Is Your Waiting Room Ready for Winter?

By Dan Kaus

When it comes to fast lube operations, every year is pretty much organized into service seasons that require a different proactive approach. That is, if you want to capitalize on the opportunities that each season presents. The upcoming winter service season is no different and provides a unique set of opportunities and challenges. On your to-do list I suggest you include a thorough evaluation of your interior, including customer-area facilities and point-of purchase displays, to make sure they communicate what you want them to during the “indoor months.”

Investing in Peace of Mind

Perhaps like no other service-season, the winter months have their own distinctive feel for customers. We often observe that when the first big winter storm hits, customer volumes can spike. This is a natural response to the fact that customers want to feel that their vehicle is ready to get them through the weather without problems. What does that need for security sound like? Well, more often than not it sounds something like this verbatim comment from a female customer: “I come to this center because I know they’re qualified and prepared to get my car ready for the winter. I dread the thought of getting stuck, in the middle of a winter storm, with a car that won’t work. I guess I’m really investing in peace of mind.”

Like this customer, that need for peace of mind drives most customers to a provider who is obviously ready to offer it. And visible readiness, effectively communicated to your customers, by your facilities and your point of purchase presentation is essential. Preparing your center to fill this customer need falls under the category of, “Things that must be done now!”

In this column I will suggest a few practical thoughts on seeing to it, now, that your facilities and your point of purchase offerings are planned to fill that customer need.

Step 1: Know what you want to communicate — Everything your customer hears, sees, feels, tastes, smells or experiences in any way while they are in your center is an important part of your facilities messaging. Especially during “indoor months” customers want confidence in their service provider. It’s even more important during these months to see that your facilities instill trust. Anything that detracts from that message results in diminished customer confidence that you’re giving them the kind of service that will ensure their vehicle is ready for what’s outside. Trust is the prerequisite for building a loyal customer and hence should be priority number one.

Beyond trust, being specific about what you want your facilities and your point of purchase messaging to communicate is essential. Without having a specific direction in mind it’s likely the communication received by customers is equally scattered. Think about the local fast food restaurant during a big movie tie-in promotion. Everything you see is about that movie — the bags, the cups, the kids’ meals, the tray liners, etc. So make sure you have a specific message but you also need to change it up from time to time to keep customers engaged. Do you keep the same posters about the same range of services on your walls year round? As indicated by the “limited time” nature of those fast food promotions, change is good! And at this time of year, as schools open and the leaves begin to turn, you need to start talking about winterization tips. Wouldn’t it be great if your customers echoed this customer comment: “I saw the variety of winter preparations I should be making when I watched your winter service video. The poster was also a good reminder. But most important, everything in your center is so clean, comfortable and professional. I know you’re ready to get me through another awful winter.”

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