NOLN - July 2022

New Roads

A NEW CHAPTER

Mark Bochnowski worked to build a strong quick lube network. After selling the business, they remain steadfast contributors to continued success.

No matter what direction your business takes, seek opportunities to grow PAGE 31

HOW PEER NETWORKING PAYS

PAGE 40

SPOT WARRANTY LAW MISHAPS

PAGE 44

THE NEW HIRING HANDBOOK JULY 2022 � NOLN.NET

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CONTENTS

06 ONLINE

Doggy rescue at Midas 09 EDITOR’S LETTER

Examples of graceful change 10 BY THE NUMBERS

Top-level KPIs for 2022

QUICK HITS 13 INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Are employee assessments for you?

14 AROUND THE INDUSTRY

Costa Oil awards 100th franchise unit 17 ADAPT

FullSpeed Automotive looks ahead 18 SHOP LOOK

Jiffy Lube of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin

SERVICE 37 PIT STOP

Introducing new services 38 TECH+TOOLS

Point-of-sale pointers 40 CASE STUDY

Learning from peers 44 CUSTOMER SERVICE

22 LEAD STORY

The New Hiring Landscape

Managing the labor pool through COVID-19 and beyond.

BY M AT T H U D S O N A ND C A L EB B RO O K S

31 PROFILE

Major Transitions

Spotting warranty law violations

COLUMNS 21 FROM THE SHOP

Beat the summertime heat wave

BY A DA M TAT U M

47 AOCA CORNER

Making customers for life

BY BRETT FRASER

Mark Bochnowski talks about setting up his shops for a brighter future.

50 LEADING EDGE

BY PETER SUCIU

BY LENNY SAUCIER

Don’t let that superstar slip

NOLN, VOL. 37, NO. 07 (ISSN 1071-1260), IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY 10 MISSIONS MEDIA, LLC, 571 SNELLING AVENUE NORTH, ST. PAUL, MN 55104-1804. COPYRIGHT ©2022 BY 10 MISSIONS MEDIA LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NOLN CONTENT MAY NOT BE PHOTOCOPIED, REPRODUCED, OR REDISTRIBUTED WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE PUBLISHER. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ST. PAUL, MN AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTERS SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: NOLN, 571 SNELLING AVENUE NORTH, ST. PAUL, MN 55104-1804.

4

BARK RIVER PHOTOGRAPHY

FE ATURE

Standout Shop Being a part of a larger network doesn’t mean you sacrifice unique qualities. This Wisconsin Jiffy Lube has tons of character.

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07.22 VISIT

NOLN.NET TODAY

PODCAST

THE NOLN PODCAST

A mechanic at a Midas auto shop in Shakopee, Minnesota, recently rescued a dog from the shop’s dumpster.

According to Dog Time, R.J. the mechanic heard a noise coming from the dumpster that he thought was a racoon at first.

“I opened it up, and the dog literally, like, slowly lifted its head and looked up, and I didn’t even know what to say. I just about started crying there.” R.J. said to FOX9 KSMP. The dog had been zipped into a backpack and put into the dumpster by an unknown individual. R.J. saved the dog and has named the pup “Midas,” of course.

Currently, R.J. plans on holding on to the dog and calling him his own. But he is also on the lookout for anyone in the area who may be missing a dog, just in case the dog was stolen before being placed in the dumpster.

The Shakopee Police Department responded to the call when “Midas” was first found.

“Though this story had a happy ending, it could have gone a lot differently.” The department shared in a Facebook post.

Be sure to stay updated with the latest news, events, and warm stories at noln.net.

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Listen to all the episodes and subscribe at: noln.net/podcasts.

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HAPPENING ONLINE: TECHNICIAN RESCUES DOG FROM DUMPSTER

NOLN has expanded its offerings of podcasts, bringing four monthly episodes to the airwaves. The podcast brings operators and industry experts to the screen to go in-depth with the editorial staff on topics that matter to shop owners.

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EDIT LETTER

EDITORIAL CONTENT DIRECTOR

Matt Hudson

SENIOR DIGITAL EDITOR

Noah Brown

DIGITAL REPORTER

Hanna Bubser

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Adam Tatum, Lenny Saucier, Zane Douglas, and David Bellm

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@10missions.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Andrew Johnson, ajohnson@10missions.com MARKETING STRATEGISTS

Marianne Dyal, mdyal@10missions.com Chad Hjellming, chjellming@10missions.com Bob Marinez, bmarinez@10missions.com Martha Severson, mseverson@10missions.com Kyle Shaw, kshaw@10missions.com Dan Thornton, dthornton@10missions.com Sean Thornton, sthornton@10missions.com ASSOCIATE MARKETING STRATEGIST

Kenzie Verschoor, kverschoor@10missions.com CLIENT SERVICE SPECIALIST

Jen George, jgeorge@10missions.com

ART AND PRODUCTION

CREATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR

Zach Pate

ART DIRECTOR

Jonathan Ricketts

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Mitch Bradford, Morgan Glisczinski,

GO WITH THE FLOW

In times of change, it’s time to update your fundamental strategies

PRODUCTION ARTIST

Lauren Coleman

NOLN GENERAL MANAGER AND PRODUCTION MANAGER

Mariah Straub

EVENT PRODUCER

Kate Fahlen

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Meghann Moore

HOW TO REACH US

571 Snelling Avenue North, St. Paul, MN 55104 tel 651.224.6207 fax 651.224.6212 web 10missions.com The annual subscription rate is $72 (U.S.A. only) for companies not qualified to receive complimentary copies of NOLN. Past issue single copies are $8.

Go to noln.net/backissues Send letters to news@noln.net.

For high-quality reprints or e-prints of articles in this issue, call 651.846.9488 or email reprints@noln.net.

Opinions expressed in NOLN are not necessarily those of Endeavor Business Media, and Endeavor Business Media does not accept responsibility for advertising content.

IF I HAD A NICKEL FOR EACH TIME A

shop owner talked to me about the challenges of hiring over the past couple years, this might become a side gig.

It’s not that hiring was ever easy.

But it seems like the lack of qualified candidates, mixed with greater retention challenges, has been the common refrain of business operations during COVID-19 and beyond.

You asked; NOLN answers. This month, you’ll find The New Hiring Handbook (page 22). The advice therein is a mixture of a couple things.

First, get back to the fundamentals.

Bob Cooper from Elite Worldwide was a great resource for this, but he has a way of taking those basic strategies a step further and making them current and applicable to the current situation. I think he had great advice for this piece. Second, you’ll hear from Jason Nastasi, a Florida shop operator who started during the pandemic, hired and grew his staff, and then went into expansion mode. Nastasi really represents what an energetic, engaged operator can do for recruitment and retention when they work on building quality organizations.

For many operators, it may feel like they’re always in some state of transition, whether it’s with staffing, car counts, service changes, or other tasks.

In this month’s profile (page 28), we take a close look at one of the biggest transitions: selling your business. The Bochnowskis were kind enough to offer insight into the sale of a strong quick lube network to Oil Changers, and how they are able to continue building on the strong foundation.

Thanks for reading!

MATT HUDSON

CONTENT DIRECTOR, NOLN

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NUMBERS

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT What is the average quick maintenance operator? The 2022 NOLN Operator Survey offers a bit of insight. This edition represents 1,370 shops across all 50 U.S. states. What follows is the average based on all the respondents received.

FIND OUT MORE

The pages of NOLN are full of stories from shops that are way above average. Check out the June issue profile of Mike Vasheghani and his Texas Kwik Kar by searching for the headline, “Pride, Perseverance, and Passion” at noln.net.

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INDUSTRY INSIGHT

ASSESS FOR SUCCESS

Amidst the current labor and talent shortage, there is opportunity to be found in behavioral assessments.

BY HANNA BUBSER

TEAMS COME IN ALL SIZES, AND EACH

with their own unique distinctions. But they all have one thing in common: they are a team, and a team needs people.

Currently, the automotive aftermarket is faced with labor shortages that can make establishing a cohesive team environment difficult. Finding talent is hard, and if that “hiring” sign hanging outside of your shop is getting a little rusty it may be time to consider a new strategy.

As tempting as it can be to hire someone that looks good on paper, it could hurt your shop more than help it. Claudia St. John, President of Affinity HR Group, recommends implementing behavioral assessments in your hiring process.

“One thing we know is that people fail in their roles. Usually not because of their experience, but because of their attitudes or because of their views—not overt views—but how they’re wired,” says St. John. “These assessments help you identify where somebody has strengths and areas of opportunities for growth, or if they’re just wired in a way that makes them not suited for those roles.”

Consider the Overall Impact Behavioral assessments essentially take the interview process a step further.

