Maintain Your Profits by Noticing Trends

It’s no secret that people are changing their oil less often. With OEMs recommending that their newer cars can go much further than the traditional 3,000-mile recommendation between drains, consumers are taking notice. Many drivers are heeding the advice of their owner’s manual rather than that of their local mechanic.

It’s also no secret that gas prices are the highest they’ve ever been and are continuing to rise. With the summer driving season right around the corner, many drivers are looking for ways to save on fuel costs.

Reacting to these two trends — longer drain intervals and higher fuel costs — is paramount to your quick lube’s success.

By adjusting your selling techniques and equipping your staff with the product knowledge to back up recommendations, you can help increase profitability and show your customers that your quick lube is on top of trends and ready to provide them with the right oil for their needs. Not only will the education you provide your customers result in increased profits, it will aid in customer retention as well.

Longer Drain Intervals

With the current average oil drain interval falling between 4,300 miles and 4,700 miles, many fast lubes are noticing lower car counts and trying to find ways to reverse this consumer-driven trend. The best approach for keeping your business ahead of the curve is to find ways to work with the trend, instead of against it.

Many branded operators have the unique advantage of being associated with a brand that offers a line of motor oils designed to offer better protection of critical engine parts for longer than other motor oils. For instance, the Mobil High Endurance line is ideal for drivers who are already exceeding the traditional 3,000-mile drain recommendations.

Make sure you talk to these customers about the importance of choosing an oil that can stand up to the test of their longer drain intervals, instead of trying to convince them to change their habits, which is unlikely to happen.

Higher Fuel Costs

In addition to offering motor oils that can accommodate longer drain intervals, we also suggest offering motor oil that helps counterbalance high gas prices. Synthetic motor oils in general can improve fuel economy, and certain types of synthetics specifically claim fuel economy benefits.

For instance, Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy oils deliver up to 2 percent fuel economy improvement and can save drivers more than $400 on gasoline over the life of their vehicles. That’s a savings of about 6 cents per gallon of fuel. A typical passenger car with a 20-gallon gas tank can travel up to an additional nine miles on a tank of gas when using Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy. That equates to up to 250 more miles per year under typical conditions (gasoline cost of $3 per gallon, average fuel economy of 22.⁵ mpg, annual mileage of 12,500 and lifetime mileage of 150,000).

Explaining these facts will show your customer that you care about their bottom line.

As a quick-lube operator, it’s critical that you are aware of industry trends that affect your business and how such trends can be used in your favor. Capitalize on the brand and utilize the tools that are at your disposal to help establish your quick lube as one that listens to customers and has the products to meet their changing needs.

Thomas E. Segletes is the Americas automotive marketing advisor for Installed ExxonMobil Lubricants & Specialties.