Fuel Injector Story

Dale Goble is “The Fuel Injector Man”. He’s a great example of an entrepreneur seeking success in a specific niche market. He inspects, cleans and services those testy outboard fuel injectors that argue with ethanol gas and quickly clog with tiny sediment.

YUP! This story begins because my 115 hp 4-stroke Yamaha was stalling. It hardly made it home. I figured my injectors were clogged….and searched the internet for a resolution.

I stumbled on http://www.fuelinjectorman.com/ of Naples, Florida. It’s a site worth viewing. There’s a menu (left side) for videos. In one, Dale shows how simple it is to remove outboard injectors - all by yourself. A second video shows actual injector flow testing. The site offers a short order form and packing instructions - for sending your injectors for service. Dale emails confirmation upon their receipt…and again when they’re done. PayPal handles the settlement and Dale ships them back. But there’s more to it!

The Injector Man returned my injectors enclosed by protective shrink wrap, and bubble wrapped in a secure box via U.P.S. – within 3 working days. He even confirmed by phoning me! In the box was a bar graph printout sheet. It shows the fuel flow of each injector (before and after service) and a comparison of improved performance.

Dale had flushed the injectors, used an ultra sonic bath, and installed new filters. Then he checked the flows for consistency of performance. He did all this for a quoted rate of $16 per injector (well below the average charge of $20). Look closely at my shrink wrap photo. Dale even scribbled a “thank you” note.

This story has a message for all entrepreneurs. Many of us seek such an opportunity in a niche market (whether retail, service or product fulfillment) – but we fail to anticipate the immense personal attention often required. The truth is, business success doesn’t happen by itself. Any competitive endeavor requires outstanding performance, products, service and/or customer satisfaction… beyond your competition.

You can bet Dale’s business will continue growing. He’s found the viral formula. Hey, I’ve already told this story to friends at garages, marine shops and written this post. So the secret is out! Dale’s simple trick for success is this: “Thrill your customer”.