They help assure, based on a variety of questions, if an individual will be a good fit for your circumstances. Affinity is a source of assessments like these.

The company uses Mercer Mettl, which offers hundreds of assessments.

These options range from reliability and dependability to proficiency in certain programs such as Microsoft, and higher level functioning.

In the midst of an intense labor shortage, motivation to implement an assessment process may seem like

more work than it’s worth to some, St. John explains.

“The challenge that most shops and owner operators have is it is such a tight labor market,” says St. John. “They don’t want to create one more hurdle that a candidate has to get over in order to fill vacant positions that are critical for the company’s operation.”

It is worth noting that there are costs associated with these assessment programs. St. John understands that in this case, adding extra money to the hiring process can be a lot to ask. But at the same time, mis-hires can be extremely costly.

“The costs of a mis-hire can include damaging relationships with customers, damaging relationships with employees, theft…and on the other side, when somebody leaves after you’ve invested all of this time in training them, there’s a cost involved with that.” St. John explains.

For that reason alone, assessments could prove to be an extremely beneficial tool, even if they don’t automatically ensure success.

“Nobody’s perfect. Nobody’s going to score a thousand percent on one of these assessments,” says St. John. “[Assessments] will definitely show you some areas of opportunity and growth so that it helps you in developing a career path in professional growth opportunities.”

St. John says that a person completing an assessment might show that they are competent in many behavioral areas, but their ability to navigate conflict may be low. That helps managers determine how best to develop that employee.

If interested in bringing them onto the team, a shop owner could decide to take that in stride by incorporating feedback and training to help that potential employee better develop those skills.

QH

Implement From Interview to Promotion Assessments can go beyond new hires.

They can also be taken advantage of when looking to promote an employee.

“There’s not a direct path between doing [a job] and managing others,” St. John explains. “These assessments help identify the specific behavioral gaps that may need to be developed in a potential employee or somebody you’re promoting into that role.”

Additionally, the industry is not only facing a labor shortage, but a talent shortage as well. Assessments can help with this conundrum by showing the full scope of a hire.

“If you’re hiring new talent, who doesn’t have experience, you really don’t have anything to go on other than your gut, if you’re not using testing,” St. John says. “And so the testing will help you say if they don’t have experience, but they’re behaviourally a match or behaviorally well-suited for the job, we can teach the experience.”

Establish Consistency Conquering the current labor market is all about making informed decisions and aiming for quality and retention.

Assessments can aid in this approach, but there is not a simple one-size-fitsall solution.

Research needs to be done ahead of time in order to assure that the assessments being implemented are relevant to the roles being hired for its behavioral aspects. Assessments need to have validity for the role and cannot have a discriminatory approach.

St. John also stresses that in order for these assessments to be successful, there needs to be consistency.

“You don’t have to test everybody,” St. John says. “You may just want to test your supervisors on up, but you should be testing all of your supervisor positions, not just the ones that you say, ‘Hmm I’m not sure about this person.

Let’s test them.’ You really need to integrate it into your overall process.”

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AROUND THE INDUSTRY

COSTA OIL MARKS 100 FRANCHISED LOCATIONS

Costa Oil 10 Minute Oil Change has recently awarded its 100th franchised location.

According to a news release, this milestone location is planned for Mesa, Arizona, and comes along with the announcement of two new company-owned shops in the Quad City area of Illinois.

There will be one corporate store in Milan, Illinois opening on June 17, and the second opens on July 1 in East Moline, Illinois.

Costa Oil 10 Minute Oil Change uses a drive through oil change model, no appointment necessary.

HOT TEMPS IN ARIZONA

JIFFY LUBE NAMES FRANCHISEE OF THE YEAR

The Alamitos Group, a Jiffy Lube franchisee, has been recognized

by Jiffy Lube International Inc. as “Franchisee of the Year.”

According to a press release, this award is bestowed to a franchisee that represents the brand’s core values.

“The Alamitos Group has demonstrated a true commitment to developing talent and growing their business,” said Edward Hymes, president of Jiffy Lube International, Inc. in the press release.

“From providing comprehensive training around delivering a consistent, outstanding customer experience to helping guide employees’ career development, this franchise is committed to the consumers they serve, their employees and the brand.”

The Alamitos Group owns and operates 22 Jiffy Lube service centers including eight in the Greater Little Rock area and 14 in Greater Los Angeles.

14

The Group has shown local commu-

nity commitment through organized give back efforts, donated time and effort and a reimbursement plan for employees who spend time supporting community service activities.

“The entire Alamitos Group team is honored to receive the ‘Franchisee of the Year’ award,” said Mike Biddle, chief operating officer of The Alamitos Group in the press release. “As a family-owned and operated franchise, we strive to offer an inclusive, positive and engaging work environment for our employees and are truly dedicated to providing consumers with quality automotive services to help keep their vehicle on the road. Our team is laser focused on our three tenets: Quality-Speed-Service.”

The Alamitos Group has been a franchisee of Jiffy Lube since 1995.

As temperatures rise in states such as Arizona, preventative car maintenance is proving to be crucial.

According to KYMA, Arizona’s Governor Doug Ducey recently declared the last week in May as “Heat Awareness Week”, and some of that awareness has led to more drivers visiting shops for preventative vehicle maintenance.

Some drivers stopped in to get oil changes before traveling out of town for Memorial Day weekend. Others, it appears, waited a little too long and their vehicles suffered in the heat.

“I have a Jeep Wrangler and I was stuck on the side of the road cause it overheated and it started smokin’ and now I’m gonna have to get a new car,” said one such driver named Tinsley Satterfield in the article.

The Arizona Department of Transportation sent out a heat awareness safety tips for drivers that recommended getting batteries tested and ensuring that jumper cables are kept on-hand.

Russel McCloud, co-owner of Accurate Automotive Attention in Yuma, says that overheating is a common vehicle

NOLN ARCHIVES

MAKE MAINTENANCE A MUST

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issue in the area as well as tire problems caused by hot roads.

For shops offering preventative maintenance in high temp states like Arizona, perhaps more customers will be scheduling a visit soon to avoid the headache of a larger repair.

its newest Take 5 Oil Change as a franchisee.

According to a press release, the location is Knoxville, Tennessee. Take 5 Oil Change has over 700 locations nationwide.

Stella Blue Ventures has opened eight franchise locations over the last year and a half.

This new location marks the eighth Take 5 Oil Change overall in Eastern Tennessee and the second in Knoxville.

Stella Blue Ventures operates Take 5 Oil Change locations out of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky.

VALVOLINE PURCHASES REMAINING INTEREST IN VCA SOLUTIONS

Valvoline has announced the purchase of an outstanding 50 percent interest from its former partner regarding a VCA Solutions joint venture.

According to a press release, the purchase was finalized and effective May 1.

VCA Solutions is an automotive batteries and battery testing equipment distributor.

Through this acquisition of VCA, Valvoline is able to equip its store locations with what they need to go beyond oil changes by offering more battery care for their customer’s cars.

“Batteries play a critical role in vehicle reliability both in vehicles today and in the future,” said Jamal Muashsher, president, Global Products in the press release. “Automotive installers, including VIOC service centers, have a continuous need to service consumers’ vehicles beyond oil changes.

The acquisition of VCA Solutions adds to our robust offering of preventive maintenance products and solutions designed to meet our customers’ needs.”

VCA Solutions was established in 2019 between Valvoline and Club Assist. Club Assist is a global supplier of automotive lead-acid and AGM batteries. In the past, Valvoline had 50 percent ownership in VCA. Through this new acquisition, Valvoline will now oversee operations.

TAKE 5 FRANCHISEE OPENS NEW LOCATION IN KNOXVILLE

Stella Blue Ventures LLC has announced the grand opening of

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K E Y I N S I G H T S , T R E N D S A N D S T R AT E G I E S F O R T O M O R R O W ’ S I N D U S T R Y—T O D AY

FULLSPEED AUTOMOTIVE IS IN FOR THE LONG HAUL

Kevin Kormondy outlines his company’s approach to navigating the EV transition

BY NOAH BROWN

If 2021 was the Year of the EV and promises of an all-electric future, let’s consider 2022 as the year to figure out how to keep those promises.

This isn’t the first time a trendy new technology has garnered national headlines, but the emergence and rapidly growing prominence of electric vehicles over the last couple of years has become more than just a fad.

“Nothing that I can think of has gotten the amount of attention (as EVs), both from a governmental approach as well as the amount of coverage and notoriety,” says Kevin Kormondy, CEO of FullSpeed Automotive. “Electric vehicles are seen as a very substantial way to address some of those environmental issues while driving us toward fewer carbon emissions.”

Because of that sustained attention, aftermarket shops are caught in the middle of a balancing act: Though EVs still only account for less than 1 percent of the total number of vehicles on the road in the U.S., there will come a time in the next decade when that percentage will drastically jump, making it hard to completely ignore the coming wave.

