Employees from Fredericksburg, Va. and San Jose, Calif. Advance to Final Round in Las Vegas
HOUSTON, TX - Sept. 21, 2010 - Two teams have emerged as finalists in the 2010 J-Team All Stars competition -- which one will be crowned the 2010 All Star Champion, "Ken & The Cruisers" or the "Bay Area Bombers?" On September 26, these top-performing Jiffy Lube service center teams ("J-Teams,") hailing from Fredericksburg, Va. and San Jose, Calif., will face-off for the title during the Grand Finals at a Jiffy Lube service center in Las Vegas. It's the fifth and final round of this year's Jiffy Lube J-Team All Stars competition, which celebrates teamwork, enthusiasm and dedication by challenging participants to consistently deliver a top-notch customer experience.
"Jiffy Lube aims to offer an exceptional experience to every customer who visits one of our 2,000 service centers," said Rick Altizer, Jiffy Lube International President. "The J-Team All Stars competition celebrates and reinforces this commitment. I'm so impressed by the dedication that our franchisees and their employees exhibit -- many of them put in extra hours to hone their skills and prepare for this competition." This is the second year Jiffy Lube International (JLI) is hosting the competition, which kicked off earlier this year with franchisees from across the U.S. and Canada entering 1,300 J-Teams.
Having What it Takes
Beating out 1,300 other service centers is no easy feat, and the top two J-Teams finalists have worked extremely hard to advance in their respective divisions -- East and West -- and to solidify their spots in the final round of competition. The two J-Team finalists are:
- "Ken & The Cruisers" from service center #3097, located in Fredericksburg, Va., is the Eastern Champion. This service center is owned by CB Squared Services, Inc.
- Team members include: Paul Linneman, customer service advisor; Jordan Seklii, courtesy technician; Jolman Reyes, lower bay technician; Richard Hale, upper bay technician; and Kenneth Scott, team leader and general manager.
- "Bay Area Bombers" from service center #2332, located in San Jose, Calif., is the Western Champion. This service center is owned by MC, LLC.
- Team members include: Dorriss Banks, Jr., customer service advisor; Sal Vong, courtesy technician; Christopher Duysings, lower bay technician; Angel Hernandez, upper bay technician; and Paul Lanfranco, team leader.
Making the Cut
Both teams displayed impressive teamwork, operational execution and customer experience skills, which they'll show off during the Grand Finals. J-Teams will be judged by JLI District Managers on these criteria, as well as how quickly they perform a Jiffy Lube Signature Service® Oil Change, a preventive maintenance program that involves changing, inspecting, checking/filling and cleaning essential vehicle components.
In the East, "Ken & The Cruisers" from Fredericksburg service center #3097 performed strongly throughout the competition, earning perfect scores in the past two rounds. The team follows an intense training regimen, practicing four to five hours per day, several times a week, to improve their performance. "The amount of personal time this team has dedicated to practicing shows their commitment to performing the best they can. I've watched the team cruise through each round of the competition by working together as a team laser-focused on providing an exceptional experience to every customer," said Mike Day of CB Squared Services, Inc., a Jiffy Lube franchisee. "They truly deserve this recognition."
The "Bay Area Bombers," from service center #2332 in San Jose, set their sights on a strong performance way before the competition even started -- they actually began training last September, after the first year of the competition ended. The team members' strict attention to detail coupled with their high level of energy has earned them a spot at the top in this year's competition. "Hardworking and motivated are two words that come to mind when I see this J-Team in action," said Dru Fanticola of MC, LLC, a Jiffy Lube franchisee. "This J-Team exceeds all expectations, and really goes out of their way to ensure customers receive the best experience possible. I knew early in the competition that this team could go all the way and I'm excited to see how they do in Vegas."
The Final Round
The finalists are vying for a $10,000 team grand prize, the title of Jiffy Lube J-Team All Stars Champion and some serious bragging rights. The second place team will receive a $5,000 team prize. In last year's inaugural competition, a J-Team from Des Moines, Iowa, earned the title of J-Team All Star Grand Champion as the top-performing team in the country.
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About Jiffy Lube®
Jiffy Lube International Inc. ("Jiffy Lube"), with more than 2,000 franchised service centers in North America, serves approximately 24 million customers each year. Jiffy Lube pioneered the fast oil change industry in 1979 by establishing the first drive-through service bay, providing customers with fast, professional service for their vehicles. Headquartered in Houston, Jiffy Lube is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Shell Oil Company. Visit www.JiffyLube.com to learn more about Jiffy Lube and vehicle care.
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