By Gay Donnell Willis, SENP Board VP

The Schreiber Extended Neighborhood Patrol is appreciative of our local businesses who signed on to sponsor the inaugural year of the SENP.  

Rich Goff of Kwik Kar on Inwood Road is one of those businesses.  Please take a moment to learn about Rich, his business, and why he supports SENP.

Tell us about your business. 

We are a full-service oil change business at our core.  We change oil and filters on our customers’ vehicles at the manufacturers’ recommended intervals.  We also change air filters, cabin air filters, offer manufacturer recommended services (brake flush, radiator flush, power steering and transmission flush) at a lower price and fraction of the time it typically takes a dealership to perform the same service.  You can get your official Texas state vehicle inspection done quickly at Kwik Kar, with 3 inspection machines and at least 2 inspectors on duty at all times.  We perform around 1,000 inspections/month and strive to get those customers in and out in a timely manner.  You can also have mechanical repairs done like brakes, AC service, radiator service, electrical and suspension—again at a lower cost and faction of the time a customer may spend at a dealership.  

What are some differences that your business offers that others may not? 

First and foremost is our level of service.  We have friendly, experienced crew who have gotten to know the people in the neighborhood, and this has resulted in a loyal customer base.  75% of our customers on any given day are repeat customers.  We are honest and won’t try to sell unneeded products or services.  We explain everything and give the customer his or her options.  In these unprecedented times, we also offer the customers the option of staying in their vehicle during service.  We wear masks at all times.  If we need to operate the vehicle, we use disposable plastic seat covers and wear disposable gloves.   

We also involve ourselves in the community in ways the corporate lube centers may not.   For the last 10 days of October 2019 we donated 10% of all sales to Catholic Charities tornado relief.  On a more regular basis, we sponsor Jesuit Athletics, Ursuline Academy’s Rangerettes, WT White High School Athletics and the Town North/Semones Family YMCA. 

There are lots of businesses close by, so even though we have prompt service, you can still take a moment to visit Sonic, Chik-Fil-A, Starbucks, PetSmart if you want. 

What are some of the most common questions you have from customers?

“How long’s the wait for an inspection?” and “How much is an oil change?”  We can usually get you in-and-out much faster than a dealership, and the pricing is better too. We base pricing on standard 5 quarts for the year, make and model of your car.  

Are there things your prospective customers and clients may not be thinking of that you think they should know? 

Kwik Kar can help you with mechanical repairs like brakes, AC service, radiator service, electrical and suspension.  Your benefit is that it’s at a lower cost and fraction of the time a customer may spend at a dealership.  

You can also count on us to remind you about things like air filters.  Customers don’t think about air filters when they come in for oil change—cabin air filter vs. engine air filters.  You might have dander from your dog riding in your car with you.  The engine air filter can affect gas mileage and how long your car will last.

One thing about this neighborhood—there are a lot of high mileage cars, because people are taking care of their cars.    Attention to these details are the things that make them last. 

What is the favorite comment one of your customers has made about working with you and your business? 

We get a LOT of compliments on Yelp and Google because we’ve got built a strong team.  We see things like “(Assistant Manager) Lorenzo is the best!” and “Frank is the greatest!”

We appreciate your sponsorship of the Schreiber Extended Neighborhood Patrol.  What made you decide you’d like to participate? 

There was a run of break ins at the store in April, so security played a big role.   I get an alert from my security cameras when anything enters the parking lot, and it’s a real comfort to see the SENP patrol there overnight.    

Supporting neighborhood initiatives is also very important to all of us at the Kwik Kar on Inwood.