Kormondy says that he understands and appreciates the apprehension about when and how much to invest in EVs comes from shop owners. However, specifically for quick oil shops, many of the same services that are offered for ICEs–brakes, tires, wiper blades, filters, etc.–are applicable to EV service as well.

“They are and they aren’t dramatically different,” Kormondy says. “EVs still have a need for many of the services that we provide beyond just changing the oil. There are a number of services that we provide in the normal course for our oil change customers that are certainly portable over to fully electric vehicles.”

Kormondy says oil change facilities in general, and FSA’s Grease Monkey and SpeeDee brands specifically, are uniquely positioned to handle the EV transition as well or better than any other segment of the automotive aftermarket.

“From our perspective and the way that our systems have been established, we’ve always addressed opportunities to help our guests with more than just a straight oil change,” Kormondy says.

“As we take care of our guests, we look to review those things so

S E P T. 2 4 -2 5 • D A L L A S - F O R T W O R T H , T E X A S .

that we can take care of them from a convenience and overall great guest experience point.

The real hurdle for quick lubes, then, isn’t what services are being offered. Instead, it’s about making sure EV owners know that they can still come to your shop for those services.

“There’s a marketing element that we need to develop that we haven’t yet that makes EV owners aware of those services … and endear those EV customers to our locations,” Kormondy says.

FullSpeed is currently in the formulative stages of developing an EV-specific service package, though Kormondy says it probably won’t look much different than its current service offering.

The point isn’t to drastically change the service but instead change the public perception of who can get that service.

“We’re certainly conscious of the (EV) market and the planned growth for the market … and we’re addressing thoughts and ideas as to how we can participate more effectively with that population of vehicles as it evolves,” Kormondy says, “but we’re also realistic enough to realize that today, the bulk of the cars that out there on the road are prime candidates for our services.”

Some of that shift in public perception will occur naturally over time. Since many automakers’ electric offerings are only a couple of years old, those vehicles are still under warranty. As those vehicles age, more owners will begin looking to the aftermarket for repairs and maintenance.

Other parts of that shift fall to companies such as FullSpeed.

As one of the largest quick oil brands in the nation, Kormondy says FullSpeed as a franchisor has an opportunity and a responsibility to set the direction for its company-owned and franchised locations.

“Our organization gives us the opportunity, just with the way that we’re structured, to test different things in different markets collaboratively with our franchisees or with (our company-owned stores) as we look ahead as to what our game plan is going to be to determine what is going to work,” he says.

The shift to EVs will be a slow one, playing out over the next several decades. While larger companies such as FullSpeed have the resources to develop tools and services for EVs through test markets and research, the fruits of that investment won’t become apparent for quite some time.

Because of that, Kormondy says it would be in the best interest for smaller shops to dip their toes and not dive in head-first.

“If I’m an independent shop owner, I’d keep my ear to the ground,” Kormondy says, “but I don’t know that I’d go out there today and invest a whole lot of money in whatever equipment or technology is necessary until things start to develop more completely and with a clearer path.”

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

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S H O P LO O K

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STAFF SIZE:

8

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BY MAT T HUDSON PHOTOS BY BARK RIVER PHOTOGRAPHY

BUILT FOR THE COMMUNITY This shop opened in March 2022 in a community west of Milwaukee. Steve Isom, executive vice president at Stonebriar Auto Services, says that the land parcel is a former farm site.

Followers of Stonebriar’s new construction will notice the distinctive look of this shop. The pitched A-frame roof and some of the other design elements were required by the local government. Isom says that the franchisee worked with local officials on many details of the build. The light fixtures, roof style, and other exterior elements were part of that cooperation.

“The exterior finish of the brick was required by the city,” Isom says. “The window at the top of the peak.”

It’s not a typical style for Stonebriar, which has been

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building new Multicare locations across the country. But the result in Oconomowoc is a distinctive and functional quick lube.

MULTICARE MODEL Like all Stonebriar

builds, this shop is made for the Multicare model of service, which incorporates additional service and replacement elements. This building features two traditional drive-thru bays and an additional tandem bay opposite of the customer waiting area. The tandem bay, which is two bays deep, is where some of the longer services are done.

“The fact that it’s three bays instead of four, with that third bay being a tandem bay, that’s more based on the size of the lot to be able to fit everything ,we had to do that,” Isom says.

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H AV E A N O U T S TA N D I N G S H O P T O S H A R E ? E M A I L N E W S @ N O L N . N E T

The basement doesn’t extend to the tandem bay area, but there is space for lifts and other equipment for jobs that require a bit more time.

Plus, the regular flow of quick lube work isn’t disrupted by this layout.

“If all they want is a fast oil change, we’ve got that,” Isom says. “The Multicare doesn’t slow it down at all.

But if they need something else, we’ve got it.”

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES Isom says that Stonebriar new builds put a premium on the customer perception while in the shop. That extends to some of the perks in the waiting area, like coffee and water. But it also includes how the shop is laid out and where items are stored.

“Out in the shop, everything has a place,” Isom says.

“You don’t see tools out on a cart, no inventory upstairs, everything is downstairs.”

That might mean that certain items aren’t readily available for techs to grab while upstairs, including wipers, filters, or other items. But the clean look of the shop bays makes a big impression on customers. The sleek look of an automotive bay might not be something customers are used to seeing.

“It’s not like they specifically notice that it’s different, they just notice that it’s different from any shop they’ve seen before,” Isom says.

That’s just one part of the overall experience that Isom says the company wants to cultivate.

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6/9/2022 8:51:35 AM

FROM THE SHOP

c

Beat the Heat

Tips to keep your employees safe in the summer heat WELCOME TO THE SUMMERTIME!

ADAM

TATUM

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.

ATAT U M

LUCAS MOORE

@VALUBE.COM

This is the busiest time of the year for our industry. We do the most cars between June and September as people start traveling and taking those much-needed vacations. This is going to wear out your team much faster in the environment that is Summer, the heat. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), from 2004 to 2018, an average of 702 heat-related deaths (415 with heat as the underlying cause and 287 as a contributing cause) occurred in the United States annually.

Below we will discuss some ways to keep your team safe and energized in the shops.

Stay Hydrated This should be a given, as most people will grab something to drink when it’s hot outside. However, what they are grabbing may not be the answer. Sodas are not going to keep you hydrated and your body moving.

Do not wait until you are thirsty!

Drink water throughout the day to prevent dehydration or over exhaustion. Another alternative is all-natural juice without added sugar not only provides hydration, but it also has important nutrients to keep you active and nourished in hot weather. Vitamin C is just one of them.

Sugar is not your friend in the heat. Suggestion for operators is to go buy some 5-gallon water coolers and order Gatorade mix from Amazon. They make one bucket a day and fill up water bottles. Your crew will stay hydrated and thank you for the drinks.

Air Flow In the heat of summer, your crew will always try to find a way to get into you are air conditioned. This may not always be a good thing as we work in a shop environment. This all means that we may be tracking in dirt and grease into our lobbies. All that does not lead to the best customer experience, right? So, there is a way to keep your guy’s cooler without having them break away from service and increasing customer wait times.

Bring in fans for the bay areas. These can be installed and look profession and will move hot air out of the bays, keeping your team a tad cooler. You have a few good options for this. There are nice, big fans for lower bay from Uline. These push a lot of air around and are a little expensive, but well worth it. The upper bay has more options. One good on that I have found is a

smaller, circular fan that can be mounted on the walls.

They are about 20-26 inches across and when turned on, they do not interfere with changing the oil on the cars but will keep the technicians a little happier.

Watch for Warning Signs As the weather gets warmer, it is important to know the difference between heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

Heat exhaustion occurs when the body loses excess amounts of water and salt, typically from sweating. On the other hand, heat stroke is a serious medical emergency that occurs when your body is unable to control its internal temperature.

Knowing the signs and symptoms of these two conditions could save your life or that of a co-worker.

Both heat stroke and heat exhaustion are caused by your body’s inability to cool itself. Sweat is your body’s natural tool for cooling you down. If you over-exercise or work strenuously in hot weather or a heated room, your body may have difficulty producing enough sweat to keep you cool. You can tell that you are suffering from heat exhaustion when you have symptoms such as general weakness, heavier sweating, weak pulse, clammy skin, and lightheadedness.

Other causes of heat exhaustion and heat stroke include: • dehydration • wearing heavier, tight clothing • consuming alcohol If you are experiencing heat exhaustion for an extended period of time, it can lead to heat stroke.

