For quick lube operators, having a clear strategy and strong team alignment are a winning combination for building deeper connections with guests, says Ed Howie, founder and CEO of Lifelong Customers. 

This week, Howie, whose firm specializes in customer retention, delivered a presentation for automotive aftermarket brands at iFLEX at AAPEX in Las Vegas. Having worked with companies such as Chick-fil-A and H-E-B Grocery in a career spanning more than 30 years, Howie has helped improve brands of all sizes since opening his own marketing firm.  

“The basis of that business, even though the way we go about it changes, is that every element of your business either magnifies or detracts from your brand,” Howie says. “And from brand strategy to external marketing to lead generation, it all has to be connected around the common story that really is true, but also distinct and compelling.” 

The message Howie imparted on iFLEX attendees is that where many leaders fall short is by failing to prepare their teams with a strong vision and a clear roadmap for serving their guests.  

“In the years of doing all the marketing and advertising stuff, I realized that we fail our people because we never truly tell them what to say or do,” Howie says. “We just expect them to figure it out. For the last several years, I've shifted all of our focus to your existing lifelong customers and your team, because your brand is the words your people use and the behaviors they choose in the moment they're actually interacting with the customer.  

“And the more clear you are with your expectations and equip them to do that, the more likely they're going to stay and do the right thing. But more importantly, the more likely it is the customer is going to stay because they're getting the experience and the impact you want.” 

While it’s important to continue working to attract new customers, the most profitable customers are the ones a business already has. By making a concerted effort to avoid creating friction in the customer experience that drives guests away, Howie says the more emphasis operators put on existing lifelong customers, the more profitable businesses become. 

So, how can quick lube operators rack up “wins” that keep guests coming back? By creating alignment within the team, says Howie. 

“If everyone doesn't understand what winning looks like for the enterprise, for the customer, for themselves, then it's very hard to get people aligned,” he says. “Our foundational logic is if you don't have clarity, you can't have alignment. And if you don't have alignment, you can't have velocity. 

“Now, specifically with sales velocity, that means that you need to create the fastest path to cash for the enterprise, which is built upon creating the fastest path to happiness, satisfaction, impact to your customers. First and foremost is helping the enterprise communicate and the team understand what does winning look like for the customer.” 

In the case of a visit to a quick lube shop, that win for a customer is bigger than saving $3 on an oil change, says Howie. It comes down to reliability—the guest knowing they will be provided with high-quality, fast, and friendly service that meets their needs. 

“It’s the totality of the experience,” he says. 

All About the ‘WOOO’ 

Howie has trademarked the phrase “WOOO!”, as in “Winning Others Over and Over.” It’s a philosophy for customer service that emphasizes being well-orchestrated, well-operationalized, and well-optimized—operators knowing what their customers need and how to provide it, and preparing their teams accordingly.  

“The only three ways you disappoint a customer is if you're poorly orchestrated, poorly operationalized, or poorly optimized, meaning you don't really know what they want,” Howie says. “They don't just want an oil change. They want confidence that (their) car is going to run and that (they) don't have to buy a new car, that (they) can maintain it.  

“If you don't know what the customer wants, or worse, you know what the customer wants, but you can't figure out how to do it, or even worse than that is you know you're equipped to do it, but you don't do it consistently, (then) they have no idea what to expect from you, what to get from you, and you erode trust. ‘WOOO!’ is when it's done well.