Although not oil resistant, wouldn't a quick lube staff decked out in these shoes be pretty cool?  I'm sure you've seen these shoes on a race car pit crew if you're looking that closely.  These shoes are from a company called Piloti which design and manufacturer shoes for racing. The neat thing about these shoes for the everyday driver is they offer a rounded heel that extends up the back of the shoe.  This allows for better ergonomics and easier shifting.

Shoes aside, a well groomed crew helps to give any business a polished feel and look.  Although these shoes may not meet the standards required for an automotive shop it may be worthwhile looking into what you and your staff can do to spruce up their image.

 

Technology is all around us and it has become a part of us.  It makes the world more transparent whether  we like it or not.  In an instant I can look up a  car wash in my area and find out what others are saying about it.  No need to even go there myself to pass judgement.  Interestingly enough, we rely on other consumers for their opinions to help form our own decision.  The more information and transparency a business can provide means the easier the decision will be for the customer when looking for or purchasing a service.

Automotive recommendations coming from a service advisor aren't always received with transparency since the customer may not know why their tie rod end needs replacement.  Here comes ClearMechanic to the rescue.  This is a smart phone based application that helps to visually sell service recommendations.  Think about instantly showing the customer what the issue is even if they are 50km away in their office.  ClearMechanic not only provides the ability to do this utilizing media we are all familiar with (text messaging, video messaging and email messaging) but it couples service recommendation photos with illustrations and explanations on the purpose of the part in question.  You have just built a connection with the customer based on information they will understand and transparency in what you are recommending.  It also helps that ClearMechanic has a higher than industry average recommendation approval rating.

It amazes me that this type of technology is not being utilized in every service bay.  Here is the opportunity to use the smart phone you have in your pocket to build trust and improve recommendation approvals with your customers with every single car.  OilReset has partnered with ClearMechanic to demonstrate to you that this technology works and is a necessity in every service bay just like OilReset has become.  Send us an email with your questions and we will be happy to assist.  [email protected]

The goal of the Saturday Service article is to provide insight into what my experience is as a consumer and how it can be used to better improve your service.  It's Wednesday morning and I decide to stop in at the local pharmacy to mail a package and to also purchase a few items.  It's fairly quiet in the store since it's the AM and they usually don't get busier till after lunch.  I can see the woman from cosmetics is in her part of the store and the pharmacist is behind his counter.  I take my items up to the cash and find no one there.  However, the office door behind the cash is open and the the manager on duty is busy at her desk.  I continue to wait as 30 seconds has now gone by and I cough to break the silence of the store.  No response.  The 1 minute mark approaches and the manager emerges from the office.  She greets me nicely, processes my transaction, collects my payment and I'm off.

This is not the first time this has happened to me and out of convenience I continue to use this pharmacy.  However, convenience aside this is the type of behaviour that will drive customers away.  The payment process requires the attendant to be present and engaged.  In this case, she was engaged but was not present to help me right away.  Because of this happening on more than one occasion it has changed my buying habit to only visit this pharmacy in the PM when there are more staff on hand.

The solution: the customer comes first and any other activity needs to be stopped so they feel their business is important.

After performing an oil change the MAINT REQD light can be reset by doing the following:

1. Press the ""ENGINE START STOP"" switch once (do not start the engine) or turn ignition key to run (one position before starting the engine).
2. Ensure Trip Metre A reading is shown. Turn the ignition off.
3. Press and hold the display change button and turn the ignition on (do not start the engine).
4. Continue to press and hold the button until the trip meter displays ""000000""."
5. Turn the ignition off and then start the engine to verify the indicator has been reset.

