In the fast-paced world of automotive parts aftermarket, staying ahead means more than just knowing your inventory inside and out. It’s about understanding the intricate dance between suppliers, shop owners, and consumers – a dance that’s often overlooked in the rush to educate on the latest products and technologies.
As someone who has spent considerable time organizing and participating in parts training evenings, I’ve come to question the true impact of these efforts as a strategic sales tactic. While educating clients on the technical aspects of products is important, it often fails to address the underlying relationship dynamics that can make or break a business, evolving past that transactional relationship.
Reflecting on my experience running a national retail network, I’ve come to appreciate the paramount importance of customer health. It’s a timeless principle, yet one that is sometimes overshadowed by the relentless pursuit of product knowledge.
Jobbers looking to grow their businesses would do well to shift their focus towards enhancing the overall customer experience. This means investing in marketing strategies, understanding key performance indicators (KPIs), and most importantly, nurturing the relationship between shop owners and their clientele.
Ultimately, being a jobber means that our relationship with the shops is transactional. However, for years, we focused on organizing coaching performance groups for our clients as a proxy for the type of services a network would provide focusing on building profitability and operational performance. The shops would meet monthly, and we would come in at some point during the meeting for a short update on some product or business-related updates.
This created quite an effective bridge with product-related communication. However, this was done in a setting where such a topic wasn’t the main focus.
The shops had the obligation monthly to pull their numbers from their operating system and do inputs into a centralized file based on some of the core KPIs, that shops can use to pull value levers within the business.
Some key focuses include inspections performed, average estimates and labour hours billed. Additionally, the shops would focus on more quantitative items like shop image, customer service and coaching service advisors for performance and customer experience.
Ultimately, the health of the jobber is the health of the shop, thus creating an environment and relationship past selling parts and honing in on supporting the shop in a different way was a key focus to our success with our clients as a jobber.
In today’s landscape, it’s not just about selling parts — it’s about fostering an environment where customers feel valued and supported throughout their automotive journey. This entails offering personalized solutions, providing expert guidance, and going above and beyond to ensure satisfaction at every turn.
I firmly believe that by prioritizing the health of the customer, jobbers can unlock new avenues for growth and success. By coaching their clients on broader business strategies and helping them optimize their operations, jobbers can position themselves as invaluable partners in the quest for excellence.
Ultimately, the success of a parts store hinges not just on the quality of its products, but on the strength of its relationships. This example highlights the transformative power of prioritizing customer health and relationship-building in the automotive parts industry. By focusing on enhancing the overall customer experience and fostering meaningful connections with clients, jobbers and shop owners alike can unlock new opportunities for growth and success in an increasingly competitive market.
Zakari Krieger is the Fix Network, Canadian vice president of Prime CarCare, responsible for the Canadian retail business, encompassing the Speedy Auto Service and Novus Auto Glass business lines
The article originally appeared in the May issue of Jobber News
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