Denny Hamlin Crew Chief Dave Rogers Wins MOOG 'Problem Solver' Award At Kansas Speedway

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Denny Hamlin Crew Chief Dave Rogers Wins MOOG ‘Problem Solver’ Award At Kansas Speedway

The Joe Gibbs Racing-owned 11 car was a race-best 0.160-second-per-lap better over the final 135 laps in Sunday’s event, the second of the three-race Contender Round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Rogers becomes the 18th different crew chief to earn weekly MOOG Problem Solver honors this year.

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
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SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Dave Rogers, crew chief for Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry, won his first MOOG Steering and Suspension “Problem Solver of the Race” Award of 2015 after Hamlin finished second in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 NASCAR Sprint Car race at Kansas Speedway. MOOG is the Official Steering and Suspension of NASCAR.

Sponsored by global vehicle components manufacturer Federal-Mogul Motorparts, a division of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corp., the weekly Problem Solver 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. The Joe Gibbs Racing-owned 11 car was a race-best 0.160-second-per-lap better over the final 135 laps in Sunday’s event, the second of the three-race Contender Round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Rogers becomes the 18th different crew chief to earn weekly MOOG Problem Solver honors this year.

Rogers, who joined the 11 team in December of last year, called for major adjustments to the car’s MOOG-equipped chassis on Lap 75. The extra-long pit stop paid off, with Hamlin advancing from 20th position to 12th over the next 38 laps. The car’s handling continued to improve over the balance of the afternoon, with Hamlin cracking the top 10 by Lap 150 and the top 5 by Lap 202. He was running fourth when Rogers opted for four tires and an additional chassis adjustment with 20 laps remaining. Once again, the crew chief’s call made a positive difference as the 11 car picked up an additional three positions to finish 0.491-second behind race winner Joey Logano and the MOOG-equipped No. 22 Ford.

The 11 team has finished sixth or better in eight of the last nine races and moves up to the second seed among the 12 teams remaining in the Chase.

“Denny and Dave are peaking at the right time,” said Tim Nelson, director of motorsports for Federal-Mogul Motorparts. “Dave was able to anticipate changes in track conditions to give his driver an advantage coming off of pit road. That’s what our weekly Problem Solver award is all about.”

With five races remaining, Greg Ives, crew chief for Dale Earnhardt and the No. 88 Chevrolet, maintains a two-win lead in the battle for the prestigious $100,000 MOOG “Problem Solver of the Year” Award. Rookie crew chief Justin Alexander (Paul Menard/ No. 27 Chevrolet) is in second place, followed by seven crew chiefs deadlocked for third.

The MOOG brand is the preferred choice of professional technicians and NASCAR crew chiefs. In recognition of the vital importance of steering and suspension components in overall vehicle safety and performance, NASCAR mandates that Cup teams use MOOG Problem Solver parts, specifically ball joints and tie rod ends. Cup Series champions have won with MOOG parts for 49 consecutive years.

To learn more about MOOG products, please contact your MOOG Steering and Suspension supplier or visit the technician-focused www.moogproblemsolver.com website. Like MOOG on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/moogproblemsolver and follow the brand on Twitter for product updates and special promotions.

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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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