SpeeDee Franchisee Celebrates Long-Term Success

Initially foregoing a career with SpeeDee Oil Change & Auto Service®, Jim Field had a lengthy stint working in chemical research and development and then manufacturer sales and marketing. After 30 years in the field that he thought he would follow for the rest of his work life, Field decided he’d had enough and no longer wanted to be stuck inside a building all day, every day.

“In my 30 years working at big corporations, I was able to rise from a sales representative to a director of sales and marketing,” said Field. “I decided if I could run a major company with that kind of success, then I should go into business and do it for myself. That’s why I decided to look for a franchise that I could have fun with and enjoy coming into every day.”

The desire to go into business for himself led Field to attend a franchising expo where he was able to walk around the show floor and speak with different franchisors about their opportunities.

“I took the time to look at numerous franchise opportunities; some of which looked really good and some really bad,” said Field. “But ultimately, none of them piqued my interest as much as the opportunity at SpeeDee. The decision was based on the amount of money I had at the time to put in to get started, the support that was available and the opportunity to make a living.”

However, attending the expo and learning about the SpeeDee franchise opportunity wasn’t Field’s first foray with the brand. Back in his corporate days, Field was promoted and had to relocate to the New Orleans area, the birthplace of SpeeDee. Interestingly, Field ended up living down the street from one of the co-founders and got to know him pretty well. From there, he began frequenting a SpeeDee location not too far from his home, getting all of his automotive services performed there.

His positive personal experiences with the brand blended with the information and opportunities learned at the expo, all solidified Field’s decision to franchise with SpeeDee.

Now, 20 years, two stores and countless awards later, Field owns and operates a SpeeDee location in Fort Worth, Texas and with owner and manager Kuykendall in North Richland Hills, Texas.

This summer, Field was awarded the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) 2019 Franchisee of the Year. Although delighted to receive the award, Field shared that he would not have been able to be as successful as he is without years of hard work, the caring support and motivation offered by his long-time business partner and friend, Spring Kuykendall.

“Opening a brand new store with zero existing customers means you have to work hard to build your base,” said Field. “I was open and working with Spring at my side six days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. It was a matter of working as hard as I could.”

“In my opinion, the key to making this become a successful franchise was to hire good people and train those people,” he continued. “For example, Kuykendall came on as a cashier and worked tirelessly to become a certified state inspector, talented and certified lube technician and mechanic. Now she’s one of the most talented mechanics and shop managers in the business. Additionally, I think what makes the biggest difference in being successful rather than mediocre, is my philosophy that says, when a customer comes in, be sure to do a little extra for that customer, rather than just the bare minimum that most other companies do.”

For example, instead of washing just the front and back windows of a customer’s automobile, the Fort Worth and North Richland Hills SpeeDee’s crew will wash each window in the car, inside and outside, as well as review mirrors and back-up cameras, Field explained. “These are the things that the customer can see, and if we can do them really well, it gives them an idea of how well we do with our other services, like an oil change for example,” he said.

“It’s the little extra things we do on a day-to-day basis that makes the difference,” emphasized Field.

Along with going that extra mile, Field makes it a point to keep a few more staff members on the clock than the company actually needs. “Yes, that cuts into some of my profits, but it’s more important to keep the flow of the business through the shop moving, so that the customer isn’t sitting there waiting for long periods of time,” he said.

Furthermore, Field takes care to attribute a majority of his success to Kuykendall. “I would not have made it without her,” said Field. “Spring has been with me basically since I opened my first SpeeDee location. She has been my very own right-hand through this journey and even put up her own money into the second location. Although not on the original papers, Spring is co-owner of the North Richland Hills shop.”

Recently, Field celebrated his 20th anniversary with SpeeDee. “With 20 years of experience, we’ve built a great level of trust with our customers,” said Field. “We provide the community with a choice of coming to a place that is kept clean, with trustworthy and knowledgeable employees. We offer a place where our customers’ vehicles can be repaired and maintained, where they trust we will stand behind whatever we do.”

As a way to say thank you to his customers for helping bring the brand to 20 years of service, Field held a 20th anniversary special. “We brought in tents with food, drinks, music—the whole nine yards—for our customers to enjoy while they were waiting for their automotive services to be complete.”

The company also offered $20 off conventional oil changes and $30 off every full-service Mobil 1 full synthetic oil change as well as $20 off all other services on the menu. “It was our way to say thank you to all of our customers for standing by us,” said Field.

Although a clean work environment, knowledgeable employees and limited-time-offers are among the reasons customers keep coming back, it’s Field’s customer service and overall personality that truly underscore his customer retainment. Many customers tout Field as someone who is like a member of the family.

“One of the things that’s so wonderful about this business is that I still have customers coming in, reminding me, ‘Remember Jim, I was here the very first week/month you opened,’” said Field. “The most enjoyable aspect is that I have so many customers that are now truly friends and family coming in and remaining loyal customers.”

Aside from his day-to-day duties at SpeeDee, Field also serves on the National Franchisee Advisory Council, which meets four times a year, twice at a different location and at least twice through teleconference. The Council visits with other franchisees to get their perspectives, hear their concerns and figure out best practices. “It’s all about what we can do to grow the company and make it better,” said Field. “It ends up being a two-way street and it’s very rewarding to be a part of the NFAC.”

Each year, and much to Field’s joy, SpeeDee’s customer base continues to grow. “We are always looking to expand as we continue to grow and the cost of the services we offer continues to increase,” he said. “As more customers hear about us and the excellent service we provide, they continue to come in.”

One piece of advice Field has for prospective franchises is to always consider location. “LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION,” he said. “It’s the most important thing for growth and success in the business world, so make sure it makes sense. Whether you are building from the ground up or buying an existing location, it’s all about location.”

Additionally, Field’s second piece of advice is to monitor and respond to all of the social media written about your business, both good and not so good. “Everyone is now on Google, Angie’s List, etcetera, so make sure that you look and act like the very best provider available,” he said. “A follow-up call to every ‘not so good’ review works wonders that you would not believe!”

So what’s the advice Field feels is most important for prospective and current franchisees?

“If you work hard and smart, keeping an eye out for opportunities, you’ll run a great and successful business.”