NOLN - February 2023

GAME CHANGER

“Excellence

•Cleans oily deposits & particulates from the PCV system

•Helps clean intake valve deposits

•Dissolves crankcase varnish, sludge, and carbon deposits

•Helps improve oil drain

•Recommended as EVERY OIL CHANGE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

QUICK HITS

Rising to the Occasion

A Different Quick Maintenance Model

BROWN

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JOANNA JOHNSON ON THE HYUNDAI KIA OIL DRAIN PAN INVESTIGATION

In October 2022, it was announced that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation into Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motor Company for oil drain pan assemblies. This NHTSA investigation was spurred by a petition that was put together by the Automotive Oil Change Association in July 2022.

Joanna Johnson is a policy advisor for the AOCA. She joined The NOLN Podcast to talk about the importance of the petition as well as the research that was put into it. Additionally, she discussed what exactly this NHTSA investigation is and why service providers and their customers should pay attention to it.

HIRING STRATEGIES FOR 2023 WITH CLAUDIA ST. JOHN

While it may be too soon to determine exactly what 2023 will bring, it isn’t too early to start tackling your to-do list. If you are looking to bring some fresh talent onto your team this year, then you’re not alone. New employees are on the mind of many shop owners, but the hiring process can be difficult to navigate without the right procedures in place.

Claudia St. John is the president of HR Affinity Group. She has provided key insight for multiple stories in NOLN about hiring, interviewing, human resources and more. She visited The NOLN Podcast to discuss the hiring outlook for 2023, and how shop owners can best equip themselves for success as employers.

Check out NOLN’s podcasts at noln.net/podcasts

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.

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EDITORIAL

CONTENT DIRECTOR

Matt Hudson

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Hanna Bubser

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Lenny Saucier, Adam Tatum, Emily Kline, Noah Brown

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

VP AND PUBLISHER

Chris Messer, cmesser@endeavorb2b.com

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Andrew Johnson, ajohnson@endeavorb2b.com

MARKETING STRATEGISTS

Marianne Dyal, mdyal@endeavorb2b.com

Chad Hjellming, chjellming@endeavorb2b.com

Bob Marinez, bmarinez@endeavorb2b.com

Martha Severson, mseverson@endeavorb2b.com

Kyle Shaw, kshaw@endeavorb2b.com

Dan Thornton, dthornton@endeavorb2b.com

Sean Thornton, sthornton@endeavorb2b.com

ASSOCIATE MARKETING STRATEGIST

Kenzie Verschoor, kverschoor@endeavorb2b.com

CLIENT SERVICE SPECIALIST

Jen George, jgeorge@endeavorb2b.com

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SENIOR ART DIRECTOR

Jonathan Ricketts

ART DIRECTOR Emme Osmonson

NOLN

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ANOTHER SHADE OF SERVICE

This month, go inside a quick maintenance operation slightly different from yours

WHAT’S THE WEIRDEST VEHICLE that has pulled up to your shop? Maybe it was some exotic car that required a quick oil order from the local distributor and a sneaky peek at a YouTube tutorial. Those kinds of service visits, and your teams’ reactions to them, are what separate the pros from the not-so-much.

While we at NOLN are dedicated to helping you run the most streamlined quick maintenance facility under normal circumstances, it can also be beneficial to look closely at a different version of the quick maintenance shop. In this issue, you’ll read about just that as the profile (page 24) takes a look at Mark Clark and his heavy duty service operation, Epika Fleet Services.

I found it fascinating to get an inside view of a specialized segment of the quick maintenance industry. Heavy duty vehicles like semi trucks take no small effort to change the oil, and like the truck, all of the measurements are

supersized. I learned this during a visit to a Shell Rotella SuperRigs event in southern Minnesota some years back. These trucks can clock 100,000 miles annually, and the amount of oil on board can be upwards of 12 gallons.

Imagine turning that customer base into a quick maintenance operation. Referring back to our profile story, Mr. Clark set out to do just that and now has a robust national network of shops. I hope you’ll also enjoy reading the insights into customer service, shop network growth, and how to efficiently service these vehicles.

This month’s issue also takes a look at the changing relationships between shop owners, managers, and rank-andfile employees (page 37). In addition, another story goes step by step through the process of reputation repair after you’ve made a mistake and are hearing about it online (page 38).

I know operators should be able to draw some handy tips and strategies from this February issue while you’re making big plans for growing your business in the new year.

MATT HUDSON CONTENT DIRECTOR, NOLN

COUPONS FOR CUSTOMERS

Developing a loyal customer base sounds like a tall order, but it can start small. Whether your shop is new to the neighborhood, or you are just looking to bring in more customers, one strategy to try could be to offer coupons.

Data from the 2022 NOLN Operator Survey shows widespread implementation of coupons at shops. Seventy nine percent of respondents said they offer coupons, and the average coupon discount came out to $7. Coupons can help incentivize customers to visit your shop and give you the opportunity to make sure they come back in the future.

79% OFFER COUPONS

74% OFFER PHYSICAL COUPONS

74% OFFER DIGITAL COUPONS

$7.00 AVERAGE COUPON DISCOUNT

FIND OUT MORE

When it comes to marketing and advertising your shop, there are plenty of avenues to explore. Interested in gaining some insight into reaching more customers? Search “Outreach Strategies to Outperform” on noln.net

STRATEGIZING FRANCHISE OPERATIONS

Carmen Strickland sees avenues of opportunity for Mighty Auto Parts franchisees.

BY HANNA BUBSER

THERE IS A LOT TO BE SAID FOR A commitment to a company that has lasted for three decades. Over those years, navigating inevitable change becomes a necessity and thinking strategically about what comes next becomes second nature.

Carmen Strickland has worked for Mighty Distributing System for 30 years. She joined in 1993, and throughout her journey she has seen firsthand many aspects of the company. Ultimately, all of her experience led her to the franchise operations department that she finds herself in today.

“I started off as a programmer for Mighty and grew within the IT department for about 15 years,” Strickland says. “Then I went into the production information department, which is our catalog and buying guide … all our data that is housed for the franchisees, for about 10 years. Then [I] started in the franchise operations department about five years ago.”

In 2018, she became Mighty’s director of franchise operations, and in November 2022 she was promoted to vice president of franchise operations. This new role allows Strickland to continue with her dedication to the Mighty franchise model, which as she explains, is distinctive within the industry.

“Our model is a stocking business, so our franchisees go out to their customers and stock their shelves,” Strickland says. “So they end up stocking their shelves rather than doing a quick delivery or the guy driving up and delivering the part.”

Mighty Distributing System is a Georgia-based franchisor. It has a franchise distributor and company operations network that spans across 44 states as well as five international markets, according to the Mighty franchise website. Mighty Auto Parts franchisees offer preventive maintenance products as well as services

that include inventory management, training and more.

Setting Goals

Strickland’s work as the director of franchise operations involved working with the processes used to onboard franchisees and ensuring standardization across practices. As vice president of franchise operations, she will continue to do some of this same work while also bringing on more franchise consultants.

“My work is very direct, especially for a brand-new franchise,” Strickland says. “I become their main contact on the process of onboarding them, setting them up with inventory, warehouse, shelving [and] every aspect of an operation side of the warehouse.”

As she settles into this new role and into the new year, Strickland has longterm goals on her mind. She wants to ensure that franchisees are supported and set up for success.

“My goal for this department is to set some standards and procedures for onboarding our new franchisees, for audits of our existing franchisees, support from an accounting or operations standpoint for our franchisees and just be more proactive on helping them from a support aspect and helping them grow their business,” Strickland says.

This strategy for success and consistency is especially important because, as Strickland points out, Mighty franchisees come from many different areas within the industry.

“We have franchisees that own Jiffy Lubes, that own tire distributors, that own other quick lubes [and] that own dealerships,” Strickland says.

The Aftermarket Impact

According to Strickland, dealerships are an interesting avenue for Mighty because working with them provides an opportunity to set up an innovative

approach to the franchise model.

“Dealerships have become more of our focus for strategic franchises,” Strickland says. “So, we’re trying to set up processes and procedures to help onboard them … teaching them from an aftermarket standpoint because they’re so used to the OE.”

Strickland says the intention behind developing these dealership relationships harkens back to the dealership experience during the 2008 recession. People weren’t interested in buying new cars, which put dealerships in a tricky position. Strickland says the aftermarket model could be a beneficial implementation for these dealerships to avoid another 2008-esque situation in in the future.

“We went into a depression, and nobody bought new cars, so dealerships had to find new ways of going about that,” Strickland says. “One way is working on all makes and models, so right now our goals for the future with

the dealerships that we’re bringing on would be to help into the aftermarket because that is an area they’ve never ventured into before.”

Dealerships are not the only category that can benefit from Mighty franchising. Quick lube service providers, tire dealers and entrepreneurs alike can participate within this system as well.

Strickland says individuals interested in learning more about franchising can visit the Mighty Auto Parts website and click on “Own a Franchise.” From there, Mighty can help determine the best strategy and approach, which is something that Strickland looks forward to seeing the impact of within her role.

“We do margin analysis, comparisons of what you’re currently buying, and your cost and we will then cross over the parts and do the cost,” Strickland says. “It’s a great way to look at, ‘Does it make sense?’ and more and more it does, lately.”

