CityView Magazine

44 | September/October 2015 business Photography by Sharilyn Wells Chances are, you've seen signs for TLC Carwash & Fast Lube around town—you know the one with the bubblegum pink Volkswagen bug perched high above the carwash accented in royal blue. TLC... The Lord's Company Turning a blessing into praise BY KELLIE GENTRY HUSSMANN A nd I bet you've also won- dered, what exactly does TLC stand for? What started out as a "Terrific Looking Carwash" has grown into more than its looks. With over six locations, this family-run business is making strides in customer service, environmental awareness and social responsibility in the Fayetteville community. e Deering family has been work- ing together since they took over the business in 1993. "We kind of all just meld together," said Vanessa Deering, the marketing director for TLC. "We all have our areas that we are strong in and it works really well." Her husband, omas, runs the business side of the company while her mother-in-law, Diane, serves as the accountant. e Deering's take pride in their family business and treat their employ- ees like family. "We are a local family-run business not just of blood relatives, but also those who have become our family through this journey," said Vanessa. "It's a great company to work for," said William Provost, an operational manager, who started as a lube techni- cian at TLC in 1995. A few of TLC's em- ployees have been there over 15 years. Promoting employees within the company is something they are proud of, according to owner, Diane Deering. She affirmed that they don't believe in hir- ing employees who want to work hard to make money to be happy. e best employees are already happy and work hard for the company and its customers. Customer satisfaction is always a pri- ority at TLC. And while some aspects of the base model have been around since the beginning, such as the oil change with a free car wash, advancements in technology and customer demand continue to provide opportunities for improvement. All of the improvements at TLC have ease and efficiency for the customer in mind while maintaining the novelty of the experience. TLC's newest location in Raeford was

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