Heat stroke can come on quickly if it is extremely hot or you’re overexerting yourself. That is why it is important to begin treatment at the first signs of heat exhaustion. If you feel any of those symptoms, find a cool place and sit down. Drink water and stay hydrated. If you cannot get your temperature down, seek medical attention.

I know that each of you may have your own plans in place to tackle the summer heat. Some other good ones are to add a body or two to the roster to lower the time that your team is working in a day. You could also set up cooling areas for the crew that are away from the customers. At the end of the day, look for ways to keep your team safe this Summer that you can add to your recruiting plans.

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In times of labor challenges, focus on your foundation

By Caleb Brooks & Matt Hudson

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THE NEW HIRING HANDBOOK

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OVID-19 changed the hiring landscape for shop owners. That’s the reality.

Jason Nastasi knows this just as well as any operator. He opened his first Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers shop in May 2020, just as the pandemic became widespread. Like others, he was looking to make his own success in life as an entrepreneur.

“I made the jump to starting my own shop because I wanted to build my own legacy,” Nastasi says. “I wanted to leave something behind for my kids.”

Hiring has been a constant challenge for the entirety of Nastasi’s shop ownership, he says. The COVID influence has certainly played a part. As a smaller startup, Nastasi had to work for every new hire. One fundamental challenge was getting prospective employees in the door to assess their customer service skills.

“Due to COVID, I couldn’t get people to come into the shop to meet face to face,” Nastasi says. “It is really important that I meet someone in person.”

He’s certainly not alone. Operators who participated in the 2022 NOLN Operator Survey overwhelmingly commented that finding workers was among the biggest challenges—if not the overall top challenge—of ownership in recent years.

Bob Cooper, president of the coaching and training outfit Elite Worldwide, agrees that the hiring landscape has changed.

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The pandemic caused people to gravitate toward remote work and rethink what lines of work they wanted.

“The reality of it is whether it be entry level, oil change people or skilled technicians, that pool is thin of people who have that attitude and ethics,” Cooper says.

But he sees an opportunity in this shift. It’s a chance for operators to become more proactive to find the right candidates for their operation—those who have the core skills to become great technicians and more.

Creating Great Technicians One attitude shift that Cooper would like to see among shop owners is that they aren’t always searching for a technician from the outset. They’re searching for great people who can become technicians.

“Most shop owners will tell you that they don’t have time to grow their own apprentices,” he says. “But what’s intriguing is that the majority of shop owners will tell you they started on the end of a broom, too.”

Quick lube operators have great opportunities in this area, because they’re often looking for less experienced candidates with good qualities.

Cooper says he looks for attitude, aptitude, and ethics. With those boxes checked, a good manager can create a solid pathway for success.

Nastasi says that he’s proactive at the local high schools to talk to students

Blue-collar j here, they ar anywhere, a can make a l in the trade

about automotive careers. The pandemic didn’t change the need for skilled trade workers.

“I want these kids to know that they don’t need to go to college to make good money,” Nastasi says. “Blue-collar jobs are here, they aren’t going anywhere, and people can make a lot of money in the trades.”

Nastasi is also targeting workers in certain fields who have the fundamental skill set he’s seeking. Instead of focusing on technician experience for all hires, Nastasi prioritized other traits in employees. These traits are personability and customer service.

“When I hire, I am looking for the old waiters and bartenders,” says Nastasi. “I want the people with real customer service experience.”

In Nastasi’s view, it is easier to train someone with good customer service in

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llar jobs are ey aren’t going re, and people ke a lot of money rades.”

—Jason Nastas, Owner Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers

Always Be Closing

Recruiting isn’t a periodic task.

Bob Cooper, president of Elite Worldwide, says that recruiting should happen all the time.

“Shop owners don’t understand the true economic values that come along with recruiting 24/7,” he says.

Cooper has some creative ways of getting the word out about a shop’s values and mission, based on his strategy of reaching skilled techs who might be working at another business.

“Put together some stickers,” he says. “Every time they do an oil service they can put a sticker on the filter with a QR code.”

oil changes than it is to train a technician to have good customer service.

That’s exactly why Nastasi offers a robust employee training program, enabling someone to walk off of the street and become an oil and lube technician.

From there, it’s important to keep a pathway ahead of each employee.

“My employees have advancement and clear career progression,” Nastasi says. “Realizing that they can make more money and get better at their careers pulls employees to my shop over a large chain.”

Lean on Culture Whether you’re looking for someone who’s new to the industry or someone with automotive experience, there’s one factor that needs to be in place: a great company culture. This has never been more important than in the COVID

environment, when employees are reconsidering what they value in their jobs or careers.

“People don’t go to work for companies,” Cooper says. “They go to work for people.”

Nastasi wants this to be immediately noticeable by customers and potential hires when they come into the shop.

Everyone is talking, joking, and enjoying themselves while maintaining professionalism. Those kinds of impressions are huge boosts for hiring.

“If I can just get people into the shop to see that culture, I can hire them easily,” Nastasi says. “Working in a fun place with a good culture beats working at home alone all day.”

That culture is the bridge that attracts employees with no experience, but it can also lure more skilled workers away from other operations.

Perhaps a great pit tech will get curious and scan the code.

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THE NEW HIRING HANDBOOK

Marketing Your Culture Cooper says that years ago, he had a moment of enlightenment. It was a new way to look at how operators can attract skilled technicians.

The basic premise is that the skilled technicians that you want aren’t out there on the job search. Most often, they’re at other shops. The challenge is getting their attention.

“You don’t reach them, you reach their social circle,” Cooper says. “You reach their family and friends and let them do the work for you.”

Everything you’ve read so far in this article sets up this strategy. First, operators need to define what qualities they want in prospective employees and what kind of shop culture fosters those qualities. Don’t breeze through this step, either.

Cooper says that it took a year for his team to finalize a mission statement.

“We're really big supporters of mission statements,” he says.

Once that’s set, it’s time to approach hiring like a marketing project. And the goal is reaching your target hire’s social circles.

For example, Cooper says that you could set up a radio advertisement for an open shop position. The core message in that radio ad isn’t necessarily the skills you need from the employee, but the values you want the employee to have. The ad says that a shop is looking for a skilled technician who puts people before money and always does the right thing.

Your target applicant might not hear the commercial, but members of their social circle will. It could be family or friends, and they’ll make the recommendation to your target hire, because they want to see their loved one working for an upstanding organization.

Cooper says that he first tested this strategy out with a client who had a go-getter attitude, and it worked great.

“Not only did he get leads, but the service bays filled up,” he says.

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Invest in Your Core Group Many hiring strategies come with a reminder to always keep some focus on the existing staff. Ensure their needs are met and that they are benefitting from the culture that was set up to attract outside hires.

Cooper says that it’s an employee’s heart that will leave the business long before their toolbox does. And it’s up to operators to reach out early to stop that process.

The first step that Nastasi takes in this process is getting to know not only a new hire, but also their families and loved ones.

By doing this, Nastasi turns his employees into family.

“I strengthen that atmosphere by taking care of my employees as if they were family,” says Nastasi. “If they are having issues at home, we take care of

them by giving them the time and support they need.”

Part of this support comes through incentivizing career advancement. Nastasi never wants his employees to end up in a dead-end career. At Nastasi’s shops, his employees are incentivized to move up in the auto industry. This is accomplished by paying for employees’ certification tests and offering bonuses when they pass.

In a circular way, this contributes back to the recruitment process. Create a great culture for your current employees, and others are going to want to come join. It’s as simple as that.

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?

Questions about the future of your business?

Valvoline has answers: Sell Your Quick Lube.

Grow Your Quick Lube.

Valvoline has acquired more than 600 quick lubes since 2014 and we’re ready to buy more. Our ownership transitions aim to protect your legacy by focusing on you, your employees and your customers.

Join the hundreds of quick lube owners who benefit from our industry-leading program. You’ll maintain your independence while enjoying benefits of the Express Care platform that can help increase the profitability and value of your quick lube.

Learn More

www.ValvolineQuickLubes.com Call Gayle McMillin at (859) 357-7303

TM

Trademark, Valvoline or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries.

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Service mark, Valvoline or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries.

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Each year,

National Oil & Lube News compiles this list to highlight the top brands in the field—organizations that shape the quick lube industry today. The list represents the diverse group of automotive professionals and businesses that work every day to keep America’s vehicles on the road and working properly. While it’s the goal of NOLN to highlight lube shop operators big and small, this list shows how the biggest companies are growing to meet the needs of customers and support staff members and their families.

For 2021, the TOPS in the Industry list is supplemented with a new Q&A supplement from a major industry stakeholder. Be sure to check that out, as well as this month’s feature story that highlights the growth of operators who work in some of the top maintenance brands.

Special thanks to Valvoline for sponsoring this edition of TOPS.

