Auto Care Association Announces Key Staff Changes

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Auto Care Association Announces Key Staff Changes

The Auto Care Association has announced key leadership changes to its professional staff as part of an overall restructuring plan to strategically align association resources with changing member and industry needs.

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
Published:

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BETHESDA, Md. – The Auto Care Association has announced key leadership changes to its professional staff as part of an overall restructuring plan to strategically align association resources with changing member and industry needs.

Rich White, senior vice president, will retire effective June 30 after serving in a variety of positions over the last 18 years. White oversaw marketing and communications, market research, member services, trade shows and education, and served as executive director of the Car Care Council.

“Rich has played a critical role in the success of the association during his tenure,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association. “He is probably best-known for being the architect of the highly successful association rebranding initiative and spearheading the creation of the ‘Be Car Care Aware’ consumer education campaign.

“Rich’s experience and institutional knowledge will help facilitate a smooth transition over the next few months to our new organizational realignment. He will continue directing the Car Care Council as a consultant.”

Key to the restructuring plan is the promotion of Behzad Rassuli to senior vice president, strategic development. Rassuli will oversee the market intelligence, member services, business development, marketing, communications and community engagement functional groups of the association.

“This restructuring strategy will enable much greater efficiency across our key member-facing channels by integrating related functional areas, and will strengthen our ability to meet and exceed the association’s goals,” said Hanvey. “Behzad’s unique strategic and analytical skills and experience are critical to leading the robust realignment, and to executing the association’s long-term vision.”

The new community engagement department will be headed by Larry Northup as senior director. The purpose of the new department is to evolve the volunteer communities (formerly called segments) to increase volunteer engagement, add value for volunteer leaders and increase community effectiveness to best support the association’s long-term vision.

Northup also will continue to serve as executive director of the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association.

 

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Customer service should be your number one priority, and it all starts with the greeting.

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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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