An Honest Celebrity
Texas Shop Thrives By Following Simple Policy

By Jessika Bailey
NOLN Contributing Writer

“Honesty is the best policy.”

Many have taken this quote and transformed it into their own meaning, but it all holds the same truth: Use honesty in everything you do.

Doug Dallafior is the general manager of Celebrity Car Wash and Maintenance Center in Flower Mound, Texas, an upscale suburb of the Dallas/Fort Worth area. According to him, it is a strict adherence to this “honesty policy” that he attributes to the shop’s success.

Celebrity Car Wash and Maintenance Center in Flower Mound, Texas, features dedicated bays for each type of service offered: inspection, fast lube and maintenance.

“It’s all about honesty. Just treat the customers the way they want to be treated. It has gotten me where I am,” he said.

And that “where” is at the head of a facility exceeding industry averages by every measure.

Celebrity’s three-bay lube shop sees an average of nearly 1,200 cars per month, and the ticket averages are well above average, too. The ticket average for the year is $66.00. One recent Saturday evening after the shop was closed, Dallafior checked the numbers and found his crew brought in an average ticket of $106.27 for the day, or roughly double the industry average ticket total. Dallafior says anyone can do it; it just takes time and energy from the operator and his employees.

“The numbers tell the story; stay on top of the numbers, stay true to your model and success comes easy,” Dallafior said.

Having good employees, knowing your product, and being honest with the customers will lead you on the path toward success.

“The secret to being this successful is you have to surround yourself with employees you can depend on,” Dallafior said.

In addition to being certified in lube management by the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), Dallafior requires his employees to pass the ASE test to become certified lube technicians.

Of course, the old “location, location, location” mantra doesn’t hurt when it comes to being successful. The area and its demographics you serve also contribute to your sales. Dallafior said the area in which his lube center is located brings in many people who have luxury cars. Even though there are 12 other lube shops within competing distance of Celebrity, customers keep coming back because of the way they are treated.

Another secret to high-ticket averages? Get people out of their cars and talk to them. Dallafior said the lobby of the facility, especially at the carwash, is designed to get customers out of their cars, allowing employees the opportunity to build relationships and educate customers about maintenance. The lobby is also designed with amenities that today’s customers demand.

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