NOLN - June 2023

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“Always do right. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”

- Mark Twain

Business in Bloom

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KEN FRENCHAK SHARES SHOP PERSPECTIVE

Quick lube shops have a lot in common, but they have a lot of differences too. At NOLN, we strive to share insightful stories from shops across the country. Listening to and learning from one another can be valuable. The conversation in this podcast episode offers insight into how one shop approaches various aspects of this industry.

Ken Frenchak is the general manager at Valvoline Express Care of Grove City, Pennsylvania. He joined the show to talk about his shop. Topics discussed include his shop’s customer service approach, his team, workplace culture, leadership and even some industry-related historical facts.

THE STATE OF THE QUICK LUBE INDUSTRY WITH JUSTIN CIALELLA

In order to be successful in any industry, it’s important to keep tabs on what’s going on inside of it. The quick lube industry is no different. As a shop owner, this involves paying attention to current events that impact the industry, implementing effective leadership strategies, and utilizing relevant resources.

Justin Cialella is the president and CEO of Victory Lane Quick Oil Change and current past-president of the Automotive Oil Change Association. In this episode, he offers his perspective on what shop owners should be keeping an eye on and some strategies for navigating today’s quick lube industry.

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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VOLUME 38, ISSUE 6

EDITORIAL

CONTENT DIRECTOR

Matt Hudson

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Hanna Bubser

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Kacey Frederick

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Lenny Saucier, Adam Tatum, Carol Badaracco Padgett, Chris Jones

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

ART AND PRODUCTION

ART DIRECTOR

Erin Brown

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Mariah Struab

AD SERVICES MANAGER

Jen George

ENDEAVOR BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC

CEO Chris Ferrell

PRESIDENT June Griffin

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Chris Messer

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MAKE IT FUN

Find that special sauce in your operation and play it up

MOST OF YOU READING ARE IN the oil change business. And if you’re taking these stories to heart, you’re likely providing pretty darn good service at a decent price and in a timely manner.

So if almost everyone is meeting that standard of service, what’s going to bring the customer to Jane’s Quick Lube instead of Joe’s Quick Lube? That is a question you’ve likely asked yourself. Many shop owners might think about this in terms of curb appeal: Your shop has a flashy sign, a nice visual promotion, or a new shop build. Those are certainly points in your favor, but I’d encourage you to think about this challenge in another way. While your customer’s vehicle is being serviced, what is the customer doing? How can they spend that time?

Consider this answer from Peel’s Pit Stop in Celina, Ohio:

“A lot of people...bring the car in and say, ‘I’m going go out to the greenhouse real quick,’ and they’re looking for a pepper plant or a tomato plant. So they go out there while they’re waiting for their car.”

How many shops can offer that to their customers? If great service is assumed from Peel’s, then it’s the tomato plant shopping that’s going to stick in customers’ memories and keep them coming back.

That little tomato plant comment comes from this month’s profile story, which explores the growth of this small-town shop and how the owners run a greenhouse out back. The photos alone are worth checking out this story.

If you’re wanting even more ideas for making your shop stand out in a crowd, this month’s feature article dovetails nicely. Two shop owners explain how their businesses appeal to customers, and it’s not always from a service standpoint. It’s all about the extra effort that shop owners go through to make the customer experience smooth and memorable.

Of course, our intention is not to stray from the importance of maintaining a standard of service. This is where the majority of training and management effort is placed so that techs work on vehicles consistently and treat customers with care. That’s always going to be job No. 1. I suppose that’s where the “extra” effort comes in to give your operation that extra panache.

If you find that customers are commenting on something unique about your shop or your team members, don’t be afraid to play it up. Make it fun, and I think you’ll find that everyone around your shop will want to get in on it.

MATT HUDSON CONTENT DIRECTOR, NOLN

FLEETS AND REPEATS

Often, oil is spoken about as the lifeblood of this industry, and undoubtedly it is. But customers are a crucial component of survival as well. As a shop owner, you already know this. You keep track of the people who pull up to your bays. For some customers, you may know them by name. For all of them, your shop offers solutions.

Respondents of the 2022 NOLN Operator Survey detailed their share of business in two customer categories: repeat customers and fleet business. Both customer types offer the opportunity to gain repeat business, which is always a worthy goal.

Repeat Customers: 71%

Share of Fleet Business: 11%

Customers notice when you go the extra mile. Search “Curating the Customer Experience” on noln.net to learn more about customizing the approach and gaining repeat customers in the process.

‘STORE OF THE FUTURE’ PLANS UNVEILED AT FULLSPEED CONFERENCE

THE FIRST JOINT SPEEDEE AND GREASE MONKEY EVENT BROUGHT FRANCHISEES TOGETHER

BY MATT HUDSON

FRANCHISEES IN THE GREASE Monkey and SpeeDee Oil Change and Auto Service network came together for the first time in April for a joint conference to celebrate plans for further growth.

The conference included social events, an awards ceremony, a trade show, and a full schedule of education sessions and breakouts in Nashville. The company is also celebrating the 45th anniversary of Grease Monkey.

In opening remarks, FullSpeed Automotive CEO Rob Lynch said that the company hopes to update the company’s image and support to franchisees to modernize the shop network.

“We have unlimited potential as partners and as one team to really grow,” Lynch said.

Also during opening remarks, FullSpeed President Ron Stilwell announced a seminar on a re-image program that will be available to franchisees to remodel their buildings as part of the “Store of the Future” campaign. He said that all new units being developed are going with this design.

‘Store of the Future’ in Detail Plans for the Store of the Future began last year with some public announcements.

“As a franchisor, we really feel it’s important that we are instantly identifiable, that we’re separated from the others, and that we provide a quality experience,” Stilwell told NOLN in August 2022.

Planning continued through the year, and by April’s conference, company leaders were ready to bring the details to franchisees. Sami Hage, FullSpeed senior director of construction and design, gave a presentation that explained the design elements, vendor support, and upgrade options available to franchisees.

Hage said that the goal underpinning the re-image campaign is to make Grease Monkey and SpeeDee locations instantly recognizable by their facades and color schemes.

“Our goal was that we have to differentiate ourselves,” Hage said. “We’ve got to stand out among the competition.”

He outlined focus categories of the program, which are grouped into the main areas of exterior building, interior bay area, overall site, and interior lounge.

Part of the effort is for shop owners to make basic updates to the building sites, including improvements to landscaping and directional cues for customers. But the full re-image plans go in-depth to include specific paint colors, signage, furniture, and an

open-concept lobby.

Specific to the lobby, plans call for mobile POS kiosks, a snack station, and high-top table areas for customers to get a little laptop work done if they need.

“People expect that,” he said. “Your customers expect that, and their expectations are growing constantly.”

The exterior plans are defined by “the monolith,” which is the large tower area of the building that’s set off by a

specific paint scheme and sign. That is intended to be the visual cue for SpeeDee and Grease Monkey branding.

Franchisees interested in pursuing the re-image program will go through processes of application and ongoing check-ins with the company. The re-image plans are somewhat adaptable to various building types, including the recognizable Grease Monkey alpinestyle buildings.

3 GREASE MONKEYS TO OPEN IN OREGON

FullSpeed Automotive has announced plans to open three new Grease Monkey locations in Oregon–the first ones in the state, according to Franchising.com.

The plan was initiated by Ryan Jennings, a businessman based in Salem, Oregon. Jennings has 20 years of experience in his work and is the owner of “several rental properties, a wine shop, and a law firm.”

“It’s exciting to be opening the first Grease Monkey location in Oregon,” Jennings stated. “I’ve seen, first-hand, the need for more automotive services in the area, and being an Oregon native has given me unique insight into what many would consider a high-profile market.”

Jennings has planned to open all three of the new locations in the greater Salem area and has already highlighted potential sites, with the first one projected to open later this year.

GM PLANS TO END PRODUCTION ON CHEVY BOLTS

General Motors has announced it is planning to end production on the Chevrolet Bolt and Bolt EUV electric vehicles by the end of the year, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Over 70,000 Bolts will be produced in 2023 before production ends.

According to CEO Mary Barra, the move is meant to make way for production of the 2024 Silverado EV pickup next year at the company’s Orion Assembly plant in Michigan.

Barra told Wall Street analysts that the company plans to manufacture 600,000 electric trucks per year eventually, and the Orion plant is a big step toward that goal, being considered “a key driver for GM to have capacity to produce more than one million EVs in 2025 in North America.”

“GM is ripping the band-aid off on the Bolt and betting on the future

of EVs around the Lyriq, Hummer, Blazer, Silverado and other parts of its transformation,” stated Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities. “The EV baton is being handed to the future of GM. It’s a smart move.”

STUDY: DEALER MARKUPS HELPED TO RAISE INFLATION

A recent study shows that car dealer markups have played a large role in rising inflation, the Drive reports.

According to the Wall Street Journal, a study done by economist Michael Havlin for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed dealer markups on new car prices dramatically increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic and have only continued to do so.

Dealerships saw their average new vehicle profit margins rise from 4.9% in 2019 to 11.5% in 2022 as a result of markups. This increase was “almost a full percentage point of the 16% increase in the consumerprice index— the average change in consumer prices over time—between 2019 and 2022.”

