Shop Name: Insta-Lube
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Owner: Dale Eesley
Bay Count: 3
Insta-Lube is operated by Dale Eesley, a professor of entrepreneurship who was looking to embark on a new business venture and took over the shop in 2019. Though the business had loyal customers, it required several improvements to the property.
Upon taking the shop over, Eesley had the entire exterior repainted, and hired an interior designer to help him choose the colors. Now, the building sits with a white exterior and red metal roof.
One of the biggest improvements was a $20,000 digital sign the shop has installed outside.
“I didn’t know it was an oil shop. I thought it was a truck repair place. So, I put up a digital sign that said nothing but ‘Under new management’ and ‘We change oil’ for a long time,” says Eesley.
Having established itself firmly as a quick lube business, the shop now displays fun messages on its sign, such as “no dinosaur was injured in the making of this oil.”
Out With the Old
Insta-Lube used to have four locations. However, after closing three, the previous owners kept all their extra equipment, such as boil tanks and air compressors, in the remaining shop.
“There was no break room for the employees anymore,” says Eesley. “The first weekend I owned it, I said, ‘I’m going to commit first to the welfare of the employees, because that’s what makes the business run.’”
Employees gained a renovated break room, equipped with a kitchenette and restroom.
Creating a Five-Star Reputation
Insta-Lube operates out of a three-bay, pit-based shop, with 14-foot-high ceilings and glass bay doors for increased sunlight and visibility. The shop is now equipped with a computer, allowing for more oils to be stored and easily located.
“When I bought the shop, they didn’t even have a computer in it—literally—and they had everything memorized. If they had a vehicle they didn’t know, they had to look it up,” says Eesley. “I realized we were losing a lot of sales because we were sending people away saying, ‘Sorry, they don’t have your air filter.’”
An entire wall within the shop is now covered with the variety of Mobil 1 products the shop offers, and another wall is stocked with air filters. It represents just part of the complete upgrade that Eesley has brought to Insta-Lube, resulting in the business more than tripling its profitability.
“When I bought the place, we had the lowest Google ratings in town. We had like 34 reviews, and half of them were negative,” says Eesley. “We have now 1,300-plus five-star reviews, and it’s because of my emphasis on employees and on upgrading the appearance of the shop in a way that respects customers. Customers want to feel like they made a good decision to choose a place, and I think we accomplished that.”
