VIPAR Heavy Duty Holds Supplier Advisory Council Meeting in Chicago

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VIPAR Heavy Duty Holds Supplier Advisory Council Meeting in Chicago

The group, composed of senior executives from VIPAR Heavy Duty supplier partners and designed as a collaborative forum, met to discuss key topics such as technology related to parts distribution and supporting national fleet accounts and end-users.

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
Published:

VIPAR Heavy Duty held another successful Supplier Advisory Council meeting last month in Chicago.

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The group, composed of senior executives from VIPAR Heavy Duty supplier partners and designed as a collaborative forum, met to discuss key topics such as technology related to parts distribution and supporting national fleet accounts and end-users.

“The VIPAR Heavy Duty Supplier Advisory Council gives our management team the opportunity to meet with industry leaders to identify strategies and tools to support the success of our distributors and supplier partners, ultimately impacting our combined end-user customers,” said Jim Pennig, vice president of business development, VIPAR Heavy Duty. “We value the feedback and information from our council members and, through our collaborations, we have made great strides over the past year.”

This is the third meeting of the Supplier Advisory Council since its inception. The group meets on a regular basis to share ideas and address key industry topics. The council was formed in 2018 to help ensure that the organization is properly aligned with the market dynamics for the long-term success of the VIPAR Heavy Duty family of companies, its distributors and supplier partners.

The next meeting will be held during the VIPAR Heavy Duty Annual Business Conference in October.

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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.
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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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