement with Verisk ended after news of it broke in March, GM told Senator Wyden that it is still sharing anonymous information on vehicles’ locations with a company it declined to identify, adding that the only way to not participate was to completely disable a vehicle’s internet connection.
RELADYNE TO SUPPLY DURAMAX TO SUN AUTO TIRE & SERVICE LOCATIONS
RelaDyne will begin supplying products from its DuraMAX to all of Sun Auto Tire & Service’s company-owned locations, according to a press release.
Lubricants and ancillary products from the DuraMAX brand will be supplied to more than 475 Sun
Auto locations, including a variety of motor oil viscosities and performance specifications.
The agreement also includes delivery of DuraMAX filters, wiper blades, and other ancillary products delivered to Sun Auto locations as part of RelaDyne’s DuraMAX DIRECT program.
Since 2018, DuraMAX has been ranked as the best-selling motor oil brand among quick lube owners based on surveys conducted by National Oil and Lube News. The brand recently also renewed a multiyear agreement to supply its products to Take 5 Oil Change locations.
“We have found that DuraMAX oils and filters provide exceptional performance and reliability,” explained Sun Auto Tire & Service Chief Operating Officer Chris Ripani. “By partnering with DuraMAX, we reaffirm our dedication to excellence and
announced the appointment of
FullSpeed’s brands include Grease Monkey, SpeeDee Oil Change & Auto Service, and Kwik Kar Oil Change and
Jenkins has vast experience in the automotive industry. He has workedstone, and TBC Corporation. He was most recently with ModWash as chief
“I’m thrilled to step into this role
tomer service in the automotive aftermarket industry. I’m eager to scale our operations while upholding that reputation of excellence that our brands are known for.”
Jenkins has received recognition for his work in the industry, having set records for customer experience ratings with TBC and getting awards such as Bridgestone’s SC Zone District of the Year.
“FullSpeed Automotive is in an exciting development phase where we are growing both corporate and franchise units across our three main brands: Grease Monkey, SpeeDee Oil Change and Auto Service, and Kwik Kar Oil Change and Auto Care,” said Rob Lynch, chief executive officer of FullSpeed Automotive. “Harry’s proven success in
refining operational performance and systems will play a key role in helping our brands enter into this next era of growth.”
In other related news, FullSpeed brought on Alfonso Vilches as director of franchise development in June of this year. According to a release on the FullSpeed website, Vilches has two decades of experience in the franchising world. He previously worked with Anywhere Real Estate, AAMCO, and The UPS Store.
DRIVEN BRANDS APPOINTS NEW EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CFO
Driven Brands has named Michael Diamond as its newest executive vice president and
Exceeding specs and expectations for over 110 years.
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chief financial officer in a recent press release.
Diamond brings financial and multi-unit experience, having most recently served as CFO of The Michaels Companies and, prior to that, held senior finance leadership roles for six years at Yum! Brands and became CFO of Pizza Hut, U.S.
Diamond’s new position took effect Aug. 9, and he took the place of Interim Chief Financial Officer
Joel Arnao, who was put into the role this past May.
Arnao will continue his work as senior vice president of FP&A, investor relations, and treasury.
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Excellence Through Effective Training
Training is essential for any business looking to increase sales and customer loyalty.
Selling Your Service Center
Preparing for when the time is right to sell
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS AT OILSTOP, we have had the opportunity to grow our footprint of service centers by acquiring other drive-thru oil change companies. We love acquiring new service centers and bringing a new team and company on board to join our mission at Oilstop.
Scott Hempy leads the team at Oilstop Drive-Thru Oil Change and Happy’s Drive-Thru Car Wash. Oilstop and Happy’s are rapidly growing their footprint of oil change and express car wash locations across the West Coast, combining convenience with an outstanding emphasis on guest experience.
Prior to Oilstop & Happy’s, Scott was the founder and CEO at Filld, a SaaSbased software solution for last-mile oil and gas delivery companies. He was recognized as a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 class of 2016 for starting Filld.
These days, it seems like there are two groups of oil change operators: those who are thinking about selling at some point in the future, and those who are looking to acquire shops to expand their footprint. At Oilstop, we’ve found that the operators who have prepared and plan ahead for their eventual “exit” have an easier time selling, have a smoother transition, and may even be able to sell at a higher price! So, what does it mean to plan ahead?
You should begin preparing your quick lube several years before you are expecting to sell. It’s not uncommon for a prospective acquirer to visit your location and “mystery shop” your operation. They will be looking at curb appeal, hospitality, store cleanliness, and overall experience. You want to put on a good impression! Start by focusing on optimizing your team. Potential buyers get excited about a strong and stable team and culture.
Hiring is hard. If your buyer has the opportunity to interview and hire your team to continue operating the business, this is a huge value!
Investing in your team up until you sell will help with the transition as well. Your team will know how things are run, where everything is kept, and can make the transition to the new operator (and your transition to the next opportunity or retirement) much easier!
Communicating with your team through this process is important as well. When the time is right, let them know you are thinking about selling, but you are hoping and working hard to find a buyer who will keep the team on board. Hiding this news from your team rarely ends well. As usual, honesty is the best policy. A good team will value your trust in them and will work hard to ensure the business continues performing up until the sale.
As you are preparing to sell your business, focus on a few important metrics that will ma er most to your buyer. First off—and most important to buyers—don’t stop growing your car count! At Oilstop, we believe a strong car count is the single best indicator of a quick lube’s health.
Sure, a poorly run operation can have high car count days. But to maintain those strong days over the long term usually involves a strong team, training, and leadership. Guests who have a good experience in your shop will come back and tell their friends, growing your car count. A strong car count is a vital indicator of health in your business. As our team often says, “Car count is king!”
