Lang Aftermarket iReport: New ‘Customer Satisfaction’ demands for quick repair

“Quick Lube & Service outlets, along with the entire vehicle service industry, are facing new and unprecedented Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) challenges as consumers’ expectations of vehicle repair are changing in response to heightened health concerns triggered by the 2020 Virus.

“Quick Lube and Quick Service operations are among the fastest growing light vehicle repair outlets. Many Quick Lube bays are evolving into Quick Lube & Service bays as Quick Lube repair menus are expanding, and Car Dealers are adding Quick Service Lanes that highlight oil changes. The ‘new normal’ of social distancing presents special CSAT challenges for Quick Lube & Service outlets because of their unique and expanding position in the repair market. ”

— Jim Lang, publisher, Lang Aftermarket iReport

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Aftermarket Impact of the Virus to 2023 and Beyond: In-Depth Report coming in July
“This iReport, along with more special iReports focusing on the 2020 Virus through June, will provide a preview of the comprehensive and detailed report to be published in July by Lang Marketing, with five monthly updates of key developments to be issued from August through December.”

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Quick Lubes Grow as Repair Shops Decline

The number of Quick Lube bays increased by 5% between 2014 and 2019. This bay growth occurred despite a decline in the total light vehicle bay population.

Quick Lubes to Quick Service

Many Quick Lubes are rapidly expanding the products and services that they offer.

Today, over 20% of the typical Quick Lube’s business is generated by products and services they did not offer five years ago.

Dealers Add Quick Service Lanes

Many Dealers are adding Quick Service Lanes in order to attract new customers and to develop more frequent customer contact.

Quick Service Lanes help Dealers to expand the age range of the vehicles they service (attracting older vehicles to their bays) and increase the breadth of vehicle nameplates they repair.

Recurring Maintenance Visits

By encouraging customers to return at regular intervals, Quick Lubes are one of the few service operations seeing customers multiple times annually.

This provides Quick Lubes with the opportunity to inspect vehicles and perform preventive maintenance, something that has all but disappeared in the car care industry.

2020 Virus Triggers CSAT Challenges

The “new normal” of consumers’ expectations of social distancing, which will continue for an extended time (perhaps years), present special Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) challenges for Quick Lube & Service operations because of their unique and expanding position in the repair market.

First, oil changes are performed by Quick Lube & Service outlets while customers wait. In this new age of social distancing, special waiting room accommodations will be required and other adaptations must be formulated (such as customers remaining in their vehicles while oil changes are performed).

Second, Quick Lube & Service outlets depend on developing a relationship with customers that encourages them to return on a regular basis. Unless customers’ changing expectations are satisfied, this underlying strategy of Quick Lube & Service outlets (a key to their competitive success) cannot be implemented effectively.

Third, Quick Lube & Service outlets are expanding the repairs and services they provide. This will require outlets to provide customers with social distancing for greater lengths of time per visit.

Forget Past CSAT Findings

The 2020 Virus has triggered dramatic changes in customer expectations regarding vehicle repair and how they interact with repair outlets.

This means that Customer Satisfaction findings attained in the past are now obsolete and new CSAT programs must be initiated by Quick Lube & Service outlets, along with the entire vehicle service industry, to measure how well they are meeting the changing expectations of consumers in this “new normal” of social distancing and unprecedented health concerns.

Customer Satisfaction must be closely monitored by Quick Lube & Service operations in order for them to maintain the type of ongoing customer relationships on which the implementation of their business model and their ultimate success depend.

Six Major Takeaways

• The number of Quick Lube bays increased by 5% over the past 5 years, at a time when the light vehicle service bay population declined across the U.S.
• Dealers are adding Quick Service Lanes (bays) to expand their customer base and maintain frequent contact with customers.
• Quick Lube operations are increasing business by adding products and services. Up to 20% of their current business is generated by products and services they did not sell five years ago.
• By encouraging customers to return at regular intervals, Quick Lubes are one of the few service operations that see customers multiple times per year.
• As Quick Lubes evolve into Quick Lube & Service operations, they will face new challenges to meet the changing expectations of customers in this new age of social distancing and unprecedented health concerns.
• Customer Satisfaction scores developed before the 2020 Virus are now obsolete. New CSAT programs must be initiated by Quick Lube & Service outlets in order for them to satisfy changing customer expectations so that customers will return on a regular basis.

Copyright 2020 by Lang Marketing Resources, Inc.

NOTE: Special thanks to publisher Jim Lang for granting us permission to publish the Lang Aftermarket iReport.