Dynamic 2014 APA Conference Recaps Successes, Builds For The Future; Group Bids Fond Farewell To Outgoing President Dan Freeman

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Dynamic 2014 APA Conference Recaps Successes, Builds For The Future; Group Bids Fond Farewell To Outgoing President Dan Freeman

Automotive Parts Associates' (APA) 33rd Annual Shareholders' & Manufacturers' Conference, held March 20-22 in Houston, Texas, kicked off in typical upbeat fashion with 307 attendees taking part in networking and information sessions galore, despite undertones of sadness in bidding farewell to the group's longstanding and beloved president, Dan Freeman.

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
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By Mary DellaValle

Automotive Parts Associates’ (APA) 33rd Annual Shareholders’ & Manufacturers’ Conference, held March 20-22 in Houston, Texas, kicked off in typical upbeat fashion with 307 attendees taking part in networking and information sessions galore, despite undertones of sadness in bidding farewell to the group’s longstanding and beloved president, Dan Freeman.
 
The Friday morning breakfast meeting opened with a heartfelt video debut that commemorated Freeman’s 25 years with APA and sent best wishes for his well-deserved retirement that began on March 1. With a standing ovation, attendees applauded and thanked Dan (and wife Judy) for his dedication, intellect and hard work that helped foster APA’s growth, tripling membership and elevating its position as a top-tier group within the industry.
 
The breakfast meeting also served as a venue to acknowledge five APA vendors for their significant contributions to the group with these awards:
• Headquarters Manufacturer of Choice: Bosch;
• Marketing Partner Award: Federal-Mogul;
• Professionals’ Choice Vendor of the Year: AMS;
• Branded Manufacturer of the Year: DENSO;
• Largest Total Manufacturers Orders at the 2013 One-on-Ones: UCI-FRAM Group.
 
Three new APA members also were recognized — Hawaii Import Parts Inc., Titan Motorsports Inc., and Dennis’ Auto Parts.
 
Later that day, 67 shareholder members and 75 APA manufacturers took part in the Manufacturer One-on-Ones. The well-attended sessions provided the opportunity to discuss business-related issues, learn about new products and programs and take advantage of great show specials being offered by the APA vendors. Thousands of dollars and gift items were given as door prizes throughout the day. Friday evening, attendees enjoyed a Texas Ranch BBQ dinner party, complete with wagon rides, historic home tours and live longhorn steer photo opportunities.
 
General Session, Saturday Morning
The group reconvened on Saturday morning for a general session that kicked off with opening comments by new APA President Gary Martin, and the announcement of newly elected board members, including Ben Yelowitz, POJA Warehouse, as the new chairman. Caprice Caster, APA director of events and promotions, provided program updates and recapped upcoming promotions, and announced the results of Thursday’s Golf Tournament.
 
Presenters Scott Luckett, AAIA COO and director of the Aftermarket Telematics Task Force, and Malcolm Sissmore, Delphi’s North America sales director, telematics, discussed the telematics’ threats to the aftermarket, as well as the service opportunities. Sissmore introduced Delphi’s wireless communication tool that allows companies to “talk” with customers through a device that’s installed on-vehicle.
 
Next, three APA shareholder members participated in a Building Your Business panel. Mike Maloof, president, World Auto Parts, Cleveland, Ohio, provided unique insights on how to build sales and profits, and how to best take care of your customers and employees. Mike Brown, president and CEO of Olympus Imported Auto Parts, Alexandria, Va., shared how he built his business and retained great employees in the face of strong competition. Robert Duxler and David Wistosky, A.I.M.S., Simi Valley, Calif., shared their story on business succession.
 
Save the date for next year’s conference, slated for March 19-21, 2015, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Los Angeles, Calif.
 

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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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