From company-owned shops to franchise and licensee locations, the FullSpeed Automotive portfolio has grown to more than 900 locations. With such growth, however, comes the challenge of delivering a consistent, high-quality customer service across all of the company’s facilities.
To better align its stores, FullSpeed Automotive developed a new customer service training program for employees. Jason Johnsey, director of training and development, played a key role in the initiative, and he recently joined the NOLN Podcast discuss the experience.
Here are five key takeaways from that conversation that can help quick lube operators refine their own training programs.
1. Standardization is critical after rapid growth and acquisitions. FullSpeed Automotive’s training overhaul was driven by the need to unify processes across about 900 locations and multiple acquired brands. Creating a consistent, repeatable approach to core services (like oil changes) became essential to maintaining quality, speed, and brand cohesion.
2. Customer feedback—not assumptions—should drive training strategy. The company leaned heavily on mystery shops, third-party surveys, and review data (not just star ratings) to identify gaps, says Johnsey. This outside-in approach revealed specific opportunities and led to the development of a guest-first training program centered on real customer expectations.
3. Structured career paths and certifications improve retention and performance. Introducing tiered certifications (from entry-level to management) gave employees clear progression milestones. This not only supported skill development but also reduced turnover and made coaching more effective by aligning training with defined roles, says Johnsey.
4. Training must be measurable and tied to business outcomes. FullSpeed emphasized data-backed validation of its programs. Early results included increases in overall customer satisfaction (9% in 90 days), higher ticket averages (up roughly $13), and improvements across most key performance indicators, demonstrating that well-designed training directly impacts revenue and experience.
5. Leadership alignment and frontline input are both essential. For FullSpeed, the sSuccessful implementation of its revamped customer service training program required strong buy-in from executive leadership as well as input from technicians and managers. The combination ensured training was both strategically supported and practically relevant, enabling consistent execution and ongoing coaching at every level, says Johnsey.
