The public relations team at JLI and Cone Inc. have worked together to provide you with a synopsis of recent investigative news stories affecting the Jiffy Lube system along with key learnings and applicable policies, procedures and tools. Your careful attention to and application of this module will help avoid future situations that jeopardize the Jiffy Lube^® brand.

There is much to be learned from negative media issues. Certainly some of the issues that were addressed by the media in recent months could have been avoided with special attention to customer service and follow up. On the other hand, issues related to the selling of services that are recommended by the vehicle manufacturer are inherent to our business and must be mitigated through proper selling techniques. Disgruntled employees and issues surrounding bonus structures are unique to each entity. We encourage you to proactively manage these issues with guidance from your attorney.

Share this information with your managers and technicians so that they can have a better understanding of the issues. If possible, have service center meetings and group discussions about each of the issues. Please take advantage of this opportunity to clear up any misunderstandings that could impact communications with your customers.

If you would like to discuss any of these issues in depth, please arrange phone conference with Bill Fleishman of Cone Inc. and myself by calling Will Hubbard at 800-252-0554, ext. 6827, or by sending an email to willard.hubbard@shell.com . We will also be happy to set up a meeting with you during the Jiffy Lube Convention in Orlando at the end of March.

The ABC Primetime and other local market investigations remind us that we must live up to our high standards of customer service every day with every customer. It is extremely important that manufacturers’ service recommendations, when available, guide our sales offerings to customers.

The best way to answer questions that customers may have about negative media coverage is to let your actions -- providing outstanding customer service -- speak for you. Thank you for your attention to this critical aspect of our business, Cindy Landers