MIDAS BLOOD DRIVE OFFERS FREE OIL CHANGES

A Midas location in South Carolina recently held a blood drive with the Red Cross, according to ABC 25 Columbia.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held in December at the Midas location in Columbia to celebrate the one-year anniversary of its opening. Mayor Daniel Rickenmann and Gus Herlong, a representative with Midas and President of Palmetto Garage Works, were some of the officials in attendance.

The Red Cross was at the ceremony to take blood donations. In exchange, people who donated had the opportunity to receive a voucher for a free oil change. Herlong told ABC 25 Columbia over 20 people chose to donate blood. “Our platform is to give back to the community. We’re going to market that way. We’re going to continue donating and giving back in cities in which we do business. Cars don’t fix themselves and neither do communities. And the only way we change that is we give back,” Herlong said.

TECHNICIANS SAVE BUNNY DURING OIL CHANGE

Car dealership technicians at Germain BMW of Naples in Florida found something surprising during a recent oil change: a rabbit.

According to UPI, Kyle Fridh and Noah Caprisien heard a scratching noise during a routine oil change on a car. After some investigating, they found a bunny trapped in the car’s motor mount area.

They freed the animal and proceeded to chase it around the garage until they were able to safely release it back outside. The dealership posted a video captured by Caprisien of the event on its Instagram page.

announced an expansion to its product portfolio to now include the XLR8 branded line, according to a press release.

The XLR8 branded line is a suite of automotive products developed for the quick lube industry. Some of these products include: fuel treatments, oil system cleaners and treatments, washer fluid concentrate, brake cleaners and stop squeak, transmission and cooling system cleaners, sealants and treatments and more.

“The addition of XLR8 products to our portfolio is significant. The products in the XLR8 line address the unique needs and related services that are critical to a successful quick lube business. The XLR8 line leans into our extensive experience in the automotive installed space and give us an industry-leading solution to help us meet the extremely diverse needs of the quick lube segment,” said Arnold Gacita, Petra Automotive Products, Inc. founder and owner.

Petra was founded in 2010. According to the press release, Petra manufactures and distributes more than 325 products to 40 countries.

PETRA DEVELOPS PRODUCT LINE FOR QUICK LUBE INDUSTRY

Automotive aftermarket firm Petra Automotive Products has

AFTER ACQUISITION, KEVIN DAVIS TO JOIN OIL CHANGERS

Oil Changers announced that Kevin Davis will join the company as director of leadership and training.

Davis sold his network of 19 Fast Change Lube & Oil locations to Oil Changers in late 2022. Davis also operates Quick Lube Expert, a network for quick maintenance professionals.

“If you know Kevin, you know there is no one better for this role than him,” Oil Changers President Eric Frankenberger said in a press release. “The way Kevin can captivate a crowd and motivate for change will be largely beneficial to our workforce and we look forward to seeing what he can do in this new role.”

The release said that Davis will work to improve employee productivity and develop training solutions.

COLD SPELL MEANS MORE AAA BATTERY INSTALLS

The winter arctic temperatures that have affected much of the U.S. has AAA technicians installing more batteries for motorists.

“The cold can get into the batteries, that’s really low on cell capacity; it will affect that battery,” said Evron Brown with AAA. “We’ve been hammered. We’ve been hammered. That’s all it’s been mostly, was batteries.”

Brown told NSB-TV 2 Atlanta that frigid temperatures can hurt vehicles that are not used to brutally cold temperatures. His customers recently learned this the hard way.

“The cold weather gets in and hurts the cells inside the battery. So when the battery is not being recharged enough, the cells inside with the cold weather, they won’t reactivate,” Brown said.

He added that battery change requests have been especially high since the pandemic.

VALVOLINE SEEKS APPROVAL FOR NEW VIOC IN MINN.

A new Valvoline Instant Oil Change location is in the works in St. Cloud, Minn.

According to WJON, it is expected that a request for approval will be asked of the St. Cloud City Council during an upcoming meeting for the “final plat for a new building.” The proposal aims to establish a 0.4-acre parcel for a commercial building in the parking lot of a St. Cloud shopping center.

The plan is to construct a new Valvoline Instant Oil Change location. St. Cloud has one other VIOC in the city.

CAR CRASHES INTO TAKE 5 OIL CHANGE

A car crashed into a Take 5 Oil Change building in January, according to WKRG News 5.

The store is located in Mobile, Ala.

FORMER BRIDGESTONE EXEC WANTS TO ‘RETHINK’ SHOP EXPERIENCE WITH NEW VENTURE

The Oklahoman has a feature story about Ned Aguilar, a former Hibdon Tire and Bridgestone executive who is launching a new vehicle maintenance operation in Oklahoma City.

In the article, Aguilar says that his business, FastLap, is a “new type of customer-centric model Aguilar hopes will transform the industry.” He hopes to gain efficiencies from streamlined services and digital strategies and simplify the consumer process, the article says.

The company website says the shop offers fluid services, electrical, diagnostic, brake repair, and alignments, among other services. With the help of investors, Aguilar hopes to build out a network of 10 locations in the OKC area, according to The Oklahoman.

on Airport Boulevard. WKRG was on the scene after the crash, and their team reported that no damage was immediately seen to the building itself. The crash occurred on Jan. 8.

The car was towed away and no injuries were reported. Mobile Fire Rescue, EMS and Mobile Police all responded to the incident.

LUCAS OIL GIVES FREE CAR WASHES TO LAW ENFORCEMENT

Lucas Oil Center recognized Law Enforcement Appreciation Day at the Nitro Car Wash in Evansville, Ill.

According to the press release, Lucas Oil Center hosted an event that included, Lucas Oil Center is hosting an event that includes free car washes for law enforcement

officers. Officers must arrive in a marked vehicle or show their official badge if they are in a personal or unmarked vehicle. There will also be free donuts available from Donut Bank and free coffee from Brickyard at the eastside Lucas Oil Center location.

“At Lucas Oil Center, we believe in the important work that law enforcement does to keep our communities safe,” said Bill Floyd, owner of Lucas Oil Center via the press release. “That’s why we are proud to give back to the men and women who serve and protect us every day. Supporting law enforcement is not just about thanking them for their service, but about investing in the safety and well‐being of our neighborhoods. We are honored to be able to do our part in supporting these brave individuals.”

The event ran on Monday, January 9.

AUTOMAKERS SAY SALES FELL 8% LAST YEAR

Vehicle sales dropped 8% from 2021 due to supply chain issues, according to AP News.

“Automakers reported Wednesday that they sold 13.9 million cars, trucks, SUVs and vans last year as the parts shortage limited factory output amid high demand for new vehicles,” According to AP News. “It was the lowest sales number since 2011 when

the economy was recovering from the Great Recession.”

Overall, 2022 saw the lowest level of vehicle sales in over a decade. It is predicted by analysts that auto sales will increase by about 1 million to reach 14.8 million in 2023 if demand stays strong.

Chip production has shown improvement for the auto industry, but AP News reports that it hasn’t quite returned to the levels that were seen prior to the pandemic. This means that auto production is not back to full output yet. Something of note is that electric vehicle sales were at over 807,000 in 2022, which is an increase of nearly 65% from 2021.

JIMMY’S EXPRESS CAR WASH & QUICK LUBE OF RENO, NEVADA

OPERATOR:

JIMMY SCHULTZ

LOCATION: RENO, NEVADA

STAFF SIZE: 7 FULL TIME; 2 PART TIME

AVERAGE TICKET: $76

BY MATT HUDSON PHOTOS BY SHANE TROTTER

STARTING A BRAND

Even in a busy Reno commercial area, Jimmy’s Express Car Wash and Quick Lube stands out. The building is simple, modern, and functional, with big and bold signage and plenty of drive-up space.

The operation includes a three-bay quick lube and a 100-foot car wash. Owner Jimmy Schultz has been in the car care business since 1985. He acquired this business in 2007, first only operating the car wash side.

A couple years later, he rebranded and opened the quick lube.

“This place was built in 1998, and we ended up getting it in 2007,” Schultz says. “The building was in good shape, but for the interior we had to rebuild, run new hoses, supply lines, and stuff like that. New guns for the consoles.”

CROWDED LOT

Jimmy’s has a dedicated customer base, which is great with other

facilities close by. A tire shop sits in the same commercial area.

Despite the competition, Schultz says he loves the position of his shop. Customers might come straight to Jimmy’s, but they might also be in the area to do some shopping or grab a bite to eat. All of that brings traffic by his shop.

“What I like about the building is the way it’s positioned on the property,” he says. “There’s a lot of stuff going on that property.”

ROOM TO ROAM

Part of the efficient, clean look of the shop bays is due to plenty of space below ground.

The quick lube features a 1,600-square-foot basement, which includes a break room and employee bathroom. That allows for inventory to be stored below so techs can work comfortably with customers above.

“And then we have a nice little lobby,” Schultz says. “We believe, after going through every lube shop on the West Coast, that we have the cleanest lobby. It’s small, but we keep it clean and pretty simple.”

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.