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7

1

2

3

4

5

Jiffy Lube

Valvoline Instant Oil Change

Take 5 Oil Change

Grease Monkey

Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers

2,015

1,557

732

494

233

8

9 10 11 12

Valvoline Express Care

Havoline xpress lube

Oil Changers

Strickland Brothers 10 Minute Oil Change

Performance Plus Oil Change

American Lubefast

Snappy Lube

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99

45

44

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Victory Lane Quick Oil Change

Castrol Premium Lube Express

Uncle Ed’s Oil Shoppe

Oilstop

Prompto 10 Minute Oil Change

Costa Oil 10 Minute Oil Change

Fast Change Lube and Oil

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Sponsored by

Justin Strickland is the Founder, CEO, and President of the fastest growing quick lube franchise in the US: Strickland Brother’s 10 minute Oil Change. He sat down with NOLN to talk about the challenges Strickland Brother’s faced and how they have navigated their rapid growth.

Can you summarize the challenges of rapidly growing the way that Strickland Brothers has?

While there are many challenges to growing a business as fast as we are attempting to grow, I would say the most challenging functions are: 1. Alignment- One of the most challenging parts of a CEO’s responsibility is to align the interests and emotions of short term shareholders, long term shareholders, employees, strategic vendors and others. The vision must be so concise, clear and communicated throughout the organization that it can not be misunderstood. The vision of the company and how we get there is not something that can be held internal. It is something that must be shared and must be agreed upon throughout the organization. Otherwise, you get a lot of people working hard with no real movement.

2. Human Capital- In the most challenging labor market I have ever been a part of, finding employees can feel nearly impossible. In the past 24 months, we have averaged a new job being created on average every 1.5 business days meaning not only do we have to find ways for retention, we must find ways to recruit new talent to join our efforts. The cliche saying ‘Get the right people on the bus and put them in the right

seats” is very true yet few companies have found ways to quantify that. I think that investing time into considering what makes someone the right person and proves they are in the right seat is worth that investment if you plan to have a large scale.

Make no mistake about it, the most important capital in any business is the human capital. This ties directly into your culture as well.

How is the Strickland Brothers model built to scale in this way?

Our leadership team, collectively, discusses vision planning regularly. We then convert our vision into actionable items and smaller goals to reach a 10 year BHAG. The company must know who they are, where they are going and why.

Everyone in the company should know that information, not just the founder. At Strickland Brothers, we have created a highly collaborative, driven culture and entrepreneurial environment.

I spend a substantial portion of my time considering our organizational chart. My efforts are trying to envision what our infrastructure needs will be 6 months into the future, how they fit into our company, what steps should be taken to prepare for that and who do we look for if it’s an external hire? I also challenge our leaders

to determine on a quarterly basis to ensure that our co workers are focused on the right things that move the ball down the field.

Everything can’t be important. If everything is important, nothing is. Dr Covey has a terrific example online of prioritizing items using a drinking glass, rocks, pebbles, sand & water. I highly recommend watching that video. While he is discussing a personal environment, it is easily applicable to your professional life as well.

Scalability is no walk in the park. It is very difficult but possible. It takes quite a bit of strategic thinking and vision planning. We have always been very entrepreneurial- not just me but our entire office. I regularly encourage innovation and creativity. We just have phenomenal people to support our programs.

How do you see the quick maintenance business changing in the next 10 years?

I see it becoming even more monopolized by large players. I do not foresee a lot of independent facilities left in 10 years. I think that we can expect to see additional service offerings such as Jiffy Lube’s Multi Care, car wash roll up concepts amongst other initiatives as well.

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WE BUY QUICK LUBES

685 685 LOCATIONS PURCHASED SINCE JANUARY 2014, AND COUNTING! Valvoline is seeking single and/or multiple locations performing 7500+ oil changes per year. ™

Contact Gayle McMillin

859-357-7303

lgmcmillin@valvoline.com 30

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PROFILE

FORMER OPERATOR OF THE YEAR MAKES NEW TRANSITION

Facing major changes, these operators sought new opportunities for growth By: Peter Suciu

Photography by Maya Isabella Photography

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PROFILE

TACKLING THE TRANSITION Three generations have operated the El Paso, Texas-based Lube 'n Go franchise since it was founded in December of 1976.

While many family businesses are passed down from generation to generation, Mark Bochnowski had not been raised to be just the heir apparent who would take over when company leadership decided it was time to hang it up.

Bochnowski had to prove himself, and that’s what he did. He started at the business in 1997, when he approached his father, John Bochnowski, with a business plan on where he'd like to see the company go. Instead of expanding—which the company had done in the 1990s by opening shops in New Mexico—John and Mark took the company in a different direction, which involved serving one community with superior services.

Those efforts paid off as Lube 'n Go's shops had become the top provider of vehicle inspections in El Paso County. The company was proud of that status, and Bochnowski secured NOLN’s Operator of the Year award in 2017.

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When it was decided last year that expansion to a new market wasn't the right move, Bochnowski found himself at a crossroads. He still wanted to see the company grow, and that is when he and his father made a huge decision.

They decided to sell Lube 'n Go to California-based Oil Changers. The deal, which was announced in October 2021, added 14 locations to Oil Changers' portfolio, as well as a key move into a new state.

It was good for the Lube 'n Go customers and employees alike, and it wasn't the end of the line for Bochnowski, either, who stepped into the new role of vice president of business development for Oil Changers. In that role, he’s still able to contribute to the industry that he’s helped build.

THE DECISION TO SELL Making it through a pandemic, facing higher operating costs and seeing uncertainty might be enough to convince many a business owner that it was time

MARK BOCHNOWSKI WORKED TO B TO SELL, HE

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to sell and retire to the beach—or, in the Bochnowskis’ case, to the golf course.

Yet, that wasn't the motivation for Mark or his father.

"The pandemic really didn't have any role in our decision," Bochnowski says. "My dad and I talked about it, and we wanted to grow the business, but not by the past expansion we had tried. We wanted to do what was best for our employees."

They considered many options, including bringing in partners or seeking outside investors. But in the end the decision was made to merge with Oil Changers, and to join their established team.

"This wasn't a merger we needed, and our business had really never been better," Mark is quick to point out. "But we really wanted to do what was right for our employees and our customers. This was really the right move to make."

FOCUSING ON THE CUSTOMER

WSKI WORKED TO BUILD ON HIS FAMILY'S SUCCESS AT LUBE 'N GO. WHEN FACED WITH THE DECISION TO SELL, HE SOUGHT THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMPANY AND THE PEOPLE THERE.

Even before Mark joined the company a quarter century ago, Lube 'n Go was always like an extended family. That had been true since its earliest days.

"This business was founded in 1976 by my grandfather, and my father joined in 1987 while I joined in 1997," Bochnowski tells NOLN. "It has been a great journey for us."

Throughout the past 25 years, it was always important to put the customer first, said Mark, and now as he grows into his new role he is ready to take on new challenges. He's also seen the evolution of cars, which have become ever-more high-tech—and the employees have always proven to be adaptable.

"The telematics and the robust computer systems have presented challenges, but we have a great partnership with AOCA (Automotive

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PROFILE

DECIDING TO SELL IS A TOUGH DECISION. WHETHER IT'S ON YOUR RADAR OR NOT, MARK BOCHNOWSKI SAYS THAT ALL OPERATORS SHOULD CONSIDER A SUCCESSION PLAN.

Oil Change Association), and NOLN has been a wonderful resource," Bochnowski says. "We will continue to adapt with the telematics and even the EV market."

FACING THE CHALLENGES HEAD ON There is no denying that the past two years have been demanding for any business owner, but Lube 'n Go's team adapted quickly.

"Our biggest challenge during the pandemic was continuing to adapt to ever-changing restrictions and official guidance to keep everyone safe and protected," says Jenn Bochnowski, Mark's wife and retail brand manager for Oil Changers.

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"It was paramount for us to keep our team members and guests safe while still being able to provide service with the utmost care and compassion during uncertain times," she says. "We worked diligently to manage the safety of everyone involved and made it through together."

Last year's near record-high inflation and issues with the supply chain also caused more than a few headaches, but the Bochnowski family has proven to be up to the task. As part of their mission to always put the customer first, Mark says that he knows how important the car is to his customers.

"During the current times of increased inflation coupled with high demand and limited supply of new vehicles, we see consumers doing all they can to keep their vehicles

in the best performing condition," Bochnowski says. "Generally, in times like this, people are more aware and timely in taking care of their vehicles.

It's an investment they've made to get to where they need to be, which is most important during the economic environment we're experiencing."

ADVICE TO OTHERS Deciding to sell a business may not always be easy, but Mark suggests that operators always need to have a strong succession plan, no matter what you’re expecting.