The other important metric to focus on improving as you prepare to sell is your “net operating income,” or profit. There is an old adage that, “Businesses are bought, not sold.” Your eventual buyer is making an investment in your business. Usually, this involves buying your profits at some multiple.
If they buy your business at a price of “four times your profits,” they are making an investment that will take four years for them to pay back. As you approach the time to sell, working to improve your profits is important. Be cost conscious, but don’t cut costs to the point of harming your car count. This can involve holding off on big costs such as a new building sign or a new website, since your buyer will likely use their own sign and website. But again, the best way to drive profits is to grow your car count. So, don’t hesitate to spend money on things that will do that. Remember, “Car count is king!”
Lastly, one of the best things you can do to be ready to sell is to take some of those pesky calls from potential buyers.
Building relationships with potential buyers before you are rushing or desperate to sell will help ensure you have options when the time is right. Just because you picked up the phone or responded to an email, it doesn’t mean you have to sell now.
Continue reading at https://www.noln. net/33037995/scott-hempy
SCOTT HEMPY
2024 Operator of the Year: Jeffrey Crafton
Crafton
Tried-and-true tactics work wonders for this Mississippi-based director of lubes
by Hanna Bubser
PHOTO:
Photography by AMPV
Something the NOLN 2024
Operator of the Year Jeffrey Crafton wants to make clear is that achieving this title would not be possible without his team. “I could not do this without my guys,” Crafton says.
“This is an award for every one of us, really. It’s me, Justin Smith (district manager), Jason McCarley (district manager), and all of our managers and technicians and every single person that works for us—the reason that Sayle Oil Company and myself are able to earn this award.”
Established in 1947 by Isaac Sayle, the family-owned Sayle Oil Company is based in Charleston, Mississippi. Ike Sayle is the current president, with Jimmie Stennett and Kevin Sayle as co-vice presidents.
The company has wholesale lubricants, propane, and a quick lube department—where Crafton serves his role as the director of lubes overseeing 15 shops across north Mississippi, with branding that includes the Sayle Oil Dipstix brand as well as Service Pro and Shell Rapid Lube.
It’s a big company, Crafton says, but not so big that it doesn’t feel like a family. And family is a connection that runs deep for him when it comes to automotive.
“The automotive industry itself is really in my blood,” Crafton says. “My grandfather, my father, and then all of my uncles were diesel mechanics.”
AN INEVITABLE CAREER
Crafton remembers tinkering around on cars, four-wheelers, and dirt bikes as a kid. He learned about vehicle maintenance young; he recalls with fondness. He says he always knew he was bound for a career that required working with his hands.
“I can remember being an 11-year-old kid and changing oil for my dad on his vehicle because he was determined to show me how to do that,” Crafton says.
“I don’t know if it was more him wanting to show me how to do something or he just didn’t want to do it himself, but either way I was doing that kind of stuff as a kid.”
He never paid much attention to quick lube shops growing up, mostly because his family took care of preventative maintenance themselves. But during his senior year of high school, everything changed when he got a call from a friend working at a Sayle Oil shop. There was an opening on the team, and Crafton took it.
Heading into the job, he remembers thinking it was going to be easy—it was a job to get him through his last year of high school. He had the knowledge and skills to do the tasks already, but he quickly realized he was in an entirely different environment than he was used to.
“Being in a pit is totally different than laying on your back changing oil,” Crafton says.
The start of this job was his first true introduction to the quick lube industry. There were some learning curves, but from then on it was full steam ahead. After working in the pits for a while, he moved to the top and then became an assistant manager. This is when he started to really lay down roots with Sayle.
He was enjoying the work and doing a good job—and it wasn’t going unnoticed. Crafton relishes working with others, talking to customers, and says he has a “knack” for being able to get along with anyone.
“After becoming assistant manager, I got to thinking, ‘Well, maybe this will work out for me,’” Crafton says. “Next thing you know, I’m 20 years old and they’re asking me if I’d like to run one of our locations.”
CUSTOMER CONSULTATION
Information is Powerful
It wasn’t long before Crafton sharpened his skill set by moving his work through multiple different Sayle Oil shop locations. After having those experiences, he says eventually one thing led to another and his boss at the time approached him about becoming a training coordinator for Sayle Oil. Crafton was happy to do it.
Sayle Oil Company's quick lube employees act as consultants to customers by informing them about service opportunities.
“I took pride in seeing the stores get better and helping people get better, and meeting new people and going to different places,” Crafton says.
He held that position for about a year, and then the director of lubes job opened. He moved into the role in 2017. Crafton says he’s learned everything through on-the-job training, meaning that he’s gathered skills along the way while working and learning at Sayle Oil that have blended well with his natural ability to communicate and connect with people. He says he took the director of lubes role and never looked back.
“My leadership style is more of a hands-on approach,” Crafton says. “I enjoy getting out in the shops and working with our crews. I enjoy ... the customer aspect of it
all, and that’s really what motivates me and my style of leading is being able to work with our crews and our guys and our technicians.”
Crafton acknowledges that, by the nature of his work, sometimes he’s sitting in an office doing paperwork. But he is always itching to get in the shops and put boots on the ground.
He’s also motivated by making positive improvements at the shops—mentioning how a personal approach to work helps add to a culture that people want to be part of. He says the turnover rate has improved “tremendously” because of such efforts.
Additionally, Crafton says collective car count over the last six years is up, as are ticket averages. Some of this growth is organic, he points out, as it can depend upon factors like the type of oil being used. Something that never changes, though, is the emphasis Crafton and Sayle Oil place on being “car care consultants” for customers.
“Talking with customers, being a consultant, not trying to be a salesman (and) not trying to be pushy,” Crafton describes.