Additionally, the study also found an increased disparity between the consumer-price index and the producer-price index, again as a result of markups, rising “to 17.7% at its peak in September 2022.”

A spokesperson for the National Automobile Dealerships Association rejected the notion of an increase in markups raising inflation.

“By that logic, every consumer who sold or traded in a used vehicle for more than its Kelley Blue Book value profiteered off that sale and thus bears responsibility for contributing to consumer inflation,” they stated.

LUBRICATION SPECIALTIES HIRES DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Lubrication Specialties has announced Bud Prenatt as the newest addition to their marketing team, according to a press release.

Prenatt officially joined the company this past February and will oversee promotion for the company’s Hot Shot’s Secret brand through “direct, online and retail and diverse markets.”

He brings nearly 20 years of experience in sales and marketing and holds an MBA from Ohio Dominican University. He recently worked for an Ohio-based company “focused on the class 3-6 truck and off-highway market segments” as their product marketing manager.

“Our initial product, Stiction Eliminator, was developed to reduce issues related to injectors sticking or failing in semi-trucks,” said Lubrication Specialties President Brett Tennar. “Bud’s background fits squarely with our goals to capitalize on his heavy-duty industry knowledge and his ability to recognize unrealized potential in new markets.”

Additionally, Prenatt teaches as an adjunct professor at Ohio State University, as well as teaching skydiving classes at the University of Cincinnati, such as “Intro to Skydiving, Managing Extreme Risks and Indoor Body Flight.”

“Marketing is much like skydiving,” Prenatt reflected. “There are extreme risks and great rewards, but you will never experience either without first knowing your audience, understanding your goal, and creating a solid plan to achieve what you set out to accomplish.”

RELADYNE PARTNERS WITH SUN COAST RESOURCES

RelaDyne has announced a partnership with fuel distributor Sun Coast Resources, according to a press release.

Sun Coast was founded in 1985 and is based out of Houston, Texas. It is a distributor of fuel, lubricants, and DEFs, as well as transportation services for emergency and logistics industries.

The partnership has helped RelaDyne become involved with markets in “Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and the Carolinas.”

RelaDyne President and CEO Larry Stoddard stated the company seemed to be a good choice because of its “distribution capabilities in Texas and the Gulf Coast region focused on fuel, lubricants, DEF, and emergency response solutions along with its freight and logistics services reach across the entire nation.”

Sun Coast Resources Founder and CEO Kathy Lehne said RelaDyne appealed to the company because of how their values aligned, and that Sun Coast’s resources combined with RelaDyne’s product would provide success for both parties.

“We have known RelaDyne and their management team for many years and have been impressed with their growth, but what was critically important to us was that Sun Coast’s principles and core values what was critically important to us was that Sun Coast’s principles and core values aligned with those of RelaDyne,” Lehne stated.

EMPLOYEES ATTACKED AT MEINEKE LOCATION

Two employees at Meineke in Des Moines, Washington were assaulted by potential car thieves, KIRO 7 reports.

The incident began with the suspected thieves pulling into the shop’s parking lot. As one of the individuals was exiting the vehicle, employees at the store began to grow suspicious of the vehicle and whether it was stolen or not.

One worker named Armit attempted to take a photo of the individual but was then struck by him.

“I just ran to that side and I was trying to take the picture and he just hit on my face,” he recounted.

There was one other employee that was also recording the event who was also attacked when he confronted the group.

“He decided we was [sic] going to come out and swing on me and had other people backing him up. So, I pretty much took a few hits and next thing you know, he is hopping in a vehicle, leaving,” the employee stated.

The employee suffered several injuries, including a concussion, a cracked eye socket, a broken nose, and injuries to his elbow, shoulder, and knee.

The shop’s owner has suffered auto theft at the other location he owns in Gig Harbor, Washington, which has five cars taken. Currently, the attackers have not been found.

MIGHTY AUTO PARTS CELEBRATES 60 YEARS

Mighty Auto Parts is celebrating its 60th year of business, according to a press release.

The company was founded in 1963 by Dallas “Dick” Wallace, who sold tire repair products out of his Volkswagen Beetle. The company’s products consisted of tire repair and ignition products, primarily sold to small shops in the Washington, D.C., and Maryland area.

Now, the company offers “OE underhood and undercar replacement parts” and has 100 locally owned franchisees. They partner with over 15,000 automotive service providers in the United States.

“It is a great honor to be a part of an organization with such a rich history,” stated Mighty Auto Parts President and CEO Josh D’Agostino. “Our franchises have been instrumental in Mighty’s success for 60 years, and they will continue to inspire our innovation, diversification, and competitive spirit in the future.”

STELLANTIS RECALLS 131K RAM TRUCKS

Stellantis has announced a recall of more than 131,000 of its Ram 1500 pickup trucks due to a software issue causing the trucks to unexpectedly stall, Autoblog reports.

The recall applies to “131,700 examples of the 1500 built from June 3, 2020, to September 12, 2021,” covering the entirety of production for the 2021 model year. Ram says that 100% of affected trucks will have the defect. Only models with the 5.7liter Hemi V8 eTorque are affected by the recall.

After launching an investigation into the issue in January, engineers at Stellantis identified the powertrain control module software as the root of the problem.

The company stated that vehicles “may experience an engine

shut-down caused by an overrich fuel condition under certain operating conditions” as a result, but they did not detail under what conditions this would happen.

The automaker received “636 warranty claims, 206 customer records, and 53 field reports” between 2020 and 2023 that could be related to the issue. One accident linked to the issue has been reported, though no injury occurred.

Stellantis will notify owners beginning June 2, who will be directed to visit their local Ram dealer to have the powertrain control module calibration software updated. Those who paid for repairs out of pocket already could also be eligible for a refund.

FORD RECALLS 1.4K BRONCOS AND RANGERS

Ford has announced a recall of the 2023 Bronco and Ranger due to an issue with the driver’s side lug nuts, Autoblog reports.

This applies to Broncos and Rangers manufactured between February 9 and February 13, 2023, and affects 992 Broncos and 442 Rangers; 1,434 vehicles total.

The root of the recall is improperly torqued lug nuts on the driver’s side. Investigators determined based on plant records that the issue is a result of the automated tool used to tighten lug nuts undergoing maintenance at the time. A “manual backup process” was used in the meantime, while the passenger side lug nuts were still tightened by a machine.

Ford has not reported any injuries or accidents, though a field report was received of an incident where a wheel detached and made contact with another vehicle.

Ford has discouraged drivers from operating recalled vehicles until they are inspected and will send letters to affected owners starting in May.

FOXY’S 44 EXPRESS OIL CHANGE

OPERATOR:

DAMIAN FOX

LOCATION:

AVON, CONNECTICUT

STAFF SIZE: 8

SHOP SIZE: 3 BAYS

BY HANNA BUBSER PHOTOS BY LAVENT PHOTOGRAPHY

Sitting on about 1.2 acres of land, Foxy’s 44 Express Oil Change opened in October 2022. The lot includes a 2,800 square foot oil change center as well as a 3,000 square foot four-bay detailing shop leased to a tenant.

Owner Damian Fox has run another shop called Foxy Fast Lube in Willimantic, Connecticut, for about two decades. But he grew up in Avon, and when he got the opportunity to open another shop there he pursued it.

“When we built Avon, we did it knowing everything that I’ve learned for the last 20 years (and) what I would do differently if I ever built a new store,” Fox says.

FLOWERS FOR ALL

Foxy’s 44 has a basement, allowing room for the shop’s 12 bulk tanks. Each holds 375 gallons and is piped outside of the building. Fox says this design reduces interruptions and the need to drag hoses around.

“Also, it makes the upstairs perfectly clean,” Fox says. “There are no drums (and) it’s very sharp-looking.”

Epoxy floors, diamond plating on the walls, and lifts for each bay make up the interior as well. Fox’s wife designed the waiting room, which includes white subway tiles on the walls and a Blue-

tooth speaker built out of an old Chevy Truck. There is also fresh popcorn available.

Fox says about 60% of his customers are women, but regardless of who comes to get an oil change, one thing is for certain: They’ll walk away with a free rose.

“We see that as a small cost to make somebody’s day and to also make a service that’s normally mundane something special,” Fox says.

A DISTINCTIVE LOOK

Fox says Avon is strict about what the buildings look like, and this resulted in a more elaborate exterior for Foxy’s 44 than he would have done in a different town. But it worked out great.

The building’s exterior is a neutral color with a cupola on top and lots of natural light streaming through its windows.

“One of the things that we chose that is different than any other lube shop that I’ve seen is the black garage doors,” Fox says.

Fox says customers have been very complementary of the design. He says the shop almost feels like a high-end retail experience versus the average auto shop.

“Customer service is our number one priority,” Fox says. “I think we had 59 five-star reviews in the first three months of operation, which is highly unusual.

So that’s something we’re really proud of.”

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

He has over a decade of experience in the industry with a proven track record of building customer counts and sales, as well as using innovative ways to bring a new look to the automotive field for both the customer and the employee. Performance comes from growing your business through people.

The Perfect Time

When is the right time to add services?

AS WE SEE MORE AND MORE NEW CARS ON the road and in our shops, many of them are coming in with specialty fluids or procedures for us to service them. Although some of us are seeing the effects of recession or competition in our markets, we must find a way to stay up with the times. We will discuss a few service opportunities that you can add to your menu of options to increase your options on these new vehicles.

