Talk to Chris Christensen for just a short time and you’ll quickly realize he would be successful, no matter what he chose to do. As District Manager located in Fort Wayne, Chris has a passion for providing great service and coaching employees to develop that same level of passion.
Chris started working for Jiffy Lube International on September 25, 1985 and Jiffy Lube of Indiana on September 1, 1987. When asked how he remembers these specific dates off-the-top of his head, he said, “there are just certain moments in your life that you remember and these are two of them.”
Q: What are some of your top priorities as District Manager?
A: My biggest focus is on staffing—ensuring we have the best, most qualified team members on board. Once on board, my focus is to find the most effective ways to coach them to do the right thing, when no one is watching.
Q: Is all your time spent managing or do you get to work on vehicles as well?
A: little bit of both. If I’m in a center and they need a hand, I get in there in help. But the role of a District Manager is more of a coach than a player. My job is to try to influence associates with the skills and wisdom I’ve developed over the years. It’s so important to drive the passion of our business, down to the brand new associate. If they have that passion, they’ll be successful at doing anything to give the guest a great experience.
Q: Why would you recommend Jiffy Lube of Indiana?
A: The automotive field as a whole can get a bad rap. That’s because of a very small percentage of people that do the wrong thing. Some people will try and sell services that customers don’t need. We don’t do that. We work to educate our guests about their vehicle and what services are necessary. We would obviously like to be the people to sell you those services. However, if they choose not to buy from us, that’s ok. We’re not commissioned and we have no reason to try and pressure you to buy something.
Our company takes so much pride in the work we provide. We take ownership. If we break something, we fix it. On the occasion that something goes wrong, that’s when you find out the true integrity level of a company. I can tell you that Jiffy Lube stands up to their word.
There’s just no better place to go. We get you in and out quickly. All of our processes, procedures, and products are top notch. We offer a national warranty. There’s a lot of negativity out there about automotive services, but I think Jiffy Lube stands above that.
Q: What’s the most off-the-wall thing you’ve had happen at work?
A: One day a woman came into the store, and said she needed an oil change, and needed it quickly. We said, “Well, you came to the right place.” She said, “No, you don’t understand, I’m in labor. I’m about to have a baby, I need it to be really quick.” We asked her if maybe she shouldn’t be going to the hospital instead. She said, “No, I really need to get my oil changed!” To this day, that is the craziest thing that’s happened!
Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t in the automotive field?
A: There are two things I would like to do if I wasn’t at Jiffy Lube. I’d like to be a chef. My love for cooking started as a little kid. I’m not a gourmet, but there’s not much I’m afraid to make. The second thing I would like to do, mostly because of the coaching role I have now, is to be a teacher.
And when and if my wife and I ever retire, we would like to either run a food truck or have a plantation in Hawaii and grow our own coffee. I can always dream!
Many thanks to Chris for letting us get to know him a little better! Next time you’re in your local Jiffy Lube of Indiana, look for Chris and thank him for doing such a great job in coaching employees to develop the same kind of passion that he has.
For more information about any of our Jiffy Lube of Indiana locations, click here.