Stay Shop-Side
present leader who enjoys being physically in the Sayle Oil shops with his team.
Jeffrey Crafton is a
Real Reliability
Jeffrey Crafton aims to support his team while simultaneously ensuring that customers feel well cared for.
This involves being thorough by checking everything and giving customers an option to add services on. This, in turn, increases add-on sales. But Crafton emphasizes that it’s about informing the customer— not forcing them into a sale.
“So, I try to tell my guys, ‘Nobody wants to be sold anything,’” Crafton says. “They want to be told about their car. They want to be told what they need, or what could make their car better or make it last longer.”
PLAN ACCORDINGLY
A customer-first mentality is standard for Sayle Oil employees. It all comes down to care. Crafton says he personally can go to a shop location and if he sees a customer he’s worked with in the past, they often remember him as well. Crafting these connections turns them into repeat customers.
“There are so many places that people can go to get their oil changed, so we want to give them a reason to come back to us,” Crafton says.
Crafton says Sayle Oil employees are trained in customer service and efficiency—but overall, it’s about providing a job well done. The goal is for the customer to walk away satisfied and without any unknowns about the shop’s service.
“We want customers leaving feeling like we just gave their car the best care as possible,” Crafton says.
This is a mindset that’s certain to continue for Crafton, even as aspects of the industry shift. While not all Sayle’s shops are modeled this way, the most recent building, Dipstix Tire & Lube in Oxford, has six bays and includes mechanical service alongside oil changes. Crafton also says some shops that had car washes have since had those converted into mechanical bays.
It’s a strategy that still encompasses all the services Sayle is already doing consistently—oil changes and ancillary services such as filters—but also anticipates and responds to changes.
“So, we can offset ... the fact that return mileages are going up and then electric vehicles are going to be more prevalent in the near future,” Crafton says.
Another forward-facing component of consideration for Crafton is his career. He’s dedicated to the work he does with Sayle Oil, a company he’s been at since he was just a teenager.
“I see myself doing this for the rest of my life, and hopefully I get to do it for Sayle Oil Company for the rest of
my life,” Crafton says. “It’s just, I enjoy the people that I work with. I enjoy the customers. I enjoy all aspects of it. I enjoy being around vehicles.”
TAKE CENTER STAGE—TOGETHER
When he started as director of lubes, Crafton says Jimmie Stennett told him something he won’t soon forget.
“He said, ‘Jeffrey, always be there for your employees. Always be there for your guys—have their backs. If (you) do that, they’re going to do what you ask them to do most of the time—you’re always going to have people giving you pushback. That’s just life,’” Crafton says. “He said, ‘If you’ll always be there for them, you’ll gain their respect.’
And that what I try to do.”
Crafton says he can’t claim perfection—no human can, after all. But what keeps him going is offering respect to everyone and helping others grow. This kind of care naturally extends to customers, as well. Crafton says he considers customers to be the strongest driving force at Sayle Oil.
“One of the things that we like to say is (that) we want to make people ... feel like they’re part of the Sayle family,” Crafton says.
That’s why Sayle Oil does things like customer appreciation days. These days often involve setting up tents at a Sayle Oil shop location, conducting giveaways, handing out water, catering food, and providing discounts.
“We just try to really make it a big deal and let people ... see what we’re doing and ... give back to the people (who) give to us,” Crafton says.
It’s clear that it’s the people who make a difference for Crafton. His team and his customers are a common theme when he talks about his job. He says he may sound like a broken record with the number of times he brings up those two groups, but his continued efforts to shine the spotlight on them showcases what makes him a strong leader.
It’s one thing to love your job. It’s another thing to have love for the individuals you work with and the customers you serve. For Crafton, it’s all the above—and it’s exemplified by the values that guide Sayle Oil Company.
“We do work really hard, and we’re motivated to make our customers happy, (our) employees happy, and the rest is all going to fall into place,” Crafton says.
JEFFREY FROM THE SHELL LUBRICANTS TEAM!
2024 NOLN Operator of the Year Award Winner: Jeffrey Crafton Director of Sayle Lubes LLC • Charleston, MI
A Life in Quick Lube: Award Runner-Up Joe Benza
For Joe Benza–owner of Carolina Quick Lube and runner-up for this year’s Operator of the Year award–thriving in the auto service field is all he’s ever known
by Kacey Frederick
Joe Benza is the owner of Carolina Quick Lube in Garner, North Carolina, and a runner-up for this year’s NOLN Operator of the Year award.
Benza lives and breathes auto service, having grown up working in his father’s quick lube business—and later going on to run it alongside him.
The two sold their business and his father went into retirement—but Benza was far from done. Around a year after that, he jumped back in with his own new brand, ready to use decades of experience to create something entirely his.
FRIENDLY, FAST, LOCAL SERVICE
Since Benza last spoke with NOLN in 2023, he’s only continued to build upon his success, surpassing expectations in car count, sales, and customer feedback, and nearly doubling his number of employees from six to 10.
Much of this didn’t just fall in his lap, however, but was the result of months of community involvement and outreach.
“I pretty much didn’t say no to anything in the first year,” tells Benza. “I just said, ‘Let’s try everything, let’s get our brand out there. Let’s get our logo on the back of grocery receipts and put up a couple billboards, and let folks know that we’re here.’”
Alongside running Google Ads, having a nice website, and sending ads out in the mail, Carolina Quick Lube sponsored a myriad of organizations in its community such as churches, car washes, and local high schools. It helped increase his brand awareness while also
garnering admiration from locals.
With the brand that Benza built came a newly constructed four-bay facility for it to operate out of. When he first set out to open the shop, he already had it in his head to have four bays. He utilizes what he calls a hybrid approach, using the fourth bay for completing jobs like brake repairs, while the others are mainly for quick oil changes.
