Create an Inviting Lube Environment for Your Customers

When it comes to running a successful quick lube, it’s important to remember that what happens in the waiting room can be just as important to customers as what happens in the garage. Let’s face it, when the average consumer thinks of an oil change facility, the words “sparkling” and “inviting” usually do not come to mind. But we think they should, and we’re not alone.

Matt Want, manager of the Mobil 1 Lube Express in Fairbanks, Alaska, knows a thing or two about maintaining an efficient and appealing quick lube. His store almost always impresses customers. Built from the ground up with customers in mind, the four-bay facility features a spacious lobby that feels more like a coffee shop than a fast lube.

With café tables, Internet terminals, plenty of seating, complimentary Wi- Fi and free coffee and snacks, shop employees are often left waiting on customers who are so comfortable that they aren’t in a rush to leave.

“It seems to be similar to Las Vegas,” says Want. “With no clocks and lots of things to preoccupy them, they lose all track of time.”

In addition to complimenting staff on the inviting lobby space, customers also often comment on the cleanliness of the shop, telling employees that their operation is cleaner than the customers’ own kitchens, bedrooms or garages. Cleanliness is something that Want’s team takes pride in.

“If the shop isn’t clean, it is a direct reflection to your customers about the standards you have,” explains Want. “Many of our customers are women coming in before work, at lunch, or after work. There’s no way they want to get anything on their office clothes by being in our shop.”

To keep the shop in tip-top shape, employees clean the bathrooms several times a day, and continually wipe down the coffee station in the lobby. Magazines and newspapers are kept in order, as are coloring books and crayons that are made available to younger patrons. The shop and lobby are mopped and swept throughout the day, and pit floors in the basement are scrubbed daily and pressure washed every week.

Want also has found that encouraging employees to multitask helps them work (and clean) more efficiently. By convincing them to clean and talk at the same time, employees learn to work better together and keep the shop looking nice. Want’s team also takes advantage of slow times by cleaning together.

“One mistake I think many shops make is that when it is slow they send people home,” notes Want. “This is a big mistake. Operators and managers should pick an area, or a group of tools, and have the employees clean them when it is slow.” 

When business is slow, Want’s team dumps all of the shop’s screwdrivers into soapy water and forms an assembly line to wash, rinse, dry and put away the tools. This is a practice that delights customers and instills pride in employees.

What advice does Want have for other quick-lube operators who aspire to have a “best looking lube” of their own?

“If it needs paint, then paint it,” he says. “If it needs to be cleaned, then clean it. Never say, ‘That’s good enough.’ I heard somewhere a long time ago that ‘good enough’ never is.”

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