Carol Badaracco Padgett

Atlanta

Journalist at Freelance

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Articles

Stick with It: How One Quick Lube Company Stays Connected with Guests

1 week ago | noln.net | Carol Badaracco Padgett

Everywhere consumers are spending their time in media, that’s where Take 5 Oil Change will be, says Chicago-based Mike DeTrana, vice president of marketing for the business that got its start in Metairie, Louisiana, in 1984. The concept of meeting customers right where they are is something Take 5 Oil Change cultivated quickly. After its founding as Rapid Oil Change, it grew to cover eight states with 60 locations in just over 10 years.
Is Your Collision Repair Shop a Distant Memory?

3 weeks ago | fenderbender.com | Carol Badaracco Padgett

Can you remember what you were doing on any given day 15-20 years ago? Where you went and who you saw there? Probably not. The trouble is, 15-20 years is an estimated timespan between collisions for most of your customers. According to statistics at carinsurance.com, the average driver will wreck a car only three to four times in their life — that’s essentially once every 18 years, it reports.
Quick Lubes, Repair Shops Enjoy Reciprocal Rewards

1 month ago | noln.net | Carol Badaracco Padgett

Forming a bond, trusting one another, and referring business back and forth can pay off for quick maintenance and auto repair shops alike. And for customers, the arrangement can be a lifesaver. How does a quick lube owner put an unofficial but long-lasting business partnership like this into play?
When Mental Health Challenges Collide with the Collision Repair Workplace

1 month ago | fenderbender.com | Carol Badaracco Padgett

People don’t just walk into their job one day and open up about their mental health struggles. Not in any work setting, and certainly not in a body shop. That means there are a lot of people suffering in silence, experts indicate.
Charting Their Courses in Collision Repair

Mar 3, 2025 | fenderbender.com | Carol Badaracco Padgett

What began as a journey toward a first job ended up being a career destination for five women currently working in the collision repair industry. And hands down, they say there’s nowhere else they would rather be. Read on to learn firsthand how the industry is embracing their expertise in positions of every make and model. Gracie Sims graduated high school in May 2023 in her hometown of Bristol, Tennessee.
5 Tactics for Running a Rock-Solid Lube Shop in 2025

Jan 29, 2025 | noln.net | Carol Badaracco Padgett

It’s no secret that New Year’s resolutions can be notoriously short-lived. This applies to professional life, too, where it takes smart planning and ongoing monitoring to keep your business in top form for another strong trip around the sun. This is how Brian Morrison, a quick lube owner and operator in the Carolinas, starts the process: “We have an end-of-year wrap-up with each store’s manager, looking back at the previous year and seeing if we hit our targets.
Don’t Let Your Data Leave You in the Dust

Nov 25, 2024 | noln.net | Carol Badaracco Padgett

Would you rather wave to potential customers as they whiz past your quick lube or greet them as they pull into the business? According to Justin Rae, the CEO and founder of data-driven, multi-channel marketing campaign creator Cinch, based in Draper, Utah, too many quick lube shops are choosing to wave. The Backstory Rae has an affinity for two things: data—of course—and small businesses. When he learned about Google’s data-driven algorithms in a college course on consumer behavior, he was riveted.
The Keys to Promoting Powerful Performers

Nov 21, 2024 | noln.net | Carol Badaracco Padgett

“The right person will show you when they’re ready.” That’s one ultra-powerful nugget of shop promotion wisdom from Oil Changers’ Territory Director Kevin Treder, who’s based in the San Francisco Bay area and oversees 38 locations across 10 states. That said, Treder notes that the variables affecting promotion will be a bit different for every business. “It depends on the business size and model,” he states.
From Bay to Boss

Sep 4, 2024 | noln.net | Carol Badaracco Padgett

Sidney, Montana, is an oasis of about 6,300 people, and is less than 10 miles west of the North Dakota border. With oil fields resting all around, the three-bay Quick Change Oil draws from a steady stream of work vehicles and fleet trucks. In 2023, owner Frank Saalfeld decided it was time to retire from the business he built from the ground up.
CPR for Your Shop’s Customer Service

Sep 3, 2024 | noln.net | Carol Badaracco Padgett

When a customer drives up to your business, does their day get smoother or bumpier? Every shop owner knows what they want the answer to be. But the customer’s experience can depend on so many different factors. Here’s a five-point customer service checklist from two quick lube owners—Shane Burton, a multi-location owner with three Jiffy Lube Twin Falls in Twin Falls, Idaho, and other locations in various states, and Damian Fox, owner of independent Foxy Fast Lube in Willimantic, Connecticut.