Having a brand-new building is something Benza cites as attracting customers, but what he’s ultimately prioritized in his business has been the speed of service. That, combined with Carolina Quick Lube’s helpful staff and local roots, has brought them much publicity through word of mouth alone.
“Being friendly, personable; getting it right,” sums up Benza. “Getting folks back on the road, while we have a nice, comfortable waiting area. They don’t want to be here for more than 10, 15 minutes,” says Benza.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Many of his insights into what makes a quick lube business work stem from already having extensive experience in the field. He ran another quick lube business, Fast Lube Plus, alongside his father before the two sold it to FullSpeed Automotive.
There are many words Benza uses to describe the relationship he has with his father: a colleague, friend, and mentor being among them. The two keep in touch daily, and while Benza’s father is enjoying his deserved retirement, he never passes a chance to hear about his
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JOE BENZA
son’s continued path in the quick lube industry and to offer him any guidance he can.
“I know Dad is, as I mentioned, enjoying retirement, but there’s part of them that I think misses the camaraderie (of) working alongside me,” shares Benza. “I know he enjoys hearing the good news.”
REFLECTING SUCCESS
Being the sole owner of a shop now, Benza has developed his own unique leadership style. In the past 20 years, he’s seen a change that has led him to take a more balanced approach to his role as a boss. While he makes sure everyone knows they’re there to do a job and enforces structure and accountability, he makes time to understand them and their lives.
This understanding is effective not only in building a loyal team, but in learning how to best develop each staff member’s talents. If there’s anything Benza has learned from being in the oil change field, though, it’s that there can be a lot of changes in staff. The more capable some techs become, it’s common for them to look ahead at pursuing something like a managerial role.
While there are some that will remain comfortable in a certain role, quick lube techs often come and go— but for Benza, it’s something he knew to expect. When one of his staff members visibly improves to the point that they want to advance their career, it brings him a sense of accomplishment because it’s a reflection of his own success.
“If you provide them a good opportunity to be the best
they can at what they do, and if they come to you with an opportunity for themselves to move on–whether that’s, ‘Hey, I’ve kind of mastered the oil and lube space, and I want to get into full service,’ or, ‘Hey, I’ve become a really good technician, I think I could be a manager of my own,’ then you’ve done a good job and growing and developing,” Benza explains.
Benza knows the quick lube space, and he knows it well. Now, he’s driven to use his experience in the industry to help the staff he oversees also achieve that same success.
He describes the relationship he has with his staff as that of a family, and he credits this to being a present owner. It’s undoubtedly a contrast to bigger, more corporate environments, where employees aren’t typically as familiar with the executives behind the brand they work for.
Running his business from a distance has never been what Benza is interested in. He returned to the field to be in it, not to watch from afar, and the genuine care for what he’s built is something that reverberates throughout the shop’s entire culture.
“You got to touch and feel your business every day and let the folks who work for you know that you’re willing to do what they do, and that you appreciate them. You can have a beautiful store and a great location, but if you don’t have the right people to execute it alongside you, it can be challenging,” advises Benza. “Be a part of the business on a daily basis—don’t try and run it from your vacation home.”
Safe and Secure: Award Runner-Up Tyson Daniels
A Grease Monkey franchisee with 11 shops takes the lead on child passenger safety
by Enid Burns
For one operator in the southeast Idaho area, it was second nature following in his stepfather’s footsteps and advancing the industry with child passenger safety.
Tyson Daniels grew up at a family-owned quick lube doing various jobs such as painting pits, landscaping, and cleaning up. He officially got started on more technical duties at the age of 16.
Now, at 42, he owns 11 Grease Monkey locations in Idaho, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada with plans for further expansion—and he’s being recognized as a runner-up for this year’s NOLN Operator of the Year award.
BUILDING A GREASE MONKEY EMPIRE
After high school, Daniels committed to the business and moved up to become manager. He located to the Idaho Falls area and developed a close mentoring relationship with the owner of the shop where he was manager.
“When he put his locations up for sale, I purchased the business,” explains Daniels. “Since then, we’ve bought some stores, sold some stores, and managed to open in additional areas.”
Daniels and his wife operate 11 locations in four states. Five Grease Monkey shops in Idaho operate under the Threshold Automotive brand while two locations in Nevada do business as DB Automotive. The branches in Colorado use the name Alder. Expansion into other states was facilitated by managers at Idaho locations relocating to partner with Daniels and operate their own shops.
This stewardship is what drives Daniels. His LinkedIn profile boasts, “Searching for colleagues, (vendors) and
customers looking to step over the ‘Threshold’ to Automotive Service Excellence.”
Beyond his own shops, Daniels serves as president of Grease Monkey’s International Franchisee Advisory Council (IFAC), where he works with other franchisees within the brand. In this capacity, he travels to different regions with Grease Monkey executives to help advise franchises. In addition to helping other Grease Monkey shops around the country, Daniels has learned from this experience, bringing solutions back to his business.
Daniels also credits the staff at his 11 locations, whose support allows him to spend time away to meet with Grease Monkey executives and other quick lube operators.
“Having strong leadership at the shops, I have been able to (travel),” Daniels tells NOLN.
SAFETY INITIATIVE
While technicians perform services, it is an opportune time to do a safety check or two. One that has become a passion for Daniels—and a directive for his shops—is child passenger safety.
“This is a big one for me,” Daniels explains.
