Lube Talk

This month in Lube Talk, our forum of operators discusses specialty motor oil and employee uniforms.

Chris Shepanek
Shepanek is chief executive officer of OCH International, Inc., franchisor of Oil Can Henry’s quick oil change centers. There are 86 Oil Can Henry’s centers in Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota and Idaho.

Q: What types of specialty motor oil do you stock?
A: To meet our customers’ needs, we offer a wide selection of specialty oils, including synthetic, synthetic blend, high mileage and selected specialty synthetics that meet requirements for some Volkswagen models and other manufacturer specifications. We also carry re-refined motor oils for fleet customers who require it and customers who want a “green” motor oil.

Q: Do your employees wear uniforms? Can they alter them for heat or cold?
A: Our employee uniform is a key component of the Oil Can Henry’s brand. It is as important as our clean centers in communicating to consumers that we’re a provider of premium service.

The unique uniform, complete with the Gatsby cap and signature bowtie, supports our brand positioning as a trusted provider of quality vehicle maintenance services. These uniforms — and the bowtie in particular — help communicate our attention to detail and old-fashioned commitment to quality.

Our customers appreciate our employees’ clean and neat appearance, and we’re confident it helps emphasize that we provide a superior service experience. In fact, customers often contact us asking to purchase Gatsby caps.

We have uniform options to ensure our employees are comfortable on particularly hot and cold days.

Nick Vuko
Vuko is the general manager of Quick Nick’s Snappy Lube in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Q: What types of specialty motor oil do you stock?
A: We carry high-mileage oil for vehicles over 75,000 miles and a synthetic blend for customers who want some of the benefits of synthetic but don’t want an expensive oil change. We carry a 5W-40 synthetic, which meets the VW and Audi specifications, as well as the Motul synthetic 5W-40 oil to meet the new VW spec. We are currently adding recycled oil to our menu for customers who want to go green.

Q: Do your employees wear uniforms? Can they alter them for heat or cold?
A: Our employees have to wear a specific uniform that they purchase themselves. We have them wear a black Quick Nick’s shirt with black Dickies pants. They also must have a black scratchless belt, non-slick shoes and, if they want an undershirt, a white T-shirt. We have debated on letting them wear shorts in the summer but have not adopted that policy yet. In the winter, we have stocking caps for them, as well as Quick Nick’s sweatshirts.

We purchase everything up front if they would like and set up a payroll deduction until everything is paid off. The employees then do all the cleaning themselves.

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