Thank you to all that took our online survey last month.
It was so great to read all the comments you wrote. We received some very nice compliments and also some great feedback on areas we can possibly improve on.
One area did surprise me and here’s why:
Question was: “Do you use Sallas for regular oil changes?” Most of the customers that said NO had a legitimate answer. BUT the ones that said they went to a quick lube because it was CHEAPER might want to read on…
I did a town research on Quick Lubes in our area and here are the results. This was as of April 25th and I only used the least expensive oil change ~ some had higher oil change options (synthetic, high mileage oil change, etc.) Again, I only used the Regular Oil Change:
| Location | Price | May Coupons | After Coupon | Services with Oil Change |
| Quick Lubes | $34 – $39 | $5 Off
$10 Early Bird $9.99 Oil Change -For 1 week only | $29 – $34 $9.99 for 1 week at one location | Vehicle remains on the ground so they cannot check your: tires for nails or suspension parts. Quick Lube shops are set up to get you in and out. The oil change is faster but who really benefits from this THEM or YOU? I say THEM. Their goal is to shuffle through as many vehicles as possible in a day. |
| Dealership | $31.25 to $33.95 | $5 Off | $28.95 | 21 Point Inspection, Some will wash and vacuum. May provide a ride – did not ask. |
| Sallas Auto Repair | $33.00 | Free for Ladies and $15 Off for Men | Free for Ladies
$18 for Men | Offer Pickup & Deliver or Ride to Work or Home52-Point Inspection Now Offers: Floors Vacuumed& Windows Cleaned Our specials are always listed on our website. We also have a ‘Coupon Club’ you can sign up for on our home page and receive additional coupons. |
My conclusion ~ we all want FAST service and we want to provide it. BUT our goal is never to provide service that is SO fast it compromises the quality. Why would you want a 30 minute oil change???
Here’s why:
First you have to start with the right OIL and the right FILTER. There are so many types of vehicles that come in for oil changes that you really need to pay attention to what products you are using. If you are flying through the process your odds of getting it wrong increase drastically. A lot of this comes from experience. A new quick lube tech has a very strong learning curve. You can screw up an oil change and the consequence can be to the tune of a new motor.
I train my staff to do a FULL 52-Point Inspection on almost every service we do. Quality assurance is our goal and not all oil change places share that same goal. We like paying attention to the details. If we change your oil and you leave, hop on the highway and your tire blows out or your belt breaks or your transmission fluid is low and we left it that way… What are you going to think about the service I just provided you?
I think throughout the years the OIL CHANGE has possibly lost some of it’s value in the customer’s eyes. So please let me remind you that it is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT maintenance you do on your vehicle!
If you have more questions please call me directly on my personal phone at 913-593-9115. I am always available!
Thank you so much for your time,
Nick Sallas