Catalog Managers Conference Registration Opens

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Catalog Managers Conference Registration Opens

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
Published:
NCMA announces three days of education and professional development.

 

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BETHESDA, Md. — The National Catalog Managers Association (NCMA) announced that registration is now open for the 41st annual Knowledge Exchange Conference, May 4-7. The event will be attended by nearly 300 content professionals and hosted at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass resort in Chandler, Ariz.

The Knowledge Exchange Conference agenda features presentations from Mark Seng, vice president, aftermarket and commercial vehicle, IHS Automotive; Tim Folks, senior director, enterprise architecture and content services, CARQUEST; and Brent Windom, president and COO, U.S., Uni-Select. Breakouts and panels will address topics ranging from the industry standards, ACES and PIES, to telematics and digital asset management.

NCMA is the only organization devoted to the education, networking and career development needs of automotive content and product management professionals. The annual conference features keynote speakers, technical training breakouts, panel discussions and a vendor partner trade show. NCMA members benefit from networking with hundreds of others who share a common profession, as well as with the solution and technology vendors on which they rely.

Automotive content professionals rely upon a wide variety of vendor partners for services and solutions in print, data management, image management and more. The NCMA Vendor Trade Show is a full afternoon of discovery and networking for members and vendors in search of innovation and productivity.

The NCMA conference schedule has shifted this year, with the event opening on Sunday, May 4 with an optional golf outing at the spectacular Cattail Course, followed by a welcome reception. The conference concludes with the NCMA Catalog Excellence Awards luncheon on Wednesday, May 7.

NCMA is a professional society and segment of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), with membership available to catalog professionals employed by AAIA member companies. Registration for the conference is $495 for members and $695 for non-members. A group rate of $189 is available at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass until April 4. The venue is 15 minutes from Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix, Ariz. To register, visit www.aftermarket.org.

Sponsorship and vendor exhibitor inquiries should be directed to [email protected].

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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.
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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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