AAIA To Participate In Latin American Trade Mission

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AAIA To Participate In Latin American Trade Mission

The 2014 Trade Winds program, organized by the U.S. Commercial Service, the export promotion arm of the Department of Commerce, includes a Latin America-focused business forum consisting of regional and industry-specific conference sessions, as well as prearranged consultations with U.S. Foreign Commercial Service Senior Commercial Officers representing commercial markets throughout the region.

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
Published:

BETHESDA, Md. – The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) will participate in the 2014 Trade Winds – The Americas Business Development Conference and Trade Mission, taking place May 15-23. The 2014 Trade Winds program, organized by the U.S. Commercial Service, the export promotion arm of the Department of Commerce, includes a Latin America-focused business forum consisting of regional and industry-specific conference sessions, as well as prearranged consultations with U.S. Foreign Commercial Service Senior Commercial Officers representing commercial markets throughout the region.
 
Andres Castrillon, AAIA director, international trade, and Larry Northup, AAIA senior director, member relations, will participate in prearranged meetings in Panama City, Panama, as well as the Trade Winds Business Conference Program in Bogota, Colombia.  
 
“Our members have identified Latin America as a key growth market, so we are taking action to help explore Latin America’s expanding markets, learn about emerging opportunities in the region and help our member companies sell more products into the region,” said Northup.
 
“Our Free Trade Agreement partners in Latin America are fast-growing, with young populations and a burgeoning middle class. We are committed to connecting our members with these customers, so they can grow their exports and strengthen the U.S. auto care industry,” added Castrillon.
 
Participation in Trade Winds will allow AAIA staff to network with the region’s leading industry and government officials, as well as experienced U.S. and global companies. Castrillon and Northup also will work on collecting market intelligence and promoting the AAIA member pavilion at the first-ever Latin Auto Parts Expo, scheduled to take place July 9-11 in Panama City, Panama.
 
With an increasing number of Free Trade Agreements having entered into force between the United States and South/Central American countries in the past few years, trade between the U.S. and Colombia, Panama, Chile, Ecuador and Peru is booming, according to AAIA. These countries now constitute some of the largest markets for U.S. exports.
 
For more information on the 2014 Trade Winds program, visit http://export.gov/pennsylvania/tradewinds/. For more information on the AAIA member pavilion at the first-ever Latin Auto Parts Expo, visit www.aftermarket.org/latinexpo.
 

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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.

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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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