ATATUM

@VALUBE.COM

Challenge Your Teams Getting results with out-of-the-box

thinking

IN THIS MAGAZINE, YOU’VE READ ABOUT TEAMS THAT have taken aim at challenges and had success. There are still a ton of us out here who have done the same. Many of you weathered a pandemic and managed to keep your doors open. Some of you have seen unprecedented price increases in core industry items and adjusted to stay profitable. There are even some new owners that have given their teams a vision and have started to see them following their core values. Today, I will give you some challenges that you can use at a store level to have your teams compete among themselves—all while se ing you up for success and breaking new barriers in 2023.

We all know that the lifeblood of our business is customers. We need them to come in, have a good experience, add a few extras to their bill and leave with a smile on their face. This short meeting of your team with them can do wonders with a good service, as they will tell someone else about you and potentially gain another new customer out of it. So, many of us probably utilize a version of a customer service survey system and gain scores from these to gain insight into how we are doing with our service in the center.

Set the Score

One way that you can get customer buy-in to get the highest scores possible is to set up a top score game. Reward a number of teams each month or quarter for achieving a level of customer service scoring that you have chosen as the mark. Those who hit it, maybe their team gets a cookout at the store or a store bonus. What does this small amount get you? Word of mouth advertising and returning customers for the next service cycle. Challenge your teams to excel in customer service and watch your car counts rise.

A second opportunity for store level teams is generating sales. Now this does not necessarily mean just the highest amount of money in the bank. It is actually easier to set incremental goals or games to hit in order to achieve long term success. I tend to hold two to three big contests a year involving my additives.

It is based on the percentage of cars, so that even a small store has an opportunity to win. The winners get prizes like jackets, dinner and movie packages, and more. The real reason that I do this so many times a year is to build repetition. If you are asking over and over again for a period of time, it becomes a habit to ask. Which, by the way, is the key to sales. Now you don’t have to do additives. You can set up a sales contest for anything that you need to work on. How this will benefit you is by having your teams learn that valuable lesson in asking. This will lead to higher sales and higher KPIs, which ultimately lead to more bo om-line profit.

Thinking Long Term

We have discussed customer service and sales. So, what remains is a way to challenge your teams on how to grow their customer counts for the long term. How is your fleet business? I bet you all wish it was be er no ma er how many you have. Fleets have higher volumes of vehicles to bring to you and generally they allow you to do more services to them to maintain the fleet. A great way to incentivize your teams to look for these businesses is to set up a sign-up program.

Have your teams submit fleets that they contact. Once the fleet signs up and then completes the first service, give the employee a $25 bonus. This can be easy to do, as there are so many work vehicles on the road with their business plastered on a vehicle wrap. This is the perfect way for you to grow this part of the business without you having to use your limited time to source them out yourself.

In conclusion, we have discussed ways that you can think out of the box to reward your employees. In turn, you gain customer service skills, sales and car count. Isn’t that what we are all looking for anyway?

Take one of these, or all, this year and see how your 2023 can be the year of the challenge breakers and watch your business move to another level. If you have any ideas to share with us on what you do to get employees motivated, feel free to reach out and let me know!

Adam Tatum is director of operations for the Virginia Group, a Jiff y Lube franchisee with 11 locations.

TO THE RISE CHALLENGE

CHALLENGE

SETTING GOALS TO IMPROVE YOUR SHOP

By Emily Kline

Photos By Brianna Collett & Lavender Harvest Photography

Whether you want to increase customer care in your shop, maximize shop efficiency, or improve your tech skills, setting a goal is a common way to achieve your dreams. Everyone can set goals for themselves but what many people struggle with is meeting them. It is a common misnomer in our society that if one does not meet their goal then they have not achieved success. This is not true. Even if the goal that one has set

out for themselves has not been met, the discipline and lessons that are learned along the way are what truly enhances performance.

As the new year starts many people seek to better themselves, but many don’t know where to start. To help others with the goal process, two successful shop owners in the industry share their experience with goal setting and the lessons they learned along the way.

two Havoline xpress lube Locations in Alabama

his first xpress lube store in Herstal,

as good of a product as [they] possibly could,” Berry says.

Berry quickly realized that everything was already running smoothly, and so he decided to focus on a more specific goal: to increase the car count by 10 per day within five years. As he sought to meet his new goal, Berry discovered important objectives he wanted to prioritize within the shop.

“We found that we wanted goals that would help... put us into a better financial position and we wanted to make sure that we could provide the best workplace that we could for [our employees] as well,” he says.

upholding the values that mattered: a positive workplace. By 2021, the shop met their goal, and Berry was named NOLN Operator of the year.

Even after beating his 10-car goal, Berry still feels that his initial goal of increasing shop efficiency has not been met.

“It's a goal that in my opinion, you never fully reach,” Berry says. “Because every single day my motto was, we want to be better today than we were yesterday. And better tomorrow than we were today.”

Although he doesn’t feel like they will ever meet his first goal. He does

feel that always striving to be better has led to a positive improvement in the workplace.

“What you do in the workplace becomes contagious...you have people buying into [it] and next thing you know, they're starting to be that way in their personal life,” says Berry.

Berry now defines his success not by whether he has met a goal but rather by whether the goal has improved him as a person.

“I define success as being the best person that you can possibly be to your coworkers, to you, and to your family,” Berry says.

Small Town, Big Service Jason Berry, the 2021 NOLN Operator of the Year, takes customer service seriously in his small market.

Melissa Vail, owner of VP Racing Fast Lube in Jonesboro, Louisiana

Vail’s goal looked a little different than Berry’s. In order to be successful after her and her husband acquired the VP Racing Fast Lube shop in Jonesboro. Vail set the goal to learn as much as she could about the automotive industry as quickly as she could.

“I didn't know anything about the automotive industry at the beginning, or how to build a company, “I had to ask the question, Is this possible? Can I do this?” Vail says.

At first Vail felt intimidated by the goal that she had set for herself.

“I struggled with how to reset, how to manage employees,” Vail says. “It was just a lot of you know, a lot of stuff for somebody that didn't know nothing about nothing.”

Having no idea how to meet her goal she decided the best thing to do was to jump right in. Her employees were all very happy to help her learn. Any questions that she had as she was learning; they were willing to answer.

“You just had to ask, you know, ask questions. You know, don't be afraid to ask,” Vail says.

As she went about learning about her auto-shop she found small issues in the computer

system that were restricting the shop from being as efficient as it could be.

“I had to tweak it how [I wanted] it to be and make it more user friendly. And by [changing] the system, [I could] jump on there every day and be happier,” she says. “You know, being around it all day, you say things like, oh, I wonder if I could tweak this, and I wonder if I could tweak that in that.”

By setting a goal for herself and going into it headfirst she was able to become slightly knowledgeable about the automotive industry in

a short amount of time. Not only that, but Vail was able to find where her shop lacked in efficiency because she was going through the experience herself. Even though Vail has not met her goal because she is still learning new things every day, she is very happy with what the goal setting process taught her.

“It was tough at first, but I can honestly say that I enjoy it and I like it,” Vail says. “It's nothing that I thought that I would ever be doing but I enjoy it. You know I enjoy it and it's still a learning process”.

TAKEAWAYS

Both Berry and Vail found that there was no specific step-by-step plan for achieving goals as big as theirs. They met their goals by jumping straight into them.

“The not knowing anything stuck with me better,” Vail says.

By going in without any prior plans or knowledge Vail was able

to immerse herself fully in the process and learn where the holes in the shop lay through her own experience, rather than through word of mouth. Berry knew that he wanted to increase the efficiency of his shop but had no clue how to go about it. Instead of hesitating or laying out a plan, he jumped in immediately. In the end, his hasty

actions were what helped him find out what the shop specifically needed in order to improve, as well as, where his own priorities lay.

Berry and Vail are still continuously working on the original goals they set for themselves, but they have learned it’s not about meeting the goal, but the process that occurs along the way.

In the Right Hands

Melissa Vail made it her job to learn every part of her shop operation, helping to establish long-term success.

How

Mark Clark brought quick lube to the semi-truck scene

Revolutionary

By

Noah Brown

Photos By Danielle Sheilds & Courtesy of Epika Fleet Services, Inc.

FOR AS UBIQUITOUS AS FAST OIL CHANGES ARE THESE DAYS,

quick lube services were almost unheard of in the trucking industry 30 years ago.

Even as trucking tra c more than doubled from 281.6 billion ton-miles in 1960 to 651 billion in 1980 according to data from the Federal Highway Administration, infrastructure to support and maintain the trucks carrying those loads was lagging. Truckers would o en have to wait hours or days at a time for oil changes, keeping them o the roads and costing them both precious time and money.

Enter Mark Clark, founder of Speedco Truck Lube. Clark started Speedco in 1991 with a simple yet revolutionary idea: Bring the speed and convenience of quick lube services to heavy-duty vehicles.

“We were the first ones in the country to do that on a mass scale,” Clark says. “We pre y much changed an entire industry.”

Over nearly 25 years at the helm of Speedco before selling to Bridgestone in the mid 2010s, Clark built Speedco to 51 locations across 26 states. Though those stores would start to offer a large array of services, Clark made sure Speedco was known for its quick and reliable service as well as its impeccable treatment of its customers.

Now at the helm of Epika Fleet Services, which was founded back in 2017 and now has 42 service locations and around 550 employees, Clark is continuing to break new ground in the heavy-duty maintenance industry while still providing high-quality care and service for his clients.