In April, the operator and his staff were recognized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at the Lifesavers National Highway Safety Priorities conference. The cause began when a courtesy technician was vacuuming a car for a customer and noticed the child car seat was not installed properly. She went to Daniels to ask if she should correct the installation. Daniels hesitated due to liability concerns and advised his employee to inform the customer rather than make the adjustment.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF TYSON DANIELS
Daniels
Later that evening he called his employee to apologize for the situation. Daniels sent his courtesy technician to safety training to get certification in installing child car seats and lead the charge for the franchise. Today, all of Daniels’ Grease Monkey locations have employees certified in the correct installation of car passenger seats. The business has started an initiative that provides free car seats that have been donated for the cause.
“If I could make one impact in the quick lube space, it would be child passenger safety,” says Daniels. “It’s an opportunity to educate and help our customers.”
Daniels has gone beyond reaching out to just customers in this initiative. The operator spoke about the child safety program at a Grease Monkey event in 2023. Since the talk, a few franchises have reached out to learn how to implement the offering at their locations. Daniels has also worked with dealerships, law enforcement, and other organizations about adding the service to their operations. Daniels has an employee in the process of becoming certified to become a trainer.
“Instead of sending employees to (the) training, there can be internal training for employees,” Daniels states.
It is a passion for the operator, and he works to raise awareness beyond his franchise locations in Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado.
“I would love for it to impact throughout the quick lube industry,” Daniels states.
GROWING THE BRAND
With over 25 years of experience, Daniels has grown his business to 11 franchise locations with ambitious plans of expansion. With the three entities he operates,
Threshold Automotive; DB Automotive; and Alder, Daniels and his partners plan to open one location under each entity per year to be at 20 stores in three years. The 10-year goal is to reach 50 stores.
While there is a focus for expansion under Daniels’s umbrella, he shares his energy across the Grease Monkey brand and the industry with his work with franchisees as well as leading the charge for child passenger safety that gets him recognized.
“Tyson is an incredible franchisee, center owner, and mentor for new and existing Grease Monkey franchises,” notes Andy Pomeroy in his Operator of the Year nomination for Daniels. Pomeroy is the franchise support director for Grease Monkey International with FullSpeed Automotive.
“He has served as the president of the IFAC (International Franchisee Advisory Group) for three years and is always leading the charge with best practices,” Pomeroy continues.
“He has grown his Grease Monkey store count to 11—starting with five very successful locations in southeastern Idaho, he has added six additional centers over the past two years: two in Utah, two in Nevada, and two in Colorado.”
Pomeroy is enthusiastic about Daniels’ work within Grease Monkey, as well as outside of the organization.
“He was recently honored by the NHTSA this past month during their ‘Lifesavers National Conference on Highway Safety Priorities” for the Child Safety programs that he has implemented in all of his centers,” Pomeroy says in the nomination.
“Tyson is a true class act, leader of industry, and mentor to his employees,” writes Pomeroy. “He’s the best that I’ve seen in my 35 years in the business!”
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FROM BAY TO BOSS
Developing a career mindset
BY CAROL BADARACCO PADGETT
SIDNEY, MONTANA, IS AN OASIS of about 6,300 people, and is less than 10 miles west of the North Dakota border. With oil fields resting all around, the three-bay Quick Change Oil draws from a steady stream of work vehicles and fleet trucks.
In 2023, owner Frank Saalfeld decided it was time to retire from the business he built from the ground up. So, two new co-owners stepped up—a town native and lube tech at Quick Change Oil, Jamie Mayberry— and her boss, the shop’s long-time business manager, Tami Nygaard.
“We’re hometown proud about our small businesses, me and Tami,” says Mayberry. “So, we decided we’d offer to carry on Frank’s legacy so he could retire.”
Better Together
Fresh out of the military, where she served as a medic, Mayberry returned to Sidney and was recruited to work at Quick Change Oil. The original hiring plan was for her to shadow Tami and learn the books. But once she got out into the shop, those plans changed.
“I liked to be dirty and do the work out there in the shop,” Mayberry says. “And while I knew little about vehicle maintenance going in, I learned fresh from somebody who had done it a long time. Being female in the shop, you have to put yourself out there and push yourself, but you also have to stay humble as you move forward.”
As Mayberry trained in the technical aspects of what Quick Change Oil offers—oil changes, mechanical, and
tires—Nygaard befriended her. And it didn’t take long for the two to see how well their strengths could work together as co-owners.
“Tami had worked here a long time and brought knowledge of the business and the books, as well as the fleet companies we deal with,” Mayberry says. “Without her, the business wouldn’t run.”
She adds, “I brought strong leadership skills from my time in the military, which help me guide staff and make decisions. We balance each other out.”
The same surrounding oil fields that provide a consistent car count for their business are also a competitor when it comes to hiring technicians with staying power for Quick Change Oil.
“We watched Frank experience terrible turnover in this town because he couldn’t compete with the wages of the local oil fields,” Mayberry notes. “But we’re going on two years with our employees, and we realize they help keep the door open and make the business run.”
The co-owners’ tactic for keeping employees engaged in the business—and instilling the same career mindset that drives them personally—involves showing them the potential that exists.
“Making them a part of this business is important to me,” says Mayberry. “I tell them I want them to franchise one of these days, and I help get them into position to own their own business.”
Nygaard adds that keeping their employees engaged requires strong communication. “Be upfront and honest with your co-workers. We tell them what’s going on, what changes we’re making, and why. They’re not in the dark about anything in this business,” she says.
The Local Angle
The co-owners also keep the business’s visibility front-and-center in the Sidney community. “We have pride in the community, and we help the community,” Nygaard notes.
Quick Change Oil sponsors kids’ sports, baseball, hockey teams, wrestling, the local library, and programs for veterans. In addition, promotional programs are important to the owners of Quick Change Oil. Each November for Veteran’s Week, for example, the business gives free oil changes.
