What Business Are You In?
This column is about businesses whose owners believe they’re in a business other than the one they’re actually in. I’ll give you an example: Newspaper companies are in the information business, not the newspaper-printing business. But for the longest time, you couldn’t tell newspaper owners this wasn’t the case. They got behind the competition and
Are Your Returns Really That High?
We must always challenge assumptions, even if we sometimes don’t want to do it. Since coming to this industry, the magic number I’ve heard regarding the percentage of parts that come back as returns is 25. I’ve heard the figure repeated in conversations, speeches and repeated it myself, apparently without thinking much of it. But
NETWORK NATIONAL CONVENTION: The Network Hosts Record-Turnout Convention in Nashville
Despite a challenging economy and the cancellation and ratcheting back of similar conventions, the National Convention of the Automotive Distribution Network held its largest-ever gathering in downtown Nashville Feb. 26-March 1. "Your attendance here is a testament to your desire to learn more and to improve your business skills," Network President Mike Lambert told the
NETWORK NATIONAL CONVENTION: Telematics is an opportunity for the aftermarket, Kaufman Tells Network National Convention
The market for telematics technology is growing worldwide and the automotive aftermarket is in the best position to move the those products and services along faster than the OEs, says Derek Kaufman, president and founder of the C3 Network. Kaufman, who presented "Telematics: A Major Threat or Opportunity for the Automotive Aftermarket" at the Automotive
NETWORK NATIONAL CONVENTION: Sires Addresses ‘Knockout Customer Service’
In scenes reminiscent of a TV game show, Mike Sires made two phone calls to unwitting parts professionals — only the calls were made and broadcast in front of about 150 people to see how well the counterpros did their jobs. The result? They were better than most out there, Sires said. Sires, president of
NETWORK NATIONAL CONVENTION: Act Like Every Day Is Opening Day, Consultant Urges
Somewhere, sometimes, you have to do things you don’t get paid for, says Mike McKinley, consultant and president of Alive! Alive! Associates. “Do it in the hope you’ll be paid back later. You have to go the extra mile.” McKinley’s rousing and upbeat address, “If We Fail to Change, We Fail,” was given twice during
NETWORK NATIONAL CONVENTION: ‘Businesses Don’t Just Die, They Commit Suicide’
Tom Shay believes businesses don’t just die, they kill themselves. Shay, who owned a family business that operated for decades, believes that more than anything, business owners sabotage themselves and that leads to their downfall. “I believe people who are small business owners are the best people on earth,” Shay said to crowd of attendees
Telling the Story of Quality Parts
When economic times are tough, people want the cheapest parts installed on their vehicles, right? You may be surprised to hear that in the many conversations I’ve had with both counter professionals and technicians over the past several months during this economic crisis, the overarching theme has been that motorists are requesting and inquiring about
What would cause the interior dash lights to blink when the vehicle is first started?
The cause is a voltage fluctuation possibly due to a charging problem or an interior light control module cutting in and out. –Larry Carley, Technical Editor, Counterman magazine
Let’s Find a Cure for This Virus
Gerald Wheelus, manager of Edgewood Auto Parts in Edgewood, Texas, and a Counterman contributor recently told me, “I’ve been in this business since 1986 and our business always does better when the economy is bad. We always thrive when car dealerships can’t sell new cars.” You haven’t read that in the news have you? For
A Student of the Industry
Counterman’s 2008 Counter Professional of the Year Craig Bradley gives back by educating others.
A New Look for Counterman.com
They say change is inevitable and with the New Year just around the corner, it’s only fitting that visitors to Counterman.com see a change we hope you not only like but will find functional. If you’d been to Counterman.com before, you know that while it was a solid, multi-faceted Web site, like anything, there was