Package Deals Keep Customers Coming Back

The high cost of living means a bumpy road for just about every driver going down the road today. But that doesn’t mean your customers should skip quick maintenance, which can end up saving them big time in the long haul.

As a quick lube and quick maintenance shop operator, now is an ideal time to come up with smart package deals that both give drivers a break and get them rolling into your business for service.

Here’s how those packages are formulated at Oil Express, a 44-year-old business 20 miles north of downtown Cincinnati in West Chester, Ohio, according to District Manager Robert Gallatin, with five straightforward considerations.

Consider your clientele. As district manager for the past 11 years, Gallatin has made it a priority to look out for the shop’s loyal legion of customers.

“We are very, very customer-oriented,” he says, even when the road is smoother, economically. “As a business, we realize that without the customers, we are unemployed.”

Working-class drivers make up the main bulk of Oil Express’s clientele—men and women driving back and forth to Cincinnati for work, rideshare drivers, and food delivery gals and guys. Fleet maintenance business is a smaller part of the team’s mix.

“Our clientele being working-class, there’s pretty much packages on everything,” Gallatin says. “For instance, the oil change, cabin air filter, and the air filter package we have going on right now saves the customer $45.”

Cover all the basics. For Oil Express, the basics include all primary fluids, such as transmission, coolant, differential, transfer case, brake, power steering, and every other vital fluid in addition to oil.

Gallatin says, “Of these, oil is the least lasting one, even good oils. We recommend 5,000 miles on synthetic oil and 3,000 miles on semi-synthetic.”

Other valuable services drivers can find right now at Oil Express come with coupons. “Coupons for coolant flushes, for transmission flushes, for differential services, and brake fluid services—those are $15 off per service,” Gallatin says.

Coordinate with the seasons. Part of putting the customer first is also considering the conditions in which they’re driving, weather-wise.

Through email, standard mailing, and opportunities for multiple coupon mailing distribution, such as Valpak, Gallatin says Oil Express keeps its foot on the marketing pedal.

“(Our packages) are very seasonal. Right now, AC services are getting ready to show up in our coupons,” Gallatin says. “We’re going to run a $25 coupon on that.”

In wintertime, the business’s coupons focus more on coolant flushes and oil changes. “There’s also packages with oil changes and tire rotations,” Gallatin adds.

Another popular package at Oil Express is wiper blades and oil change, where the wipers are buy-one-get-one-free.

Target what customers truly need. Gallatin says his customer-focused crew helps drivers save by consistently checking their vehicles’ fluids, which can help people steer clear of impending car trouble.

Brake fluid and coolant can hint at future issues. For example, pH balance can indicate that coolant needs changing, while water in brake fluid can signal "sweating inside the lines," Gallatin says, due to humidity.

“So, we test on the life of these fluids” and find out what customers truly need, Gallatin notes.

This diligence also helps Gallatin figure out what packages and components of those packages will be most helpful to Oil Express customers.

Because quick maintenance is only part of the equation in keeping people safely on the road, Oil Express has a sister company, Express Pro, that’s a full service center.

“They work on the bigger jobs that we don’t handle,” Gallatin says.

Keep a clear focus. While the maintenance and repair jobs and packages may be different at Oil Express and Express Pro, the main business objective is always the same.

“They’re pretty much set up the same way as us—where customers matter (most),” Gallatin states.

This customer-first mentality is what keeps Gallatin happy in his job.

“I know when my friends or family tell me I’ve got to try something, there is no coupon or package that can sell me like they can,” he says. “That’s one of the things that has kept me with the company for so long. It’s hard to find businesses that really care.”

He adds, “It’s not always about the profit.”