Quick Lane Repair Operation Helps Small-Town Dealers

The Quick Lane concept has turned into an all-brand moneymaker for Ford-Mercury dealer Bill Vann in the college town of Albion, MI.

Implemented in 2005, Vann's Quick Lane has caught on. “We've been able to retain twice the number of service customers we had in the past,” says Vann.

The Quick Lane franchisor says more than 50 of its tire and auto service centers have opened since its 1997 founding. Projected 2008 revenues for Quick Lane Tire and Auto Centers will rise this year to about $385 million, says the firm's business manager, Tom Suttles.

That growth parallels the decline in warranty work at franchised dealerships, says Suttles. Leading the services performed by the centers are oil and filter changes, brake repairs and tire rotations.

Vann has installed his Quick Lane in his existing dealership, while small-town Ford-Lincoln-Mercury dealer, Scott McNamara, has built a stand-alone facility near his showroom in Roscommon, MI.

The instant-service facilities operate without appointments on a drive-in basis and maintain evening and weekend hours.