The vehicle recommends the following fluids:

Brake Fluid - SAE J1703 or FMVSS No.116 DOT 3

Coolant - “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant”
• A similar high-quality ethylene glycol-based non-silicate, non-amine, non-nitrite, and non-borate coolant with long-life hybrid organic acid technology

Engine Oil w/Filter

2.5 L 4-cylinder (2AR-FE, 2AR-FBE) engine - 4.6 qt. (4.4 L, 3.9 Imp. qt.)

3.5 L V6 (2GR-FE) engine - 6.4 qt. (6.1 L, 5.4 Imp. qt.)

Oil grade: ILSAC GF-5 multi-grade engine oil Recommended viscosity: SAE 0W-20

Transmission Fluid - Toyota Genuine ATF WS

You can cross reference the following Purolator Filter numbers:

1. Air Filter - A35649

2. Oil Filter - L25608

3. Cabin Filter - C35667

With this information, you should be well on your way to servicing the 2013 Toyota Camry.

I use my smart phone, laptop, tablet  and desktop on a daily basis.  All 4 devices have become a part of how I interact with the world on a daily basis.  Each device has its own purpose for me but one thing all 4 devices share in common is the internet.  I use all these devices to access the internet and search for something as simple as a gift, research an article, find a product and the list goes on.  The most frustrating thing for me when  I find what I am looking for is to find a website that does not provide everything I need to make or form a decision.  Here's a great example, I am looking to perform a 15 000KM service for my vehicle and decided to look at different automotive repair facilities online to get an idea of what the service would cost.  For the most part, many of the websites I visited had basic information on the company (about, services, location, contact) but they all lacked a greater in depth information on what services they performed and the prices.

It is no longer a want but a need to have a web presence.  However, having a website is no longer good enough.  As a consumer, I need you to provide transparency and list your services and prices so I have an understanding of what I may expect to pay.  Avlack of this information may mean that I will continue to search until I find a website that provides this level of transparency.

My recommendation to shops is to take a look at your competitors website and see what you can do that will make yours better.  More importantly, can  you list the prices of your basic services and your labour rate?  The more information you can provide to your customer "surfing" the web the more likely you are to obtain a new customer.

In the end, I chose to go to a shop I used in the past for my 15,000KM service because the websites I visited did not provide the information I was looking for.

The newer ML models have an updated steering wheel with directional arrows on the left and hands free buttons on the right. To perform this reset you will need to use the steering wheel controls.  Please follow these steps:

To perform this reset you will need to use the steering wheel controls.  Please follow these steps:

1) Close the hood, trunk and all doors.

2) Turn the ignition on (do not start the engine).

3) Press the ← (system selection button) repeatedly until the "trip" is highlighted in the instrument cluster.

4) i) Press and hold the ✆ (accept/end call button) and

ii) Within 1 second press and hold the OK button

5) Select the “ASSYST PLUS” menu using the ↓ (scroll forward/back button) and select using the OK.

6) Press the ↓ repeatedly  until “Full service” is highlighted and select using OK.

7) Press the ↓ repeatedly until “Confirm serv” is highlighted and select using OK.

8) Press the ↓ for the oil specification used “Oil qual. 229.3 or Oil qual. 229.5” and select using OK.

9) Press the ↓ to select “Yes” and select using OK.

10) Press the ↓ to select “Confirmation” and select using OK.

11) Press the OK button and press the ↩ (back button) until the instrument cluster shows the kilometer/mileage counter.

12) Turn the ignition off.  Start the engine to verify the reset is complete.

The engine oil specifications for this model will vary depending on the engine.  To make things easier, you can reference this chart and also visit the Mercedes specifications website to find out what specific oil will need to be used based on the Mercedes approval code (229.3, 229.5...).

At the time of this publication the majority of parts for the 2013 gasoline engines can only be ordered through the Mercedes parts department.  However, here is a filter chart using Purolator oil filters that can be cross referenced.

2013	ML 350 BlueTec	ML 350 (Gas)	ML 550 (Gas)	ML 63 AMG (Gas)
Oil Filter	L25246	Mercedes Part	Mercedes Part	Mercedes Part
Air Filter	A35694	A34838	Mercedes Part	Mercedes Part
Cabin Filter	C16081C	C16081C	Mercedes Part	Mercedes Part