lowell’s wins 2021 Readers’ Choice Award for “favorite oil change”

2021 Favorite Oil Change

lowell’s has been chosen as Lexington’s Favorite Oil Change in the 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards. Lexington Herald-Leader readers choose their favorites in a variety of categories, and Lowell’s won the oil change category.

This marks the first time that lowell’s has been selected as the best place to get an oil change! Thank you so much for your votes. We’ll do all we can to earn this award.

pandemic policy updates

We are relieved to see that the COVID outbreak is diminishing as we enter the summer. We hope that you and your families are well.

Last March, we implemented several measures to prevent viral spread among customers, employees, and suppliers. We know that our policies have not always been convenient, but keeping everyone safe is our highest priority.

Now, we are updating some of those policies and procedures as we continue to learn more about the virus and how it is transmitted. And while many of us are now vaccinated against COVID, most still aren’t and many of us still have vulnerable family members.

With these updates, we’re attempting to balance the ongoing risks with the knowledge that spread is becoming less likely this summer.

Here’s what is changing:

  • Wipe-downs optional. We had been wiping down hard surfaces inside every vehicle with sanitary wipes when getting into and when exiting each vehicle. We had also been using seat and steering wheel covers. Because surface transmission isn’t a major vector for COVID transmission, we’re making that policy optional. Some employees like the general cleanliness of using the wipes and covers, they may continue to do so. If you’d prefer that we continue to wipe down your vehicle, just note that preference when making your appointment or dropping off your vehicle.
  • Gloves optional. We had been requiring each employee to wear latex or nitrile gloves when driving your vehicle. Again, because surface transmission risk is low, we are making that policy optional as well.

Here’s what remains the same (for now):

  • Masks are still required at lowell’s. We require that all customers, employees, and suppliers continue to wear masks inside lowell’s. If you prefer not to wear a mask, we are happy to meet you outside.
  • Customer shuttle is still suspended. If you need to get on with your day, you may drive yourself wherever you need to go in one of our courtesy loaner vehicles.
  • Waiting area is still closed. If you need a place to wait, we still offer use of our loaner vehicles as a kind of personal waiting room.

As the risks continue to fall throughout the summer, we anticipate revisiting and updating these policies, and we will update you when we do.

keeping everyone safe

We hope you and your loved ones are well.
Here at lowell’s, we’re still open, but we know that your vehicle is not your top priority right now. The coronavirus pandemic has altered life for all of us.In case you need us, however, we wanted to tell you how we’re confronting the pandemic.

On Monday, we redesigned every element of our operations in order to protect our customers, our employees, and our community. I told our crew that we needed to transform into, in essence, a hospital which works on cars.

We see these as long-term changes to the way we do business. We believe that the coronavirus pandemic is here to stay, and this is the way we will conduct ourselves going forward.

There are 3 big visible changes to your lowell’s customer experience:

  1. No waiting in the lobby. We’ve removed seating from our lobby, and are offering our sanitized loaner vehicles as a comfortable place for you to wait (or drive) while we work on your car. (You can still come into the lobby to drop off your car, if you like
  2. Optional in-lot drop-offs and pick-ups. Just call us, and we can come out to your vehicle to exchange your keys and check in or check out.
  3. Suspended shuttle service. While we know that our shuttle has been convenient for many customers, prolonged closeness in a shuttle presents too many risks to you and to us. If you need to get to your work or home, feel free to use one of our loaner vehicles.
We’ve also made a host of other behind-the-scenes changes, including sanitizing every touchpoint in our shop and in your car.If you want to know all that we’re doing to protect you and your vehicle, please read the same emergency operations plan our crew uses each day. (We’d love your input, too. If you see flaws or gaps in our plan, please let me know.)

We’re grateful for every day we get to serve you.

Be safe and be well,
Rob

UPDATE 5/7/2020: Since posting this in mid-March, we now require all employees to have their temperatures checked before starting work each morning. If they have a temperature, they are sent home with pay. We are also required to wear masks or facial coverings while in the shop.

don’t mind our mess

For the past few months, Mechanic Street and North Limestone have been under seemingly-endless construction as the water lines along our streets have been replaced. Initially only slated for a few weeks, the construction has dragged on – often with no apparent activity for days at a time.

At the same time, we’ve been repainting the outsides of our buildings at Lowell’s. This has included scraping nearly 70 years of paint off of our buildings (and making some interesting discoveries along the way), replacing much of the mortar along some walls, priming, and painting.

So, we’ve got holes, above-ground pipes, and piles of gravel in our street. And our building looks completely different on the outside.

But don’t let the mess put you off – we’re still ready to help with whatever your vehicle needs!

Lowell’s wins 2014 Angie’s List Award

We are extremely humbled by the awards that customers have chosen for us over the years.

We have won 8 Readers’ Choice Awards from Herald-Leader readers as Favorite Auto Repair Shop. We’ve also won 9 Ace Magazine Best in Lex Awards as Favorite Mechanic. We are Lexington’s only RepairPal Certified mechanic.

And now, for the second year in a row, we’ve also been recognized by Angie’s List.AngiesList2013-2014

Lowell’s has earned the Angie’s List 2014 Super Service Award for the outstanding things our customers have said about our service on Angie’s List.

Angie’s List collects reviews from real people on a variety of services, including reviews of auto repair service in Lexington.

According to Angie’s List, “winners of this award have met strict eligibility requirements, which include an ‘A’ rating in overall grade, recent grade, and review period grade; the company must be in good standing with Angie’s List, have a fully complete profile, pass a background check and abide by Angie’s List operational guidelines.”

We are so honored to serve great customers and to have had those customers make this award happen for us. Thanks for all of the wonderful things you say and do for Lowell’s!