GOOD MORNING SWEETHEART!

Female auto technician puts a smile on your car

Melanie Moseby has a positive attitude, strong work ethic, and lots of determination. She brings those qualities to Fargo’s downtown Jiffy Lube, where she is the unconventional service center manager in a conventional, male-dominated business. Some people are surprised.

“Some customers are surprised to see a woman doing this type of work, but most people don’t mind seeing a woman getting her hands dirty or breaking a fingernail. They think I do the work just as well as a man,” Moseby said. “I have passion for what I’m doing.”

Moseby grew up in inner city Chicago. Her parents split when she was four, and drugs and alcohol were rampant in her neighborhood. When she became a young mother, she received tremendous support from her husband’s family, who encouraged her to stay in school. She earned an associate degree in accounting and has worked in retail and food service management. “I tried to pick up good work habits because I wanted a better life for my family.”

Her father was a mechanic, but she studied under the hood with her husband, Shelton, and her father-in-law. Whether it was replacing an alternator, changing oil, or finding the starter, she learned tools of this trade out of necessity.

“When I was eight months pregnant, I had an ’85 Grand Prix with a leaking transmission. At the time, my husband was in North Dakota, so I took out the transmission myself and replaced the gasket. It was kind of hard, but it was fun. I have a natural inclination for this work,” Moseby said.

The Mosebys moved to North Dakota in 2005. She has always been drawn to the customer service industry, so Jiffy Lube was a good fit for her.

WRITER: KRISTI MONSON PHOTOGRAPHER: MILESTONES PHOTOGRAPHY

“I love to be around people,” she said, explaining that dealing with customers is the best part of her job. “I think that’s my greatest strength. They are my extended family, especially those who always come back to see me. I give my customers the best quality service I can.”

She started working at Jiffy Lube on 32nd Avenue as a service technician and later became assistant manager. When the manager position opened at the downtown location, the owners thought she was the right person for the job.

She’s a hands-on manager — changing oil, checking fluids, working the pit, and providing all of Jiffy Lube’s preventative maintenance services. She trains the technicians, leads the service team, and supervises a staff of four. Moseby enjoys getting her hands dirty, learning more about cars, and being her own boss. She is the nuts and bolts of this Jiffy Lube location.

“We put a smile on your car,” she said. “Our goal is 100 percent satisfaction because a happy customer is a returning customer. If I don’t get a customer to smile, he might not come back.”

As a customer walks in, Moseby greets him with an enthusiastic, “Good morning sweetheart,” and she’s rewarded with the gesture she works so hard for … a smile. [AWM]