AAPEX 2018 Expands Focus on Technology

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Counterman has been serving auto parts jobbers, retailers and distributors since 1983.
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AAPEX 2018 Expands Focus on Technology

AAPEX is expanding several programs at this year’s event in a continued effort to spotlight the impact of technology on the automotive aftermarket and prepare attendees for the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
Published:

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AAPEX is expanding several programs at this year’s event in a continued effort to spotlight the impact of technology on the automotive aftermarket and prepare attendees for the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Mobility Garage, which debuted in 2017, has expanded to two sections, both offering hands-on demos and technology-focused training sessions.

The Shop Equipment and Technology section, presented by AVI, will offer 20 sessions, while the Electric Car and Alternative Fuel/Energy section, presented by the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium, will provide 24 sessions. Mobility Garage also has a new location this year on Level 2, in the Venetian Titian and Bellini ballrooms.

In the AAPEX Technology of Tomorrow section, exhibitors such as ZF Aftermarket and Brigham Young University will showcase the future through technologies that are not yet available but are currently being tested and discussed. This section, located in the Venetian Ballroom, Upper Level 2, also will feature a demo of Secure Vehicle Interface, sponsored by the Auto Care Association.

Let’s Tech returns with 20-minute presentations on topics such as advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and the need for calibration, using technology to service more customers and technology for inventory optimization.

This year, the AAPEXedu Technology track has grown to include 18 sessions on topics such as trends in emerging technologies, radar sensors in modern chassis systems and battery-tester innovations. Two all-new AAPEXedu forums will focus on Retrofitting ADAS on Existing Cars to Save Lives and Servicing ADAS-Enabled Vehicles.

With a new location in the Venetian Hallway, Level 2, the AAPEX New Product and Packaging Showcases will highlight the latest technology, tools and equipment critical to attendees’ businesses, as well as the most innovative packaging designs.

AAPEX represents the $740 billion global automotive aftermarket industry and will take place Tuesday, Oct. 30, through Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas.

AAPEX 2018 will feature more than 2,500 exhibiting companies displaying the latest products, services and technologies. More than 47,000 targeted buyers are expected to attend, and approximately 162,000 automotive aftermarket professionals from 135 countries are projected to be in Las Vegas during AAPEX 2018.

AAPEX is a trade-only event and is not open to the general public.

AAPEX is co-owned by the Auto Care Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the light-vehicle aftermarket division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA).

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Customer Service: How It’s Done

Customer service should be your number one priority, and it all starts with the greeting.

Eric Garbe
By Eric Garbe
Eric Garbe is a graduate of Columbus State Community College with a degree in Automotive Maintenance Technology. He has extensive independent and dealership field experience as a technician and shop owner and is an ASE Certified Master Technician and former Adjunct Automotive Professor. He has been professionally writing automotive technical articles and documents for many years and in his free time enjoys restoring old cars and creating custom interiors and upholstery.
Published:

This is always an important topic to discuss, because I consider excellent customer service one of the most important tools you can have to earn trust, respect and repeat business from the customers that come through your door. Whether that customer is do-it-yourselfer from across town or the professional repair shop across the street, your business depends on a solid relationship.It’s a subject that I am passionate about, and it’s one that many people are losing touch with. Whether you are communicating to someone in person, on the phone or using some type of social media, good customer service and bad can both exist. You can’t afford the latter, so this is the first in a series of topics which can and should be shared from the front of the shop to the back. No matter which role you hold, you represent the shop and yourself. Customer service should be your number one priority.First on the list is the greeting. From the second a customer walks in the door, they need to know you appreciate them coming in and how important they are to your business. First impressions are everything and here’s the correct way to do it each and every time: look them directly in the eye, smile and say hello!Of course, you can say “Good morning” or “Welcome to Joe’s Autocare,” but it should be a formal greeting and the most important thing is that you have smiled, looked them in the eye and recognized that they have walked through the door.You should always retain a formal greeting until you are on a first-name basis with a customer. Only once you have established that level of relationship is it OK to use the less formal greeting of “Hi,” followed by the person’s name.This greeting does more than just indicate respect and appreciation for someone walking through the door. Most likely there are customers both new and old who are in earshot of your conversation. For newer customers, this continues to build rapport and reinforce their positive view of your shop; they see that you demonstrate respect and treat everyone in the same manner. For repeat customers, even ones that have been coming for years, the greeting is important because the way you treat them is the reason they continue to come.And when a long-time customer comes in and you greet them with “Hi [First Name],” this indicates your appreciation for them and that you’re glad to see them as a person, more than just a customer. New customers that witness this will see that your repeat customers are comfortable enough to be on a first-name basis, another indication of the trust they have in you.

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