A/C Service Options

If there was ever a time to add a service that is catered to hot weather, that time is now. Many of us probably already offer this service in our shops for R134, so why is this the first service that I am discussing? I am sure that you have all encountered the new 1234YF system. This is the system that is now on many of the new vehicles on the road and you are going to start seeing a lot more of them over the next few years. There is a big investment needed, now, for this service. The machine is costly and the freon in the system is triple or more what you are used to for R134. This is the negatives of the service. The positives are going to be in cost of the service. Many dealers are charging anywhere from 600 to 1,000 dollars for this exchange. This is good for your return on investment, as you will potentially be putting a lot more down on the bottom line with this option over R134. But remember, is this the right time? There are not a ton of them coming in and you must weigh whether now is the time to invest.

Tesla Tire Rotations

Now this one is fun to get into it, but if you don’t know what you are doing it can go south quickly. We all love to hate the Tesla and other EVs that are “threatening” our business. I put the air quotes because they are not as prevalent as they were

advertised years ago. Now there are few things that you can do on a Tesla, but the tire rotation service is one. To do this, you must learn to put it into the mode that allows you to lift the vehicle. If you don’t do this, you damage the suspension. When you do this correctly, the vehicle lifts and the tires stay in place. It’s pretty cool to watch. The only negative, aside from potential damage, is the time it takes to get into the correct mode for lifting. So, make sure that you charge a little more than your standard rotation service.

GDI Fuel Services

As we see more and more GDI vehicles on the road, there are also a lot more specialty products popping up to add to your lineups. Most do not know that this engine needs a fuel additive every 5,000 miles or so in order to maintain the warranty of the fuel system. So, you get to be the one that points it out and offers an option. Many of your additive companies carry a fuel additive as a pop and pour, but True Brand has taken it a step further, introducing not only these pop and pours, but also a specialized two-part fuel system cleaning for the vehicle. This gives you a ton of options on stand alone services and packaging to increase the overall ticket prices. As we see this engine technology hit the market more due to the fuel mileage restrictions, you will want to have these in your shops to give you a leg up on your competition.

These are three things that you can add to your arsenal of options to increase your profit and your customer options. These three also deal with the new technology that I discussed on the road with new freon, EVs and engine technology changes. Weigh out your options and investigate your ROI on anything that you may or may not add. My only advice would be to get in on the ground floor and don’t be the one waiting until it’s too late.

PHOTO: LUCAS MOORE

TO THE DETAILS

Two shop owners share distinctive elements that make their shops stand out

by Hanna Bubser

hen people say, “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” they are clearly not referring to this industry. In the quick lube space, details matter. Whether you are changing oil or are changing something around in your shop, even the smallest elements should not be overlooked. Sometimes, they can have the largest impact.

NOLN spoke with two shop owners to learn about the details that make up their shop’s overall success. This includes strategies they have implemented and projects they have completed that have made a sizable difference to their customers and their business.

Appeal to the Senses

Patrick Wilder owns six shops under the All Automotive name in Bradley, Peotone, Manteno, Kankakee, and Momence, Illinois. His shops provide a mix of services that include the quick lube model and full-service repair.

Wilder’s shops pay attention to detail in a way that lends itself well to the five senses: sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. This becomes apparent before you even walk in the door and continues once you’re inside.

“I’ve never had a customer ever complain to me and say, ‘Hey, I’m not coming to you because your shop looks too good,’ just throwing that out there,” Wilder says.

Keep Busy

At Patrick Wilder’s shops, his team members have worked on projects that range from landscaping to some interior elements.

Photo: Sandra Rust of jolietcommercialphotographer.com

SIGHT

His shop in Peotone, Illinois was among several businesses in the downtown area to step up its game with landscaping. The result was an improvement for everyone involved.

“I will say that our company, almost everything that’s been landscaped, we did internally, which also kind of goes into team building,” Wilder says. “Everyone is helping, and they take ownership of the landscaping as an employee.”

At his Bradley shop, Wilder paid for materials and enlisted the help of his staff to cultivate the landscaping during slow times at the shop.

“You’re benefiting the neighborhood as a whole,” Wilder says. “If you have nice trees, roses, bushes, parking lots and so on and so forth, the entire neighborhood is benefiting because you don’t have that eyesore that automotive repair is generally associated with.”

Wilder says that people outside of the automotive world may notice as well. In his case, this included a local mayor.

“He’s like, ‘Hey, you’re investing in our town, we’re going to invest in your business,’” Wilder says. “’I’m going to bring you cop cars and I’m going to bring you village vehicles because no one else is really – in automotive –investing in the town.’”

SOUND

Wilder fills his lobbies with music by utilizing speakers. He says this is a small detail that makes a difference for the customer.

“On the oil change side, the anticipation is to be there for maybe 10 to 15 minutes,” Wilder says. “If you’ve got music playing that you enjoy, it obviously makes the experience better, but also you’re not, for a lack of a better way to put it, committing to watching a TV show.”

He says with TV shows, the customer has the potential to become more invested and they could be frustrated to have to leave during the middle. Music has a wider appeal.

“As weird as it sounds, you want them invested but not that invested in being inside of your building,” Wilder says.

TASTE

Wilder approaches taste in a couple of different ways. In the literal sense, Wilder uses coffee from a local business

in his shops.

“If people can link up with a local coffee shop, obviously you’re promoting local small businesses and you’re a small business most likely so there’s some camaraderie there,” Wilder says.

is an important element of consideration at Wilder’s shops.

Catch the Eye Curb appeal

Wilder also incorporates an element of taste through the design features in his waiting areas. This includes real wood baseboards and chair rails that his team put together. They worked on this project during down time. They cleaned the boards, sanded them and applied stain and polyurethane all in-house.

“I’m sure you could cut a check and get a little bit better result, but for me I’d rather have my team do it and then my team is invested in it (and) the customer is invested in it,” Wilder says.

The outcome is a nicer looking space for customers to spend time in, according to Wilder.

“It gives you that more classy look, but it’s also a very durable material so you don’t have to worry about it wearing out,” Wilder says.

TOUCH

During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wilder brought airport-style

Take

seating into his lobbies for ease of cleaning. But the benefits have gone well beyond that.

“Customers liked them because … they’re more COVID-friendly, they’re a clean look, they’re more modern, (and) they’re not uncomfortable, even in the metal ones,” Wilder says. “They’re cost effective. You can do a whole entire lobby for 500 bucks.”

Additionally, Wilder allows easy access for charging electronics by including outlets in his lobbies that have a plug on top, a plug on bottom, and two USB ports in the middle.

“What we’ve done is we’ve put them in every shop near seating areas so people can plug in their charger,” Wilder says.

SMELL

Wilder’s lobbies smell good, and that’s no accident. He uses a product from Cintas that dispels fragrance. It can be set to spray at different times throughout the day, which allows Wilder to have control over the intensity.

He notes that a similar effect could be achieved by installing a wall plug-in fragrance from the store, but by using Cintas he doesn’t have to worry as much about its upkeep. The goal is to get rid of what he calls the “funky automotive smell” from areas that the customers spend time in.

“It kind of goes along with that smell, look, touch (and) feel stuff that they talk about in marketing,” Wilder says. “So, if you’ve got vanilla smelling stuff in your lobby it just starts the whole transaction better.”

Champion the Customer Experience

Morris Clement has a background in racing as well as the corporate world. He’s operated his shop Fastlane Lubemasters in Gurnee, Illinois since 1994.

“It’s been a good small independent

business,” Clement says. “(It’s) very independent, and I like it that way because I can pick and choose what I want to do that I feel is best for the customers.”

At Clement’s shop, the differentiating factors are how he approaches customer relationships and understands the needs of his community, from the first interaction to the establishment of longterm trust.

THE FIRST IMPRESSION

There is one detail at Fastlane Lubemasters that can’t easily be missed: a 1965 Cobra built by Clement himself. It can be found parked in the shop’s fourth bay or positioned in front or back of the building. The vehicle catches enough eyes to have taken on a life of its own as a marketing tactic for the shop.

“That Cobra draws a ton of people just to look at it, it’s a very exciting car,” Clement says.

Clement built the aluminum and stainless-steel vehicle as a bit of an homage to his racing career. He’s a three-time Sports Car Club of America racing national champion.

He says customers enjoy the Cobra, and they often take photos of it. Clement says customers and their kids have had opportunities to sit in the driver’s seat when it’s parked at the shop.

Needless to say, the Cobra makes for an exciting first impression. But that energy carries on into the shop as well. Clement is meticulous about maintaining a clean environment and takes great pride in the details, like making sure that the floors are mopped.

“We have white porcelain floors, and they’re 30 years old now,” Clement says. “They look as good as they did the day they put them in.”

FORMING A BOND

Something that isn’t a physical component in the shop but is a noteworthy concept nonetheless involves what Clement refers to as “the art of asking questions.”

a Seat Wilder says the airport-style seating options in his lobbies are cost effective and easy to clean.

Photo: Sandra Rust of jolietcommercialphotographer.com

“When (customers) pull into our bays, we ask them if there’s anything wrong with their car that they need explained to them or (are) there any questions they have about their car,” Clement says. “And then if they don’t, when they come into the lobby then I get a chance to ask them questions.”

