CHICAGO — While the majority of those in the GAAS audience were manufacturers, the shop owners’ message to them and the suppliers was simple: They want a company they can trust.
Bill Moss, owner of EuroService Automotive in Virginia and ASA Mechanical Division director, led a panel of three Chicagoland shop owners at GAAS, as they told attendees “What Shops Really Need.”
The owners, all of whom started out as technicians, all say that they want a manufacturer and supplier, whether WD or jobber, that will back them up when a part fails on a vehicle. After all, it’s the shop’s name — and even the technician’s name — on the line, not the manufacturer’s name. In some cases, the consumer doesn’t know what brand is used.
Bob Shanahan, owner, DuPage Tire & Auto Center Inc., says the shop is the advocate for consumers. They do a lot of parts research, which sometimes takes years. They think of who will stand behind the part, especially if something goes wrong.
“We learn the hard way. There are certain brands that aren’t into quality and they won’t stand behind their parts. And when we have a question, they aren’t there,” he says.
That trust is paramount, especially, because many consumers come to a shop with the primary concern that the job will be done right the first time ahead of convenience and further down the line price, says Moss.
“Number one with me is quality, I have to feel it’s something I feel is going to work for my client,” says Dave Walter, owner of Kehoe Automotive Center Inc. That’s followed by availability, because it doesn’t matter how good the part is if they can’t get it. Price is third.
The support a shop receives not only affects the parts a shop will use, but also the supplier. While many shops have long-lasting relationships, everyone has to start somewhere.
John Vallely, owner of McLean Auto Repair, adds that “I depend on my distributor to problem solve when were’ stumped. … They may have products out there that have solutions, they may have procedures that have solutions.”
One way the manufacturers can help today’s shop owners is with help in getting information out about rebates, whether it’s through advertising to the public or point-of-sale information.
“I like it, because it makes us look like a hero,” says Walter.
Shanahan adds that many times, a customer comes in and does not know about a rebate, “but most of the time it’s used at the counter, ‘Hey there’s never a good time to buy a catalytic converter, but there is a rebate, so it might help ease the pain.’”
And while no one likes to talk about returns, the panel did touch upon them and cataloging. While Shanahan says it might be a cataloging problem, with full lines not being updated regularly in catalogs, Walter said it might be a communication issue.
“The biggest problem I see here is communication, not only between my jobber and me, but between the manufacturer and supplier,” he states. “If something changes now, you have to put it in the website right now or you’re going to have problems”
In the end, the owners say they want a partnership, a relationship built on trust.
“I want to be able to use aftermarket parts. I don’t have anything against the dealer, but I don’t want to help the competition,” says Vallely. “I need you, you need us. Let’s open the lines of communication.”
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About the Author
Tschanen Brandyberry
Tschanen Brandyberry is Special Projects Editor for the UBM Americas – Automotive Group, moving into the position following roles as managing editor of Motor Age and associate editor of Aftermarket Business World. She joined the Automotive Group in 2006 after working in editing and writing positions at The Morning Journal in Lorain, Ohio, and The Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, in addition to public relations agency experience. Tschanen is a graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.