Looking to His Legacy

Clifford Barnett, owner and operator of SpeeDee Oil Change & Auto Service in Dallas, Texas, has been in the quick lube industry for just five years as of this past July, but he’s already looking far into the future of what he hopes to see become a long-lasting family business.

His long-range game plan has been to expand to three locations, which will then be handed down to his daughter and two sons. To help speed the next generation in their journey, the two oldest, 24-year-old Jade and 18-year-old Connor, are already being taught the ropes. It will still be years before the reins are handed over, but when that occurs, Clifford Barnett says he will make sure they'll be prepared to succeed.

That has included teaching them the ins and outs of the operation, everything from understanding mechanics to bookkeeping to people skills. It has been literally hands-on training that began when both Jade and Connor could barely drive.

"Don't hand your child a title," Barnett says. "You have to help them learn the ropes."

A Long-Term Game Plan

Many parents today struggle with figuring out how they'll pay for their kids' higher education, let alone thinking about handing the keys to a future business. Still, for this family, that has also been part of the long-game plan. Barnett tells National Oil and Lube News that since deciding to acquire his first shop, he has planned for it to expand to three locations, which will be passed down to his three children.

"They don't really know this, because I didn't want them to expect it," he adds, acknowledging that they may not take the business lessons as seriously if they knew what lies in store.

Instead, he says that for their long-term success, they need to understand the importance of hard work, especially in an industry that can succeed or fail based on the customer experience. That includes solving problems that come with automotive maintenance. He further acknowledges that the industry has to overcome its old reputation and the stigmas that go with it.

"This came naturally to me when I was Connor's age, even though I wasn't a big car guy," says Barnett. "My daughter and son have much more interest in cars than I ever had."

The Plan is Already Working

Daughter Jade has been working alongside Barnett since day one and is now one of his seven full-time employees. She graduated from Texas Woman's University (TWU) and plans to earn a master’s degree in business.

Connor graduated from high school and will begin classes at Universal Technical Institute (UTI) next year to be trained as a mechanic. He started working while in high school, coming into the shop every other weekend. He started by cleaning the windows and vacuuming the floors before moving on to changing tires and taking on a lot more responsibility.

"Connor has shown a lot of grit," says Barnett. "He's my pit guy right now."

Nepotism Not on the Program

Jade and Connor may have the last name as the boss, but they're not granted special treatment, and part of their training has been on not taking employees for granted. That has required that Barnett to switch between being their parent at home and their boss on the shop floor.

One point Barnett made clear is that there is no such thing as too much communication when it comes to preparing the heirs to lead the business.

"My grandpa taught me from a young age that I should try to learn something every day, and that's what I'm passing on to the kids," Barnett tells NOLN.

That has included, and will continue to involve, all aspects of the business. It consists of knowing what the techs do on the shop floor, how the business runs smoothly to keep the lights on, and working with customers.

"You don't take the employees for granted, and you need to understand we're in the service industry," says Barnett. "The customer comes first, and there is that old saying that the customer is always right. But in the auto service industry, they can often be wrong, so part of the job is leading them so that they can see that."

It is that balance that Barnett is already working to instill in Jade and Connor.

"But I want everyone in the shop to understand it is the customer and me versus the car, instead of the customer against me," Barnett further explains.

The Five-Year Plan

Even as the first two are beginning their training, which could result in them running their shops in the coming years, Barnett says expansion is still very much in the cards. The long-term goal is at least those three shops.

"Long-term goal is five years," he adds. "Right now, I'm just waiting for interest rates to go down."