"I would say there is never a wrong reason to sell or to have a reasonable exit strategy," he says. "What is important is to have the discussion with yourself and your partners. You need to ask, ‘What do

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the next five years or the next 10 years look like?’"

Too often, many business owners don't think about a succession plan, and while many may like being their own boss, there are plenty of times when selling to a larger entity can make good business sense.

"I would encourage people to ask what they expect to get from the exit.

Is it a nice payday or finding a partner to continue the brand, or to have a bigger partner continue the business," Bochnowski says. "For my father and me, that was very important to consider.

That was what really mattered to us. We wanted to make sure our team members, who worked with the company all these years, would have a chance to grow."

For Lube 'n Go, the merger with Oil Changers will allow the team to grow and flourish.

"They had many of the same core values, and that was really important to us," he adds.

SETTLING IN

FAMILY REMAINS A BIG PART OF THE BOCHNOWSKIS' OPERATION. MARK'S WIFE, JENN, WORKS AS A RETAIL BRAND MANAGER. MARK'S BROTHER AND SISTER REMAIN PART OF THE BUSINESS AS WELL.

Instead of being his own boss, Bochnowski is still in the family business, as his team includes his brother, his sister, and his wife. His father opted to retire and likely can be found often on the aforementioned golf course. But for the rest of the Bochnowski family, it is really business as usual under a different brand.

"It has been a great transition, and I know there will be ebbs and flows, but I can say it is a great change," Bochnowski says. "It won't come without some challenges, and we're still adapting to a new organization with new team members."

With that, he’s looking forward to continued success in the years ahead.

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Automotive Technology Summit SEPTEMBER 2425 • DALLASFORT WORTH, TX

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT AT ADAPT 2022?

2 DAYS, 11 SESSIONS, 12+ HOURS OF NETWORKING, AND REPRESENTATION FROM THE ENTIRETY OF THE AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET

L E A R N M O R E A N D R E G I ST E R AT A D A P T S U M M I T. C O M

THE ADAPT: AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT IS A TWODAY EVENT PROVIDING SHOP OWNERS AND OPERATORS WITH A UNIQUE, UNMATCHED OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN DIRECTLY FROM INDUSTRY LEADERS ON THE MOST PROGRESSIVE AND PRESSING TECHNOLOGY TRENDS DISRUPTING THE AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET

2022 ADAPT: AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT SPONSORS: PLATINUM SPONSOR:

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PI T STOP

THE INTRODUCTION

Roll out new services the smart way B Y M AT T H U D S O N

ADDING A NEW SERVICE TO YOUR SHOP’S MENU CAN BE A GREAT WAY TO BOOST revenues and serve customers better, but not all additions are the same. A new retail item, like a wiper blade, is a quick process with a good vendor. But a larger service change might require equipment training, space considerations, and customer education.

Don’t let that leg work deter you from adding a great new service. Take it from Mark Nofer, a longtime operator and owner of Quick Change Oil and Lube Center in Van Wert, Ohio. He’s made some important additions in recent years, and because he spent the time to really get to know the equipment, the processes went smoothly.

In short, each shop’s leader needs to make sure they are up to speed on the new equipment or service first. But that doesn’t mean it’s a one-person job. A group effort is what makes the new service successful.

“For me, it’s going and seeing the equipment and getting with the manufacturer reps and having them show me how things work,” Nofer says. “And I familiarize myself with the manuals that come with it.”

Step 1: Learn It Yourself This duty might fall on the owner-operator or the shop manager—or both. The key is that the person at the top of the service center should be able to know the new service and troubleshoot issues to some degree.

In Nofer’s shop, that’s his role. He’s naturally someone who reads the owner’s manuals and gets to know all of the equipment, fittings, specs, and other parts very well. The reason is obvious: to teach your team.

One of the last big changes Nofer made in his shop was a new transmission flush machine. He made sure he

knew the ins and outs of the unit before teaching his staff.

“I explain it to them, I show them and walk through it, and then I’ll step it up and watch them and guide them before they make a mistake,” he says.

Step 2: Rely on Vendors A good vendor should be your go-to resource not just to purchase equipment, but to aid in the setup and training, especially for more complex equipment.

Nofer learned this a few years back when his shop got a new lift. In this case, he was hoping to move into a larger model than he had. Nofer says

a company representative came out and measured the shop space, from floor to ceiling. After the purchase, the company took care of the delivery, installation, and leveling.

When adding services, make sure that the head of your shop knows who to call in case of a mistake that could hold up valuable service time. Often, new services and equipment are learned over the normal course of business.

Step 3: Educate Customers This isn’t a difficult part of the process, but it’s an important one. When Nofer got his new transmission flush machine, it was just a matter of reminding customers about the service at the same mileage as before.

“Usually that’s what we do,” he says.

“If people ask about it, or if we see fluid getting a little darker, we let people know ahead of time.”

The important thing is that the customer is aware that your shop can take care of certain services, especially if it’s something brand new to your operation. This is also true when your shop upgrades products or services to meet changing vehicle needs. Nofer remembers when he started carrying DEXOS oils for General Motors vehicles. A lot of customer education went into that switch, because drivers were used to more options before.

The best practice to grow a relationship with repeat customers is to introduce the new service not as a sale right then, but for them to think about later.

It’ll be there when the customer is ready.

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T E C H + TO OLS

TODAY’S POS SYSTEMS REQUIRE UPGRADES AND UPDATES

Updates and upgrades to the POS system should be part of doing business for quick lubes

BY ENID BURNS

IT ISN’T JUST THE CARS THAT HAVE

become more complex in recent years, the way that a shop manages all of the crucial information has also evolved. Three-ring binders and filing cabinets filled with forms is largely a thing of the past.

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Today, the point-of-sale (POS) system is the connective link within any quick maintenance shop. It is the database that links customer information with service history, upcoming maintenance notes and inventory.

With all of this data under the hood,

any thought of updates coming from a software company or even upgrades to a new system can sound as daunting as the transition to servicing hybrids and electric vehicles.

Seamless (In Theory) POS software updates are meant to be seamless and apply fixes to bugs, security issues and small enhancements to the software. An upgrade is typically a much larger jump, which can include a new interface, major feature additions and even new access platforms such as mobile.

In most cases upgrading and adding POS platforms to your shop should not cause problems, and working with the provider’s representatives can smooth any hiccups. As with all software, staying on top of these updates and upgrades is critical.

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Upgrading an Old System It is easy to stay with the same system, until that POS software becomes a legacy system and no longer supported by the company. In those cases shops are left with the decision to upgrade with the same company or look for a new provider.

Mike’s In Out Oil Change in Alexandria, Minnesota, had used the same POS software until recently when the provider stopped supporting its old system.

“The software and package we were using came to an end of its service life,” says Jeff Perreault, owner of Mike’s In Out Oil Change. “I usually get scared of loss of data, but everything went smoothly. No hiccups or our people having to relearn the system.”

The changeover took place over one late night with workers from the shop as well as the POS software company setting up any new equipment and installing software. The shop kept the same keyboards and screens, but the 12-year-old hard drives needed to be switched out. Still, he says it went seamlessly, and the result is added feature functionality.

“It tracks my labor costs live, cost of supplies, history,” Perreault says. “I can go back 10 years and compare this March to that March. It’s amazing how accurate it is.”

Cons of the Cloud Most systems in the current market maintain a database on the cloud rather than locally in the shop.

Some might see this as a feature, but Joe Afi doesn’t see it that way.

Afi runs Mack Lube in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, which he bought in 2016.

Right away, he changed to a new POS. In the time since he acquired Mack Lube, the POS provider was acquired by the same company that he transitioned away from.

The biggest complaint Afi has is that the POS keeps all data in the cloud while he wants the data to be stored locally—even if it is maintained in both locations—so that he can access the POS if there is a power or Internet outage. A backup generator keeps the shop running, but doesn’t always allow it to connect to the cloud.

“We’ve had two communication outages,” says Afi. “We were without Internet for over a day. In that downtime if I didn’t have a local database I wouldn’t be able to service my customers.”

The system also has some pain points. Afi finds it time consuming to add new products to the database and import and export data to other Excel-compatible systems such as QuickBooks.

“If I get a new product in, with the new catalog I still have to enter every single item,” Afi says.

Staying with a System Even if you’re having trouble with your modern POS system, don’t be so quick to ditch the vendor. In the fast-paced oil and lube business it can be easier, at least in the short term, to stay with the same POS. Regular updates provide new enhancements and allow the shop to keep up with new demands.

Bass Quick Lube in Clinton Township, Michigan, has stayed with the same system for years. Owner Bass Bazzi says that they’ve had success upgrading the existing system rather than springing for new.

The shop accesses the POS through computer terminals, though they do use an app in some cases to work on the system.

