Groundhog Day

by Ed Newman
AMSOIL Marketing & Advertising Manager
This article appeared in National Oil & Lube News, February 2004

Whether making a speech, starting a new business or performing an oil change, there is one thing we all have in common. Our goal is to get it right. No one starts down a path with the aim of going wrong. No quick lube employee deliberately leaves off the drain plug or purposely forgets to tighten the oil filter - at least not the ones I know of. Usually, it is our aim to get it right. The purpose of this article is to shed a little more light on what this means for lube professionals.

If you were to take a peek at my list of favorite movies you'd see the film Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It's a great film that illustrates this point of getting it right.

Murray plays a cynical primadonna TV weatherman named Phil Connors who gets stuck in the small town of Punxsutawney PA reliving the same day over and over again. Connors hates having to cover the Groundhog Day event year in year out, but to his horror -- due to some time warp fluke which is never explained -- he wakes up every morning in the same bed, the same day ceaselessly repeating. It is his worst nightmare. Once he accepts his fate, however, he begins to change. At first he uses this situation for personal amusement. Eventually, he becomes becomes aware of the people who surround him in this typical small town and discovers ways in which he can help them. He also begins to notice qualities in his producer Andie MacDowell that his self-focus caused him to miss before.

Built on the foundation of a great screen play, the story is completely unpredictable, the supporting cast wonderful, and Bill Murray superb. It's a hilarious yet thought provoking romp, and a sweet romance. The pivotal day around which all this energy spins is Groundhog Day.

Of course to the people of Punxsutawney Pennsylvania it isn't just any groundhog who can declare six more weeks of winter. The centerpiece of Punxsutawney's Groundhog Day celebration is Punxsutawney Phil, who makes his annual 7:30 a.m. appearance to much fanfare on a little knoll known as Gobbler's Knob.

GETTING IT RIGHT
The transformation of Phil Connors (Murray) is a screen achievement. In two short hours we see him change from self-centered egotist into a multi-talented, caring man. After a while, with each successive day in his ever-repeating life Phil Connors becomes softer, more considerate, a better person. Without ever saying it, the film clearly teaches the following: each day is precious and should be lived deliberately, thoughtfully, not for oneself but for others.

Which leads into my main point. When we set for ourselves the goal of making each oil change precious, to be executed thoughtfully, not for one's personal gain but with regard for others, then we will know success. This is "getting it right."

In the quick lube business you may have thirty, forty or fifty chances a day to practice perfecting yourself, not only fine tuning your attitude, but also your procedures, your selling skills and interpersonal skills. An oil change doesn't have to be just a job or something you do to fill time. You are touching lives and improving yourself.

With regard to your customers, you are helping people take care of what amounts to a major investment for most people, their cars. Not only is their car or truck a financial concern, for most people it is an essential part of their mobility, an asset they rely on for work, shuttling kids, shopping, finding relief. Though most of us take it for granted, it's not just a car. It's central to our way of life. You, as an oil change specialist, have an important role in keeping your customers' lives on track by keeping their vehicles intact.

This is not an inconsequential responsibility. Think about it. Chevrolet got it right. Cars ARE the heartbeat of America. And motor oil is the circulation system for that heart.

FAST OIL CHANGE
The concept of the fast oil change came about in an effort to make taking care of one's vehicle as painless as possible. If it took two days to change oil, how many people would bother? Quick oil change businesses emerged because they met an important need: convenience.

Today the world around us has been evolving. People are busier than ever, it seems. One result is that motorists are coming in for fewer oil changes than they used to. Some people have estimated that by 2010 motorists will be changing their oil only twice a year. Is there a way to insure that these busy motorists take care of their vehicles? Yes, encourage them to use a premium synthetic motor oil that will not produce damaging deposits as it breaks down in the engine. Is there a way to insure that you are properly compensated in the days of extended drain intervals? Yes, price your premium oil change properly and sell your customers on the value added "peace of mind" that comes from using a high end synthetic motor oil.

In the lube business, "getting it right" means not only being friendly to customers, but encouraging them to use the products most suited to their needs. In most cases this will be synthetic motor oil. (In older cars that leak oil you should probably recommend something else and remind them to top off regularly.)

SUMMING UP
Groundhog Day falls on February 2nd. Though not quite important enough to get us a holiday, it ranks high on the list of special days, falling somewhat behind Halloween and April Fool's Day in importance. The myth goes like this: if groundhog sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. According to the official site of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Punxsutawney Phil has had a 100% accuracy record since 1887. In other words, he always gets it right.

This can be your goal, too. With each customer. If you haven't asked, "Would you like to upgrade to synthetics?" or something similar, then you have not gotten it right. Synthetics are not only better for their vehicles, they are better for the world we live in.

Ed Newman is Marketing & Advertising Manager for AMSOIL INC.