What’s the weirdest vehicle that has pulled up to your shop? Maybe it was some exotic car that required a quick oil order from the local distributor and a sneaky peek at a YouTube tutorial. Those kinds of service visits, and your teams’ reactions to them, are what separate the pros from the not-so-much.
While we at NOLN are dedicated to helping you run the most streamlined quick maintenance facility under normal circumstances, it can also be beneficial to look closely at a different version of the quick maintenance shop. In this issue, you’ll read about just that as the profile takes a look at Mark Clark and his heavy duty service operation, Epika Fleet Services.
I found it fascinating to get an inside view of a specialized segment of the quick maintenance industry. Heavy duty vehicles like semi trucks take no small effort to change the oil, and like the truck, all of the measurements are supersized. I learned this during a visit to a Shell Rotella SuperRigs event in southern Minnesota some years back. These trucks can clock 100,000 miles annually, and the amount of oil on board can be upwards of 12 gallons.
Imagine turning that customer base into a quick maintenance operation. Referring back to our profile story, Mr. Clark set out to do just that and now has a robust national network of shops. I hope you’ll also enjoy reading the insights into customer service, shop network growth, and how to efficiently service these vehicles.
This month’s issue also takes a look at the changing relationships between shop owners, managers, and rank-and-file employees. In addition, another story goes step by step through the process of reputation repair after you’ve made a mistake and are hearing about it online.
I know operators should be able to draw some handy tips and strategies from this February issue while you’re making big plans for growing your business in the new year.
