Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance Hosts Seventh Technology Summit

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Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance Hosts Seventh Technology Summit

Collaborative event yields higher sales and reduced costs for Alliance and its suppliers, group says.

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
Published:

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance held its 7th Information Technology Summit (IT Summit) in San Antonio late February 2014. This event keeps supplier channel partners up-to-date on Alliance IT strategies and solutions, and is tailored for hands-on information technology professionals.

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According to Alliance CIO Dale Hopkins, the IT Summit meetings are effective at reducing costs, increasing sales, and strengthening relationships. “The Alliance Technology Suite is the most mature and robust technology platform in the aftermarket distribution community,” Hopkins said. “As our information foundation for advancing operational and marketing technology, sharing that information with channel partners multiplies its power.

“For the past three years, Alliance members have earned the R.L. Polk Inventory Efficiency Award for ground-breaking and industry-leading inventory management driven by the Alliance Inventory Optimization Tool (IOT)," Hopkins said. "IOT gives Alliance members the power to create their own super-accurate stocking models by integrating third-party registration data with point-of-sale and other information. Bringing our channel partners into this loop allows them to help us with our mission of right part, right place, right time.”

The  Alliance MyPlaceForParts e-commerce solution also takes center stage at the IT Summit. “While IOT is award-winning technology for what to stock, MyPlaceForParts is 24/7/365 technology that helps our customers lokk-up, locate, and ultimately sell more parts,” said Hopkins.

John Washbish, Alliance president and CEO, says the Alliance stands out in the industry when it comes to technology. “We have more than 13 years of experience with our own data warehouse and related business intelligence tools, and vertical collaboration with our channel partners is a game changer for all of us! Channel partners have technology and information to share and so do we. We’re proud of the progressive leadership the Alliance shows in this area.”

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Auto Industry

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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