Quickie-Lube Propoganda

[pitzel]

http://www.noln.net/columns/1-05/features/opprojectjan05.html

quote:

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“We need help educating our customers in how often services should ‘really’ be performed on vehicles,” said Markeli. “The manufacturers are teaching new car owners that they can prolong or avoid preventive services so that it looks more affordable to own a car. This is hurting the entire automotive service industry, including the dealership service departments. For as long as we all can remember, it was, ‘Change your oil every 3,000 miles.’ We are losing sight of that. Also, when do we recommend other services such as power steering, transmission, coolant, fuel and related services? We need an independent group to recommend intervals to the average consumer on the street, because what the OEMs are recommending — which is what our computers are showing — does not do the industry or the customer any good.”

One expert concurred, to a point, saying the lube industry needs to work to educate customers about the importance of existing oil change intervals, if not exactly the 3,000-mile interval of yore.

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The whole article really paints a picture of an industry that is facing an imminent crisis in the future, spurred on by both manufacturers as well as grassroots efforts such as BiTOG. Do these people really and honestly believe in their hearts that a 3000 mile/3 month oil change interval is appropriate? It really says a lot about the industry when one of its industry publications openly advocates hiring slick-talking, used-car-dealer-like salesmen to reinforce propoganda such as the 3000 mile oil change to customers who find themselves trying to make sense of the contradiction in their owners manuals.

Of course, ever seen a used oil analysis service available at a quickie-lube? Does anyone here think that a quickie-lube could offer used oil analysis service and still make money at it without undermining the rest of the business?

 

[medic]

After reading the quote, I really want to invent a "lifetime" fill for motoroil. These guys are whining because the truth is slowly taking over.

Common sense tells me that engines are going to become more efficient as time goes on. This means that the petrolium industry - from the oil tycoons all the way down to the guy changing your oil are going to have to start looking for new services to offer to their customers.

This isn't going to happen tomorrow, but it is in the future. The internal combustion engine is going to be a thing of the past. As far as I'm concerned, it is a very obsolite design regarless of how many electrical devises you hook up to it.

 

[Pablo]

Just another case of the very loose usage of the word "educate"......in this case it really means:

educating = "lying to"
educate = "lie to"

Very self serving. A microcosm of the rest our new world. I am all for honest lube places. I am certainly a pro-business guy. I don't want any more government standards!! People just need to wake up....

 

[Gary Allan]

I look at their rhetoric as somewhat wise. I mean ..if you are an ignorant consumer ..this is a safe policy to adopt. The truth is ..that more people will blow the $25 somewhere else ..and not every 3m/3k ..but at least two to three times a week on "nothing".

I'd say, that if I had a daughter who could give a rats arse about maintenance on her car ..and I couldn't be there to assure that it got done ..that a 3k/3m policy would be something I could hopefully get her to adopt.

Luckily we have one of the best annual inspections in PA. You can't ignore too much ...and yes, many get just one annual OCI and top up the rest of the year. Maybe if it starts consuming too much oil ..they get it changed earlier.

What the quicky lube needs to adopt is a more reasonable approach. They should start evolving beyond the 25 year old 3k/3m standard and give the consumer value for their $$.

But ..let's say BITOG opened up a quicky lube. What would the average user get in the terms of OCI

The BITOG quicky lube would offer bypass filters of various vendors. It would change out your tp every 3k/3m for $10, oil included. It would offer high end synthetics ..which the majority of the users would change out every 5-6k/6months. A few would go 10k .. a few 15k or more. UOA would be offered and tracked. The company data base would be tapped into the industry evolutions. All spec'd lubes would be in stock ..and all changes would be implimented to protect the customer's warranty.

..but what would be our take on an quicky lube that sold high end synthetics ...and told customers that they should be changing them out every 5-6k? We'd probably still say that they were ripping people off since the cost of the synthetics was more than doing 3k/3m on the cheap stuff.

The main point that I'm trying to make is that mating the consumer and the vendor in this enterprise is difficult at best. Can a consumer be educated enough to take advantage of what a lube center can offer? Can a lube center be educated enough to provide broad based custom services for a wide range of vehicles?


..which tends to throw a "blanket" fix to the cure ...like 3k/3m.

