Florida Technician Wins 'MAHLExRTR' Ride-Along with Vaughn Gittin Jr.

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Florida Technician Wins ‘MAHLExRTR’ Ride-Along with Vaughn Gittin Jr.

Robert Lewis won a trip to the first round of the 2019 Formula Drift championship in Long Beach, California.

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
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MAHLE Aftermarket recently awarded Robert Lewis, a technician from Lakeland, Florida, the grand prize in the “MAHLExRTR” Social Media Promotion.

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Lewis received a trip to the first round of the 2019 Formula Drift championship in Long Beach, California. But the high point of the trip for Lewis was experiencing a ride-along with RTR Motorsports Drift team driver Vaughn Gittin Jr.

“I follow Vaughn on social media and that was where I saw the MAHLE promotion,” said Lewis. “Getting to go to Long Beach to see the cars was a thrill, but getting to actually ride in one was an experience I’ll never forget. You’re taught when you learn to drive to keep your eyes forward. But in these drift cars, you have to look out the side window. It’s amazing how easy Vaughn makes it look.”

Lewis has been a technician at Lakeland Ford for more than two years. While the dealership uses OE parts from Ford, he has noticed the MAHLE logo on many of the engine parts it uses.

“I know that MAHLE makes many of the original-equipment parts for Ford,” Lewis added. “The quality obviously has to be first rate.”

Vaughn Gittin Jr., founder of RTR Motorsports, is one of drifting’s most iconic figures, with the second-most wins in Formula Drift history (10) and 22 career podiums. 

“When MAHLE approached RTR with the chance to collaborate on a really unique social contest, I was stoked about the opportunity,” Gittin Jr said. “It was really cool to hang out with Robert and his wife Vanessa and give him the ride of his life in a 1,200-horsepower Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-D with MAHLE parts inside. I think this was an experience he will never forget.”

The trip to Long Beach was a return home for Lewis.

“I was born in Long Beach but hadn’t been there since I was a kid,” he sdaid. “It was fun to go back – it was so beautiful. I had never been to a Formula Drift event before – I couldn’t believe how down to earth all the drivers were. They really made me feel like I was a big part of the event.”

Jon Douglas, president of MAHLE Aftermarket North America, added: “We’re excited to give fans the opportunity to attend events like the Formula Drift, and to experience a once-in-a-lifetime ride-along with one of the best drivers in the series. We are happy Robert had such a great time and look forward to having him use MAHLE parts for his whole career.”

For more information about MAHLE Aftermarket and its brands, visit www.mahle-aftermarket.com or contact your local sales representative.

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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.
Published:

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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