CUSTOMER IS KING

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.”

'JIFFY LUBE ON STEROIDS'

As Clark began to pioneer quick lube in the heavy-duty sector back in the early ‘90s, he made sure his crews stayed focused on a simple objective.

“We advertised oil changes in 30 minutes,” Clark says. “Our facilities were built for speed. Customers started coming to us for the speed so they could get back on the road.”

Though the concept of an oil change is the same across both light- and

heavy-duty maintenance facilities is essentially the same, the process of getting the oil changed on a semi is a little more cumbersome.

Most semi-trucks take around 11 gallons of oil, and other fluids and services are proportionally larger than those required by passenger vehicles.

“Everything is just on a much larger scale,” Clark says. “We were a Jiffy Lube on steroids.”

A large factor in what allowed Clark and his crews unprecedentedly fast service were the facilities themselves. Each Speedco location had three bays with full pits on each. Each bay was staffed by a lower tech, upper tech and crew chief.

Once the teams got a 30-minute oil change down and could get it done in closer to 20 minutes, Clark’s shops began adding services. Now, at LubeZone locations, Clark’s teams are able to provide oil changes, fluid checks, greasing, federal and state inspections, alignment, air condition services and others within a 30- to 40-minute window.

Clark says that expansion of services comes from the desire to help give his customers the best experience possible, and his 20-plus years of experience with Speedco has helped pave the way for that expansion at Epika.

With knowledge of building design optimal locations, as well as a willingness to help from other people throughout the industry, Clark was able to kickstart Epika--and LubeZone specifically –and quickly build up its reputation, which is critical in the heavy-duty maintenance community.

Since truck drivers are generally much more knowledgeable about their vehicles than the average light-duty quick lube customer, they tend to have preferred brands and products, and they are more keenly aware about what is being done to their vehicles

“Word of mouth in the truck driver community, especially with social media, (is powerful),” Clark says. “Word gets out quickly if you had good or bad service.”

SETTING THE GOLD STANDARD

Despite some key differences, like size, Clark says the most important aspect of light- and heavy-duty maintenance facilities is the same: customer service. Placing an emphasis on the customer experience is crucial to successfully running a quick lube shop.

“What other services can you offer in your business plan?” Clark says. “(Offer) service that fits in that quick time frame (of an oil change).”

That level of service is only possible with a good team, though. Surrounding

yourself with talent and learning to let go of some responsibilities can help boost your shop’s productivity and elevate your leadership.

“When you’re smaller and just starting out, you wear all the hats,” Clark says. “As we grew and got bigger, I learned to delegate and trust my teammates to get their jobs done.”

That trust in his teammates has helped Clark quickly build Epika Fleet Services into a company known for its quality services and highperforming teams. It also allows Clark to start looking for new ways to help serve his customers, such as rolling out mobile oil change services later this year.

All of that, Barr says, helps make Clark the gold standard in the industry and someone that any oil change professional, either light or heavy duty, can look to as an example.

“His care for customers and employees is second to none,” Barr says. “No one is be er at presenting customer care in the quick lube industry.”

BiggerandBetter Mark Clark's operation grew to hundreds of employees and dozens of shop locations across the country.

PROGRAMS AND FRANCHISES REPRESENT

a huge part of the quick maintenance industry. They can be efficient ways for new operators to hit the ground running or for seasoned operators to grow a strong network.

In this year’s special guide, you’ll find many major brands, including their advantages and support offered to franchisees. All listings also include crucial information about royalties, startup costs and more.

Use the color-coded key to take a closer look at the additional support offered by franchises. The sections have been broken up into the following categories: advertising, building considerations, business support, equipment & products, financial considerations, and other. We recommend deciding which of these factors is the most important to you, and then using the checkboxes next to the support listings, marking them as you go.

Key of Support Offered

On the following pages, use these categories to determine who offers support that is most beneficial to you.

Advertising

Building Considerations

Business Support

Equipment & Products

Financial Considerations

Other

CHEVRON XPRESS LUBE®

Bill Beyerle | 866.354.4476

BillBeyerle@chevron.com | chevronxpresslube.com

SPECS

Program option: Sales and license agreement

Territory: U.S. only

Franchise Fee: None

Royalty percentage required: None

Average start-up cost: $25,000–$50,000 to re-image, site dependent Individual qualifications: Business financial and credit reviews required

SUPPORT OFFERED

 Advertising: Cooperative advertising funds available to help offset the cost of local site advertising.

 Promotion: National consumer promotions designed to reward loyalty to the site and grow premium product sales.

 Building design: Prototype drawings, site selection, design and construction resources are available.

 Business support: Product line, sales process and marketing consultation.

 Training: Online training and in-person training available. Training is focused on lubrication fundamentals, customer service, vehicle education, and market insights.

 Equipment: Access to equipment providers through preferred partner program.

 Customer warranty: All Havoline®, Techron® and Delo® products are backed by Chevron’s limited product warranty.

 Financial assistance: Cash advance provided to cover the cost of facility re-imaging (signage, paint, electrical, facility/ site improvements).

 Other: The Xpress lube® shopper™ program is a system designed to promote high levels of customer satisfaction, including how the brand is represented, to improve customer retention, acquire more new customers, and ultimately grow sales.

COSTA OIL™ - 10 MINUTE OIL CHANGE

Brandon Cornelius | 717.698.3260 brandon@costaoils.com partner@costaoils.com | franchise.costaoils.com

SPECS

Program option: Franchise

Territory: United States Approved: CA, IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, NY, VA, WI.

International Franchises: No

Cash Investment: $60,000

Total Investment: Single- $131,750 to $212,900 Multi- $174,250 to $321,900

Minimum Net Worth: $150,000

Franchise Fee: $54,900

Royalty: 6.50%

Ad: 2.5% Local Spend

Item 19: Yes

Visa Candidates: Yes

Passive Ownership: Yes

Master Franchise Opportunities: No

Veteran Discount: Yes

SUPPORT OFFERED

 Advertising: The Lube Shop manual serves as a resource for information on special promotions, direct mail options, collateral materials and media advertising. We offer in-house social media management and customer reputation management solutions as well.

 Signage: Independent operators have access to the OILU.ORG image database. A custom sign package is available.

 Business Construction: Complete prototype plans are available through participating architects. Our one and two bay plan includes a set of reproducible plans with supporting AutoCAD drawings.

 Site selection: We can put you in contact with our program partners who can provide detailed demographic, market profile and automotive expenditure reports.

 Training: In HQ training for classroom training, plus training in facility. Our proprietary website oilu.org offers online training. Custom workshops and on-site consultations are also available.

 Equipment: A complete equipment list that includes everything for the operation of a quick lube is available upon request. Preferred pricing with pre negotiated pre vetted vendors.

 Financial assistance: We recommend working with your local lending institution.

EXPRESS OIL CHANGE & TIRE ENGINEERS

Don Larose | 781.635.5502

dlarose@expressoil.com | expressoil.com

SPECS

Program option: Franchise

States: VA, PA, OH, IN, IL, WI, MO, KS, IA, ID, UT and AZ

Franchise Fee: $35,000

Royalty percentage required: 5%

Average start-up cost: $1,7500,000 to $2,500,000 includes land and building

Individual qualifications: $350,000 liquid capital and $500,000+ net worth

SUPPORT OFFERED

 Advertising: Express Oil Change has a marketing staff that provides franchisees with marketing tools, systems and guidance.

 Signage: Provides logos and materials to order signage.

 Building design and construction: Express provides architectural plans, guidance in the design and permitting process and with construction bids to GCs.

 Site selection: Express is actively involved in helping to find the best site for the franchisee’s store.

 Training: Eight weeks of training on how to manage the overall business.

 Equipment: Express identifies all needed equipment and helps plan its order and installation.

 Customer warranty: Warranty provided on customers cars.

 Credit cards: Express helps franchisees get access to all needed credit cards, including its own branded card.

 Financial assistance: Express introduces franchisees to lenders who can help provide SBA loans.

 Other: Express can also help franchisees get access to oil, tires and auto parts through national vendors at negotiated prices. Franchisees do not buy any supplies from Express.

GREASE MONKEY FRANCHISING

Ronn Cordova | 435.773.8548

rcordova@fullspeedautomotive.com | greasemonkeyfranchise.com

SPECS

Program option: Franchise

Territory: International, national

Franchise Fee: $39,900 license fee, 15-year agreement; $29,900 for veterans with valid DD214

Royalty percentage required: 6%

Average start-up cost: $187,316 - $688,452

Individual qualifications: Minimum of $150,000 in liquid assets; $450,000 minimum net worth; 680 or higher credit score

SUPPORT OFFERED

 Advertising: 4.5%

 Signage: Complete national sign program including sourcing, design and permitting.

 Building design and construction: Several prototype options available.

 Site selection: Dedicated real estate department to assist in the site selection process.

 Training: Required training includes new franchisee on-site training, classroom training at the corporate and initial handson training. Ongoing training is available through FullSpeed Automotive University.

 Equipment: Grease Monkey identifies all needed equipment, provides complete equipment package offerings, and helps with ordering and installation process.

 Customer warranty: Nationwide service warranty provided.

 Credit cards: National credit card processing program.