He’ll ask them if they’ve come before. If they haven’t, he’ll ask the customer what made them choose Fastlane. For customers that he knows better, he’ll ask about their lives and their car. Clement refers to this as a “mom and pop” approach. Knowing the details of his customers’ lives allows him to bond with them, which creates a comfortable environment for the customers to ask questions.

“I’m very fortunate that I have had 50 years of playing with cars so I really understand just about every question and can help them,” Clement says. “That creates a conversation, and as it creates a conversation it also then creates confidence in who they’re doing business with, and that’s what we want to do.”

FILLING A NEED

Clement has incorporated innovation into his shop as well. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic when business was slow, he came up with the idea to produce hand sanitizer. He registered the Fast-Tizer product with the FDA. Clement says it was a “life saver” for the business.

“I ended up selling as much as I could make, not only to people around here but also Ace Hardware and other institutions,” Clement says. “And the beauty of that was, we ended up being really high-quality hand sanitizer.”

He included the product in promotions as well, giving out a free bottle to customers who got a Mobil 1 oil change.

“People really liked it, and it wasn’t a coupon, it was something they could use,” Clement says. “So that turned out to be an excellent promotion.”

Clement even started selling containers of aloe vera gel as well, as he finds it to be good for people working with their

Start Your Engines

hands like his team does in the shop. Producing these products, even though they are outside of the traditional quick lube realm, created a solution during a difficult time for both his shop and his customers alike.

ESTABLISHING TRUST

There are signs hanging in Fastlane Lubemasters that encourage customers to have a look at the work being done on their vehicles. Clement has the entire building insured, and he is open to giving curious customers a peek into the process.

“I encourage people to go downstairs and look,” Clement says. “Come on down and we’ll show you what we’re doing and we’ll show you what we see that you might want to get addressed.”

Clement says that once a customer asks about this, they usually won’t need do it again because they walk away from the experience with confidence in shop’s work. This transparency builds trust, and building the best shop environment possible is important to Clement.

He is proud to run a clean shop with quality service, but for him the details all come down to the customer’s experience.

“When you buy something, you want to know (that) the people behind what you’re buying (are) there to support you if you need anything,” Clement says.

Clean Slate Clement produces hand sanitizer and aloe vera products for his customer base to enjoy.

Problem Solver Morris Clement takes a people-first approach at his shop, and he isn’t afraid to offer innovation solutions to problems.

This 1965 Cobra built by Clement greets curious customers at Fastlane Lubemasters.

Photo: Courtesy of Morris Clement

A Business Grows

Creative crossmerchandising sparks goodwill (and business) at a small-town shop

by Carol Badaracco Padgett

At Peel’s Pit Stop in Celina, Ohio, a town just shy of 11,000 residents, owners Barry Jr. and Janice Peel are sort of like grease monkeys with green thumbs.

While Barry spends time on the shop floor and in the pit, Janice works on the company computer, keeping the business in sync. “She does the clean side of the business, and I do the dirty side,” as Barry likes to say. “We are both car people.”

And while Janice loves to ride her motorcycle, Barry gets a kick out of talking to patrons and their kids and letting them see the undersides of their vehicles.

Outside of the couple’s love of cars and those who own them, there’s another interest they share: plants and flowers—so much so that they offer them for sale in a greenhouse behind Peel’s Pit Stop.

Demand Business blooms for Pit’s Peel Stop owners Barry Jr. and Janice Peel.

Willow Lane Photography

Pit Stop Meets Garden Shop

As a boy in a suburb of Detroit, Barry’s family ran an open-air produce business, with one stand positioned directly in front of a quick lube. In the summertime, this is where the young man worked.

“I had to go into the quick lube to go to the bathroom,” he remembers. “And I was intrigued by what was going on inside.”

As he grew, married Janice, and started a family, he thought about buying out his parents’ business, but they didn’t want to sell. And soon he realized: the produce business was seven days a week, anyway, but the quick lube was just five and a half, with holidays off.

Since quick lube had interested Barry since high school-age, he and Janice jumped on the chance to buy one they found sitting empty, repo’d by the bank in the tiny town of Celina.

Then, Barry states, “Dad had extra flowers one year, so he gave them to us to sell, and we put up a greenhouse.”

This was a move that changed everything, and the combo quick-lube-greenhouse concept took off in the rural farming community, ideally positioned with a Menards and a Walmart just across the street.

“It’s a natural draw when people are going to these two stores and they see these nice displays out front of ours, like wagons, straw horses, and a big pile of pumpkins in the yard [all for sale]—it makes you look,” Barry notes.

Add in the fact that the town of Celina is home to a flourishing lake, Grand Lake St. Marys, (which was once the biggest man-made lake in the country before the Hoover Dam was constructed), and the offerings at Peel’s Pit Stop are ideal for the locale.

“Traffic here swells during the summer months, with fishing and boating,” Barry adds, which draws in even more traffic to his business as people take care of their car and pick up some flowers at the same time.

“A lot of people—not just women, guys too—bring the car in and say, ‘I’m gonna go out to the greenhouse real quick,’ and they’re looking for a pepper plant or a tomato plant. So they go out there while they’re waiting for their car.”

Barry notes that he and his team will often finish up with the customer’s car, pull it out front and park it, and it will be 10 minutes before the vehicle’s owner emerges from the greenhouse with their flowers.

Put simply, “It’s cross merchandising,” he states. “And it gives people something to do and something to talk about.”

A Down-To-Earth Business Approach

Just as Peel’s Pit Stop combines two things that simply seem to work together in the compact farming locale, the environment inside the quick lube is fresh and appealing too.

Ethical Standards

“Everyone today is accustomed to high sales pressure,” Barry notes. But what they’ll find in its place at Peel’s Pit Stop is simple honesty.

From the top down, Peel’s people aren’t trying to sell customers anything.

“We do tire rotations, but we don’t do brakes,” Barry says as an example. “But we check them when people come and we tell them what we find.”

He adds, “Just this morning I told a guy he needed an alignment, and he asked me how I knew. I said he had a tire worn on the outside. Then he said, ‘Do you do it?’ And I said, ‘No, we only do oil changes.’”

Bottom line, Barry says he has no formal sales formula, he just treats customers as though they were his mother. And he passes this on to his staff when he trains them.

“I just hired a new manager, and he came from another quick lube with eight years of experience,” Barry shares, “And [my new manager] said, ‘I’ll have to learn your sales technique.’”

Barry’s response: “Young man, you don’t sell anything here. If it needs it, it does, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. Don’t try to upsell. Just pay attention and you’ll get it.”

Green Acres

Once an empty building repo’d by a bank, Peel’s Pit Stop is now a flourishing quick lube and greenhouse business.

Shop technicians focus less on selling and more on customer service.

A few days later, Barry went back to the young man and asked him what he had learned from his observations at the shop. The new manager replied, “Just be honest. If the wiper blade is torn, tell them. And you don’t need to sell it. If the customer says, ‘Then put one on,’ you put one on.”

Barry admits that other business people ask him often about his winning formula for Peel’s Pit Stop’s success, and he freely shares it. “I say be honest with people. Treat people the way you want to be treated. And make sure you’re looking out for their best interests.”

This no-pressure-sales philosophy resonates particularly well with female customers, he finds.

“They say, ‘I’m gonna tell my friends. Your wife is in here and there’s a family atmosphere, and I know if you tell me to pay attention to something, my car really needs it,’” Barry notes, emphasizing, “Treat every customer like they’re your mom.”

Growing Goodwill

To become a fixture in one’s community, Barry advises other quick lube business owners to jump in and make a difference.

“You’ve got to get involved in the community, and every one of them is different,” he notes.

For the Peels, they give back to their tight-knit community of patrons by running the local Emergency Medical Service (EMS) on Monday nights.

“We run the emergency squad and are medical technicians, basic EMTs” he clarifies. “Not paramedics.”

Whatever service a business owner can offer their community, keep in mind, Barry suggests, you’re going to see your local community members time after time over the years, and it’s important to give back to them consistently. “You wouldn’t be here without them,” he reminds.

Another community perk they offer is purely for fun. Barry and Janice have family in the fireworks industry who are licensed to shoot off professional displays. So the couple offers the community two big shows each year, shot off a barge in the lake—which goes off well in a big way.

As kids come through the shop with their families in the days leading up to a fireworks affair, Barry asks them for their favorite color.

“When they say ‘blue’ for instance, I say I’ll shoot a blue shell in the sky with their name on it,” he smiles, “and they love it.”

Then, next time their families come back through Peel’s Pit Stop, the kids will say, “Barry shot off a blue shell for us!”

“I always try to interact with the customer,” the owner shares. “I’ve been working in a family business since I was 12 or 13, and I just have a natural gift for interacting with people.”

A Family Flavor

Like Barry and Janice, their two sons don’t work in the family business—they’re both teachers—but they do help out whenever they’re needed.

In addition, the couple’s oldest granddaughter plies her eye for merchandising and visual displays at Peel’s Pit Stop. And she’s to credit for the eye-catching displays that help get people to pull in, visit the lube shop, and drive home with a trunk-load of plants.

