Shop Look: OilStop of Costa Mesa, Calif.

March 1, 2020

This is a clean California quick lube shop. Read about the amenities and tech from this OilStop location.

A Little Extra

This company-owned OilStop fits right into the sunny southern California locale. With an attractive landscape, a commanding building presence and clean look, the Costa Mesa shop should catch customers’ attention.

Gary Woo, who directs marketing and franchising for the OilStop, says that many of their stores share the same building and landscaping features, which is a conscious investment.

“I think one of the attributes of an Oilstop that makes our locations stand out is the money spent to make an architectural point,” Woo says. “Quick lubes don’t have to be square boxes with flat roofs. Not only are many of our locations attractive for guests, but our staff enjoy going to work in a nice looking building.”

He adds that they want customers to be treated like visitors in someone’s home. The look and feel of a building go a long way toward achieving that.

Welcoming In

The building has clay-style roof tiles and ample drive-up space, but it’s in the bay where staff works to impress customers.

Drivers remain in their cars for OilStop service, and at this shop there’s more capacity to do that. Woo says that this shop has four bays, which is one or two more than a typical OilStop.

That means that the shop area is a sort of customer area, and Woo says that makes shop cleanliness a top priority.

“We have a saying, along with many, many others, that if you have time to lean, you have time to clean,” Woo says.”

The Right Tools

Woo says that the building has a lot of features that keep techs in place and reduce lag time. 

Each lower bay has its own complete set of tools, for example.

“So no one has to share or trade tools,” he says. “Each bay in the basement contains special tools, as well, such as torque wrenches with each size socket welded to an individual handle, so sockets aren’t misplaced or dropped because of slippery hands.”

Upstairs, Woo says that guests watch the coolant getting pumped because they’ve installed clear receptacles. 

Another feature is simple and effective: Additives and other products are kept on stainless steel shelves between each bay, in view of the customer. Perhaps the power of a clear line of sight might be enough to get the customer thinking about additive treatments.