Uncle Ed's Oil Shoppe

1) The store I observed was Uncle Ed's Oil Shoppe in Kalamazoo. Their market is all car drivers, they try to attract customers who have become bored with the same old oil change routine.
2) a. On the outside the shop is all brick, with a kind of old European look. Cars enter around the back into one of three stalls.
b. Inside the store, workers are shouting information, data, and orders, creating an entertaining scene. Surprisingly much of the equipment was quieter than at a usual oil change joint. Beside small amount of the normal clinking and clanking of a service garage, there was really no constant, annoying sounds. Music from the radio is also being played throughout the garage.
c. There is some merchandise hanging on the walls, but for the most part the garage manager spends a lot of time showing and trying to sell different products. Before I even picked out my oil I was being shown the latest in windshield wiper technology. Next I was given a chart that meant nothing to me which displayed the different types of oil changes. I originally chose the cheapest, but not long after I was talked into a change that was three times the price of the first.
d. The floor wasn't too visible to me as the drivers stay in their cars during the change. Typical of a service garage, the cars were parked over an open floor into a lower level for service to easily work under the car.
e. Throughout the garage signs were posted guaranteeing certain services to be performed in under 10 minutes and done right. Other than that there was no information on the walls, just more quotes and saying about the professional quality oil change you were getting.
f. The cashier area was located in the middle of the store, but again was not accessible to the customer. Either way, the are was just a computer with a printer where customers' information was put in and bills were printed.
3. The business really focused on portraying a professional, friendly image. Before entering the garage the manager came out and introduced himself and told me it would be just a few minutes. Once in the garage I was given numerous tips on what I should and shouldn’t have done as well as being offered 20% off because I'm a little strapped for cash. Still, I felt a little taken advantage of. As with most people in a service garage, I didn't even realize there were different kinds of oil changes. I was offered $50 washer blades that are "the best ever," a $100 full engine cleaning to remove sludge, and was talked into changing from a $30 change into a $80 change. Despite clearly being taken advantage of, I felt that the guys really cared about what they were doing and did a good job establishing a relationship with me throughout the change (it took more like an hour, not ten minutes).4. An interesting concept applied by Uncle Ed's is the fact that customers don't leave their cars. When I opened my door to get out of the car I was asked if my window was broken, but then they realized I was a new customer and told me to stay in the car. Everything was brought to me, from charts and papers to my car's dipstick and air filter, I personally saw everything that came in, out, and back into my car. While in the car though, I was kept busy by the signs and all the different things to read on them.5. Overall, I was drawn in by the interesting, old-age design of the store and was further captivated by the design of the workers' image. The signs around the store were very interesting as well. Often in a service garage the walls are rather bland and you spend your time looking at a magazine, but here there was something to look at. Along with the close interaction with the service people, the signs were more than enough to keep me busy for the extended amount of time I was there.