“I took her to Atlanta a few years ago,” Barry says of his granddaughter. When they stopped to get the truck washed, she spotted a greenhouse down the street, and she wanted to look around.

“And she said, ‘Look at that display!’ She’s 13 and she already has a natural eye for building displays and making them look right,” he states.

And of the goods they’ll sell within those displays, Barry notes, “She’ll be like, ‘Can we do them two for something?’ She has been around long enough to see how our minds work—one pumpkin for $3 and two for $5.”

In the end, Barry finds that his granddaughter’s talents help create atmosphere, which, in turn, generates word-of-mouth— and measurably more pit stops.

“Our business increases dramatically, with more traffic flow,” he closes. “It’s natural advertisement.”

Fluid Exchange Caring for cars and caring for plants go hand in hand at the shop.

MAKING THE PRICE RIGHT

How to position yourself to benefit business and customers

BY CAROL BADARACCO PADGETT

ALEX WOODIE IS A NUMBERS GUY with a knack for business, a family in the auto repair industry, and a head full of good common sense.

Following college graduation with a degree in accounting, followed by experience at a Big 4 accounting firm, Woodie left to join his father in the business side of the auto repair industry. And there, he got involved in an automotive 20 Group that brings together non-competing business owners to talk over ideas, issues, and strategies.

Quickly, Woodie spotted a muchneeded service within the auto industry that he was uniquely qualified to serve.

“I noticed that not many guys at the 20 Group were numbers people,” he states. “They were technicians who started their own shop, but they never had the technical training to be a numbers person.”

From there, Woodie founded his company, Ledge, to handle numbers for auto business owners.

“If you can measure it, you can manage it, is a common business phrase,” he notes. “But if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”

Woodie helps owners access the numbers they need, running payroll, doing the books and taxes, and providing his clients with reports so they can manage their businesses based on numbers— and grow.

When asked to list the top variables shop owners must consider in setting a price point for their services, Woodie’s answers are both reality-based and, surprisingly, psychologically insightful.

And the Price Is…

“A lot of people look at what their competitors are charging, but that’s not always best,” he notes. “We tell our guys, yes, you have to be in the ballpark with the others and not price yourself out, but you also have to look at what makes you different from the other oil change or repair shops.”

For example, is it the products you offer that make you different, or is there a convenience that you offer that your competitors don’t? What sets you apart from somebody else?

“If you work at a Ruth’s Chris, you don’t call McDonald’s to see where to set your price,” Woodie shares to help drive home his point. There are clearly too many differences between the two businesses for them to charge the same price.

Woodie also advises shop owners to ask themselves to consider their business model: “Will you offer higher value and charge more, or will you offer a bottom-base service and a lower price?”

An auto shop owner looking to move to a higher price point has some things to consider. “You want to come across as a professional service—look at doctor’s

offices, dentists, and others with clean, peaceful rooms,” Woodie notes. “A 1970’s-type auto shop with people clanging around doesn’t appeal to the majority of the customer base.”

But for a shop owner to honestly assess the vibe of their own store, they may need to look with fresh eyes, and maybe even pull in somebody random from the outside.

As Woodie puts it, “You get stuck in a rut because you’re there every day. Just like your house, stuff gets worse over time and you just get used to it, because it’s gradual. But it’s a turnoff for the customer.” Read: what the floor looks like, the carpet, the counters, the places where customers will wait—and the johns.

Perception, he says, is reality to the customer: “If they perceive high quality service, they’ll pay 10 to 20% more, business consultants say.”

Shop owners looking to charge more must also be mindful of their employees’ appearances. “Do they speak well? Are they loud?” Woodie says to consider.

Take a good whiff too, “Do you smell like a tire shop?” he asks. “A customer would rather walk in and smell fresh flowers than burning rubber.”

A Level Playing Field

“Right now,” Woodie notes, “everybody is having to deal with labor costs and commodity increases.” So these aren’t really factors to consider when making decisions about where to land your price.

“I’d recommend approaching price increases gradually, but don’t be hesitant, either. Offer good service and value, because everybody else is facing price increases too—in every industry,” he reminds.

Despite common challenges all across the quick lube industry, Woodie says shop owners who provide enviable customer service won’t have to worry when they raise their prices.

“Excellent customer service provides value,” Woodie says. “People value feeling welcome and appreciated. And to provide that value, if you must, increase prices.”

THE ELECTRIC CLASSROOM

Preparing the next generation of technicians

BY KACEY FREDERICK

AS SHOPS GRAPPLE with vehicles changing and becoming more electric, finding technicians who are equipped to work on EVs becomes essential in a pool of talent that is already limited.

NOLN spoke with with Troy Lachance, an instructor in the automotive program at White Mountains Community College in Berlin, New Hampshire, to talk about what technicians entering the workforce need to know and what is needed in the industry from the next generation.

An Unexpected Calling

Lachance graduated in 1993 from the program he currently teaches and then went on to work as a full-time world-class General Motors technician until 2013.

Lachance never intended to become a teacher, but in 2011, he was approached by a former teacher who encouraged him to apply for a vacant position at the school.

“I just happen to get a visit from him one day saying, ‘Hey, one of the other instructors is retiring. I think you’ve got a good personality and would be a good fit,’” Lachance recounts. “And I applied for the job and the rest is history. So you just never know where life is going to take you, right?”

Since then, Lachance has run his own repair shop from his home and pushed for

the automotive program at WMCC to create classes dedicated to electric vehicles.

Preparing for an Electric Future

The school offers students a 15-week EV course in the traditional automotive program or a one-year accelerated electric vehicle program, which Lachance had a part in helping create.

There’s much that students need to learn before they are able to build an EV successfully, but the biggest point Lachance hammers home for them is attention to safety.

“It’s no different than a lineman working out on the pole, you know, (on) your street corner, there’s a lot of safety protocol that has to happen,” Lachance says. “And we by far focus on that not only first, but spend the most time with safety. And with that safety component comes the understanding of how things work.”

Students listen to lessons as well as perform hands-on work. In the one-year EV program students actually have the chance to build an EV in the class shop. It’s a great opportunity for students to work on something new without potentially endangering a driver.

EVs, Shmee-vees

Lachance encounters many students that aren’t interested in learning about EVs. But he says that regardless of anyone’s feelings on the existence of EVs, technicians will have to know how to deal with them as they grow in popularity.

“You don’t have to like EVs,” Lachance states. “I’m neutral. But you’d be silly if you didn’t recognize the increased popularity and the fact that you can make a bunch of money fixing them.”

With nearly every manufacturer having an electric or hybrid option now, technicians who are qualified to work on EVs become an asset to any shop.

“The EV techs are short, (there are) not many of them out there. So you can work wherever you want–more or less name your price, as long as you are, you know, asking reasonable wages— you’ll be in high demand,” Lachance says.

Cultivating a Capable Crew

Shops looking to attract talent that can work with this emerging technology must show that they can have a fulfilling career. If students see that they can make a comfortable living working in the industry, the industry will draw in intuitive minds.

“We need intelligent, intellectual people to work on vehicles,” he says. “Younger people need to understand that there’s a lot that emulates what they already know, right? Whether it’s video games, and computers and cell phones … (there are) a lot of modern electronics and computerized components that require the interest and expertise of the younger generation.”

Technicians that are aware of and willing to adapt to the changes in the coming years, such as battery technology changing and improving, will be able to help support a shop navigating incoming changes.

Regardless of the direction the industry and the future of EVs go, Lachance’s goal is to prepare his students to have the best opportunities and to keep drivers safe with the work they do. Though he doubts many proposed EV transition goals will be met, EVs are nonetheless established in the industry and will only become more prominent.

As shops look for talent to build their teams, they need to be sure their technicians can handle what is becoming an established market in the industry by investing time and resources into preparing their staff for the work they will see in the shop in the coming years.

The ADAPT: Automotive Technology Summit takes place Dec. 4-6 in Rosemount, Illinois, and covers pressing technology topics that affect your shop. Learn more at adaptsummit.com.

WHAT THE TECH?

How should shop owners approach emerging technology?

BY CAROL BADARACCO PADGETT

BEWARE OF SHINY OBJECT syndrome when it comes to choosing and investing in new technology for your business.

However, keep your eyes open—wide open—and observe what’s happening with several key technologies that are poised to transform all industries, including quick lube.

What the Experts Say: AI

Little surprise, the first technology to closely watch is artificial intelligence, or AI.

“A lot of what’s going on with AI is object recognition. But what can it do for auto repair or quick lube?” asks Chris Cloutier, president and CEO of Autoflow, a Texas-based company that creates systems to automate workflow in the automotive service industry.

Essentially, AI creates data models, Cloutier explains.

“So, let’s say you load a million images into a machine, or model, and say, ‘This is a cat.’ And you load all different kinds and colors of cats. And then you load ‘dog,’ and say, ‘This is dog, not cat.’ So the (machine) gets smart and if it sees the tail, for instance, it knows it’s not the same animal—and (using this technology), 90 to 95% of the time we can identify cat versus dog.”

Next, Cloutier asks, “What if we start applying this to parts, to tires, and once the car pulls in, there are enough cameras on the tires and they can be identified?”

In an instance like this, the AI technology has saved the shop all the time it would take for a technician to look and identify the tire type.

“With the help of cameras, either on a tablet or in a bay, through object recognition, we can identify parts very quickly. We can cross-reference without the timely human recognition,” Cloutier says.

