Top 10 Automotive Franchises To Watch in 2020

Since 2003, Honest-1 Auto Care has been providing customers with an environmentally responsible solution for their automotive service needs through a full range of ESA-certified eco-friendly products and services. Honest-1 prides itself on thoroughly educating its customers on all the systems and services necessary to keep their vehicles in the best running condition. The company also offers same-day service, a complimentary customer shuttle and a full three-year/36,000-mile warranty on the services it completes.

Additionally, Honest-1 offers a 24-hour ToYourRescue 365 Roadside Assistance Program, complementary with your purchase of $25 or more in parts or vehicle service from one of the facilities.

What can you learn from this brand: Down to its name, Honest-1 puts transparency at the forefront in an industry notoriously known for the opposite, creating an immediate distinction for itself, amplified through eco-friendly automotive services and a family-friendly atmosphere that aims to make its customers feel at home while visiting an Honest-1 location.

• Founded in 1980 in Metairie, Louisiana
• Quickly grew into SpeeDee Oil Change & Tune-Up
• In 2013, the brand revamped its services and brand image, and became SpeeDee Oil Change & Auto Service
• Through its evolution, one thing always remained the same: The brand’s reputation for always taking care of its customers
• SpeeDee prides itself on being locally-owned, with most stores run by families who service the automotive needs of their own communities
• SpeeDee also takes pride in its high customer satisfaction rate
• Now 40 years and 159 locations later, SpeeDee is able to experience a high customer retainment rate through its 17-Point Oil Change inspection, where mechanics check up on all filters, fluids, belts and tires

SpeeDee was acquired by Grease Monkey in 2017, in order to form a partnership that would bring together the best practices from both independent franchises and create a new and improved automotive service experience, according to the companies.

What you can learn from this brand: One way SpeeDee practices customer retainment is through its free top-off service, where customers can bring their vehicles in for a check-up for the three months or 3,000 miles following any SpeeDee oil change or tune-up service.

Grease Monkey, a parent company of SpeeDee, was founded in 1978 by two entrepreneurs who noticed that it was becoming increasingly inconvenient for consumers to get their oil changed. Now, the automotive franchise operates over 300 centers internationally, with locations in Mexico, China, Colombia and Saudi Arabia. The brand touts its Certified Pit Crew Program wherein all of its technicians are rigorously trained using proprietary systems developed by executives with decades of experience in the automotive industry.

Before earning their Certified Pit Crew status, technicians are required to take 15 certification courses. Additionally, Grease Monkey offers 200 other education courses available online at FullSpeed University. Grease Monkey was also recognized on Franchise Times’ Top 200+ List for 2019, locking in the No.

What you can learn from this brand: FullSpeed University offers a specialized curriculum that allows attendees to customize their learning, covering subjects like new employee orientation, customer service and performing automotive services, all available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Such a robust education offering creates opportunities for specialization and creates strong employee retention in a sector with a lot of competition.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, CARSTAR offers a wide range of services including auto-body repair, paintless dent repair and storm damage repair with 24/7 accident assistance. All CARSTAR locations are Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) certified and the brand repairs vehicles to OEM standards. With over 500 locations across the country, CARSTAR trains its technicians to work on all vehicle makes and models and participates in ongoing education programs to stay abreast of the latest vehicle technologies and materials.

The auto-body experts recently celebrated a new milestone by launching the 700th North American collision repair facility, in Montrose, California. CARSTAR was recognized on Franchise Times’ Top 200+ list for 2019 as the No. 99 franchise in the country.

What you can learn from this brand: Because CARSTAR is an OEM-certified operator, this cuts out the middleman, allowing for customers to get their automotive services done more quickly and at a reduced price, thus creating a notable competitive advantage for the brand in the space.

Celebrating its 40th year in business, Jiffy Lube is one of the nation’s biggest players in the quick-lube and automotive industry. With more than 2,000 franchised service centers, Jiffy Lube offers a range of services, from oil changes and tire rotations to air conditioning and transmission checks. Each location is manned by technicians trained not only in preventative maintenance, but also in customer service.

Each Jiffy Lube employee must go through Jiffy Lube University, a comprehensive training program that has been recognized for its robust curriculum as an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) training provider. The quick-lube giant was also recognized on Franchise Times’ Top 200+ List for 2019, claiming the 75th spot.

What you can learn from this brand: Jiffy Lube University is a state-of-the-art training program that includes on-the-job training and proficiency testing to help provide customers with the best care possible. Through fast service and strong brand recognition, Jiffy Lube has become synonymous with auto care, an asset to franchise prospects interested in established marketing at the local and national level.

Customers have been “trusting the Midas touch” since its inception in 1956 as a muffler repair shop. Since, the company has grown to over 1,025 locations and has expanded to offer repair and maintenance services on shock absorbers, brakes, tires, batteries, radiators, and heating and cooling systems. In the 1980s, Midas became the first company to offer nationwide, lifetime-guaranteed brake service.

Earlier this year, Midas was recognized as the most serviced-focused organization in the automotive industry, according to Newsweek Magazine’s 2019 List of America’s Best Companies for Customer Service. Further accentuating it’s position in the industry, Midas was also recognized on Franchise Times Top 200+ List for 2019, coming in at No. 81.

What you can learn from this brand: Customer service will always reign supreme, especially as it relates to auto service—and going the “extra mile” may just win you recognition from a trusted organization.

Working off the company-wide values of trust, quality and value, AAMCO has over 50 years of experience in the automotive industry. AAMCO offers a range of services, including transmission repair, brake repair, and tune-ups.