Automechanika Frankfurt 2016 Kicks Off With Focus On Technology

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Automechanika Frankfurt 2016 Kicks Off With Focus On Technology

Detlef Braun, member of the executive board of Messe Frankfurt, the show organizer, said that connectivity, automated driving and mobility services are the trending topics at this year's show.

Mark Phillips
By Mark Phillips
Published:

Automechanika Messe FrankfurtAutomechanika Frankfurt 2016 kicked off Tuesday with an overview of the biggest trends in the automotive aftermarket, namely technology.

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Detlef Braun, member of the executive board of Messe Frankfurt, the show organizer, told the official show daily newspaper that connectivity, automated driving and mobility services are the trending topics at this year’s show.

“Many of our exhibitors are presenting products and concepts that meet customer needs and vehicle requirements with increasing efficiency and individualization because they are automated and virtualized in parts,” he said.

Braun credits the show’s continuing success, in part, to the promotion of internationalism. “The number of visitor nations has kept on rising … and has reached a record level of around 170 countries. Our trade fair is known all over the world, and it stands for a whole country’s strength for innovation, for consistent brand management and sustainable brand marketing.”

Automechanika Innovation Award
Recipients of the Automechanika Innovation Award were recognized during Tuesday morning’s opening ceremony.

The winners, with their respective categories, are:

Category: Parts & Components
Robert Bosch GmbH with M Li-ion motorcycle battery (12 V starter battery LTX12-BS)

Category: Electronics & Systems
ON BOARD DEFENCE with PORTECTOR

Category: Accessories & Customizing
Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH with WinterContact TS 850 P with “Taraxagum” dandelion rubber

Category: Repair & Diagnostics
NGK Spark Plug Europe GmbH with NCEM (NTK Compact Emission Meter)

Category: Repair & Maintenance
Corghi S.p.A. with UNIFORMITY

Category: Management & Digital Solutions
AVL DiTEST GmbH with AVL DiTEST Smart Service 4.0

Category: Car Wash, Care & Reconditioning
WashTec Cleaning Technology GmbH with MultiFlex side brush

Category: OE Products & Services
VALEO with Valeo SCALA laser scanner

If you’ve not attended Automechanika in Frankfurt before, a biennial show, it can feel like a family reunion. Many familiar faces that are seen as AAPEX are also seen around Frankfurt. And while AAPEX is held in one – albeit large building – Automechanika is held throughout roughly 26 buildings and levels throughout the massive Messe Frankfurt complex, both inside the trade halls and in massive parking lots.

At a glance, Automechanika covers:

*Management and digital solutions – covering things like car dealership/gas station concepts and designs, franchise concepts, shop marketing

*Parts and components – powertrain, chassis, bodywork, hard parts

*Repair and maintenance – workshop equipment and tools

*Accesories and customizing  – accessories of all types for motor vehicles

*Car wash, care and reconditioning – washing, vehicle care and detailing

*Electronics and systems – engine electronics, on-board electrical systems

Much like at AAPEX in Las Vegas, the organizers of Automechanika have intellectual property experts on-hand to assist exhibitors lodge complaints against purported intellectual property theft as well as an emergency service that provides legal help for companies who believe their protected product ideas are being stolen.

On Tuesday, the first day of the show was hot, to say the least. Many showgoers had ditched their suit jackets due to the rising temps sweeping Germany and other parts of Europe.

The show continues today and through Saturday.

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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.

Read Full Article

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