“People in this community are great. You know them and they come regularly, and you make friends,” Mayberry says. “There’s never a day I don’t want to show up at the shop. We have some really cool vehicles around here, too.”
Nygaard adds, “The oil field guys are a different breed to work with. It’s a special dynamic.”
For both women, carrying on the legacy of the small business is paramount, even more so since a big corporation and competitor recently moved to Sidney.
“We want to keep the legacy going and not allow the big corporations to take over. So, I’m big on employees stepping into leadership roles when owners are ready to retire,” Mayberry closes.
It’s a working part of her mindset.
CPR FOR YOUR SHOP’S CUSTOMER SERVICE
Tips and strategies to make sure your patrons thrive and come back again
BY CAROL BADARACCO PADGETT
unexpectedly more pleasant.
“We have a no-hands on policy: the customer should never touch a door—their car door, the front door, or the waiting room going in or out. The door is opened for you. Customers don’t expect that, but it’s the difference between us and (other) businesses,” he notes.
No. 2 Consider how trust affects profit
WHEN A CUSTOMER DRIVES UP to your business, does their day get smoother or bumpier? Every shop owner knows what they want the answer to be. But the customer’s experience can depend on so many different factors.
Here’s a five-point customer service checklist from two quick lube owners—Shane Burton, a multi-location owner with three Jiffy Lube Twin Falls in Twin Falls, Idaho, and other locations in various states, and Damian Fox of independent Foxy Fast Lube in Willimantic, Connecticut. Their combined strategies can help ensure shops stay up to speed in the mission-critical component of exceptional customer service.
No. 1 Train by the book and the gut
Burton relies on Jiffy Lube International’s training resources, which include a computer-based module and in-person classes.
in all our locations. And while it’s similar in all geographic areas, some of the strategies are based upon the region. Idaho customers are different than Oklahoma customers.”
Burton also relies on what he learned about how to treat a customer right, long before he owned a quick lube. “For 15 years I was a high school teacher and a coach. In this business, I’m still doing a ton of that—teaching employees how to treat an 80-year-old lady versus a trucker.”
Fox tailors his customer service training to his personal experiences with how to treat people, as well.
“Even though the goal overall is to make money, the true goal is to be the one they trust—the one they want to go to,” Burton says.
When trust is earned, even though a customer might try a new shop that opens in town, they’re likely to show up at your door again. “They always come back to us because of customer service,” as Burton puts it.
For Fox, making a profit is also achieved by putting solid customer service, and the trust it engenders, first.
“I learned something from reading about customer service at the Ritz-Carlton Hotels. So, all my employees are allowed to solve a problem without coming to me or a manager—up to a certain extent, which is $100 or less,” he notes. “So, whether it’s our fault or not, our employees know they can fix the customer’s problem, no questions asked.”
In-house customer service training at his stores is location-based, Burton notes. “We have dedicated customer service representatives
“I grew up on a farm where everybody had their own businesses—my father, my grandfather. So, I learned customer service at the dinner table. At Foxy’s, we tell and show all our employees to treat every car that comes in as if it’s their own mother’s, and each customer like their grandmother or grandfather,” he says. “It’s contagious between employee to employee.”
Fox’s brand of customer service also involves attention to the little things that make someone’s day
Fox adds, “Customers will assume any problem is you, and it may not be. But it’s a small price to pay to fix it, thank the customer, and they’ll come back. They don’t want to wait; they just want the problem fixed.”
Just Like Mom’s Car
Damian Fox’s shop crew is encouraged to treat each car as if it were their own mother’s vehicle.
No. 3 Realize that certain skills aren’t trainable
Some managers a shop owner could put at the counter just aren’t cut out for it. So, finding the right person— with the right personality—is key to ensuring excellent customer service.
“Some managers are good at a lot of things but not customer service. So, for us, it’s the only thing they have to be great at,” Fox says.
For Burton, a potential new manager that possesses the innate skills of a people person will stand out from the very start. “You can tell from the
interview through the first few weeks how well they’ll do with customer service. Some can turn a wrench and are trustworthy but should not be in front of the customer.”
No. 4 Turn your senses to the physical environment
Use your eyes and your nose. Does your bathroom stink?
“When I pull into the lot, I know
the flowers have already been watered, the waiting room is vacuumed and clean, and that both the women’s and men’s bathrooms are clean,” Fox says. “My employees know what to expect because they know what my mother or grandmother would expect.”
Basic amenities in the physical environment can also make customers feel well-served.
“We have a comfortable lobby, popcorn, and a TV for people who are old-school. The elderly are not on cell phones,” Burton says.
He can even see his stores when he’s not there, thanks to the cameras installed in each.
No. 5 Social media and goodwill cultivation
Positive online reviews are
important for a quick maintenance shop’s success. And there are ways an owner can help manage what’s out on the internet.
Ninety-nine times out of 100, Fox finds that customers who leave a negative review will have approached a business before they gave that review. “So, you can fix that before it even starts,” he suggests.
Burton appreciates the power of Google reviews and of nipping bad ones in the bud. “When we greet drivers we ask for their email addresses and they’ll get a survey after service where they can hammer us or pat us on the back. If they hammer us, they’ll get a call to see how we can make it right. And it’s actually helpful, because if you handle a negative reaction the right way you can gain a customer for life.”
Both owners also say it’s important to stay connected with the local community by sponsoring events and being present.
Bottom line, make sure you connect with the people you call customers.
“I once heard a guy say that everybody walking around has a big sign on their chest that says, ‘NOTICE ME.’ It’s a big deal in customer service,” Burton says.
When asked for parting thoughts, Fox notes, “If you treat your employees well, your employees will treat your customers well.”
