Give Me One Of Those Discount Loyalty Cards You Hole Punch For Every Visit

I use one of those fast lane oil and lube places. I am there every 3 months like clockwork because my extended warranty calls for it. 8 visits in the last two years. The service is okay and they pretend to do this 24 point safety inspection. I know this is bogus because a few visits back they replaced my air filter. (More about this in a moment) It was a 45 minute experience by a company whose sell message is, "the universes' best 10 minute oil change". I guess it would have been 10 minutes if my technician wasn't interrupted every 5 minutes by his cell phone.

I complained to the owner who said he would look into it but never did call me back. And even though I was snubbed I have been back three more times. For me its convenient because they appear to be on every corner.

But after my most recent visit which took an 65 minutes (there were two cars in front of me and even with their 10 minute guarantee I shouldn’t have been longer than 35-40 minutes) and more poor workmanship, they don't deserve my business. The technician noticed that my air filter unit was not working properly. He asked when it was changed last and I told him his company had done it and to check his computer. He found no record and I told him it was about a year earlier at their so and so location. It was then he told me that their computer systems were not networked to the other locations.

He believed me as the unit was their brand and sheepishly hooked the unit up right, apologized and would take it up with the owner. I wasn’t holding my breath and on my way out I told him while he was at it to tell his owner that they should implement a customer loyalty program. “We have one”, the technician said, “but it kicks in after the 4^th visit”. This was only my third visit to this particular location. Had their computers been networked to all the other stores, he would have seen my previous 7 visits.

I wonder what its going to take for this company to have a "AHA" moment! You would think that 8 oil changes in two years would send up some sort of "who is this regular customer" flag.

I just hope the new place I find will give me one of those discount cards they punch holes in for every visit.

BB for now