Then, the question for the shop owner becomes: How quickly can we get these parts to the vehicle?

Jon Vorisek, founder of RepairSurge, a software company based in Lansing, Michigan, concurs that AI is worth a quick lube shop owner’s time to investigate and observe. But how will artificial intelligence affect the oil change industry, specifically? It’s hard to say, he notes.

“But AI will come into play in some way,” Vorisek states. “That’s the area where the underlying technology is changing right now, in every industry.”

Bing, for instance, is a new AI technology that people can talk to, Vorisek notes. “I’m just speculating, but maybe the technology could suggest to (quick lube shop owners) things like, what customers are best to reach out to? What are the friction points in your day-today operations? It’ll be interesting.”

Vorisek predicts that, within the decade, most industries will be seeing how AI and machine learning can benefit their businesses—whatever space they’re in. And quick lube service providers will be among those rolling out the technology.

What the Experts Say: ADAS

The functions of advanced driver-assistance systems include things like emergency brake assist, adaptive cruise control, lane-centering and lane-keeping, surround view, pedestrian detection, and a host of others to help drivers steer clear of accidents. And these ADAS components are made up of cameras, sensors, and a host of other technologies.

But is there a benefit at this time for quick lube shop owners to keep an eye on them?

“That’s a tough call,” Vorisek admits. “Investment in that area … in good, capable equipment, is not insignificant.”

In some areas, the RepairSurge founder suggests, there are facilities that are dealing specifically with ADAS. “They are custom-built for that and when people bring vehicles in with that technology, they have all the equipment, and they can cover a large service area.”

He ponders, “If I’m running an oil change shop, I don’t know if I’m trying to compete with that or send vehicles to that facility. It can almost be its own business model.”

Cloutier concurs. Quick lube owners and their shops’ technicians overall should be mindful of ADAS systems where a computer is actually making a car smarter.

“When you touch a vehicle now, car systems are more complicated, and things have to be more calibrated,” he notes. “If we change a simple part, the computer needs its correct driver loaded. It’s almost like when you used to have to download a new driver for your video card. When you have more sensors, they’ve got to be able to communicate with the car. And this will get more complicated over the years.”

So again, the pros’ advice is to not simply wait and see, but to keep on top of the issues and developments that will impact a shop sooner or later.

What the Experts Say: Basic Internet-Driven Efficiencies

It sounds obvious, but in the quick lube industry (and a number of others), business owners oftentimes lag behind in implementing even the most basic technologies that can save their businesses time and money.

One example is the use of cloud storage (storing data on internet servers instead of a computer’s hard drive), which is absolutely critical technology for any quick lube business to utilize. So if a quick lube owner is not already invested in online technology and the cloud, it’s high time, Vorisek says.

“If you have an oil change shop, pay special attention to how your customer comes back to your shop the next time,” he suggests. “Customer retention is the name of the game, and you want the customer who needs an oil change to for sure come back to your facility.”

When a shop’s records are in the cloud, shop owners and managers can automatically send customers offers and reminders by email and through physical mailers, as well.

“Don’t track this stuff by hand,” Vorisek states. “Tie into tech solutions that track this kind of stuff … whether you’re starting out or have been in the business for a while.”

For Cloutier, online tools are mission critical.

“It’s about bay efficiency,” he notes. “It’s real-time cameras that help the turn times in your bay (by tracking, free of manipulation) how long something sat in your bay.”

Computerized tools such as these also allow shops in the multi-care business to increase workflow efficiencies and profits, according to Cloutier.

In the multi-cares, for instance, a customer may come in for an oil change and an inspection shows that they have a leak and should come back.

“This turns into service … and dollars,” Cloutier says. “This goes back to AI in upcoming years, where shops will be able to track whose car is in the bay, how long was it there, and then there will no longer be manipulation of those models, but real-time statistics.”

He adds, “For quick lube, this is one of their biggest measurements: how fast can we turn a car.”

Last Lap

Even the most tech-savvy quick lube owner can be dazed by one particular technology and race toward it too fast. So the experts offer some simple

criteria to help evaluate what makes the best business sense.

As Cloutier observes, take time to vet any new technology before you adopt it. “Keep your ears and eyes open, and apply what matters in your particular business and improves it. But you don’t have to be the first to adopt it.”

Vorisek, meanwhile, suggests that quick lube owners thinking about making a change to a new technology or investing in one of the up-and-coming tech options ask themselves several important questions, first.

“How’s it going to materially benefit you?” he stresses. “There must be a clear benefit that connects to your business goals, over time.”

And he adds, “Are we investing in tech that will put us on a good footing to move forward versus tech that’s on its way out? Look on a case-by-case basis, do research, and be forward-thinking.”

FROM SUCCESSION TO SUCCESS

How one shop owner took the reins during an abrupt transition

BY CHRIS JONES

FOR FUTURE SHOP OWNERS

inheriting the business from a family member, having a tangible succession plan and being eased into ownership is the ideal process. Proper planning is advised, but often, life gets in the way. That’s what happened to Nichole Bennecoff, who found herself suddenly thrust into the shop owner role with no prior guidance.

In 2018, Nichole Bennecoff was thrust into ownership of The Subie Guys, a Traverse City, Michigan-based Subaru repair shop, when her father abruptly exited the business. She entered the business with her mother and younger brother---a technician content only with turning his wrench. She was left to navigate uncharted territory. “I had no idea what a KPI (key performance indicators) was when I started that journey,” says

Bennecoff. “You only know what you know, right?”

The Challenge

Without a clear succession plan passed down from her father, Bennecoff had to learn the ins and outs of running an auto repair business on the fly. Though she loved business, she didn’t know the auto care business and invariably had to deal with a steep learning curve.

“It was a lot of digging and learning and trying to figure out where we’re at as a business and what our status was at that time,” Bennecoff says.

Beyond learning how to operate an auto repair shop, she had the challenge of being in the shadow of her father in the eyes of the customers, who noticed his absence from the business.

“When my dad had been the face of

the business, his personality and how he treated people was a big part of the business’s success, which I think you see a lot with family businesses,” Bennecoff says.

Lastly, she found herself face-toface with the problem of zeal without knowledge.

“It can be really overwhelming when you have the desire to do something, but you do not know where to start,” she says. “I asked around … (did) a lot of Google searches, read trade articles, and read Ratchet+Wrench stories of other shop owners and what they did.”

The Solution

One of Bennecoff’s first moves was to get a snapshot of the shop’s financial health. She hired a bookkeeper to review the shop’s financials, which were found to be “not completely up

to date” she says. Next, she enlisted the help of a few coaches along the way—Gerry and Laura Frank, Bill Hill and Leigh Anne Best, and Mike Tatich. Finally, she immersed herself in individual and collaborative education, like reading industry publications and attending trade events.

“(I did) a lot of research and digging for resources,” Bennecoff says. “Then I went to my first Ratchet+Wrench conference and I was just blown away

She attributes it to understanding the business, how it works, and following proven methods, like tracking KPI to set

back, take inventory of the business, and figure out where your strengths and weaknesses lie in growing the business, then you can make the necessary adjustments and create a profitable shop.

“Before it was like, the cars come in, we work on them, we get paid,” says Bennecoff. “Once you learn the factors, you start to see that you can do things on purpose.”

She also relied on setting goals, which works like gamification. In getting her

“Once you learn the factors, you start to see that you can do things on purpose.”

Nichole Bennecoff, owner, The Subie Guys

API Report Assists Oil Marketers with Product Benefit Claims Related to Sustainability Practices

Helps calculate metrics as industry seeks to reduce and evaluate greenhouse gas emissions

BY JEFFREY HARMENING, AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE, SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER – EOLCS/DEF

In our April column, we discussed the growing need for the lubricants industry to clearly define the broadly accepted terminology and methodology for life cycle analysis of lubricant products related to sustainability. With lubricant customers increasingly asking lubricant marketers for sustainability metrics, developing guidelines for calculating metrics became a critical area for API to focus on as the industry seeks to reduce and evaluate greenhouse gas emissions.

In June 2021, the API Lubricants Group commissioned a work group of industry subject matter experts to define terminology and outline methodology for life cycle assessment of lubricants and specialty products in the marketplace. In May, the result of this effort, API Technical Report (TR) 1533, Lubricants Life Cycle Assessment and Carbon Footprinting – Methodology and Best Practice was published and it is available to all free of charge on the API website.

The report defines terminology and identifies industryspecific practices for life cycle assessment of lubricants and specialty products. The main goal is to promote harmonization and consistency in the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Carbon Footprints of Products (CFP) across the lubricants industry and to assist those marketers who have yet to begin their own sustainability journey to have consensus-based guidance to help them through the challenging process.

Through an open process and by working with other lubricant associations around the world, the report will also help to move toward harmonized global practices while minimizing individual requirements across global markets.

API TR 1533 also contains an impressive listing of publicly available domestic and international data sources which may prove useful to practitioners. As new data sources become available to the public, the website given above will be continuously updated. And, of course, API will continue to work with industry experts to further improve this publication as the science progresses.