One common challenge with POS systems that constantly update is a lack of training. Bazzi says he looks online to get help or click around to explore the system.

“The company itself doesn’t train us,” explains Bazzi. “They just got us through it with online tips.”

Perreault had the same experience.

He says that they’ve found shortcuts through their own research, finding new tips either on purpose or by happy accident.

Upgrading Benefits When upgrades are necessary, it might be useful to bridge the old and new systems during the transition. At Mack Lube, employees used the old system while learning the new so they could get used to the change while minimizing errors.

“I was having people use the old system and then the new so they had time to get used to the new system while still working [with the system they were familiar with],” Afi says.

The upgrade process may take time to install and to learn, though providers do their best to ensure a smooth transition. The benefits will be immediate for most, though more functionality takes some time.

“It’s faster, way faster,” says Perreault, who saw the difference immediately after the system upgrade in early summer 2020.

Sometimes it takes more time for the benefits to be realized.

“Four years ago I really didn’t like it because I didn’t know what it could do,” Perreault says. “This thing’s got everything built right in.”

After spending time with the POS system, Perreault discovered new features that would benefit the shop.

It just might take a little extra effort to find it.

“All of a sudden you find something.

This thing’s got a time clock in it, it tracks my labor. It has amazing cost control built right into it that we didn’t even know we had.”

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C A S E S T U DY

COURTING YOUR PEERS

The Importance of Networking to Build the Business

BY PETER SUCIU

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EVERY BUSINESS OWNER HAS A

person or two who can take on various tasks, and perhaps even solve some daunting problems. That could be the “cement guy” or “window guy,” or it could be “the IT guy,” or even “the guy at City Hall.” When it comes to quick lube matters, the operator is most likely that go-to person.

But that’s not always the case, and that’s OK. This is where peer collaboration can come into play, and it isn’t just a bunch of other operators who meet on the golf course. There are professional organizations that can serve as an alliance for business.

These are groups and organizations where serious business leaders take their business very seriously for the common good.

Brian Faulkenberry, executive conference moderator at NCM Associates explains that such groups can help quick lube operators with both common challenges most businesses may face, as well as the unique challenges that may seem far less expected.

NCM Associates, which started its first “20 Group” in 1947 with a group of folks who owned Ford Dealerships, now has dedicated consultants that can help businesses in the automotive sector expand through the concept of shared collaboration.

The Challenge Even in the era of the Internet and social media, where the solution to all of life’s problems may seem to be little more than a mouse click or a swipe away, many shop owners may not realize the

advantages that networking with other business owners can provide.

Too often, the challenge with many problems is not knowing who to ask when Google and Facebook don’t seem to have the answer. In many cases, business owners may pick up the phone and call one of the aforementioned guys— yet even if they can solve the problem, they may not have the actual answer.

At the same time networking today isn’t just about shaking hands when you meet other business leaders at a conference, or the golf course. Networking has really become something of an art, something that needs to be worked, and most importantly it needs to be with the right people.

The challenge is how to meet with the right people that can bring the business forward.

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C A S E S T U DY

“Peer collaboration is certainly the cornerstone of the concept of peer collaboration,” says Faulkenberry.

“Without it many shop owners may feel like they’re operating in a vacuum.”

The Solution It might seem easy to just scroll through contacts on the smartphone or twirl through the rolodex, but as noted peer collaboration is more than just knowing “a guy.” The peer group is also more than networking. It is about shared ideas that come from more than like-minded people.

In other words, it is a forum of ideas and thinkers.

“A peer group is in essence a quasi-board of directors for a small business,” adds Faulkenberry.

“Everyone involved has a particular

skill set, as well as experience in their particular industry.”

Members of the peer group can then leverage that various expertise that another has, but it still goes well beyond just that. It can open the door to new opportunities.

“By being part of the group meetings and ongoing discussions, it can help a business owner grow,” says Faulkenberry. “It is a forum where each member can bring up the challenges that they might be facing.

Some members may have faced that challenge or issue before and have different solutions.”

In addition, members can often address issues before they become serious challenges. This can include everything from zoning laws, changes to the tax code or how to implement a mobile app into the business.

“Maybe someone in the group is thinking of buying a quick lube or expanding to a second or third shop, while someone in the group is versed in mergers and acquisitions and can offer advice on whether now is the right time to make such a move,” Faulkenberry notes as an example.

In addition to a commitment of time, there is an investment—and

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membership in a group can range from $200 to $1,000 per month. In addition, all travel and meeting costs are the responsibility of peer group members.

Members need to be committed as well.

“You have to give and take,” says Faulkenberry. “But you absolutely need to be committed. You have to accept that it is an investment. It can be $10 to $15,000 a year, which can be a lot of money for a small business owner.

But the whole idea is that you can get a return in increased business over what you invested.”

The Aftermath Joining a peer group should absolutely never be seen as the end, it is the beginning—and it should also be ongoing. Business owners don’t join

a peer or collaboration group just to solve one problem or to address a single challenge, and instead it is something that is meant to continue so as to grow and expand.

What happens at the meetings also shouldn’t stay at the meetings.

“A peer group brings accountability and it is up to you to implement that into your business,” suggests Faulkenberry. “Our groups also share financial information to the other members. That can help you determine if you’re trailing from the group average. It is a way to understand monthly expenses, cost of goods, and even annual revenue. It is up to you to do something about that.”

In other words, it is more than just having a group of people to call when you have a specific issue to address.

“The common goal of our groups is to make each other better,” Faulkenberry says.

The Takeaway This type of peer collaboration is dependent on engaging. Those who treat it like a visit to the dentist and seek to get back to the office are likely wasting their time and money. It isn’t something that should be looked at as taking time out of the day, but information and strategies that are put back into the business.

“The bottom line is that there is no magic to group collaboration,” explains Faulkenberry. “You get out of a peer group what you put in. If you come in with the attitude that you’ll ask the hard questions and give honest feedback you’ll get a lot out of it.”

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C U STOM E R S E RVIC E

IT PAYS TO KNOW

Know the customer warning signs for warranty law violations B Y M AT T H U D S O N

IN 2015, BMW SETTLED a complaint

with the Federal Trade Commission over warranty law violations by the subsidiary MINI. The FTC found that MINI ran afoul of the law by telling customers that they needed to use genuine MINI parts and MINI maintenance service in order to maintain their warranties.

Here’s what MINI wrote in its warranty booklet that each vehicle owner received: “Have maintenance and repair work performed by your MINI dealer. Make sure that maintenance work is stamped in this Service and Warranty Information Statement. These entries are the evidence of regular maintenance of your vehicle and are a requirement for warranty claims.”

Along with other violations, that action led to the FTC’s enforcement of the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act and a 20-year settlement that requires BMW and MINI to, among other tasks, notify MINI owners of their right to use third-party parts and service without voiding warranties.

That’s the heart of the warranty law for the automotive aftermarket—that consumers can take their vehicles wherever they’d like for quality service.

“It’s against the law for a dealer to refuse to honor a warranty just because someone else did maintenance or repairs on the car,” Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau

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of Consumer Protection, said upon announcing the settlement. “As a result of this order, BMW will change its practices and give MINI owners information about their rights.”

Federal enforcement is one area for warranty rights, but shop operators can help, too. In addition to federal enforcement actions, it’s important for shops to educate customers on what the law allows and doesn’t allow. That way, you’re giving customers more choices for their vehicle service.

Real-World Impacts The BMW-MINI case is one reason that aftermarket organizations like the Auto Care Association and Automotive Oil Change Association are closely involved in warranty law enforcement. Aftermarket automotive shops want to be seen as a safe and reliable alternative to dealership operations.

When a customer’s owner’s manual tells them to “see a dealer” for oil changes, most customers aren’t going to question that language.

“When you talk about safety and the kind of language they use, it’s very official,” says Tom Tucker, senior director for state affairs at the Auto Care Association.

Tucker and his colleagues advocate on behalf of aftermarket sectors to raise awareness of warranty law rights. He helped set up an informational web page that can help educate

What Customers Might Hear If you hear any of these stories from customers, their warranty rights might be in jeopardy.

See this compilation of red flags, courtesy of the Auto Care Association.

• The warranty is difficult to read and comprehend, and you are unsure of the specific terms that are outlined.

You are unsure what is covered by the warranty.

• A representative insists that you service your vehicle at the dealership to keep your warranty intact.

• A representative is aggressive and refuses to release your vehicle if you do not have your vehicle serviced at the dealership.

• A representative explains that you must use original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts when having your vehicle repaired to keep your warranty intact, or the dealer voids the warranty for using aftermarket parts.

• A dealer refuses your warranty coverage because you obtain services at another repair shop.

• A dealer will not put repair terms and costs in writing.