 Financing: Grease Monkey does not provide financing itself; however, there are several banks and financial institutions we have preferred relationships with. These banks have both SBA and conventional financing available for those with good credit.

SPECS

JIFFY LUBE

Program option: Franchise

Territory: U.S.

Franchise Fee: $35,000 for new development, or $17,500 for conversions

Royalty percentage required: 4% of sales (reduced to 3% with prompt pay discount)

Average start-up cost: Ranges from $207,000 - $500,000 (excluding real estate)

Individual qualifications: $250,000 liquid and $500,000 net worth

SUPPORT OFFERED

 Advertising: To connect with consumers and maintain a strong brand presence from coast to coast, Jiff y Lube activates a robust multi-million dollar national advertising campaign. Additionally, Franchisees receive strategic counsel from dedicated Area Marketing Managers to help maximize local store marketing.

 Site selection: Jiff y Lube business development managers have access to numerous resources to assist with the site selection process. Jiff y Lube works with real estate development companies to provide turnkey solutions for its Build To Suit Program.

 Building design and construction: The Jiffy Lube construction team is available to assist with recommendations and to provide building designs, equipment options, and consulting for new store development.

 Training: Jiff y Lube offers an award-winning training program, Jiff y Lube University. Jiff y Lube University is accredited by the ASE Training Managers Council (ATMC) and the American Council on Education (ACE).

 Other: Jiff y Lube provides field operations, marketing and business development support as well as a proprietary point-of-sale system. The strength of the Jiff y Lube brand is complemented by Pennzoil, America’s most trusted motor oil, and Shell, one of the most innovative energy companies.

MOBIL 1 LUBE EXPRESS & MOBIL 1 CAR CARE

Matthew Jones | 832.624.7985

Mobil1LubeExpress@exxonmobil.com poweredbymobil.com or Mobil.com/CarCareProgram

SPECS

Program term: 5 years

Territory: North American (U.S. and Canada)

Franchise Fee: None

Royalty percentage required: None

Average start-up cost: $15,000-$25,000

Individual qualifications: Current operator and/or business management background; business financial and credit reviews required

SUPPORT OFFERED

 Promotion: National promotion focused on engaging consumers to trial more profitable products while supporting customer retention.

 Signage: Program provides your location an individualized mockup, consultations, as well as additional branding support for the internal store.

 Site selection: Full customer demographic assessments specific to your exact location.

 Business support: Mobil Pulse™—get to know your customers behaviors. Mobil Amplify™—the power to make decisions on how to tweak operations at your site through annual business reviews built around your data and goals. Mobil Maximize™—Mobil-branded portal designed to recognize and reward installers based off their store’s performance (e.g. employee spiffs).

 Training: Online training focused on vehicle education, customer service, market insights, education of Mobil branded products and sales approach.

 Equipment: Access to equipment providers through ExxonMobil’s preferred partner relationships.

 Customer warranty: All Mobil branded products have a limited warranty.

PHILLIPS® 66 LUBRICANTS

Lubricants@P66.com | Phillips66Lubricants.com, KendallMotorOil.com

SPECS

Program option: Supply agreement, signage agreement

Territory: National

Individual qualifications: All opportunities are accessed by Phillips 66 Lubricants Business Development Team

SUPPORT OFFERED

 Advertising: Phillips 66 offers in-store marketing support along with customizable customer retention tools.

 Signage: Phillips 66 Lubricants offers exterior and interior signage solutions.

 Training: Training modules are available via Phillips 66 Lubricants Academy. Phillips 66 also offers tools to help gain a better understanding of the full automotive line.

 Equipment: Phillips 66 has relationships with equipment and signage vendors.

 Product: Reduce expenses with the Phillips 66 and Kendall High Mileage Boosters The booster is the industry’s first pour-in oil supplement to meet current API and ILSAC performance standards when added to Phillips 66 Shield and Kendall GT-1 motor oils. The booster saves inventory space and provides upsell opportunities.

 Customer warranty: All Phillips 66 and Kendall products meet or exceed specifications stated by Phillips 66 for each product. Phillips 66 and Kendall products are backed by Phillips 66 Lubricants Limited Warranty.

STRICKLAND BROTHERS

1.833.787.2767

development@sboilchange.com | stricklandbrothersfranchise.com

SPECS

Program option: Franchise

Territory: National

Franchise Fee: $54,900

Royalty percentage required: 6% of gross sales

Average start-up cost: $277,900–$372,400 (with franchise fee included)

Individual qualifications: $500k liquid, $1.5mm net worth— no bankruptcies

SUPPORT OFFERED

 Advertising: Marketing: Local ad 2.25% (managed by franchisee through third party services with SBO approved guidelines and content.) Brand fund: 2% Total: 4.25%

 Signage: National Level signage partnerships including design, permitting and installation.

 Site selection: Dedicated real estate teams nationally for site selection, market presentations, construction and development of the SB location.

 Training: Required Strickland Brothers University Training and 90 hours pre-opening training on the job.

 Equipment: Tool/equipment list fully set up with required vendors on exactly what is needed to be operational.

 Financial assistance: Third-party vendors to assist franchise owners with lending.

VALVOLINE EXPRESS CARE

Gayle McMillin | 859.357.7303

lgmcmillin@valvoline.com | expresscare.com

SPECS

Program option: Sales agreement

Territory: International, U.S. and Canada

Franchise Fee: None

Royalty percentage required: None

Average start-up cost: Valvoline Express Care is an independent quick lube conversion program

Individual qualifications: Current quick lube operator and/or retail business background. Business financial and credit reviews are required.

VALVOLINE INSTANT OIL CHANGE

Gayle McMillin | 859.357.7303 lgmcmillin@valvoline.com | viocfranchise.com

VICTORY LANE QUICK OIL CHANGE

Jim Harrington | 734.667.4304 ext. 104 jharrington@victorylane.net | victorylane.net

SPECS

Program option: Franchise

Territory: National

Franchise Fee: $30,000

Royalty percentage required: 4-6% on a graduated scale

Average start-up cost: $178,000–$1,273,500, depending on whether real estate property and equipment are purchased or leased

Individual qualifications: Net worth $1,000,000; $600,000 liquid; the ideal franchise candidate is a successful businessperson, already a multi-unit operator or independent quick lube operator

SPECS

Program option: Franchise

Territory: National

Franchise Fee: $49,500 for one unit

Royalty percentage required: 6%

Average start-up cost: $200,000–$250,000 depending on location

Individual qualifications: Net worth $250,000. Prefer business or management experience. Auto experience is not required.

IS YOUR TEAM ‘QUIET QUITTING?’

Making validation and recognition a part of the culture

BY EMILY KLINE

IN THE POST-PANDEMIC WORLD, THE WAY THAT PEOPLE PRIORITIZE THEIR LIVES HAS changed. Now more than ever, people are recognizing the importance of a healthy work-life balance. They are putting up more boundaries between their work and day-to-day life and aren’t overextending themselves in their jobs like they used to. This behavior change in the workplace can be seen across industries, including the automotive aftermarket, and it has led to the coining of the term “quiet quitting.” Although the term is often used negatively, it is important to note that this behavior is not necessarily bad.

Deanna Baumgardner, HR expert and president at Employers Advantage LLC, believes that such behavior shouldn’t be called quiet quitting because of that negative connotation.

“People aren’t quitting their jobs,” she says. “They’re just protecting their time more and themselves.”

This trend is not something to shirk within the shop. Instead, it should be embraced. Because even though quiet quitting is not initially negative, it may lead to negative patterns if it’s not handled correctly. Baumgardner believes that these negative patterns become especially noticeable.

“If [employees] do not feel that they’re getting support, validation or recognition from the organization,” she says.

Add onto that the low wages and repetitive work that quick lube technicians deal with every day and the odds of avoiding negative behavior are not in an auto-shop employer’s favor. But fret not—Baumgardner has provided three easy ways to avoid the negative side-effects of quiet quitting.

Check In with Employees

At Baumgardner’s company, individual check-ins with employees occur

bi-weekly. Baumgardner takes this time to talk to everyone about their role and what they’re looking for from their job.

“I really think people need to be transparent,” she says. “Be open with your employees. Have the one-on-one conversations with them, ask them how they’re doing.”

Having transparent conversations between shop-owners and employees can help an employee feel supported and ensure that the shop-owner can help the employee meet their career goals. It also helps the employee feel comfortable going to the shop owner with problems, which in turn prevents job dissatisfaction.

Provide Recognition

Shop owners can provide recognition to their employees in many ways. For example, Baumgardner ensures that her team feels recognized for their work through a Kudos channel. Here anyone is allowed to post about a customer’s positive feedback or an employee’s positive actions. Recognition could also be verbal appreciation from an auto-shop owner to an employee, or a shout-out about a hard-working employee in a team meeting. Regardless of how it happens, providing recognition is

essential. Letting employees know that their diligence does not go unnoticed helps them to feel validated and encourages them to continue working hard.

Team-Building Activities

Baumgardner provides weekly coffee breaks for her employees where the only rule is that they are not allowed to discuss work. Instead, they can talk about whatever they want. This provides the opportunity for team bonding and creates an openline of peer-to-peer conversation.