And Burton adds, “When it comes to customer service, we really do care. We work hard to get people to come back. And in the end, they pay our salaries.”
WHEN DISASTER BEFALLS THE QUICK LUBE
Tailored business disruption insurance coverage can keep operations from stalling
BY CAROL BADARACCO PADGETT
DAVID WILLETT IS CO-FOUNDER and chief underwriting officer for Spark Underwriters, an insurance company that specializes in protecting businesses in the auto industry.
If a storm, fire, or other occurrence damages a quick lube owner’s property, it’s the job of the Spark team to help get the location up and running again as quickly and painlessly as possible.
There’s a reason why Willett and his colleagues are especially passionate about this job: because they know it well.
“Our representatives are I-CAR trained and come from the industry. So, we could literally work in these shops,” he says.
The Backstory
In the 1990s, Willett went to work for Universal Underwriters, a company founded by Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Co., 150 years earlier. Ford started the company because he couldn’t get anybody to underwrite his business.
Willett’s role when he joined was from the actuarial side, analyzing the past losses of businesses and projecting them into the future to figure out the amount of reserves the insurer would need and what rates they should charge.
Another facet of his job was underwriting—which is the process an insurer uses to determine if they’ll insure a business or an individual and how much they’ll charge.
“I was tasked with doing a business plan in 1993 (to launch the company’s aftermarket coverage) and I’ve been insuring shops ever since,” he says.
During his time at Universal Underwriters, he honed a passion for alleviating business interruption to auto shops and quick lubes when disaster strikes physical property.
The Challenge
In the quick lube industry, every owner knows it is paramount to keep a steady flow of business through a reliable and sustainable car count. And while a repair shop might be able to move to another location and keep doing business in the event of a disastrous interruption, if a quick lube building is damaged or destroyed it’s highly unlikely that another building could accommodate its specialized design requirements.
“As a result, in quick service you need to be back working as fast as possible, with full utilities. And (in the process there will likely) be expenses for purchasing a genera-
tor for electric and internet after a storm or fire loss,” explains Willett. When a disaster strikes, quick lubes do sometimes have an advantage working in their favor, however.
As Willett notes, “Many people who own quick lubes own multiple ones.” And this fact lessens the opportunity for a total business shutdown, because the odds are slim that all the locations would be hit by a business-interrupting event of some kind.
The Takeaway
Accidents happen. Ironically, they sometimes happen to the very businesses designed to help keep motorists’ vehicles performing safely and at top efficiency. So, business interruption insurance can be a quick lube owner’s savior if a disaster—either natural or manmade—befalls their building or geographic location.
“Even a day can mean a lot,” Willett says of a quick lube’s business interruption. “How quickly can you identify what’s going on and get it fixed?”
The scenarios causing a business interruption can be so varied. “If it happened on the roof, you can have that worked on and it wouldn’t have to preclude you from getting business to go on as much as possible,” Willett realizes. “We understand this by being trained ourselves.”
From this auto-business-trained perspective, Willett also suggests that company owners consider their coverage from many different angles.
“Pay attention to your waiting period (the amount of time the insured must wait before some of all of their coverage begins). Is it 72 hours? And is there a limitation on ordinary payroll?”
He continues, “Are there limits on the policy?” For example, in weather-prone storm areas of the country there are oftentimes limits on that type of coverage.
Claim expertise is another factor owners should consider when choosing an insurer and a policy. An owner is likely to want people familiar with their industry who understand what they truly need.
Another consideration: Who will the insurer send out to identify what’s going on with a quick lube that’s experiencing a business disruption? Or as Willett articulates it, “Do they have someone in-house to send to you who knows your industry?”
And still another thing to consider is the owner’s own time and how much it will be disrupted when some type of damage happens to their business. Beyond the original loss you’re concerned with, is the rest of the loss going to be a distraction too?
As Willett finds, “You can’t spend all your time filing an insurance claim and then still run your business. Your building must be written properly, as well as all the contents inside of it. If you have adequate coverage for all the lift bays and equipment, for instance, it’s easier to get through the claims process.”
The benefits of having a properly written policy from the get-go, insured to value, are priceless.
“That way you don’t have to figure it all up (if your business is damaged and your work disrupted) and fight for what you need in terms of coverage,” Willett explains.
The Aftermath
The quick lube industry is a tighter-knit group than most in the
automotive industry, in that owners largely have consistency in the design and function of their buildings. That said, the usual variables of quick lubes can make a big difference in their insurance needs.
“If you have four bays versus two bays, then you have much more exposure to business income loss. Payroll is probably higher, you have more equipment, a greater volume of business, and so exposures vary for each store based on these things,” Willett notes.
Due to the foresight of Henry Ford, perhaps, quick lube owners have many business insurance options today. And when well-written according to each business’s distinct needs, these programs can help jump-start and even save a business hit with an unexpected disruption.
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Unlock the Benefits of DuraMAX
High-quality, affordable vehicle maintenance products for installers
DuraMAX is a line of vehicle maintenance products—including motor oils, antifreeze, filters, wiper blades, and more—that was designed by RelaDyne with the installer in mind.
DuraMAX’s list of product offerings and benefits ensures that installers can offer their customers high-quality products at affordable prices. It’s no wonder it has been rated a best-selling oil brand in NOLN’s Fast Luber Operator Survey since 2018.
Nationwide Support
One of the top ways DuraMAX has ensured success for its installers is by designing a price structure that allows it to offer high-value products at a lower price than other major legacy brands.
“We focus the Duramax brand only on the installer segment,” Bob Johnson, director of automotive business development at RelaDyne said. “We don’t go after the retail business like the majors do. The majors are selling in retail and big box stores, as a result, a lot of their costs are associated with advertising to the retailer. We focus on driving customer retention and value at the installer level.”