Development of API TR 1533

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Carbon Footprints of Products (CFP) are established methodologies used to quantify the environmental performance of products, processes, or services, and are increasingly being used as a basis for environmental decision-making along the supply chain. LCA includes multiple impact categories while CFP focuses specifically on the impact category of “climate change,” which is associated with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions/removals.

The framework for creating API TR 1533 is based on standards from the International Organization for Standardization - LCA (ISO 14040/14044) and CFP (ISO 14067). These standards provide guiding principles; however, choices are still left to the practitioner performing the study. These choices can have significant impacts on the outcome of a performed assessment. Alignment on these choices is needed to allow for a fair comparison of results from different studies. API TR 1533 seeks to further define these choices.

The Lubricant Life Cycle, Briefly

API TR 1533 defines the six stages of the lubricant life cycle and provides guidance for evaluation of each phase. The stages are as follows:

• Raw materials

• Production

• Packaging

• Logistics

• In-use

• End-of-life

API believes this publication will help to enhance customer confidence with product benefit claims related to sustainability, not only for the NOLN community, but to all consumers of lubricants.

“Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Carbon Footprints of Products (CFP) are established methodologies used to quantify the environmental performance of products, processes, or services“

Enhance Your Customer Experience with Technology

BY ANDY BALDASSARRE,

Getting the customer experience right is essential for retention in quick lube shops; and technology is playing an increasingly important role as digital tools are used in nearly every step of the customer interaction. From appointment scheduling to presenting maintenance recommendations, performing inspections, and providing follow-up, the primary goal of these technologies should be to provide a more personalized and efficient customer experience.

Before the Appointment

Managing customer relationships has always been important to businesses, but using technology to manage relationships has turned it into a science. Today’s automotive software typically includes features such as appointment scheduling, contact management, and service history tracking.

Appointment scheduling allows customers to schedule service appointments online, which can be integrated into the shop’s schedule, reducing the need for customers to wait on hold for an appointment. Many shops undervalue the importance of this feature. Scheduling and keeping appointments is the ultimate show of respect for your customer’s time.

Contact management allows automotive pros to store and organize customer information, such as contact details, vehicle information, and service history. This information can be used to personalize interactions with customers and provide tailored service recommendations.

Finally, service history tracking allows service advisors to view past repairs and maintenance, which can be used to provide more accurate service recommendations and address any recurring issues. This is crucial for when your customer passes up a recommendation for a needed service at an appointment. Using this information, a service advisor can be sure the service gets completed in due time.

During the Appointment

The customer experience starts before your customer arrives at the shop, but when they do arrive, that’s when you can really hit it out of the park with technology. In my experience, service advisors and technicians who use digital menus sell more services than those who don’t.

One of the primary advantages of digital menus is that they allow

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customers to have a more convenient and transparent service experience. Rather than relying on a service advisor to explain the various services available, many digital menus include visual aids, such as service videos and image slides, that customers can view to make an informed decision about which services they want performed on their vehicle.

Digital menus can also be used to upsell services to customers. For example, if a customer is getting an oil change, the digital menu can prompt them to consider other services, such as a tire rotation, brake inspection, or fluid exchange.

Another key benefit of digital menus in shops is that they can be easily updated with new services, prices, and special offers. This allows the shop manager or owner to quickly adapt to market changes and customer preferences.

Technology like this improves the customer experience because it provides the ultimate transparency in the appointment and allows the customer to be more informed and involved in the maintenance of their vehicle.

After the Appointment

After the appointment, the primary focus is getting the customer to come back. But this work should have already been done. Retention is a natural response when a shop strives to provide a convenient, personalized, and efficient experience. The best way to provide an optimal experience is with the use of technology. That said, there are more steps to take to remind the customer why they chose your shop in the first place.

If you scheduled the next appointment with your customer, it’s at this point that you can use marketing automation to send personalized service reminders and recommendations. Use emails and text messages to offer customized deals for their vehicle. This is also a great way to educate the customer on the services they will need at their next visit. Let the technology do the legwork so that when the appointment day arrives, the customer can again make an informed decision about their maintenance.

By leveraging digital tools and customer-facing technology, quick lube shops can create a more convenient, efficient, and transparent experience for customers. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative ways that it will be used to improve the customer experience.

BG DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & TRAINING

“Today’s automotive software typically includes features such as appointment scheduling, contact management, and service history tracking.”

Are you looking at your business through the customer’s eyes?

BY BILL BEYERLE, AUTOMOTIVE INSTALLED SALES MANAGER, CHEVRON LUBRICANTS ANGI SCHOOLCRAFT, LEAD MARKETING SPECIALIST, CHEVRON LUBRICANTS

Let’s face it: not many people like taking their car in for an oil change any more than they look forward to going to the dentist. Most people are aware it’s something they must do at least a couple of times a year if they want their car (like their teeth) to stay healthy. So, they make time in their busy schedules for an automotive checkup.

Understanding where the customer is coming from, what can you do to turn this not-so-fun chore into a positive experience, or even a memorable one that they might tell their friends about?

With the pandemic receding farther into the rear-view mirror, customers are coming back into automotive service shops, and the customer experience is more important than ever. It is the biggest factor in building a loyal customer base and repeat business. And it doesn’t happen by chance. A good customer experience requires very deliberate thought and action. It requires an ability to look at your business through the customer’s eyes.

So, what do customers “see” when they look at your business. It starts with your exterior façade. Does your facility have “curb appeal?” Is it clean and well kept up? Is your signage working and up to date? Is the landscaping maintained? Does the parking lot look freshly striped? Customers may not actually notice these things, but they will definitely notice a cracked window, faded or peeling paint, a broken sign, and any other flaws in the shop’s appearance.

The interior ambience is just as important. The waiting room should feel like a safe space, inviting and comfortable. The refreshment area should be clean and well stocked. Check the restrooms frequently to make sure they are clean and fully supplied. Even the service area should be orderly and professional-looking. Customers may well judge the quality of your work by the appearance of your workspace.

Employees make the difference

A clean and well-maintained location is certainly important. What really differentiates the customer experience, however, is the customer’s interaction with employees. Every employee should understand that nothing is more important than the customer – that is what keeps the shop in business and keeps them employed.

Customers should feel welcome when they drop off their cars. A friendly greeting and “How can we help you?” will set the tone for the visit. Service techs may not know every customer’s name, but they should be able to look

up their service records on the computer. In the case of a first-time customer, the employee should offer to set them up in the system, which will speed up the check-in process in the future. The rep should also take a moment to make sure the customer’s contact information is current and includes a mobile number for text messages as well as an email address.

Employees should be good listeners. Does the customer have any concerns beyond the scheduled service, anything they want checked out during the inspection? Employees should also be knowledgeable and able to make appropriate product and service recommendations. And they should let customers know when they can expect their car to be ready.

As the service progresses, customers should not be left feeling impatient. If they choose to leave their cars, offer to send them updates by text message. If the technician runs into an issue that requires immediate attention or means a delay in the job, the customer should be informed immediately.

Be sure the customer leaves with a good impression, too. The tech should be able to explain the services performed line-by-line, and the final price should match what the customer has been told. Are you equipped to send receipts by email? That is what many customers prefer these days after the pandemic experience.

When you’re so close to your business every day, it isn’t always easy to see it from the customer’s point of view. Don’t be afraid to seek an outside, unbiased opinion from a friend. Check for any comments on your business on social media. Consider sending follow-up emails to customers asking them about their experience. Now that customers are coming back, it’s important to deliver the kind of experience that will keep them coming back to your shop regularly.

Bill Beyerle has been with Chevron Lubricants for more than 25 years and is currently the Automotive Installed Sales Manager. You can reach him at BillBeyerle@chevron.com. Eric Montanye has been with Chevron for 4 years and has over 20 years of experience in the Lubricants and Automotive Market. You can reach him at ericmontanye@chevron.com.

Angi Schoolcraft has been with Chevron Lubricants for more than 19 years and is currently the lead marketing specialist supporting Havoline®, Havoline xpress lube®, Chevron xpress lube® and Techron®. You can reach her at angi.schoolcraft@chevron.com

“Customers should feel welcome when they drop off their cars. A friendly greeting and “How can we help you?” will set the tone for the visit. “

Normal vs. Severe Service Selecting the Proper Lube Service Interval

BY LARRY HAMMER, TECHNICAL SERVICES, MIGHTY AUTO PARTS

Scheduled vehicle maintenance makes good business sense, especially when compared to costly engine repairs or an engine replacement. Many vehicle owners unknowingly select a service interval that is not healthy for the engine or recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. Most vehicle manufacturers o er two service schedules…Normal and Severe Service. These options have created much controversy when determining what should be considered as Normal or Severe Service conditions. Many vehicle owners assume that they should operate their vehicle under Normal Service conditions and that is often not the case. New engine technology and lubricants have made extended service intervals possible. The following information should illustrate what the correct service schedule should be for the operating conditions.

LUBRICANT FACTS

1. The engine oil serves as a lubricant to prevent the moving parts from making metal-to-metal contact by providing a protective film.

2. The oil serves as a coolant to remove the engine heat, preventing damage to the internal engine components.

3. The oil contains inhibitors to prevent corrosion and detergents to help keep the engine clean, minimizing the accumulation of deposits. When these protective chemicals become diluted, bad things happen in the form of worn or broken parts.

