What's Not To Like
About This?
When the customer is really king,
they have a really good day.
It was time for the oil change in the car, so I went down to Jiffy Lube on East Market Street - their new building that has been open for about a year
I have to admit, I was pretty impressed with their customer service. Here are a few things that make me a fan.
Efficiency. They do have a system in place and they follow it. From the time you pull up until you pull away, they have a system designed for efficiency. That means you spend the minimum time waiting for your car to be worked on. I was in a hurry that day, had lots to do and the last thing I wanted was to spend time waiting on service.
Execution. Having a good system isn't much use, if your people don't work the system. But they did. They were like a well oiled machine (a friendly machine, but I'll get to that). As soon as I arrived, they are taking the initiative to get my car in the process, get me in the waiting room, run the diagnostics, present me with the needs and the options. It was smooth. A good system, with great execution - that means results.
Energetic and friendly. The word ATTITUDE comes to mind. The right attitude. These guys were having fun. (It was still mid morning, maybe that wears off by late afternoon!) I really believed they liked what they were doing. Helping customers AND working on their cars. Every one of them was energetic, hustling, working hard AND they were outgoing, personable, interactive, polite, respectful, friendly. They opened and held the doors coming and going. When I went outside to get in my car, they opened the door for me and told me to have a good day. I don't know about you, but I typically don't expect that from a car mechanic. I just hope a mechanic does a good job taking care of my car.
This is the power of Jim Collins idea of both/and. They were good mechanics and they were good customer service representatives. And not just a few of them. Every mechanic that I saw engaging with people did a really nice job of doing that. This is a nice combination. You can find this image at this site along with some positive encouragement on doing both.
Know what business you are in (from Drucker). They were in the right business. If you think they are in the "oil changing business" you aren't quite right on this. They are in the business of "customer satisfaction" when it comes to providing the RIGHT KIND OF EXPERIENCE of car care.
They had a comfortable waiting area, with a few perks and touches. As crazy as this is, they had a popcorn machine there with fresh popcorn, put in bags. It smelled good. There was one other person eating from a bag. I looked at him. He said - it's good. I took a bag with me for the road. He was right - it was good. Now that is going above and beyond to add an extra touch that tells the customer - we want you to have a good experience while you are here waiting.
They also were not pushy at all. Years ago, if my memory serves me, I would feel a little "pressured" about getting things done. The last two times I went there, they show you the computer screen, the miles on your car, the recommended service options for your car with that mileage. If there are other things they found, they point them out to you. And then - what do I want done? I tell them. No pressure back. Just, "yes sir." We will be done in less then 30 minutes. It was actually LESS THAN 30 minutes. Another good customer service principle. They did not OVER PROMISE and UNDER DELIVER. They UNDER PROMISED and OVER DELIVERED.
What was my experience like?
Fast
Friendly
Affordable
Way to go Jiffy Lube.
Good work and satisfied customers. I'm one of your fans. I don't know if this is company wide or if I just "lucked out" with a good team at this franchise, but I'm a fan. You've got my repeat business.
And by the way. I did have a good day and you guys helped it start off right.
I hope you guys had a good day today too.
Brian K. Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International
www.lci.typepad.com
