How do you turn a one-time customer into a repeat and loyal customer? At a quick lube shop, the answer is always customer service. There are so many different shops that customers can visit for service and get the same quality. However, the most successful shops make the experience better for customers and earn their loyalty. So, how do you create a customer-centric culture in your quick lube shop? A customer-centric culture doesn’t happen on its own. Owners and managers must cultivate this attitude within their team with intentional training, trust-building strategies, creating a welcoming environment and hiring the right people. Your quick lube shop can garner customer loyalty and foster organic business growth by prioritizing customer service as a team.
Is the customer always right? The importance of prioritizing service
The adage goes that the ‘customer is always right,’ but you may find that many shops have forgotten this notion. Instead of focusing on a welcoming, customer-centric atmosphere, they focus on car counts and speed. While that may be a great way to get a lot of vehicles through your bays one time, it’s not the best way to continue to bring customers back.
A recent article from NOLN, Adapting to Customer Trends, tackled this issue. In the article, Michael Spier, owner of Fifties Oil Change and Service Center in Tyler, Texas, said, “Having been in this industry since the late 80s, I have seen a sad decline in ‘customer service’ over the last ten to fifteen years. [Now] shops and service centers are focused on car count instead of taking care of their guests.” Spier continues, “My wife and I pay close attention to businesses we frequent in the area and learn what it is that continues to bring us back to that particular business. We focus on customer service offered, aesthetics of the business as well as how valued the business makes us feel. We, in turn, put these same types of policies in place at our business, making sure all our employees know and understand the importance of making the customer feel valued.” Spier’s mentality of making their customers feel valued and cared for has helped their business maintain a loyal following and sustainable growth. They’ve developed a reputation for honesty and quality work that has served their business well.
How can you improve the customer experience? Start with employee training
Shifting your shop’s customer service mentality isn’t easy, but it can be done. You can use plenty of different tools and tricks to improve your store’s customer service. We even have a previous blog sharing ten tips for improving service. However, shifting your employees’ mentality to focus on creating a customer-centric atmosphere is more than just a few handy trips. It requires a whole new approach to employee training.
In another NOLN article, CPR for Your Shop’s Customer Service, quick lube shop owner Shane Burton shares some of the wisdom and adages that guide his employee training. For example, Burton utilizes personal experiences to help employees learn how to treat people. He says, “We tell and show all our employees how to treat every car that comes in as if it’s their own mother’s and each customer likes their grandmother or grandfather.” That personal example gives his employees something tangible to connect to when they are interacting with customers and sets a baseline for how they should treat people. Another example Burton shares is that at his shops, “We have a no-hands-on policy: the customer should never touch a door – their car door, the front door, or the waiting room door going in or out. The door is opened for you. Customers don’t expect that, but it’s the difference between us and [other] businesses.” Burton’s mentality of anchoring the customer experience in a reminder of a tender, familial relationship and then backing that expectation up with a simple, minor action, like opening the door for the customer, has trained his employees to shift the way they treat their customers and to put the customer’s needs first.
Empower your employees to initiative
The first step to creating a customer-centric culture at your shop is to change the way your employees treat customers. Burton’s example is a great way to change employees’ attitudes and open their eyes to the customer’s needs. But how do you empower employees to take the next step and provide extra customer service? In that same NOLN article, another quick lube shop owner, Damian Fox, shares his tip. Burton says, “I learned something about customer service at the Ritz-Carlton hotels. So, all my employees are allowed to solve a problem without coming to me or a manager – up to a certain extent, which is $100 or less. So whether it’s their fault or not, our employees know they can fix customer’s problems, no questions asked. Fox’s approach does more than shift his employees’ attitudes to treat customers better; he empowers them to go above and beyond for their customers. This level of trust incentivizes employees to go that extra step and allows employees to be creative and find new ways to personalize the customer experience.
Great customer service starts with great employees
Crafting a customer-centric mentality in the shop is determined by the leadership team. As the owner or manager of a shop, you set the tone for how your customers should be treated, and the most important thing you can do is hire the right people. Find people willing to learn, make changes to provide that extra level of customer service, and treat them right. It’s a sentiment that Damian Fox agrees with, as he says, “If you treat your employees well, your employees will treat your customers well.”
Thank you for choosing Greg’s Petroleum Service
As your fuel and lubricant supplier, we follow these customer service principles. Our goal has always been to look after our customer’s fuel and lubricant needs as best as possible. Many of our customers are quick lube shop owners, and they rely on us for all the fuel, automotive lubricants and supplies to keep their shops stocked. We even offer Chevron branded fuels. We’re thankful for each of our customers who have trusted us to help their businesses grow, and we hope to continue to work together for years to come!