Baumgardner’s company also has a monthly event where they meet up outside of work to just talk and catch up. Team-building activities prevent the development of negative patterns because they help employees feel seen and heard. These activities offer employees an outlet to express their discontent about work, or life, with others who understand and can validate their feelings. In addition, the meetings give employees a reprieve from their long workdays, helping them with work-life balance.

When asked what advice she would pass on to shop owners, Baumgardner stressed that even in the fast-paced environment of the shop, owners can still find meaningful opportunities for transparent communication.

The pandemic has created a huge shift in the way people view work, and how business is done. As a result, automotive companies don’t have the grounds to force their employees to do things the way that they used to. To guarantee continued success, it is necessary for automotive businesses to develop a forward-moving plan. As the workplace continues to shift and change, auto shop owners should make sure that they too are evolving with their businesses.

ADDRESSING A PROBLEM WHEN YOU’RE AT FAULT

Mistakes happen, but there are ways to deal with them

BY PETER SUCIU

AS WE’VE SEEN ON THE NIGHTLY NEWS and via social media, customers can become increasingly angry and even hostile when they don’t get exactly what they’re expecting.

The situation can become far worse for shop owners if they make a mistake and fail to address it head-on. This can result in a bad reputation, which can lead to a loss of business, and possibly worse.

“The first thing to understand and accept is that mistakes will be made,” says Dave Everett of Dave Everett Consulting. “People are people, and we will all make mistakes along the way.”

Everett tells NOLN that shop owners and managers should have a business that encourages complaints. Not only can you learn from what was done wrong, but it is important that the

customer is vocal so that any problems can be immediately addressed.

“It may sound all too politically correct, but we should see this as an opportunity,” Everett says. “You should have a facility that asks for input from customers so that you can ensure you can fix those problems.”

In other words, you want the customer to complain to you—not to their friends, co-workers, neighbors, or online comment sections. By resolving the problem, they’re more likely to share a favorable version of the events rather than highlighting everything that went wrong.

Understanding the Legal Ramifications

Another consideration is that we live in a very litigious society today, and there

is no shortage of lawyers who could be ready to step up should a problem be especially egregious. According to William Ferreira, an attorney who specializes in automotive fields, there are a few important considerations.

Generally speaking, if there were problems during service, and the customer files a suit, the shop has essentially been “put on notice.” However, it still depends on the type of issue.

“There is a much different legal analysis when it comes to ‘we didn’t know’ there was a problem or issue versus the shop was informed previously and did nothing to fix or correct the problem or issue,” Ferreira tells NOLN.

Past issues, including employee negligence, shouldn’t turn into future problems. To ensure that a mistake doesn’t happen again, there should be documented write-ups, corrective measures taken, future double-checking by a more senior technician, and even terminating a technician if necessary to address the negligence and prevent reoccurrence.

Legally speaking, however, how judges and juries generally treat mechanics, shops, technicians, and other employees, is that we all make mistakes. Yet, if this isn’t an isolated incident, the problem is far more serious in the eyes of the law.

“Failure to prevent recurrence once it has previously been brought to your attention gives judges/juries implicit permission to increase damages,” Ferreira says. “The thought is they were informed, they did nothing to fix it, their standard of reasonable care in response to the issue was not appropriate.”

A first instance could result in a warning with an opportunity to take corrective behavior. Failure to do so will result in increased fines and or fees until the shop gets the appropriate message. Also, generally speaking, there aren’t requirements to change the way business should be done, but that doesn’t mean problems can, or should, be ignored.

“Unless there is a direct regulatory agency such as the Bureau of Automotive Repair in California, or OSHA-type federal issues, there essentially are no legal requirements for many states,” Ferreira continues. “Generally, insurance will cover negligence with sample garageman policies, however for gross negligence, most policies omit coverage. You can guess where insurance companies will side if this has been a continuing pattern that has happened before.”

Seven Steps to Resolving a Problem

The most important consideration is that you don’t want to get into such legal jeopardy to begin with—and in many cases, working with a customer, even an irate one, is the better course of action.

Everett recommends that there are seven steps to resolving a problem with an upset customer when the shop makes a mistake. It begins with listening to the customer, followed by getting the facts and recording them.

“It is important that you listen to them empathically, and start with the right words, ‘tell me what happened?’ If you take an antagonist approach you’ve already lost the battle and the customer,” says Everett. “Write down what they tell you and understand it will include facts and emotions.”

From there it is necessary to apologize, and often times that apology can be enough to resolve the problem. If not, then the next step is to discuss the options that are needed to fix the issue.

“If it is obvious, just fix it,” Everett suggests. “In many cases, the customer may even ask for less than what you are willing to do.”

It is also equally important to act quickly. This means not telling an upset customer to come back tomorrow, and they don’t want to hear “let me talk to the owner.” Employees that don’t have the authority to address a problem should immediately get the manager or owner.

Likewise, it is crucial that shops

keep their promises—as Everett says, “If you said you’re going to fix it, then fix it.” Then follow up. Stay in touch with the customer if the issue can’t be resolved immediately. If it requires the car to stay in the shop overnight or longer, call or text that customer to let them know this is a priority and that the problem is being addressed.

“Sometimes the first three steps are enough,” says Everett. “Sometimes they just want to be heard. And understand that sometimes the complaints you hear aren’t your fault, but you still need to listen.”

Being Proactive

Every employee should learn to deal with customers initially, yet shops should never have a new person on the floor charged with handling customer complaints. Too much responsibility handed to new employees can be what often gets shops into such situations.

“Newer technicians are given too much responsibility too quickly. The boss, lead tech does not supervise the junior technician correctly, and mistakes happen,” says Ferreira. “The second is simply overworked with too many irons in the fire.”

Though some will see turning away a customer as lost revenue, trying to take in too much work could result in cutting corners, and that is when mistakes happen. Likewise, shops shouldn’t take on business they think they can do. Ferreira warns that more harm is done taking on a project you are not equipped with. Instead, prepare to take on that work in the future.

“The risk factors when you take on something outside your specialty/capability increase the odds of mistakes,” he explains. “Everyone will learn some lessons the hard way in automotive repair. Some of it simply cannot be taught or learned in books. Incremental steps in increasing your skill set should be the norm. Everyone in some way, shape, or form starts at the bottom and works their way up.”

Addressing Complaints on Social Media

With the rise of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, it has never been easier to voice your complaints about how a business mistreated you. These platforms have also made it easier for those complaints to be made public, and it could be easy for a shop to dismiss it.

Ignoring the problem won't make it go away. More importantly, it is all too likely that someone is going to complain on social media about a problem than to offer praise. Yet, there can be times when doing nothing is actually the best course of action.

"It depends on the nature of the issue, the platform being used and the shop's online reputation generally," explains social media analyst Greg Sterling, cofounder of Near Media. "If the complaint is minor and the shop has positive reviews and an otherwise strong reputation, ignoring it might be the right approach."

If a customer complains online, work with them, and don't get confrontational on what is a very public forum. Before any action is taken, the business should determine the complaint's legitimacy.

"Is their version of events correct," Sterling continues. "If the complaint comes in the form of an online review, the business can respond on the review platform using review response best practices. If it's a video on TikTok, for example, there may be additional considerations, such as: how popular is the user/customer and so on. Will it be widely seen?"

In the end, just as social media can be used to promote a business, the same platforms can be used for customers to complain. Moreover, even businesses that have no social media accounts or presence can be impacted. For those reasons, it might always be a good idea to do some vanity searches to make sure a shop's dirty laundry isn't being aired out for the world to see.

"Businesses should be checking in and surveying their customers regularly to catch dissatisfaction before it turns into something that can damage the brand or business reputation," says Sterling. "If the business is a national franchisor or brand with multiple locations, they may need to take strong action if the complaint is real and potentially very damaging. How to proceed is dependent on all these and potentially other variables. But the delivery of great service is going to prevent most of these things from blowing up and repair shop's best 'defense' against viral social media complaints."

NAVIGATING HIGH-STRESS COMMUNICATION

Slow down, prepare, and be a friend when the conversation requires it

BY MATT HUDSON

WHETHER YOU’RE SPEAKING TO AN angry customer, dealing with an insurer, or going over sensitive subjects with employees in the shop, it’s best not to jump into those conversations without preparation.

There are times when it’s necessary to face issues head on, and a tough conversation is needed. Don’t fret—an expert in the area of workplace communication has some key strategies so that you feel confident before jumping into that stressful talk.

The American Psychological Association, which regularly surveys Americans on their stress levels and stressors, identified top sources of stress in 2022 that most can relate to: rising costs of goods, supply chain issues, and global uncertainty. Before you even have that conversation at work, the other person might be pretty stressed already.

“I also think that some people just don’t handle stress very well, and I think in the United States, we seem to have a crisis of capability of managing our own stress, because we’ve all been stressed in so many different ways that our resiliency can be affected,” says Claudia St. John, president of Affinity HR Group.

St. John has worked with automotive shop owners for years as a human resources partner, and she knows how stressors can affect customers and employees in the shop setting. Approaching those conversations with care is the key to finding

solutions that will take a bit of that stress away.

The Challenge

Most shop owners know when they’re getting into a stressful conversation, but why is that?

“How do we know that we’re in a situation that is charged?” St. John says. “Usually it’s a situation where the stakes matter, the outcome matters, and where there’s a difference of opinion and a degree of uncertainty.”

