Keith Rodden, Crew Chief For Kasey Kahne, Is MOOG 'Problem Solver Of The Race' At Dover

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Keith Rodden, Crew Chief For Kasey Kahne, Is MOOG ‘Problem Solver Of The Race’ At Dover

The Problem Solver of the Race and season-ending $100,000 MOOG “Problem Solver of the Year” awards are sponsored by global vehicle components manufacturer Federal-Mogul Motorparts, a division of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corp.

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
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SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Kasey Kahne and the MOOG Steering and Suspension-equipped No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS picked up 21 positions to post their second top-five finish of the season and crew chief Keith Rodden was named MOOG “Problem Solver of the Race” in Sunday’s FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. MOOG is the Official Steering and Suspension of NASCAR.

The 10th different crew chief to win MOOG Problem Solver honors this year, Rodden received the award after the No. 5 delivered a race-best 0.084-seconds per lap change in average lap time over the final 200 laps of Dover’s “Monster Mile” to finish fourth. The Problem Solver of the Race and season-ending $100,000 MOOG “Problem Solver of the Year” awards are sponsored by global vehicle components manufacturer Federal-Mogul Motorparts, a division of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corp.

Kahne started 25th but discovered that the MOOG-equipped Chevrolet’s chassis setup provided an early advantage. He picked up 10 positions within the first 100 miles and was running ninth by a restart on Lap 168. The 5 car bounced in and out of the top 10 over the balance of the race, with Rodden and crew adjusting the Chevrolet’s steering and suspension during nearly every stop to address changing track conditions. Kahne was running eighth with 40 laps to go and advanced to fourth for a restart 18 laps later. After a pit stop for two new tires, the 5 moved into second place behind eventual race winner Jimmie Johnson and the MOOG-equipped No. 48 Chevrolet, but fell back two spots in the closing laps. Kahne and Rodden’s teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, Johnson became just the fifth driver in history to win 10 Cup races at a single track.

“Keith’s pre-race setup was a huge advantage for the 5 in the early stage of the race,” said Tim Nelson, director of motorsports for Federal-Mogul Motorparts. “Once Kasey cracked the top 10, Keith and the Hendrick crew continued to find additional speed through precise adjustments to their steering and suspension, and they had an excellent strategy at the end. I’m sure Keith and Kasey felt they were good enough to either win or finish second, but a top-five at Dover is something to be proud of.”

With just over one-third of the Cup Series season in the books, three crew chiefs – Chad Knaus (No. 48 Chevrolet, Jimmie Johnson), Greg Ives (No. 88 Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Jr.) and Justin Alexander (No. 27 Chevrolet, Paul Menard) – lead the year-end MOOG standings with two weekly Problem Solver wins each, followed by seven crew chiefs who each have one.

The MOOG brand, the preferred choice of professional technicians and NASCAR crew chiefs, is in its 50th year of Cup competition. In recognition of the vital importance of steering and suspension components in overall vehicle safety and performance, NASCAR now requires that Cup teams use MOOG Problem Solver parts, specifically balls joints and tie rod ends. Cup Series champions have chosen MOOG parts for 49 consecutive years.

To learn more about MOOG products, please contact your MOOG Steering and Suspension supplier or visit the technician-focused www.moogproblemsolver.com website. Like MOOG on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/moogproblemsolver and follow the brand on Twitter for product updates and special promotions.

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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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