Good experiences at lube shops?

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All oil changes have been dealer for the last 9 years until recently. After much googling and research I went to the local Valvoline Quick oil change since we recently moved. Frankly I was apprehensive and watched them like a hawk. Turns out there was no need. No push for unneeded parts or services, professional & polite service, and done in short order. It was so pleasant I took our other car there a few hours later for the same service. As long as the same two fellas are there I'll go nowhere else....a very nice experience. Oh, the coffee was fresh and very good too!

What I do feel is a rip is when a car holds more than 5 quarts of oil, ours hold 6.3. Throw the daily special out the window when that ONE EXTRA QUART is required. It's priced like an exotic synthetic for a Bugatti even though it's 5W30 bulk.
 
Originally Posted By: RTexasF
What I do feel is a rip is when a car holds more than 5 quarts of oil, ours hold 6.3. Throw the daily special out the window when that ONE EXTRA QUART is required. It's priced like an exotic synthetic for a Bugatti even though it's 5W30 bulk.


You could just bring in an extra quart and ask them to use that. If they want to charge you for the extra .3 then I would consider that a strike against them. I've had good luck with the Ford Quicklane for oil changes. Works perfectly for Toyotas and only $25.
 
Thanks SatinSilver, I may look into that but I doubt the price for 6 quarts. Oddly when I looked into buying a single quart of quality dino the prices really threw me. I'll look at Walmart next time as previously I was at an auto parts store.
 
I’ve been doing business with the local Firestone Complete Auto Care for nearly 30 years. I generally DIY oil changes but if a vehicle has to go in for something else and is due, I’ll let them change the oil. With coupons and special deals, a lot of these places are near my cost for materials. I recognize my time as worth something so, I don’t get all bent out of shape if I pay them once in a while. These shops are usually best at their specialty (tires in Firestone’s case) and the farther afield you get from their routine work, the riskier it becomes. They are also good at brake work and alignments (the lifetime alignment is quite a good deal). I’ve had one or two fubars with them over the years but they always bend over backwards to make it right. Each store has at least one ASC mechanic who gets the tougher jobs. Like any retailer, the biggest problem is turnover.
 
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I used to take 3 different co. cars to my local Jiffy Lube on a busy road in northern va. They always treated me and the car great. Very knowledgeable and courteous. Heard all the bad stuff about Jiffy Lube but I think it is up to the local mgr.
 
For the longest time I thought our filters were made by Baldwin but I found out recently they are sourced from Hastings I have never had complaints from customers about them even the diesel guys seem to like them. What is your opinion on Hastings filters?
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Hastings Filters are high quality, I would use them and have used them but they can be hard to find in certain areas, Baldwin and Hastings are the same company with the filters produced on the same production line and are painted different colors and marketed differently.
TOTO.
 
I worked in a lube shop for six months, never seen anyone offered a service that didn't need it, the shop was a high volume Valvoline on a busy street, the concern is and really should be the skill of the people you trust to work on your vehicle, make sure that you are comfortable with that, as far is pricing these are businesses not charities quit comparing it to oil on the store shelves, employee and builing expenditure is enormous!I just feel the percentage of people suffering from unneeded service is low.
TOTO.
 
I seem to be the outlier here but like to charge for all of my time when I provide a service to a customer, even if it only took ten minutes. Now if it is a regular customer, I will not bother writing up a bill for a small amount but, you bet, my next bill to the same customer will be slightly higher to pay for the previous work. If it is a customer I will likely not see again, I sure want to get paid for my work right then and there.
 
My employer has an account at Valvoline and the service there is good. You don't even have to get out of your truck.
You pull in, they have you put your keys on the dash, and 3 people work on your car. The cash register is right at your drivers window. One guy takes your info and tries up selling you stuff. One guy in the pit dumping the oil/fitler and a dude on top doing the work under the hood.They top off the window wash, check the battery, bulbs, etc etc.
You are in and out in 10mins tops.

If I was unable to do my own oil changes I would bring my car here. The place is clean and they seem very accurate. They yell a lot doing checks.
Cash register yells out the oil filter/oil type "VO88 6 QUARTS SYNTHETIC!"
"OIL PLUG CHECK! VO88 CHECK!"
"6QRTS SYNTHETIC 1 2 3 4 5 6! CAP CHECK!"
They have you start and stop the engine. Then bring you the dipstick to check the level and say OK.
I think they do all this yelling because everything is recorded. There are CCTV cameras everywhere.

They get 99bux for the service on a full synthetic oil change and the GM dealer gets $60. The extra 40bux means you don't have to waste the morning in a waiting room.
 
I went to a valvoline oil change once. There was a mexican girl that was doing the work and I was like [censored] at first but thought whatever I'll give her a chance. A few weeks later I check my oil and realized she stripped the bolts off my air filter housing, over inflated my tires, and left the tire valve caps off one side of my tires. Cool!
 
I go to The Lube Center located in York County Pa. I always bring my own synthetic oils and fluids. It is small enough where I can watch and kind of show them that I am watching to make sure the fluids brought are the fluids used.
Negative aspect is you really don't save any money from the actual service-discount is beyond minimal-but ultimately like the peace of mind that Synthetics brought to them are used and leftover oil returned.
 
vw dealer only for the eastern passat. superior tire franchise for the sw yaris. not much choice for a vw, but the world is open for a toyota. found a $20 semisynthetic kendall coupon for superior tire franchise oil change a couple of years ago and simply return the yaris every 4k miles or 18 months. with an appointment i'm in and out in 20 minutes, happy camper, good price for good oil. interesting that ford quicklane service works fine for non fords...
 
I've had way more good experiences getting my oil changed than bad. It only takes one bad experience to be soured on a place. Even in the best situations, my wallet starts to cry when it's time to pay. It knows I can change the oil for 1/3 the price or less if I keep an eye out for clearance oil.
 
I've never been to a quick lube place as I've always changed my own oil so I know everything is done right. However, I appreciate your post and it is good to know that there are conscientious folks out there like yourself for those of us that either can't change their own oil, or simply don't want to do it!
 
Back in the 90's up until 2006, I worked in and managed quick lube shops. My first job ever was at a Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep dealership. Left there to work for an independent lube/detail shop. Then went to Q-Lube...which is when Pennzoil and Quaker State merged. Q-Lube became Jiffy Lube and I ended up managing 2 different shops. Left them for a job offer at a brand new franchise Texaco Xpress Lube across town. They recruited me as I had a reputation as being one of the best around. Left Texaco Xpress to manage an independent that was owned by one of my old corporate bosses at Q-Lube. He had 3 shops and paid me more as an assistant manager than what I was getting as a manager at the previous shop.

I was in the industry for right at 14 years. Of all the services I took part in...or happened on my watch as a manager, I can count total the claims against whatever shop I was working in on one hand. When I left Jiffy Lube for Texaco, about 50% of my customers followed me across town. When I left Texaco for the last independent that was 30 miles away, I still had over 25% of my customer base follow me there too.

I ran my shops on volume and customer service. I did offer transmission, coolant and fuel system services...as well as tire rotations in all those shops. My service was tailored towards trust...in that we never pushed an unneeded service or cheated any customer out of a single penny. Slackers didn't last long at my shops. I'd put them in the road with a quickness.
 
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