When you have a disagreement with a colleague or need to address discipline with a staff member, the key challenge is that you see a problem that needs to be addressed, and you hope to bring the other person closer to a solution.

The Solutions

Often, it’s not necessary to jump right into a tough converstaion, St. John says. You can have a preliminary chat about the tough conversation to set the stage and create some anticipation. This can help diffuse some strong emotions that could happen when you catch someone off guard.

Once the setting is right, St. John has an acronym to get into the right headspace. It is FRIEND.

First, find your due north. St. John says that the first preparation is to determine what outcomes you want from the conversation and anticipate that it might involve some compromise.

“By finding your due north, it’s not really knowing the conversation has to result in this,” St. John says. “But what would you be willing to accept? At the end of the day, what would you be satisfied with?”

Second, ready your emotions. Outcomes tend to be poor in stressful conversations when emotions cause one or both parties to act or speak rashly. Take a deep breath, take a walk, and anticipate that you want to remain calm.

Next, inspect your stories. By this, St. John means that you want to be open-minded to how the other party perceives the situation. The stories you tell yourself about another person’s motivation might not prove true, and you might get a response that you didn’t anticipate. You don’t need to avoid assumptions, but be ready to have them challenged or changed.

Establish safety for the next step. This has to do with how you set up the conversation. Picking the right place and the right time helps to ensure that everyone involved knows what is happening and that no one is caught off guard.

Navigate their story. This is a reminder to offer the other party the chance to speak and to listen to their point of view.

“Really listen to what their interpretation is,” St. John says. “And be open to what their stories are and how they see a situation.”

Finally, develop and document.

Finding an outcome doesn’t always mean coming to a finite conclusion or reaching a direct plan of action.

“Sometimes you’re developing an understanding,” St. John says. “We’re just going to continue to talk on this and work on this. In the case of an employee and supervisor, usually it’s not a one and done.”

The underlying goal is to bring both parties closer to the same understanding, and hopefully everyone will be on better footing going forward. Other times, there might be a final conclusion or action, and a well-executed

conversation will leave everyone knowing why the action was taken.

The Aftermath

Even if an outcome isn’t positive for the other party, you can still forge a stronger relationship with a customer or co-worker by taking respectful steps toward high-stress conversation. The care taken shows that you respect the situation and the other person.

“The critical conversations can shift a relationship from conflict to building trust,” St. John says. “They can actually improve relationships.”

It’s not always easier with time, either. St. John says she’s seen new managers who are great in these stressful situations and longtime managers who handle those situations poorly. It’s more about the preparation and execution.

The Takeaway

The key to success in these fluid situations is to be aware of your assumptions and be open to understanding.

“A huge piece of this is emotional intelligence,” St. John says. “The first thing about emotional intelligence is self-awareness, recognizing that you’re in an emotional state and not going to engage.”

Once you’ve got a better handle on your emotions, it’s important to understand that it might not always be “my way or the highway.” Different people experience the same situations in different ways. St. John says that we aren’t always in the same boat. We might be in the same storm, but in different boats and in different areas of the storm.

“If there’s one takeaway that I would encourage readers to try to embrace, it’s to be empathetic,” she says. “Really try to anticipate what the other person is going through, seen or unseen.”

Claudia St. John, president of Affinity HR Group, offers this acronym to help prepare yourself for high-stress communication

SUBSCRIBING TO AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE FUTURE

Insights into a business model that takes a new approach to the EV consumer

BY HANNA BUBSER

THE MARKET FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE customers is growing. This can be seen by simply hitting the freeway, or even just driving around a town. There are more electric vehicles on the roads these days and that isn’t going away anytime soon. Naturally, this means there will be more EV customers to come.

There are a variety of ways to appeal to these customers, and a company named Autonomy is taking a subscription-based approach. Georg Bauer is the president and vice chairman of Autonomy, and he sees this business model as an effective solution for EV customers.

The ADAPT: Automotive Technology Summit is a three-day event covering the most progressive and pressing trends disrupting the industry.

“Don’t you subscribe to everything that’s attractive and interesting in life? Whether it’s movies or music or other things, it’s on subscription,” Bauer says. “Society moves from ownership to usership.”

Autonomy launched in February 2022 and allows customers to get into an EV without having to purchase a vehicle. Bauer explains customers can download the app, scan their driver’s license, link their form of payment, sign a digital contract and schedule a delivery time. It’s a paperless process that customers can complete on their phone, and Bauer says Autonomy is proud of this innovative approach.

“It’s a time for entrepreneurs [and] for forward-thinking organizations that put the customer first [and] put technology to work for a great customer experience, and we believe that at Autonomy that’s exactly what we are doing,” Bauer says.

A NEW MODEL

Autonomy owns the EVs, and Bauer says this means the company takes on components of traditional vehicle ownership so that Autonomy’s customers do not have to. Autonomy also partners with OEMs for warranties and with retailer AutoNation on a nationwide scale. Bauer sees partnerships in general as part of the overall EV transitional approach.

“Old and new are partnering, small and large are going to partner … [the beneficiary] will be the consumer, we think that’s well deserved and it’s about time,” Bauer says.

Through a monthly payment model, Autonomy customers get access to the EV itself as well as roadside assistance. Autonomy takes care of the

title, routine maintenance, sourcing and registration. Bauer explains that this approach allows more flexibility to the customer, including those who may not want to make a long-term commitment to an EV right away.

“The single biggest hurdle in electric vehicle adoption is affordability, but it’s not the only one,” Bauer says.

Bauer notes that with EV purchase prices averaging as more expensive than their ICE counterparts, there is a bit of challenge for some people in making that transition. He also cites product availability as another component in this conversation, keeping chip shortages in mind. Bauer foresees the potential for greater demand than supply for electric vehicles looking into the future.

Bauer sees subscriptions as an avenue for addressing uncertainty and

affordability with customers by using a recurring revenue model.

“We have the opportunity of pricing a subscription at the level of a comparable lease or a comparable three-tofour-year loan,” Bauer says.

GOING THE DISTANCE

Another component of the conversation surrounding EVs is range anxiety. Electric vehicle drivers may have some hesitance with driving these vehicles if they are not certain where they can get their next charge, or if they don’t feel confident in their vehicle’s ability to last on a given charge. Bauer acknowledges this thought and says that the compounding factors of range anxiety are approachable.

Bauer says that adequate preparation ahead of time, especially for longer trips, is possible using apps

that help a driver determine where charging stations are available. In terms of an everyday commute, Bauer notes that plenty of EV charging takes place at home.

“They’re charging … on a daily basis. Eighty percent of it happens at home at Level 1, 110-volt charging outlets,” Bauer says. “And again, in light of [a] 25-mile average commute, all of this is manageable.”

Bauer says that charging infrastructure will be required to improve moving forward, but statistics have already shown that increased availability is possible.

“Let’s just take a look at the statistics comparing 2020 and 2022 Q2 numbers [for] charging stations in the U.S., [an] increase from 33,000 to 54,000 within a two-year period,” Bauer says. “So that is already quite a rapid pace.”

Overall, Bauer says that there is opportunity to be found in the EV future if players in the industry are willing to embrace it.

“EVs have higher repair costs and need longer repair times. There will be a lot of training [and] a lot of adjustment along the way,” Bauer says. “But higher repair costs lower repair times than internal combustion engine vehicles means that there is more revenue to be generated.”

Bauer says that adjustments and adaptations will be required, but he is confident that there will be space in the industry for EV repair. Across the industry, Bauer says that this adaptability will be necessary. He says it’s a race that revolves around the customer and technology.

“It’s a mindset topic where players in the space, whether small, midsized or large, are going to succeed if they have agility, the flexibility and the speed [to respond] to the situation [and respond] to experiences that they make, and make the necessary adjustments along the way,” Bauer says.

Essentially, there are many factors at play when it comes to the EV future, and the entire automotive industry is impacted by all the challenges and opportunities that arise along the way.

“This entire transformation has so many bits and pieces … along the entire automotive value chain,” Bauer says. “But what is so exciting is that everything is up for being redefined and I believe the planet will benefit from it … and the consumer.”

The Autonomy model is a customer-focused approach that tackles EV usership in a new way. As with many aspects of new and emerging vehicle technology, there are unknowns. But just because the road isn’t paved yet, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth exploring.

“There is no road map for anything because we have never experienced what we’re going through in automotive now,” Bauer says.

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Building Relationships in Challenging Business Environments

How Great Customer Experiences Can Create Great Feedback Loops for Your Company

BY FORD MCALEXANDER, SALES PROGRAMS MANAGER, LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS, INC.

I can imagine many of us are tired of hearing about the recent economic downturn and potential of a recession, but we need to understand that companies in the oil and lubricants industry are facing even more challenges than other industries. However, our businesses also have the chance to rise during these times by turning challenges into opportunities. There are several ways you can positively impact your company but for today, I’d like to focus on “customer experiences” as one of the most successful business-growth strategies. Impactful customer experiences have been incredibly e ective at building the Lucas Oil brand because they’ve allowed us to form a genuine and loyal relationship with our customers.

While customer relationships can be developed in many ways, I believe there are three primary strategies to focus on when trying to create meaningful customer experiences. At Lucas Oil, we concentrate on 1) delivering what you promise, 2) making things right if there has been a mistake, and 3) providing excellent problem-solving solutions.

