As a general manager, it is important to run an efficient, effective operation that builds customer loyalty. But where should you start and how do you effectively retain customers while still ensuring you are making a profit?
For this Quick Lube Q&A, NOLN spoke with Ken Frenchak, general manager of Valvoline Express Care in Grove City, Pennsylvania. Frenchak shares his thoughts on team-building techniques and customer retention.
NOLN: What do you think has contributed to your shop's overall success?
Ken Frenchak: There are multiple pieces to this puzzle. It's not just one thing. I'm fortunate that everything has lined up for us. One of the important pieces of a successful business is your employees. You must have a good team to follow through with what you desire.
When Rob and Tracey Ritenour—owners of Valvoline Express Care—purchased this quick lube shop in 2013, my dream was to do 40 oil changes a day. We’re a two-bay garage that’s open 10 hours a day. So, on paper, the max car count is 40 cars a day. In 2013, we started at 25 cars per day and presently our average is 42. We've also had moments where we’ve done over 70 oil changes in a day on a Saturday, in an eight-hour day.
NOLN: What factors do you think have contributed to your increase in car count?
Frenchak: So, the other part of this has to do with the operator manager's personality. Because if they're a grumpy, mean person, no one's going to want to come in. From day one, my whole mentality has been that people can go anywhere for an oil change. They come to us for an experience. That is what we're selling. We're selling an oil change experience. We're not just selling an oil change. So, when you do that, the price goes away, people come because of how they are treated, how they feel, and what the experience is.
NOLN: How do you build a positive culture that is constantly wanting to do better and be successful?
Frenchak: I believe in building confidence in people. I have employees that come in here with baggage and they leave with luggage. What I mean by that is we try to build self-confidence at this shop. We try to make them better than what they were when they came in. At some point or another, everybody is bruised or damaged. We're all circumstances of the environment that we're either brought up in or that we are currently in. We all want to become better. So, if you're able to connect with people and give them a place to improve, they will then help themselves. Also, by helping someone else become better, I'm also making myself better, and I preach that too.
The other thing that we do here is a book club. We read motivational books, and we discuss them either as a group or one-on-one. We’ve read motivational books by Scott McKain, Steve Gilliland, and even our friend Kevin Davis, who is the quick lube expert.
It's those kinds of things that when you help others, you get rewarded. I feel that's my reward. And what's nice, the Ritenours are cut out of that same material, so they allow me to go off and do these things.
NOLN: What do you do to retain customers and build loyalty?
We're very much engaged with our community on multiple levels. Grove City is a college town, so we're very active with Grove City College. We support their athletic programs, and we have an internship program with them.
We also do things with the high school and its athletics. Our county also has a (vocational-technical) program, and we mentor students from that.
Additionally, we just had a fundraiser in August for the Grove City Fire Department. We raised over $5,600 in one day's worth of business. We gave the fire department the whole shooting match for them to do some things with updating fire trucks, breathing packs, and that kind of thing.
We've done similar types of fundraisers for the YMCA in the past, and we strongly support veterans. On Veterans Day, we have deep discounts, and we give free car washes to all active veterans on that day.
NOLN: What does your internship program with the local college look like, and how does it help improve your business?
We have students who are from Grove City College’s sales and marketing classes who come and work for me. If you follow any of our social media — our current social media is being managed by one of my former intern students. He's doing it remotely out of the Carolinas, and when we talk, he knows what we need to do for the month, and he just goes off and produces it for us. So that helps me.
I'm currently working with one of the marketing classes now. The reason for this is I'm a boomer. I look at things completely differently than what the younger age group does. There’s nothing wrong with that. But what motivates me, or what triggers me to buy, and what triggers the younger generation to buy, and how they buy are two different animals. If my shop is going to continue to grow and succeed, I must tap into that.
NOLN: What advice would you offer to other quick lube general managers who are looking to improve their shop’s success?
Commitment is everything. Leadership's commitment to their team. The team's commitment to their leadership. Both leadership and team must be committed to their customers. By forming this equilateral triangle everyone benefits. This helps create and keep in check a positive and effective work culture, which helps the community—customers.
