Mary Schmidt Marketing Troubleshooter

Last week I once again made the trek clear to far North Albuquerque…to get my oil changed at Kwik Lube. I probably passed about 20 other places that could have done the job and for less money. So, why did I take time in a very busy day to make the trek? The lube crew provides consistently stellar (and smiling) service. I’ve been going there for nearly two years and it’s the same wonderful, painless experience every time!

- They don’t try to pressure me into buying other services.
- They don’t try to intimidate me into buying other services.
- They give me the $5 discount even when I can’t find that darned mail coupon in my bag.
- The waiting room is comfortable, attractive and stocked with recent magazines. (If you’ve got children, they’ve got a nice little play area for them as well, including a wee table and chairs, stocked with coloring supplies.)
- The restroom is beautiful (and clean, clean, clean).
- They move fast. This past visit, I barely got settled into the comfy patio chair (with a killer view of the Sandia Mountains) with my (good, free) coffee and the morning paper before they were done.
- They treat me like a fellow human being, chatting about their cars, etc. Not too much, but just enough to make me feel comfortable and acknowledged.

More good news - they tell me they’re opening another shop closer to my house! And promise the new place will be just as nice as the first location. Hmmm…I’ll have to go check out the view from there, next time I need an oil change.

Read More: The Three Cs of Customer Loyalty (in which Kwik Lube is one example), a two-page PDF quick read of one of my published articles.

Tags: local touch, customer service