Next up in our employee highlight series is seasoned automobile industry veteran, Joe Alvarez, Sr. With almost 30 years’ experience in the industry, 19 of those years at Jiffy Lube, Joe knows the ins and outs of the business.
Joe serves as General Manager and was kind enough to let us pick his brain about what a day-in-the-life is like at Jiffy Lube. In the short time we spent talking with Joe, his love for his job and family was evident.
Q: Do you have any funny stories that have happened on the job?
A: During cold weather especially, we will often open the hood to have a cat jump out at us or find a mouse sitting on top of the motor. We also sometimes find nuts or dog food inside the cabin air filter, probably stashed there by a squirrel. One time a cat was so scared that it jumped out, ran into a corner of the store and wouldn’t come out. It stayed there for several days until one of our guests ended up adopting it!
Q: What are some of your responsibilities?
A: I’m responsible for the day-to-day operations of the store and for serving our guests. I handle everything from ordering and inventory to hiring and firing.
Q: Tell us a fun fact about you that some people might not know.
A: I once drove 24 laps in an official NASCAR around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Q: Wow. How did you get to do that?
A: Several years ago, I was chosen as manager of the year. One of the top prizes was to drive a NASCAR around the track. They allowed us to do three sets of eight laps. The fastest speed they clocked for me was 165 miles per hour!
Q: Why would you recommend Jiffy Lube to customers?
A: Jiffy Lube treats our customers as guests. So much so, that we don’t even call them customers, we call them guests. We have the utmost respect for every one of our guests and have genuine concern for the care of their vehicle—not just today, but for the life of that vehicle. We want to see each guest’s vehicle run as well as possible, for as long as possible.
Q: When you’re not at work, what do you like to do?
A: I’m a family man, so when I’m not at work, I’m usually spending time with my family. I have four kids, two biological and two adopted boys that are now 12 and 14. During the summer we do quite a bit of cooking-out and swimming. Now that it’s starting to get cooler, we like to do plenty of campfires.
Thanks to Joe for letting us get to know him a little better! Next time you’re in your local Jiffy Lube, look for Joe and thank him for doing such a fantastic job of caring for his guests and their vehicles. We love our Jiffy Lube employees!
For more information about any of our Jiffy Lube of Indiana locations, click here.