 

[jsharp]

I love how those guys are saying "power steering flushes" are something they need to start doing more of to up their profits. Can changing the air in tires be far off? "Don't forget to tell the customer he needs to change his blinker fluid and have the muffler bearings retorqued while he's here. Only an additional $19.95"

What I'm looking forward to is seeing the same guys that can't install oil and a filter correctly doing brake system flushes.

 

[Gary Allan]

The local Firestone store is a decent place. They have all the mandates that PB, Sears, and any other chain store. They have a printed sheet attached to your bill with all the recommended services. The guy who runs the show goes through all the motions to keep the front office happy and just sells people what they need. My $59.99 alignment had $450 worth of recommended services that he never bothered offering to me. His lot is full all the time and it doesn't matter if he sells one car $500 worth of services ..or 10 cars $50 worth of services. The cash flow doesn't change ..nor does his commision. Coupled with annual inspections ...he's in hog heaven and gains the respect of most of his customers.

He earns it.

 

[wavinwayne]

quote:

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Originally posted by Gary Allan:
...But ..let's say BITOG opened up a quicky lube....

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That would be awesome! The best part would be the

GC elves changing the oil.

 

[jsharp]

quote:

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Originally posted by Gary Allan:
The local Firestone store is a decent place. They have all the mandates that PB, Sears, and any other chain store. They have a printed sheet attached to your bill with all the recommended services. The guy who runs the show goes through all the motions to keep the front office happy and just sells people what they need. My $59.99 alignment had $450 worth of recommended services that he never bothered offering to me. His lot is full all the time and it doesn't matter if he sells one car $500 worth of services ..or 10 cars $50 worth of services. The cash flow doesn't change ..nor does his commision. Coupled with annual inspections ...he's in hog heaven and gains the respect of most of his customers.

He earns it.

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So, you ignored the reccomendations and are now drivng around with old and unsafe air in your tires eh Gary?

I hope you don't end up sorry about this...

 

[joatmon]

quote:

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Originally posted by Gary Allan:
.......
But ..let's say BITOG opened up a quicky lube. What would the average user get in the terms of OCI

The BITOG quicky lube would offer bypass filters of various vendors. It would change out your tp every 3k/3m for $10, oil included. It would offer high end synthetics ..which the majority of the users would change out every 5-6k/6months. A few would go 10k .. a few 15k or more. UOA would be offered and tracked. The company data base would be tapped into the industry evolutions. All spec'd lubes would be in stock ..and all changes would be implimented to protect the customer's warranty.
.....

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Well, we have a lot of members here who search all over the planet for the best oil and change it a 3k to 5k. So, what's better? 4 or 5k changes of the good stuff, ie. GC, M1, AmsOil or 3k changes of the standard stuff like Pennzoil, QS, Castrol and the like?

The world has many problems. $20 oil changes at 3k by grandma isn't one of them.

Also, factor in a leaking head gasket that may not ruin an engine with 3k changes, or a problem like the Toyota "gelling" problem and I'd say that recommending 3k at JL is pretty good advice for the average consumer. Also, tell someone 3k, and that seems to mean 3.5 - 4k.

Cheers,

Jack

 

[Kestas]

quote:

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Originally posted by Gary Allan:
But ..let's say BITOG opened up a quicky lube.........

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And how long would it be before BITOG started looking for ways to increase cash flow and keep the operations profitable?

 

[kenw]

quote:

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Originally posted by Kestas:

quote:

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Originally posted by Gary Allan:
But ..let's say BITOG opened up a quicky lube.........

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And how long would it be before BITOG started looking for ways to increase cash flow and keep the operations profitable?

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ah, reality bites, doesn't it?

 

[Gary Allan]

The point I was making is that if the membership of BITOG did business at their own quicky lube ...an outside viewer would be proclaiming that the place was ripping them off. You would have members who were buying $6-$8/quart oils swapping them out every 4-6k. You would have customers who, in spite of bypass filtration, would needlessly have OCIs performed with high end oils. What would a consumer advocate call a used oil analysis?

Yet ..they (we) wouldn't feel "ripped off". I think that this is the same (what's the word

) terciary (spl?) view we have of the quickie lube.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Firestone Service is pretty good.

I dunno if all drivers' will listen to JL 3000mi rants if they can refer to the owner's manual and stretch it out even further to 5000 or 7500 mi.