Kevin Harvick Clinches Chase Spot, Crew Chief Gil Martin Wins MOOG 'Problem Solver' Honors At Atlanta

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Kevin Harvick Clinches Chase Spot, Crew Chief Gil Martin Wins MOOG ‘Problem Solver’ Honors At Atlanta

The MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award is presented to the crew chief whose car posts the greatest second-half improvement in average lap time while finishing on the lead lap.

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
Published:

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Kevin Harvick became one of six drivers to clinch a top-10 position in the season-ending Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and his crew chief, Gil Martin, was named Federal-Mogul’s MOOG Steering and Suspension “Problem Solver of the Race” following Sunday night’s AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Harvick and Martin overcame tight handling to pick up 21 positions and finish ninth on the 1.5-mile oval.

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The MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award is presented to the crew chief whose car posts the greatest second-half improvement in average lap time while finishing on the lead lap. Harvick and Martin’s MOOG-equipped No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS was best in class in Atlanta, with a 0.071-second improvement.

Martin’s second 2013 weekly MOOG Problem Solver award moves him into a four-way tie for second place in the race for the $100,000 MOOG “Problem Solver of the Year” Award. Leading the MOOG year-end standings with three weekly Problem Solver wins are Todd Gordon, crew chief for Joey Logano (No. 22 Ford), and Ryan Newman (No. 39 Chevrolet) crew chief Matt Borland. Joining Martin in second place are crew chiefs Kevin Manion (Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet), Steve Letarte (Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet) and Paul Wolfe (Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford). A total of 17 different crew chiefs have claimed the MOOG brand’s weekly award this year.

“The Problem Solver of the Year battle always seems to come down to the last race in Homestead (Fla.), and it’s looking like a wide open field again this year,” said Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “We’ve had 17 different weekly MOOG winners in 25 races and yet it’s still possible that someone else could get hot with three or four wins over the next 11 events to take home the $100,000 check and MOOG trophy.”

Martin certainly earned his award at Atlanta, as he and Harvick battled tight handling throughout the 325-lap race. Thanks to an extensive series of chassis adjustments, however, the 29 car, which started 30th, ran all but 17 laps in the top 15. The team’s 13th top-10 finish secured Harvick’s Chase spot and moved him up one position, to third, in Sprint Cup points.
 
For more information regarding MOOG products, visit the brand’s technician-focused www.moogproblemsolver.com website or contact your MOOG supplier. Like MOOG on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moogproblemsolver. To identify the right MOOG part for virtually any application, please use the convenient, free www.FMe-cat.com electronic catalog.

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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.

Read Full Article

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