In addition to its unique price structure, DuraMAX can be distributed to installers anywhere in the United States. Over the last 10 years, RelaDyne has acquired multiple distribution centers making it the largest distributor nationwide.
“We have distribution centers (DCS) in 38 states, and where we don’t have a DC we use a distributor to handle it for us,” Johnson said. “We are not only by far the largest lubricant distributor in terms of number of locations but also in terms of the lubricant volume that we sell.”
Installer-Focused Programs
DuraMAX’s growth and value are a direct result of the vested interest it has in its installer’s success. The DOLLAR$ program — DuraMAX’s loyalty program — is a great example of this.
The DuraMAX DOLLAR$ program is completely funded by DuraMAX and helps to build loyalty between the installer and their customers.
“What happens is the customer visits the installer for an oil change,
and then he submits to receive the reward, we send him the reward — but he must use the reward for a future service,” Johnson said. “This system drives customers back to the installer, so there’s a lot of value created with it, and it’s an evergreen program. It doesn’t run for 60 days at a time. It runs all year round. We’ve been running it that way for 10 years. It builds a lot of repeat business for the installer.”
To further assist installers in driving return rates and instill their confidence in its products’ value DuraMAX offers their Liquid Armor Engine Protection Warranty.
“The DuraMAX Engine Warranty provides protection up to 500,000 miles,” Johnson said. “There are terms and conditions that have to be met, but as long as the consumer uses DuraMAX and continues to use DuraMAX, we cover all oil related engine parts.This warranty also builds in customer retention because they must keep getting DuraMAX oil changes to keep that warranty in place.”
DuraMAX Delivers
Another perk of using DuraMAX products is the DuraMAX Direct ship filter program and the associated DuraMAX filter and Wiper app available in both the Apple and Google store.
“The app is very helpful and a great resource. It’s got all the applications in there,” Johnson said. “Everyone’s got their phone so you just plug in the vehicle information, and the app will then provide all the filters and wiper blades that the vehicle requires. It’s also got a cool function, where you can use the camera and hold it up to the VIN, and you don’t have to do anything other than hold the camera to the bed and that will automatically populate all the data.”
This app is just another way that DuraMAX has helped assure success for its installers and their customers.
When installers buy DuraMAX products they are not only getting unparalleled protection and performance, but they are also getting a quality support program. To find out more about DuraMAX products visit
https://duramax.com
Are You Winter Ready?
Things that you can do now to prepare for the cold
Adam Tatum is director of operations for the Virginia Group, a Jiffy Lube franchisee with 11 locations.
He has over a decade of experience in the industry with a proven track record of building customer counts and sales, as well as using innovative ways to bring a new look to the automotive field for both the customer and the employee. Performance comes from growing your business through people.
AS WE TRANSITION FROM THE BUSY AND warm summer months to the slower and cooler fall, it is a suitable time to prepare your locations and your teams for the colder months of the year. There are a number of things that you can do now so you are set up for a successful down period. Let’s go over a few of the things that you can do, starting with your sales training.
Wait—sales training can benefit just a particular seasonal period? Well, of course! Do we not jump on the hype train of A/C recharging every time the temperature outside rises above 70 degrees? So, for the winter months, it is a good idea to start in the fall with radiator antifreeze exchanges. It is a service that many people neglect based on mileage. It’s not top-ofmind, but changing this out in timely intervals will protect the engine from freeze-ups and cold starts.
Another product that not all of you carry (but can get to) is a battery service. Are you checking the batteries when you come in? If not, get started. With colder weather, a low-charge battery can leave a customer stranded or unable to start up properly. These may not be the best cost of goods items, but they can put some dollars on your sales total.
Start working on your presentation and testing of these services now to be ready to go. Remember that there are always tools to assist in this such as testers and coolant strips, so there are many ways that you can go about pushing these when they are much needed.
What about your stores? One of the biggest things that people neglect in our stores is proper preparation. When it gets icy or snowy in your area, is this when you start looking for de-icer and shovels? Proper planning prevents poor performance. De-icer is a good one to get now as it is cheap and readily available. So, go ahead and get two or three bags for each of your locations. When the weather turns and you have nasty stuff in the forecast, spread out the product in your walkways and bay areas outside. When your competition is scrambling
to find this product, you are servicing their customers.
Another tip is to watch your machinery. I guarantee that most of you have these things stored in bay areas. That is a great spot for daily use. However, when the temperature drops, you need to protect this equipment from the elements. Move these machines into nightly storage in your lobbies. I know most of you will keep these at 65 degrees to 75 degrees in the winter, so these areas are good for a very costly machine failure.
Finally, let’s talk about the one thing no one wants to talk about: people. In that, I mean staffing. It’s not a fun thing to discuss in the winter, but it is the time when most of our industry falls back. It happens in the dealers, Multicare shops, and quick lubes as we staff up for the busier months from late spring to early fall, but in the winter it’s overstaffed.
Now, most of us are not talking about massive cuts, but one less person on your roster for the slower months is usually needed to make sure that you are keeping the labor variable in check. In my case, we try to find younger employees to fill that “extra man” role. They are sometimes high school seniors or college kids working 40 hours a week, but when school starts, they can fall back to a weekend spot or just fall off the roster.
If you do not have this option, gauge who your key personnel are and make a tough decision to either cut back hours on a few or just condense the crew. We discussed sales, safety, and operations this month. Obviously, you do not have to do any of these things (for example: Florida or Texas) but use them as conversation starters.The one thing that you cannot do when the temperature drops is nothing. You will soon find yourself in more trouble than good. So, like they said on a certain show, winter is coming. Will you be ready?
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