Has anyone here ever worked at a Quick lube?

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HonorAndHonesty

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Anyone here ever work at a quick lube? Any horror stories? Confessions?


I did for about 2 years while I was in high school. I have many stories I can share if anyone is interested, to be fair I must say some of it would seem made up to many, but there were a lot of factors involved that provided the perfect catalyst for some very interesting misadventures.
 
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Well isn't the classic story the one where they forget to put oil in the car and the engine seizes? How many times did that happen or did it happen?
 
I did for a year right out of high school.

The managers always ruin the experience.

They care only about speed and profit,
and do NOT give 2 Spits about the customer's car care.
 
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Well isn't the classic story the one where they forget to put oil in the car and the engine seizes? How many times did that happen or did it happen?


That actually didn't happen while I worked there that I remember, but if it had happened it would not have suprised me. Now not saying that the oil always stayed in the engine.....

The fact that we didn't forget to put oil in a car isn't because of what we did, it was in spite of what we did....
 
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I worked at a tire shop that did a lot of oil changes.

Had a manager who thought whatever money we lost on the $16.88 oil change with 58 point courtesy inspection we'd make up for on volume.

In other words corporate wanted the gross take to improve, even if we spent money on supplies. Whatever metric they want to meet, the managers would go after.

It was beaten into us to work to the work order, but my boss shortcutted that by saying, here's an oil change, bring this car in, and gave me the keys.

I got it on the lift, started draining the oil, and the work order included one of those 12 oz bottles of kerosene marketed as an engine flush. Which was supposed to have gone in with the old oil.
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
I did for a year right out of high school.

The managers always ruin the experience.

They care only about speed and profit,
and do NOT give 2 Spits about the customer's car care.


Yep. It was all about the numbers. Car count and then sales. If you didn't beat the previous years numbers by something like 10 percent the manager has some splaining to do to the regional manager who was the biggest arrogant jerk ever.

One manager was ok, but in the end if he didn't make the numbers the regional manager would scream at him.
 
I worked at local mom and pop quick lube right out of vo tech school. We used NAPA oils and Auto Extra or Napa oil and air filters. Had a good customer base also and we heated whole shop with waste oil in winter and spring and summer local asphalt company took waste oil
 
Another let's bash the quick lube threads........

sleep.gif



How many of these things have we had on here.......?
 
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Originally Posted By: CKN
Another let's bash the quick lube threads........

sleep.gif



How many of these things have we had on here.......?


Ahhh, yes, but did the others involve Crack cocaine, cash only sundays, and an alcoholic manager and his mistresses?
 
shocked2.gif


I applied but was rejected, despite being in motor mech classes in HS AND having rebuilt an engine and auto trans as part of the curriculum. I think they just wanted to keep their "buddies" employed at that location.

I ended up getting a job at the local Pizza Hut. The ones that had an actual dining room for families to come and enjoy dinner together (what family does that anymore!?! ain't nobody got time for that!).
 
Originally Posted By: 5AcresAndAFool
Originally Posted By: CKN
Another let's bash the quick lube threads........

sleep.gif



How many of these things have we had on here.......?


Ahhh, yes, but did the others involve Crack cocaine, cash only sundays, and an alcoholic manager and his mistresses?


It's not bashing if it's true.
 
Originally Posted By: car51
I worked at local mom and pop quick lube right out of vo tech school. We used NAPA oils and Auto Extra or Napa oil and air filters. Had a good customer base also and we heated whole shop with waste oil in winter and spring and summer local asphalt company took waste oil


The Quick Lube I work for was a corporate-owned location. I seem to remember many of the locations were franchises but corporate owned so many stores and this just happened to be one of them.

I always figured a mom and pop Quick Lube would probably be a better experience overall for the employees and the customers.
 
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I worked at a Buffalo location in the early 90s when a large Kentucky oil company started a new chain, hint hint.
It was a good time, we all liked our job and got along, mgrs never told us to hard sell, just follow procedures, customers really trusted us.
We started a couple cars with no oil, but never let one leave empty, success!!!
 
Yeah i want to hear all the stories. I work in the auto business and I sometimes think about opening up a small lube shop
crazy2.gif
 
Once my friend's dad got his car's battery installed incorrectly. It fried the alternator and Walmart had to pay the bills. I think the guy could have gotten fired.
 
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Originally Posted By: 5AcresAndAFool
the regional manager who was the biggest arrogant jerk ever.... if he didn't make the numbers the regional manager would scream at him.


The autozone stores in Waco got in serious hot water & lost a LOT of customers years ago because of this.

They would hide the little packets of brake grease in with the brake pads (2 per box & $0.99 each!) for "WITTDTJR sales" numbers.
Same thing with the silicone grease in spark wire boxes.

The cashiers had samples of these packets stapled to a piece of cardboard next to the register, and were told to scan each packet twice (without opening the box) so the sales numbers would go up.

It was a HUGE scam... the dirtiest sales trick I ever saw. SHAME on the regional managers!
mad.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: 5AcresAndAFool
the regional manager who was the biggest arrogant jerk ever.... if he didn't make the numbers the regional manager would scream at him.


The autozone stores in Waco got in serious hot water & lost a LOT of customers years ago because of this.

They would hide the little packets of brake grease in with the brake pads (2 per box & $0.99 each!) for "WITTDTJR sales" numbers.
Same thing with the silicone grease in spark wire boxes.

The cashiers had samples of these packets stapled to a piece of cardboard next to the register, and were told to scan each packet twice (without opening the box) so the sales numbers would go up.

It was a HUGE scam... the dirtiest sales trick I ever saw. SHAME on the regional managers!
mad.gif




Yikes!
 
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