4. The engine oil is exposed to high temperatures that can a ect the life of the additives, the purpose of which is to control the viscosity of the oil and prevent corrosion and deposit formations.

5. Crankcase condensation can promote the formation of acids in the lubricant.

6. The engine oil becomes diluted due to the collection of fuel and moisture in the crankcase. This is prompted by cold starts and short trip driving, which prevents the engine from reaching its normal operating temperature, whereby evaporation will rid the crankcase of the mentioned elements. This is especially a problem in low ambient temperatures.

7. Reduced sump capacities puts stress on the lubricant.

8. Smaller displacement engines work harder, putting more stress on the lubricant.

9. During the combustion event, gases containing fuel, water and acids get past the piston rings, contaminating the crankcase oil, causing a degrading e ect.

Most vehicle owners assume that their driving conditions qualify in the Normal Service category, when the opposite is usually the case. Let’s consider some operating conditions that determine which category the vehicle should be placed in.

SEVERE SERVICE

If the vehicle is driven under one or more of the following conditions, it should be serviced under the Severe Service maintenance interval.

1. Repeatedly short trip driven for distances of five miles or less. If the engine fails to reach its normal operating temperature it cannot burn off the condensation and other contaminants, resulting in an accumulation of sludge, varnish and other deposits.

2. Vehicles driven 10 miles or less in ambient temperatures below freezing.

3. Extended idling, such as taxis, law enforcement vehicles, delivery vehicles, or slow speed driving for long distances, such as in heavy traffic.

4. Vehicles driven in heavy traffic in extreme hot weather (above 90 degrees F).

5. Off-road conditions or a dusty environment.

6. Rough, muddy, sandy, or salt spread roads.

7. Pulling a trailer, top carrier, or boat.

8. Continuous driving while exceeding normal highway speeds.

9. Frequent stopping and starting

NORMAL SERVICE

Highway miles are easy on the engine lubricant. If none of the previously mentioned conditions apply to the operating characteristics of the vehicle, then the maintenance should be performed in accordance with the vehicle manufacturer’s Normal Service schedule. Some vehicles are equipped with an oil life monitoring system that determines the proper service interval, based on certain engine operating characteristics. Maintenance cost is pennies on the dollar compared to the cost of mechanical failures due to poor lubrication resulting from improper maintenance.

Attributes of Entrepreneurs

BY AMBER KOSSAK, CEO OF SOLID START

What are the characteristics of entrepreneurs? In what ways do they think and see differently from other people? Let’s start by defining what an entrepreneur is. The most common definition is “a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so.”

Everything in life involves risk, of course. People who are risk averse may shy away from starting and owning a business. It’s the rewards of business ownership, both personal and financial, that stimulate our interest in entrepreneurial pursuits.

Benefits to the Community

Successful entrepreneurs bring many benefits to our local communities. If you own a business, it not only puts food on your table and a roof over your head, but it also helps other families make ends meet by providing jobs. In addition, many other local businesses are helped. Your employees may pick up lunches in nearby restaurants. Your business will routinely need supplies of various kinds, and local services as well. If you advertise on the radio, TV or in print publications, these local businesses are also helped.

Being a part of the local Chamber of Commerce or a neighborhood business association can also help. Many cities and towns have leaders that seem unaware of the impacts their decisions have on business. Business associations can help educate local leaders, making it easier for businesses to thrive, which generates jobs and strengthens the community’s tax base.

Running a business forces us to grow and develop skills in a variety of areas.

The real benefits of being an entrepreneur are not only for the people you employ and how you can help them but also for the entrepreneurs themselves. Owning and running a small business can be challenging, but it helps us become better people. Just as a good workout helps us exercise all our muscles, so does running a business force us to grow and develop skills in a variety of areas.

The Entrepreneur Mindset – Grace Under Pressure!

Entrepreneurs are self-starters, self-motivated and driven from within. If you don’t have that inner spark, it will be a challenge to maintain that strongminded determination to keep going when the going gets rough.

Courage is definitely another attribute you’ll find in entrepreneurs. It

requires a willingness to take risks when nothing is guaranteed. Hemingway defined courage as grace under pressure.

Big picture thinking is also a must. It’s easy to lose oneself down in the weeds. Entrepreneurs need to be able to regularly step back and get a bird’s-eye view on what’s happening in the company as well as the community, industry and beyond.

Entrepreneur Skillsets - We Can All Benefit

All the personal attributes of leadership apply here. I have heard them called soft skills however, some of the most important; integrity, self-awareness, respect, empathy, ability to delegate and good communication skills.

Another group of intertwined skills would include planning, forecasting and decision making. Leaders develop the ability to foresee consequences of decisions and learn to think before taking action. Like advanced chess players, they learn from experience how to see many moves ahead and understand the likely outcomes in response to their own moves. They become adept at considering alternative options before making commitments.

A subset of planning is problem solving and the ability to prioritize. Prioritizing includes keeping situations in perspective, focusing one’s energy on activities that offer the highest payoff. It also means giving proper weight to threats. Understand that perceptions are not always reality so that a healthy skepticism is sometimes in order. Edgar Allen Poe purportedly observed, “Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.” Before you react, know if it’s a fact.

So what are the characteristics of entrepreneurs?

This is hardly a comprehensive checklist of things entrepreneurs need to work on. Reviewing these qualities and skills can serve as a good guide to your own self-improvement no matter where you are in the organizational chart. All of us can be working on improving ourselves by noticing where we’re weak and giving attention to strengthening ourselves in those areas.

This points to the essential foundation: know yourself. The better you know yourself, including your strengths, weaknesses and blind spots, the more likely you will succeed.

Amber Kossak is the CEO of Solid Start, manufacturer of True Brand Products. She has been in the automotive industry for almost 20 years and is serving on the AOCA board of directors. She can be contacted at kossak@solidstart.com. For more information please visit solidstart.com.

LSAUCIER @FULLSPEEDAUTOMOTIVE.COM

Bring Back the Travel Agent

Helping customers get more done

WHEN YOU ASK MOST PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT they want to do with their life, or what they want to do for fun, most would turn to the idea of traveling the world. Joy enters your eyes as you imagine yourself walking through magical places you had only seen on TV. Eating at places that actually invented the style of food you consume during your “take-out” nights. Digging your feet in the sand as the cold crisp waves gently rise up to your ankle and recede back to the ocean the sun is setting in.

No one in their right mind thinks of the blissfulness of booking the trip. There is no bliss at that stage. In fact, booking a trip can rank up there with going to the dentist or getting the oil changed. As you rummage through the options, searching Facebook for that post that kicked off the whole vacation idea. Realizing you refreshed your feed and you will never see that picture again. Decision paralysis kicks in when you are looking for the right hotel, B&B or resort. If you have kids with an opinion, it can be a million times more difficult. Laying summer schedules over each other to try and find those few days that make sense for everyone. Then going back to the site to see if your chosen resting spot can even accommodate you and your family. You can probably tell what I have been up to lately.

Booking sites meant to be helpful have killed the travel agent business. Those fantastic gods and goddesses of travel can whip up an itinerary fit for the whole family. Instead of handing off the task to a stranger, we have, as a society, decided the internet has given us just as much power, knowledge and energy to do it ourselves. Control seems to trump convenience. As I take a break from the hotel sites, I wonder how this translates into our businesses.

Making Chores Easier

As alluded to earlier, changing oil is one of the most dreaded activities consumers will face. Fear of being oversold by uneducated technicians. They dread waiting in a dirty lobby while their afternoon plans wash away watching their car sit

in line (or worse, in the shop with no one working on it). The idea of someone coming to them explaining technical repairs and maintenance that needs to be done as they reorganize their budget in their head while the service writer waits for an answer.

To our customers, the amount of information online ranging from reviews, websites and Jim the mechanic’s blog creates a level of stress that throws up the wall of “no.” Where we can help is to bring back the travel agent. They’re the person who absorbs the information, spits out a customized plan and helps the customer through their journey. Your service writer should be your travel agent. Remember our customers value convenience over control because they are not shade-tree mechanics. They need you to sort through all the noise and lay out their plans. This could be as simple as training them early on maintenance schedules and getting them used to their owner’s manual. Map out what needs to be done in the near future so they can be prepared. Book them for future travel (aka services).

On the employee side, they are not so much interested in the maintenance schedule, but their personal/professional itinerary. The internet is filled with side gigs economy, rapid professional growth schemes and get rich quick sales pitches. Anyone can stand in front of a car flashing movie money and sell you on the best way to be successful before turning off their camera and returning to their parents’ basement.

It takes a travel agent to gather in the desires of the employee. What do they want to end up doing with their life? Evaluate where they are in your business and identify if your business is a side attraction, bus stop or main event. Be honest, you get more out of someone who can identify you as a stepping stone, gathering the tools and skills to get to the next stone. The person who is sold a bad package of hopes and dreams will quickly come to realize that this stop is where the bums collect the spare change, not the stop that shows them the avenue to walk down on their path. Once they find out your ill intentions, they will exit the bus (usually screaming your bad intent to the world).

The best travel agents look out for their customers (both internal and external). It is our job as leaders to evaluate the desires of our guests and employees so we can lay out their path to the desired outcome. Be the great travel agent. Be the great leader.

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.

LENNY SAUCIER

PHOTO: LENNY SAUCIER

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