Last Saturday, I discussed the positive impact a cashier had on me when she verbally acknowledged me waiting.  She saw me waiting in line and let me know that I could visit another cashier or continue to wait.  The end result was she made me feel that my time was important to her.  What happens when you can't say something to the customer?  Here's a great example - when servicing vehicles on a Saturday its not impossible to build up a line of cars waiting in cue to have their oil change performed.  Sometimes these lines can be 1 or more cars deep depending on whats happening on the car in the bay.

Over the years, I developed a zero driveway policy.  In essence, my staff and I would ensure no customer waiting in line would leave - period.   There were many aspects to us executing this policy but I will focus on the acknowledgement part.  As soon as a vehicle pulled up to the service bay waiting to enter we would walk to the back door, make eye contact with the customer and signal the amount of time it would be before someone would come out to speak with them.  This would usually be anywhere from 1-2 minutes depending on how busy we were.  The key to doing this was once the customer knew we had seen them and given them a time there was no reason for them to leave due to lack of attention.  This worked 100% of the time.  From time to time, we would even hear a customer say that they decided to wait because we had acknowledged them.

There have been many improvements in the auto industry and one noticeable change is the diesel engine. The modern diesel engine is quieter, cleaner and more efficient than its predecessors but is it a better buy compared to a gasoline?

Recently, my wife traded up her 2002 BMW X5 3.0i for a 2011 BMW X5 35d which is a 3.0L twin turbo diesel. There is no reason to get into the specs of the vehicle other than to say it has ample horsepower and torque to meet the requirements of her driving to meetings, taxing the kids and driving around town. The decision to go with a diesel was based on the notion of improved fuel economy and a smaller carbon footprint. Basically, it was supposed to be a greener vehicle.

Almost 8 months later, she has not noticed a difference in fuel economy but rather a few little nuisances with owning a so called "green vehicle". The process of putting fuel into the vehicle is a chore. She has to bypass 2 gas stations and drive further to find a gas station that sells diesel. The diesel pumps are usually dirty and have a distinct smell of diesel that is almost always left on her hands after fuelling. The second nuisance is the pinging of the diesel which is almost undetectable until at the drive through and the distinct sound of a diesel is echoed through the vehicle when placing an order.

The combination of these two nuisances has left her feeling that the diesel was not worth the extra money. The extra drive to the gas station and the noise pollution produced does not leave her feeling this is truly a "green vehicle". Based on her feedback and looking at the fuel consumption, I would have to agree.

This leaves us both wondering whether we were better off with the 2002 X5.

2012 Honda Insight

When the maintenance wrench comes on or the vehicle has received an oil and filter change the maintenance minder system will need to be reset.  Here are the instructions:

1) Turn the ignition to run (one click before starting the engine).

2) Press the SEL/RESET button on the steering wheel repeatedly until the engine oil life indicator % is shown.

3) Press and hold the SEL/RESET on the steering wheel for more than 10 seconds.  The remaining oil life % will be shown on the display.

4) Select RESET by pressing the up/down arrow buttons and then press the SEL/RESET button to reset.  The oil life indicator % will change to 100%.

When servicing this vehicle it might be a good idea to understand the types of fluids Honda recommends

1. Engine Oil – OW20 (3.2L including oil filter)

2. Coolant – Honda Long Life Antifreeze/ Coolant Type 2

3. CVT Transmission – Honda CVTF

4. Brake Fluid – Honda Heavy Duty Brake Fluid Dot 3

With this information you should be well equipped to service the 2012 Honda Insight!

Asbestos brakes - an option for brake pad replacement most repair shops are aware of as a cheaper alternative to OEM or even ceramic brake pads.  Over the past week in Canada, attention has been brought to the re-introduction of brake pads containing asbestos in the province of Ontario.  Asbestos pads have been banned for a number of years but they have snuck into Ontario by manufacturers not complying with the regulations.  The risk - unsuspecting mechanics are being exposed to the harmful substance.  In essence, asbestos fibres are packed tightly together and are only harmful when disturbed.  In the case of brake pads, when one steps on the brakes the pads are used (disturbed) releasing the fibres into the surrounding area and the rotors or brake drums.  When the brakes are replaced, the risk of exposure to asbestos is greatly increased.  The concern here is asbestos has been linked to cancer.

Anyone servicing brake systems needs to be aware of the potential risk and take the necessary precautions to protect themselves.  This protection will include latex gloves and face mask to protect the mouth and nose from inhaling the fibres.  Beyond this, shops need to push for brakes that do not contain asbestos to reduce the risk of being exposed to the substance.

