PC&D MAGAZINE
The top five things lube customers want
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From Volume 26, Issue 7 - July 2002
Feature
A ranking of the main reasons customers come to your lube, with tips for getting them to return.
by: Greg Byler

In these days of increased competition, extended drain intervals, lower car counts, higher cost of goods, and higher paid technicians, lube owners often pose the question of how to make more money at their businesses.

In response, I usually ask, “What is your car count and what is your current ticket average?” I use the answer to gauge the current level of customer service delivered at the location.

Happy customers tend to come back and spend more. So, how happy are your customers? And why do they come to your lube?

Over 15 years in the fast-lube industry, I have talked to literally thousands of customers on the subject. Here is what they have consistently told me is important to them when they visit a lube:

Convenience was ranked #1

Convenient location with easy in-and-out access was the winner.

The location typically needs to be within five miles of your customer’s home. Customers need and insist on simplicity.

Ask yourself, “Is it easy getting on to my property?”

Medians, fast moving traffic, and one-way streets are not friendly for entering and leaving a location.

Included in the “convenience” answer is a desire for multiple services to be available at one location, not just a simple oil change.

The fewer stops for service on their vehicles they can manage, the better customers feel. Their time has value; therefore, the convenient service has value.

Friendly staff was ranked #2.

The customer desires a friendly, well-informed staff. Repair shops and garages are not known for their ambiance.

Lube customers are interested in a comfortable, non-threatening environment. They want to feel free to ask questions about their cars and get answers from knowledgeable staff members.

These staff members should not only be sporting clean, well-maintained uniforms, but also smiles and great attitudes.

Confidence was ranked #3.

Many customers indicated a lube’s high degree of integrity as motivating why they chose the location.

Integrity is a very simple premise: doing what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it.

Unfortunately, this simple premise escapes many fast lubes in America today.

Any deviation from the promised service, and your customer’s perception of your integrity is diminished. No one wants to feel like they have been taken to the cleaners after a financial transaction.

Confidence is gained by consistently doing what you say you are going to do, whatever that may be.

At a fast lube, this would consist of recommending only the services that are necessary. In addition, services should be performed without mistakes or mishaps.

Fast service was ranked #4

Time is a commodity that is increasing in value all the time.

Rarely do you find someone with any time to spare. Therefore, the faster your service, the higher your potential car count and ticket average.

Price of service was ranked #5

Just as job satisfaction has more to do with employee retention than pay, customers care about satisfaction with services performed much more than they care about the price being charged for the service.

Customers with coupons indicated that the lower price with the coupon was simply an added bonus. Typically, the word “value” was more likely to be spoken than “price.”

Delivering an exceptional value would be providing a combination of the top four reasons mentioned above.

How does your lube rank in delivering value? To find out, do not look at the prices on your menu board.

Pay attention to the customer service that is given to each client that comes in the door. And when they leave, if they are smiling, you probably will be too.

Greg Byler is the director of POWER, Inc.’s Fast Lube Institute ™ (www.fastlubeinstitute.com), a Salem, MA-based firm providing sales, production, and management training for fast lube operators.
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