Grease Monkey North Phoenix has been serving the community with quick lube and full mechanical services for nearly a decade. Operating two locations and supporting a population of roughly 300,000 to 500,000 residents, Director of Operations Thad Fitzgerald is focused on driving growth, operational consistency and outstanding customer experiences across both sites.
Before working with Throttle®, Grease Monkey had never implemented a CRM platform. Like many quick lube operators, their team had relied on manual efforts like call-back lists or ad-hoc postcard mailings to encourage return visits. But these methods required significant staff time and produced inconsistent results. Thad needed a smarter, scalable solution to keep customer communication flowing—without burdening his team. After meeting the Throttle team at a Grease Monkey conference and learning what the platform could offer, Thad says, “We liked what they had to say. We haven’t looked back since.”
Throttle is a CRM-powered customer engagement platform built for the automotive aftermarket—and beyond.
Throttle worked closely with Thad and his marketing coordinator to implement an omnichannel communication strategy tailored to both of his Grease Monkey locations.
The program included:
Automated service reminders via postcard and email
Monthly e-blasts to stay top-of-mind between visits
Google Review push through thank-you text messages launched in 2025
A rolling reactivation campaign for lapsed customers
These coordinated touchpoints allowed Grease Monkey to stay in front of customers at key moments in the service cycle—without requiring manual oversight. Throttle also provided strategic support, helping the team understand how each campaign contributed to customer retention and shop traffic.
The real value of Throttle’s CRM program became clear with the introduction of automated service reminders. By delivering consistent follow-ups through postcards, emails and texts, the program allowed staff to shift their focus back to vehicles in the shop—reducing the need for callbacks or curbside efforts to bring in business.
Online reviews also began to climb. At the Thunderbird location, average monthly reviews increased by 338% within just a few months. Bell Road saw a 102% lift in its first months. While the data is still early, the program has only had one full cycle to take effect and early signs are promising.
This review growth was a welcome benefit of the reminder system. Throttle’s text prompts didn’t just drive return visits—they encouraged satisfied customers to share their experiences online. That engagement strengthened visibility, built trust and expanded word-of-mouth.
Today, Throttle’s tools run quietly in the background, keeping customers engaged and returning while the in-store team stays focused on delivering quality service.
Trying to do it all in-house isn’t always the best path. According to Thad, the ability to trust Throttle with marketing automation has freed up his time and improved outcomes.
“It’s easier to let someone like Throttle do it than try to do it yourself. Is it worth me spending my time to do this, or can someone else fill that space for a fee?”
Grease Monkey continues to build on the success of the Throttle program. With SMS now live and engagement increasing, the team is excited to expand texting further and monitor opt-in rates over time. They’ve introduced a rolling reactivation campaign—aimed at re-engaging customers who’ve missed a service cycle. In addition, they’ve begun implementing fleet-focused postcard campaigns to help drive local business signups, offering customized fleet maintenance plans and priority fleet service to local service businesses and fleet operators. With these tools in place and a trusted partner supporting their strategy, the Grease Monkey team is optimistic about driving continued growth and retention in 2025 and beyond.
Industry
Quick Lube & Full Mechanical Services
Objective
Improve car count, customer retention and online visibility without increasing staff workload.
Solution
Automated service reminders (postcard, email, SMS), monthly newsletter and reactivation campaign.