Case in Point: Jiffy Lube

Today I had to have the oil changed in my van. This is an experience that I truely dread.  For years I’ve been very loyal to my dealer where I purchased my vehicle, but I just don’t like being at the dealership for an hour sitting in the waiting  room. Many times in the past the dealership has even kept my car all day because they used to squeeze oil changes in between more serious car repair jobs. The dealer thoughtfully provided a taxi gratis back to my office, but I was without a car for most of the day. For most people that might not be a problem, but I’m in sales and that means I have to wipe my schedule free of any outside appointments just to have my oil changed.

Recently someone recommended that I take my car to Jiffy Lube, and, if I waited until Tuesday I’d get a special price. So today being Tuesday, I planned to head on over to Jiffy Lube. All day long I was so busy that I didn’t make it out of the office until after 5 pm. I called Jiffy Lube to see if they were open. I was pleasantly surprised to hear they were open until 7 pm. With my nine year old daughter in the van I headed over to Jiffy Lube.

When I arrived there was a small line. There were two cars in the bay and one vehicle waiting in both lines (there were only two bays). I thought to myself, “oh no, this is gonna take an hour.” I really didn’t want to wait, but I didn’t want to come back and do this later either. Just as I was contemplating whether to wait it out, I was greeted by one of the many attendants that were buzzing around working. The attendant told me that the car in the bay was nearly done and that with the vehicle ahead of me it would be approximately a 15 minute wait before my vehicle was started. I was invited to wait in the waiting room or to stay in the van, my choice. I chose to wait in my van because I had a cassette that I was listening to.

I’m not sure it was even a full 15 minutes before my van was in the service bay. My van was immediatly “converged upon” by several techs each doing something. One of the techs came to me at the driver’s side window and asked me if I would step out of the van for a few moments to go over to his computer so he could process my order. He entered my name, address, phone number and other pertinant information regarding my vehicle into the computer (this is the foundation for all their future business with me – they now have all my contact information and know about my vehicle.)

After all my information was entered into the computer, the tech flipped from screen to screen recommended other services and explaining why they are necessary for my vehicle and how much each one cost. During this time one of the several techs that were working on my van brought over my air filter that filters the air my family and I breath inside the van. Ugh it was disgusting. It was also a clear demonstration of why I needed one of the services he had just offered me.

There were services that he recommended that I passed on, but he didn’t pressure me at all. He noted in my account which services they performed and which ones they did not. Finally he printed out a receipt for the two services I ordered, noting which ones I did not order.

By the time I was done with this very brief conversation over at the computer, my van was done. Oil and air filter changed. Oh, and I almost forgot, they also vacuumed out my van while I was giving them my contact information and paying for my service!

I was in and out so fast I could hardly believe it. It was wonderful. I didn’t have to be without a vehicle all day, and I was treated pleasantly.

I will definitely go there again.

Now, what kind of experience are you giving your customer?  Jiffy Lube won my loyalty with their customer intuitive systems. Somehow Jiffy Lube understood what I needed and gave it to me. I needed to be able to bring my vehicle in and leave quickly. I even needed to come in after work and not be without my van all day. And by the way, Jiffy Lube’s price wasn’t really any lower than my dealer. So price was not cut to earn my business. They simply delivered on a great system.

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