Consumers are keeping their vehicles longer and for an average of 8.5 years.  This is a clear indication of the economic turbulence of the past few years but this is also an indication of the longevity of the modern gasoline engine.  I just finished reading an article on the Quaker State 400 000KM cash back program on http://autoserviceworld.com.  In essence, for following the manufacturers recommendations and strictly using QS synthetic motor oil a consumer can be awarded up to $3000 for hitting the 400K milestone.  It's very clear that QS recognizes that consumers are keeping vehicles for a longer period of time.  QS

Even more importantly, there is a great opportunity for fast lubes to seize the opportunity to educate consumers on the benefits of following manufacturer recommended service intervals coupled with a high quality motor oil such as a synthetic.  The consumer will benefit with an engine that will continue to perform and the shop will benefit with a higher ticket average with each visit.

It is fair to say that the trend of keeping vehicles longer is no longer an option but a necessity and consumers will more than likely be more diligent with their basic maintenance.  Is your shop ready to help consumers maintain their vehicles longer?

It's Saturday afternoon and I am in the lineup of a drug store.  There are three cash counters but only one is open at the moment.  The cashier is working to reduce the lineup of six people as quickly as possible.  There's a problem - the next customer in line did not receive her double rewards on her purchase and would like to do a return and purchase a few more items to ensure she gets full value.  I know this because I like everyone else in line can hear everything.  The customer's request is reasonable and the cashier is more than happy to accommodate her.  The line adds another person.  At this point the cashier does something that is not done often enough.  She looks me right in the eye and says "We have another cash counter available in cosmetics but you're welcome to wait if you have the time".

The cashier had acknowledged not only my presence but the fact that I was waiting and there might be a quicker alternative.  Instead of going to the other line I said "I'm happy to wait".  In this instance, this simple gesture from the cashier made me feel my business was important and secondly that my time was valuable.  I think it happens far too often that we end up waiting in lines with no acknowledgement of our presence.  I can recall a bank years ago that made it a priority to acknowledge customers waiting and if they were not acknowledged they would receive $5 on the spot.

The key message for any shop is to ensure customers are acknowledged when waiting inside the store or in the lineup even if its a physical gesture but this way the customer will know that they are appreciated.

2012 Honda Odyssey

When the maintenance wrench comes on or the vehicle has received an oil and filter change the maintenance minder system will need to be reset.  Here are the instructions:

1) Turn the ignition to run (one click before starting the engine).

2) Press the SEL/RESET button on the steering wheel repeatedly until the engine oil life indicator % is shown.

3) Press and hold the SEL/RESET button on the steering wheel for more than 10 seconds. The oil light % mode is displayed.

4) Select RESET with the up or down buttons the press the SEL/RESET button.  The oil life indicator % will change to 100%.

When servicing this vehicle it might be a good idea to understand the types of fluids Honda recommends:

1. Engine Oil – OW20 (4.3L including oil filter)

2. Coolant – Honda Long Life Antifreeze/ Coolant Type 2

3. Automatic Transmission – Honda ATF – DW1

4. Power Steering – Honda Power Steering Fluid

5. Brake Fluid – Honda Heavy Duty Brake Fluid Dot 3

With this information you should be well equipped to service the 2012 Honda Odyssey!

Image of myBeepBeep app

We are in the age of the smart phone.  This device has become ubiquitous and is a tool for consumers to find information - instantly.  There is a great app that has been created to connect consumers to fast lubes - myBeepBeep.  The thought behind this application is to give consumers a visual of where fast uses are located relative to where they are (based on smart phone enabled GPS or manual coordinates) as well as what the price of an oil change is and if the facility is offering any specials.  The app also has the ability for the consumer to setup reminders of when their oil change services are due.  For the consumer, this app provides instant access to fast lube location prices, deals and gives them the ability to track when their next service is due.

For the fast lube industry their is a great opportunity to capitalize on users of the application by providing information for your specific location even if it falls under a larger franchise network.  This is important because it will give you the ability to leverage your brand but also show consumers their is a "face" to the facility.

Overall, I think this appshould be part of an overall social media strategy to capture the tech savvy consumer.  Here is a link to their website for further information: http://mybeepbeep.com.

We are definitely entering a more conservation keen era in the consumer oil industry.  Take for example, the emerging trend of recycled motor oils aimed at consumers who want to participate in a greener oil change.  These oils are derived from 50 % recycled automotive motor oil.  The idea is simple - re-use to help reduce the amount of new oil in the market.  It is estimated that in America alone close to 3 billion gallons of motor oil are used annually.  The statistics surrounding used motors oil are unclear and vary but experts believe that over 200 million gallons of motor oil are not disposed of properly.  Even scarier, it takes about 1 gallon of oil to pollute 1 million gallons of water!

Valvoline has created a line of oils referred to as NextGen recycled oils using 50% recycled automotive oil.  The marketing campaign is geared to green consumers but also to DIY's who are performing their own oil changes and are being encouraged to recycle their used motor oil properly.  Simply disposing of the oil safely entitles a DIY to a discount on NextGen oils - not a bad deal.

It's evident that fossil fuels are a depleting resource and initiatives like this one to reuse a product are a step in the right direction.  It will be interesting to see how consumers and shops begin to make room for this new line of products.  Take a look at this YouTube video from Valvoline describing why oil should be recycled.