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shop owners and technicians. More crucially, it can also help technicians speak with customers about the topic.

“What shops really have to do is cultivate that relationship so that it’s more than just giving their word,” Tucker says. “It’s a relationship built on trust and also safety.”

The Customer Perspective Most shop owners know those customers who tend to be more trusting. They’ll just go with what your technicians recommend for service and say nothing more about it.

At a dealer service center, that same customer might not think twice when a technician tells them that their service needs to be done at the dealer in order to maintain warranties. After all, the manufacturer knows best, right?

“When the technician says you need this, the average consumer doesnt without knowing that this is not necessarily a problem,” Tucker says.

That’s why it’s a great idea to incorporate some nonverbal forms of customer education about warranty rights. Tucker developed an informational poster that shops can put up in a place visible to customers. The poster

offers a quick introduction to warranty rights under the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, but the heading on the poster makes the larger point: Routine maintenance can be done anywhere— not just the dealership.

Having signage like that up in the shop shows customers that you’re not only advocating for your business, but you’re advocating for the customer’s rights.

“Relationship building is important,” Tucker says. “Having the signage is, I think, a key piece. And when the consumer has to go back to the dealer for something they are educated and can stand up for themselves.”

Looking Ahead Since the BMW-MINI case wrapped up, the messaging around the use of aftermarket parts and services hasn’t improved. When the FTC sought to compile research for a workshop on warranty rights, it received many case studies to look at. According to an FTC report, one research organization found that 45 of 50 product manufacturers appeared to violate a part of the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act.

As a result of its research, the FTC vowed to increase oversight of warranty cases and OEM conduct.

“These types of restrictions can significantly raise costs for consumers, stifle innovation, close off business opportunities for independent repair shops, create unnecessary electronic waste, delay timely repairs, and undermine resiliency,” FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said during a meeting on the matter. “The FTC has a range of tools it can use to root out unlawful repair restrictions, and today’s policy statement would commit us to move forward on this issue with new vigor.”

Tucker and other industry watchdogs have also called on shop operators to be vigilant and report any suspected violations to the FTC. The end goal is for drivers to have better access to quality repairs while maintaining their warranties.

“We all in the industry have a responsibility to follow safe repair processes, because it’s our own credibility on the line as well as liability,” Tucker says. “So we all have a stake in safe repair, doing the repair right, and building relationships with the customer.”

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Garnering Trust from Your Customers

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companies are scams, right? Upsell this, upsell that. Tell the customer they need to fix something when it doesn’t really need to be fixed and there is money to be made!

Of course, this is not true, but longstanding feelings from the public regarding the necessity of preventative maintenance exist. As they leave the maintenance center, they safely drive away and mentally say, “See, no need for that maintenance, car runs just fine! Those dishonest technicians.”

One of the best ways to garner trust is with transparency, and a bit of quality customer service can go a long way in earning a repeat customer.

While you can’t predict and prepare for everything, there are a few easy practices that promote trust-building that often go overlooked: Respond to Reviews Many people do not take to the internet to post about average experiences. Businesses choose not to monitor their online presence. However, when a customer searches for directions to your location on their phones, there is quick access to customer reviews. Through the Apple Maps application, Yelp reviews are automatically included. Google Maps will include Google reviews.

When you choose to respond to a customer, you are not responding just to them, you are showing the entire community of potential customers that your business cares about the customer’s experience. First, provide a way to reach out for the offended customer to manage the problem.

Solicit Reviews There are numerous review sites that already exist, whether you want to be included or not. The previously mentioned Google Reviews, and Yelp Reviews are standard, so you should pay attention to those. However, if you solicit reviews for your business by providing a location where this information is gathered, you are providing an outlet where issues may not need to be publicly seen. As mentioned before, reviews are generally for great experiences or subpar experiences. People would likely need to be extremely impressed or extremely disappointed to

leave multiple reviews. Give them an outlet and steer their review to your system that you monitor most closely. This will allow you more control over the information, but, most importantly, give decision makers greater access to this helpful information so that customer service issues can be resolved and prevented.

Utilize Third-Party Information When making recommendations, the more you can refer to a third party that is outside of your organization the better, as long as you have a reputable source to rely upon. The owner’s manual of a car, of course, is a great place to start as it is something that the customer also will reply upon and is commonly listed as a go-to source to avoid falling victim to scams. Speaking the customers’ common language and referring to the third party removes your perceived sales-oriented bias from the equation.

If you have a sticker that prints out a recommended mileage or dates for a change, be up front and explain where that date comes from and why it is different from what may be recommended in the owner’s manual. This step will go a long way in allowing you to present other recommendations that are not in-line with the owner’s manual. In this case, phrases like “It is your money”, or “It is your decision. I am just presenting you with some information to make a more informed decision,” can go a long way.

There is no magic wand you can waive to make a customer trust you. Your business’ reputation will precede it, but you will become a victim to industry reputation as well. The more you can actively engage in your own reputation management the better. First and foremost, great service is the best way to counteract a lack of trust. Additionally, these easy-to-implement tactics above should prove to be helpful. The last piece that I will leave you with regarding the above methods for improved trust building is that it is not an all-or-nothing solution.

Do not think that you must check your reviews every day. If you just make a task to check your mentions once a month, you are doing better with managing your reputation than someone who does not check it at all.

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LEADING EDGE

The Talk

I AM ABOUT TO MAKE EVERY PERSON WHO HAS

LENNY

SAUCIER

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.

LSAUCIER @FULLSPEEDAUTOMOTIVE.COM

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ever dated squeamish: “We need to talk.”

Flashbacks of good times. While you technically do not know that actual talk that needs to happen, the training from years of scolding has led you to trust your gut, look down at the ground and shake your head in an affirmative manner all the while blocking out the soundwaves angrily pulsating towards your ears. The talk may not always be all that bad. The mere suggestion of the phrase generally means, “I need your attention.”

So seriously, we need to talk. I think you have lost a great employee who was not ready for a promotion in your eyes. Their self-image of success saw it differently as they watched you hand over their desired title to another person. What was once a great team member on the way to a strong position eventually in your group, churned into a resignation as a result of a search on the ever-popular digital job board, gone to fill the pockets of the company that was not going to hold them down is not the person you passed up, but the person you didn’t talk to about their actual skillsets.

As you know, a higher position in your store requires a higher set of skills, or at least the ability to potentially master those skills. In the four walls of greatness you built, seniority is rewarded with higher pay and maybe better benefits. The idea of “next man up” was squashed when you watched your most senior lube tech apply the torque seal to his tongue because it was made by “organic products.”

Sure, he showed up every day and claims were low, but there was a reason why you kept him in the pit, and your therapist knows it too.

Enough of tattoo-face Ray. Let’s talk about the potential star that just quit. Why didn’t you sit down with her about why the job went to someone else? Is the idea of conflict so terrifying that you are willing to lose talent to appease your own guilt of not being the true leader they so desperately need? Perhaps you don’t actually know what you need and you just think the promotion needs to go to “someone who can take my spot when I need them to,” because you know, that seems like a great job description.

Speaking of job descriptions, that’s a great transition to throw on the HR hat and ask for yours.

What is it that this position actually requires? Are there certain time slots that need to be filled? Perhaps they need to stay until 7 p.m. to close. Or do you need them on Sundays when you are dawning the apron in front of the BBQ pit? Do they need computer skills to enter data into your accounting software, or write an email or social media post from the company. Perhaps the skillsets are “soft,” leadership, customer service, accountability or goal-oriented. This should all be laid out before you begin to look for the potential person. What else are you going to do, Trust your gut? May I refer you to the beginning of the article.

Your vetting process should largely go off that job description, and your interviews should remain consistent. This is how you avoid hiring bias and discrimination allegations. Let’s say after all that work, you still have someone who is a better fit, and your all-tech will not be your all-star assistant manager. It’s time for the talk.

Arming yourself with your job description and your interview notes, you can easily grade out why someone didn’t get the job. Since you have a clear explanation of your choice you also subsequently created a learning plan for your scorned employee.

So, you are not telling them no, you are telling them how to get to yes! This looks like this conversation is going to be a whole lot easier than your training has taught you it would be. Will she not be happy? Probably not, but she will see that you are trying to help her achieve her goals, even if the path is a little longer.

The conversation should be upfront and acknowledge the disappointment they may be feeling, followed by what you were looking for, and how they graded out. You shouldn’t share your results of other interviews but let her know this other person matched the criteria better. The hard part is over, sit down and openly address your concerns based on their performance that didn’t measure up, from here, offer training or mentoring to help them fill those gaps. These few minutes of understanding and building may just keep your all-star from becoming your best competitor.

COURTESY LENNY SUACIER

Don’t dread the tough employee conversations

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