Fixed Ops Journal - February 2018 - 22

FIXED OPS JOURNAL

SELLING SPEED

 Dealership quick service emphasizes ---

but doesn't advertise --- time over price

RICK POPELY

foj@autonews.com

ith express service, the need
for speed among most customers tops the desire for a low
price, automakers and dealers
agree. Dealers generally shy away from advertising how long it takes to perform an oil
change and other minor maintenance.
Instead of giving customers a specific time
limit dealerships might be unable to meet,
factory express service programs typically set
internal targets to get vehicles in and out in an
hour or less. Many also require service departments to have Saturday hours, to make fast
service more convenient.
Nissan Express Service doesn't advertise a
completion time at U.S. dealerships. Internally, it shoots for finishing an oil change, tire rotation and vehicle inspection in 30 minutes at
Nissan dealerships; that goal is a guarantee at
Canadian dealerships that take part in the
program. The goal is 60 minutes at luxury Infiniti stores, where quick service also includes
a car wash.
Both brands' dealers are required to keep
Saturday hours and advertise that no appointment is required for quick service. These features are designed to compete with quick-lube
operations and independent repair shops.

Drive right up
"One of the key pillars of Express Service is
convenience, which means no appointment
necessary," says Mark Zinger, senior manager
of service operations for Nissan North America. "There's an aftermarket shop on every corner offering the same thing.
"We have a leg up on them with the factory-trained technicians and the availability of
[warranty and recall work] that we can talk to
the customers about," Zinger told Fixed Ops
Journal.
Nissan doesn't advertise a national price for
an oil change, leaving that up to dealers. Zinger says its stores typically charge $29 to $39 for
conventional oil, tire rotation and a multipoint
inspection. That range is similar to what competitors charge, with the addition of an inspection by factory-trained technicians, he adds.

PAGE 22

FEBRUARY 2018

Quick decisions
Dealers and fixed ops
managers thinking about
adding or modifying quick
service lanes have several
options to consider.
 Affiliate with an automaker's quickservice program or design your
own?
 Operate quick service in a separate
building or integrate into the main
shop?
 If the operation is separate, is it on
or off the dealership site?
 Offer customers a time guarantee
for completion?
 Advertise the price?
 Require appointments or take all
comers?
 Offer quick service during evenings
and on weekends?
 Accept other brands of vehicles?
 Which maintenance and repair work
should be included in quick service?

"Everybody's competitive on oil changes,"
Zinger says. "It's when we upsell for a repair
problem, such as doing brakes, we have to
make sure that our dealers are competitively
priced."
Raymond Reed, who owns two Nissan dealerships in central Florida, says he suspends
the 30-minute commitment when traffic in
the quick service lanes is too heavy (related
story, Page 23). That flexibility enables him to
serve fast-lube customers without appointments, he says.

Building Ford's brand
Until last fall, Ford Motor Co. nationally advertised a $39.95 Works package - synthetic
blend oil change, tire rotation and multipoint
inspection - at its Quick Lane service centers. Now, dealers can set their own prices
based on local market conditions.
The $39.95 price was higher than those of some

FIXED OPS JOURNAL ILLUSTRATION

Quick Lane competitors. But Mark Bardusch,
general manager of Ford's extended service business, says few customers squawked about it.
"They have often told us about going into
other facilities where an oil change was advertised, but then they were upsold into synthetics, whereas we offer that as standard," Bardusch says.
Ford launched Quick Lane in 1997. About 825
Ford and Lincoln outlets among nearly 3,100
Ford franchises and 900 Lincoln franchises nationwide are in the program.
Many other Ford and Lincoln dealerships offer express service, but not under the Quick
Lane brand.
Ford says Quick Lane is among the top 15
providers nationally in locations for express
service, giving it high brand recognition. Ford
runs national service specials three or four
times a year, and Quick Lane is typically part
of the promotions.

Factory selling point
Ford, like other automakers, does not require dealers to have a separate building for
quick service. But Bozard Ford-Lincoln in St.
Augustine, Fla., gives its Quick Lane operation
a prominent location on its site to take advantage of the brand name.
Bozard used to have a six-bay Quick Lane
operation inside its main service department.
In 2014, it opened a separate, 12-bay Quick
Lane building that is closer to the front of the
dealership's property and visible to passing
motorists.
see SPEED, Page 23

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fixed Ops Journal - February 2018