It may seem like a relatively simple principle for a business to deliver what you promise, but it’s also easy to stray when your business is struggling in today’s economic climate. It can be easy to ignore some of the details a customer is sharing about their vehicle because we have all heard many of these issues before. However, this could be an opportunity for you to deliver an unexpected and remarkable experience that converts someone into a longterm, loyal customer. For instance, a friend recently asked me for advice with a slipping transmission, and I could have easily just suggested they try our transmission additive. Lucas Oil would benefit from a new sale, and I could continue with my day, but I did not. After listening carefully to some of the details about my friend’s transmission issue, it became clear that the issues were more than what our transmission additive is designed to correct. Instead, I recommended my friend visit a local repair shop, thus delivering on the promise of providing a great customer experience.

The second strategy to building customer relationships is showing

integrity by making things right with all levels of your customer relationship chain. During the challenging, early days of the pandemic, we strived to be as transparent as possible with our distributors. It was amazing to see our entire industry come together to work through several new challenges that we faced in times of uncertainty. Like many companies, we had to deal with sudden quarantines of our workforce due to close contact. These quarantines impacted our production rates, shipping times and other factors. What surprised me was witnessing our employees’ dedication to helping us make things right through their belief in our company’s values. Our production team spent countless hours working overtime to deliver a great experience for our distributors, which allowed us to make things right.

The third strategy is to provide excellent problem-solving solutions. For most of us in this industry, identifying problems and solutions are relatively easy because we’ve seen it all. If you do experience something unfamiliar, you should be willing to put forth the e ort to investigate and find a solution that works best for your customer. Take the steps to find the root cause and match that with a proven solution. For example, a small leak or oil burning issue may not be a major problem, but with more investigation, you can help prepare a customer for a potentially unexpected outcome like a costly trip to a repair shop. This is a great situation for both the business and the customer because you were able to deliver an experience that shows your commitment by providing excellent problem-solving solutions through your willingness to go the extra mile.

Like all of us, I hope the current economic situation improves quickly and we can go back to focusing on the growth of our companies. Regardless, these simple and straightforward customer experience strategies have helped the success of our business for more than thirty years in nearly all types of economic situations. At the end of the day, showing integrity, making things right and having a commitment to sound problem solving solutions will always result in great experiences that build lasting customer relationships.

How do I Increase Car Counts & Ticket?

BY AMBER KOSSAK, CEO OF SOLID START

Your property taxes and other fixed costs are going up. The value of cash earned is shrinking. If nothing changes, then you are going backwards. Even if we didn’t have inflation, a percentage of our customers move every year, so to break even you must replace those who aren’t coming back.

In short, we always need to be thinking about how to generate new business while taking care of our existing customers.

Car Counts - You can’t manage what you don’t measure

The starting point is assessing where you are currently at. What is your current car count? What are your average ticket prices? What percentage of your existing customer base is repeat business? How much down time is there in the shop? If you are already full from morning till night, then the only ways to increase car counts are to have longer hours, improved efficiency (faster service) or a bigger facility with extra service bays.

One facet of increasing car counts is to continually make it a priority. Do you have a plan? Don’t panic. Being aware of your numbers is the essential starting point. How can you know where you’re going if you don’t know where you are to begin with?

Marketing Tactics To Improve Car Counts

When it comes to maintaining customers and growing your car counts, there are few things more important than providing stand-out customer service. An exceptional experience will nearly always generate buzz. This means having friendly, competent staff with the right people in the right positions and word of mouth is still among the most powerful ways to bring people in.

Another low-cost strategy for small businesses is to connect with other small businesses in your community. Becoming involved with your local Chamber of Commerce or neighborhood business association can have many benefits. It’s one more way your business gets noticed and it adds to your credibility. Small businesses around the country are working together to turn their neighborhood’s into destinations, increasing their pool of potential customers.

Building relationships with local media can have payoffs as well. What new things have you done in the past year that have not received media coverage? Have you made an effort to share your success stories with local TV, radio or print media?

Improving Efficiency – Speed is not the final measure of good service. When was the last time you took an inventory of how long it takes to service a customer? What if you measure and record the amount of time it takes from initial greeting to when the customer pulls away? Do this for an entire day’s worth of customers and you have a benchmark. Make this a team effort. If two or three customers had longer wait times and another was exceptionally quick, ask your team if they noticed what caused the delays. Maybe there was a problem getting a filter off. Or maybe there was a problem with a credit card. Whatever the reason make a note and continue to improve your efficiency.

What we’re doing is taking a snapshot of a moment in time. Increased efficiency is achieved by means of continuous incremental improvements.

Remember, though, that speed is not the final measure of good service. If you are pushing so hard that you strip the threads on an oil pan bolt or forget to tighten a filter, you have a problem. Efficiency + Customer Service = Building Trust!

Exceptional Customer Care - Never taking a customer for granted. How you treat your customers is the #1 determinant as to whether they keep coming back or not. Friendly, personal service goes a long way toward making customers feel like family. Never take a customer for granted. There are generally two reasons people leave comments online: one, because something offended or annoyed them or, two, they were blown away by something exceptional they experienced. Strive to make it the latter. “We couldn’t believe how friendly the staff was,” will go a long way toward bringing new business to your store.

Treat their vehicles like your own. Quality service will also contribute to increased ticket profits. In any sales situation, trust is a major factor. When your technician makes an addon recommendation--whether it’s a Filter change, fuel system cleaner or another performance enhancer--the stronger your relationship with your customers the greater consideration he or she will receive.

Remember, you can’t manage what you don’t measure. Make sure you understand your numbers, your team, your customers, and continuously make incremental improvements.

LSAUCIER @FULLSPEEDAUTOMOTIVE.COM

Don’t Get Stuck on Repeat

Groundhog Day shows how we can leave bad habits behind

SPRING IS APPROACHING. OR IS IT? DOWN IN south Louisiana, we have the bulk of our winter weather now. While we spend most of our time in December running around in short sleeve shirts with the AC going, winter appears just as the Mardi Gras floats come barreling down the local towns in the frigid, damp and windy February nights.

Now I realize while talking about this, some of you have had it with shoveling snow, scraping windows and throwing salt down on the walkway. You would much rather be sipping on a warm cup of joe with a larger coat on in Fat City about now. You may be even peeking into another February tradition of finding out if Phil the groundhog saw his shadow to determine the upcoming season change.

I will say that I love any holiday that celebrates a fluffy and fuzzy figure (Christmas, Groundhog’s Day, my birthday). I am not a traditionalist at heart, however. I ponder on why so many holidays and traditions are followed, especially one that was created in the late 1800s to predict spring based on a rodent’s shadow. Consider the fact that the shadow legend is only accurate less than 40 percent of the time and you can really begin to wonder why this is even on the calendar this year. Tradition is tradition a er all.

Tangible Goals

So, the question looms, should we continue wrapping traditions into our lives that feed us false information, false hope that take up our time and energy just because it is what we are used to? Consider your business for example. This is an article in the great National Oil Lube News! If someone were to walk into your shop today, and questioned you on why you perform something a certain way, would you have a good answer? Would you just shrug and tell them that is how you do it.

Just like pulling the chubby groundhog out of the log, your procedure that you hold on to may not be hurting you. It may not be accurate, but it is what you do. So why fix something if it isn’t technically broken? Who needs data anyway? Sure, it can be done more efficiently, cheaper, and safer. Who needs that when you have a long-standing relationship with the comfort of repetition?

Which brings us to the other Groundhog’s Day tradition, when you watch the great Bill Murray slumber through his mundane life repeating mediocracy till it drives him to the edge. In the 1993 film, Phil is stuck, consumed in limbo as life seamlessly passes him by. Day after day, story after story, he quickly becomes a backdrop of his own life even though his ego makes him think he is the star. One day, inspiration strikes, and the realization sets in that his ways are exactly what is keeping him in this comatic existence. Once Phil realizes his desires are obtainable and it is in fact his own self-made obstacles that are holding him back, he can now make the needed adjustments to achieve his personal success.

Your inspiration may be different. The desire to expand turns your attention to employee development rather than putting it all on your back. The desire to pay the bills and not lock the door creates a pathway to manage the books and watch the expenses better. The quest for success drives you to determine what success is and creates your path to achieve success.

It isn’t until we have these realizations that we begin to understand what is holding us back. “Good is the enemy of great” from the business writings of Jim Collins is one of the best lines I have read. This is never truer as we find ourselves buried in our traditions and habits that once were meant to make us great, but we settled into the trap of good. Life, and our chances to hit our desired goals slips away from us as we nestle into the resistance of fear and uncertainty from change.

Change is good, of course. It brings us joy to know that something is coming that is different from what we have. We cheer when the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow as we think winter is over and the flowers will soon fill our lives again. We talk of greatness as if the groundhog is actually going to make it warmer. Change brings us new vehicles, new software, new guests and new hope. Change can only happen when we decide to look at our existence, question tradition and straighten our path to our personal goals. This starts with you and your Groundhog Day.

Lenny Saucier has been serving the automotive aftermarket and its future leaders since 2000. He serves as the director of retail training for Fullspeed Automotive.

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