AAPEX Organizers Release Recap and Attendance Numbers

AAPEX Organizers Release Recap and Attendance Numbers

AAPEX 2018, which took place Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in Las Vegas, included a sold-out trade show with 2,511 exhibiting companies from around the world displaying thousands of new products and parts in 5,539 booths.

With the automotive aftermarket undergoing significant evolution and change, AAPEX 2018 featured the latest new products and innovations, advanced training by industry experts and current and futuristic technology demonstrations to keep attendees ahead of the curve. AAPEX 2018, which took place Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in Las Vegas, included a sold-out trade show with 2,511 exhibiting companies from around the world displaying thousands of new products and parts in 5,539 booths.

For automotive service professionals, Mobility Garage added new and advanced training programs on electric and alternative fuel vehicles, as well as shop equipment and technology.

AAPEXedu offered more than 50 educational sessions and new forums on important topics, including the leading trends and outlook for the industry, retrofitting and servicing advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), new mobility models and emerging vehicle technologies. A special general session for automotive service professionals tackled a critical issue: building rewarding careers for automotive technicians and ensuring they have the skills to repair vehicles equipped with new technology.

Within the Technology of Tomorrow section, the Secure Vehicle Interface (SVI) was unveiled, showing attendees a solution that ensures vehicle data interfaces always enable safe, secure and standardized consumer access and control of the data their car generates. A Virtual Vehicle Challenge provided a friendly competition among attendees to test their skills as they journeyed into a virtual garage, selected automotive parts and installed them on a vehicle.

AAPEX 2018 welcomed two keynote speakers to this year’s event: CNN’s John King and political strategist Karl Rove. The two shared their views on the midterm elections and how tariffs could impact the automotive aftermarket industry.

The event drew 48,603 targeted AAPEX buyers, and 161,938 automotive aftermarket professionals were in Las Vegas during AAPEX and the SEMA Show.

AAPEX 2019 will be held Tuesday, Nov. 5 through Thursday, Nov. 7, at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas.

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

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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