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CEO Profile permit and they said `no.' So we had 12 "Not that I admire everything about all of pany's customers are at least 35 years old • acres of great property that we couldn't put them," he says, "but you pick up little bits and in the upper-income bracket. That's an Indy Lube on." of advice from a lot of different sources." why the stores have courtesy phones in Sapp didn't want to back out on his Plenty of I4-hour days and Sapp's ideas their glass-enclosed reception (not "wait- agreement to buy the property, and began to pay off at Indy Lube. "The auto- ing") rooms. The rooms are wall-papered, unsuccessful efforts to get the property re- motive aftermarket had a poor image," with plants,color TVs and free coffee. zoned, ended up just keeping it. "We says Sapp, "and we wanted to improve In another career, Sapp would probably bought it on contract and it turned out to be that; we wanted to get away from the have gone far in marketing alone. a good thing in the long run.The payments greasy, old, stereotypical garages. We Saturdays at Indy Lube are"Family Days," never totally drained us and we sold the wanted new, clean, bright facilities. We and toys can be found in the reception property for almost three times what we didn't want a cheap look." room. Tuesdays are "Ladies Days" and paid for it two years later. But, the whole Sapp boasts that Indy Lube was the first every woman gets a$2 discount and a car- thing slowed us down by six months." quick-lube business to computerize, "and nation. On Thursdays, senior citizens get a Because of low funds, the first Indy now everybody's following us." Inventory discount. Sapp also implemented a cus- Lube opened on leased property on 82nd is computerized and so is the customer's tomer-referral program(free oil-change for Street in Castleton in February 1986.From maintenance history."We can get a printed referral), preferred customer cards (free then on,Indy Lube bought its properties. record of every visit a customer makes to oil-change every fifth visit), customer Despite his lack of formal education in Indy Lube and what was done to their car," audit forms(questionnaires to evaluate ser- business, Sapp had plenty of ideas about says Sapp. A history of a well-maintained vice)and quarterly customer newsletters. how to make Indy Lube successful. An car can mean a 5-percent increase in the Knowing that the bottom line relies on avid reader, Sapp absorbs inspiration from value of a car at resale time and can be the customer, Sapp puts great emphasis on a number of sources. He listens to books important in case of warranty questions. pleasing them. "We spend a lot of time on audio tape in his Explorer and lists Lee Indy Lube's differences are designed to with our employees," he emphasizes, Iacocca, Donald Trump, Abe Lincoln and appeal to a slightly up-scale client. "making sure they know I'm not really the Earl Nightingale as influential figures. Demographics find that most of the corn- boss—the customer is their ultimate boss." N. momminimommi HBUSINESS ®CENTERS Corporate America's Branch office Leader Y Individual Offices & Multi-Office Suites With Complete Business Services Two Premier Indianapolis Locations NORTH SUBURBAN DOWNTOWN Two Meridian Plaza 101 West Ohio 103rd & Meridian Ohio & Illinois • 684-6800 Over 100 Business Centers Worldwide. For more info`call 254-5855 or circle 162 on Response Card 16 INDIANAPOLIS C.E.O. AUGUST 1992