Building Your Brand  (continued)
    I will, however, continue the established topics of Customer Satisfaction
    and Brand-Building through Service. This time around, we will talk about your
    people – your Parts and Service personnel in particular. As the saying goes,
    they are “not like the other children.” That means you may often find them
    puzzling, frustrating or perhaps even insufferable at times.
Copyright© 2008-2009 Automotive Dealers Network. All rights reserved.

By Thom McKenna
Sales Manager/AutoPro Training Solutions
Email tmckenna@automotivedealersnetwork.com
Thom McKenna has a lifetime of experience in the automotive
world.  Thom grew up in the business and has held positions
such as Technician, Shop Foreman, Service Advisor, Service
Manager, Technical Trainer, Business Trainer, Program
Manager and Consultant.  His life in the business along with his
passion for the industry  have resulted in an individual who
strives everyday to help improve the Automotive Industry.
    Your Parts and Service personnel may not always respond to you in the ways that you thought they would.
    Sometimes, they may remain distant. There may even be times when they come across as outwardly defiant.
    We have all seen it happen. To make matters worse, we both already know how vital they are to the survival
    of your business.

    Don’t fear, though. Your Parts and Service Personnel positively will be there for
    you when you need them. In them, you have an enormous asset… provided that
    you take the time and make the effort to learn how to understand them.

    Originally, I was going to use this space to talk about your Service Managers and
    Advisors, along with the trials and tribulations that they face everyday in the
    course of their duties. That was before I realized that – while the Service Manager and Advisors do have a
    difficult job – they still have it better then someone.
SUPERIOR DEALER SOLUTIONSsm
    The most underappreciated, oft-abused employee in your entire store is likely to be the Counterman in
    the parts department. In theory, it looks like a simple, low-stress job from the outside. The Counterman
    sits on his comfortable stool behind the counter. He staffs the phone. He keys information into a computer.
    He fills the orders. Obviously, the job is a piece of cake, no?   Wrong!
In reality, the phone is stuck to your Counterman’s ear because it never stops ringing long enough for him to
complete a thought. Lined up five across at his counter are all those Service Technicians who have nothing better to
do at that moment than harass him until he can give them what they need in order to go back to work.

    Over your Counterman’s shoulder is a panicked Serve Advisor who is screaming for help because he forgot
    to order a part for the vehicle owner standing in the waiting area. The blinking light on the phone is one of your
    wholesale accounts. He needs to know the price and availability of a part right now… or he’s about to lose a
    customer.
...while the Service Manager
and Advisors do have a
difficult job – they still have
it better then someone.
    In line behind the Service Advisor is a retail customer. He is demanding to speak to the Parts Manager.
    Care to guess his problem? He needs a thoroughly detailed explanation as to exactly why your parts cost so
    much more than the ones he can get from the discount, cut-rate warehouse he found online.

    Next up is the new Salesman. He needs to know everything about the “Whatchamacallit” that attaches to
    the “Thingamajig” right next to the “Doohickey.” After a deeply flawed attempt to explain himself, he is off to
    complain to the Sales Manager. It seems that your less-than-psychic Counterman is now being
    uncooperative… all because he cannot predict what “Thingy” someone will need and have it on the counter,
    ready to go.
    Of course, the Salesman now sends his Floor Manager back to scold the Counterman. The Counterman has
    just cost the Manager a sale. And your Counterman cannot catch a breath to defend himself. He still has a line
    stretched out the door as he tries to do the best he can with what he has been given.
This brings us to Little Thing #1:

Even though it can be tempting at times, remember never to treat the person behind your parts counter like a
piñata. The Counterman has more contact with the public than any other single person in your organization. He is a
key ingredient in establishing a positive perception of your dealership in the eyes of the customer. Moreover, he is
integral to the productivity and workplace morale of your entire organization.

Spare a few kinds words. Make know your appreciation. A small show of gratitude toward your Counterman pays
big dividends at the end of the day. The people behind your parts counter are professionals, just like you. They are
good at what they do. By their very nature, they are helpful people. They are the problem-solvers and deserve better
than to be paid in abuse.

    Never forget this: In a friendly and supportive atmosphere, the parts counter – and the
    professionals behind it – will help you BUILD YOUR BRAND.


    Next Month: More Little Things that pay Big Dividends