Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/592809
A f t e r m a r k e t D a i l y N e w s 1 0 1 T h u r s d a y, N o v e m b e r 5 , 2 0 1 5 season of NASCAR competition, but the team is rooted in racing success. Founder Mike Hillman Sr. has been in the indus- try for more than 25 years. He took on the dual role of Owner and General Manager of Hillman Racing in early 2012 and has been a fierce competitor ever since, lead- ing the organization to a 12th place finish in the 2014 season-opening Daytona 500 with driver Landon Cassill. ADN: How did you begin using Tork wipers? KR: It started when we were working with Randy Moss Motorsports. We got our hands on Tork products, and four years later we're still involved, both at a product and sponsorship level. First, we started with wipers; then the guys work- ing in the back really liked the gray tow- els, which replaced the old red rags. Now we've started to use the hand cleaners and sanitizers. ADN: How have they improved your business? KR: When we used shop towels, we risked metal flakes getting into our 750HP motors, which is enough to blow up a motor. It's important to be able to isolate anything we're using like that. Additionally, with the old dispensers we used, we used to grab one and three to four would come out, increasing waste and reducing efficiency. With Tork, we don't have this problem. Overall, Tork products have been more cost efficient, compared to tradition- Hillman Racing (Cont'd. from p. 1) al shop rags. We're seeing the most effi- ciency with regard to cross contamination, and because they're disposable we're not bringing rags back to our facilities that are soaked with flammable materials. The products also arrive quickly — and it's all about speed in NASCAR. ADN: Why is it important to your team to maintain a clean and hygienic pit? KR: In racing, sponsorship is a top prior- ity, so at the racetrack especially, you need to show your sponsors why they're sup- porting your team. Part of that means that we look professional every week, making sure every nut and bolt is tightened and that we have the cleanest car there. Presentation is paramount to what we do. When you have a Chief Executive Officer at the track, seeing the car his company sponsors going around the track, you need to make sure it's representative of all the hours spent on it. It's important to put a representative product on the track that everyone can be proud of. ADN: What is your top tip to automotive aftermarket professionals to keep vehi- cles at peak performance level? KR: I'm not the biggest gearhead — I've actually only had two cars my whole life. The reason I keep them for so long is proper maintenance. Whether that's using brake cleaners or Tork wipers dur- ing oil changes, I keep them in top per- formance. Visit the Tork booth during AAPEX at booth #3252 and during SEMA at booth #11113. inventories and ease in determining the right product for your customer. Jobbers and accessory retailers can expect a satis- fied customer every time, because one kit covers all moderate lift preferences. Whether you're looking for a tough off-road look, a low-profile street look or even if your commercial vehicle needs an extra boost of ride height, the bottom line is that you need more fender clearance. ProRyde has your adjustable solution, and always while maintaining your orig- inal ride quality. Recognized by SEMA as the Best New Offroad/4x4 Product of the Year, its patented products are available for virtu- ally all suspension types: McPherson Strut, Coil Spring, Torsion Bar and Leaf Spring — providing a moderate lift at a moderate price. Best of all, there is no ProRyde (Cont'd. from p. 1) more need to predetermine whether you want a 1.5 inch, 2.0 inch, 2.5 inch or 3.0 inch (options varying slightly by make and model), because one ProRyde kit can accomplish any of these ride height options. ProRyde has been dedicated to inno- vative, time-saving products and superior customer service since its inception in 2007. To prove it, the company will send a complimentary point-of-purchase pack- age to any bona fide accessory jobber or professional installer at no charge, even if you haven't yet tried its products. Don't let a competitive lift kit decide your ride height. Take control, choose adjustability and choose ProRyde Suspension Systems products, and get it "exactly the way you want it." Visit ProRyde at booth #31205, call 888.813.7933 or go to www.proryde.com. track of all of his responsibilities. 2. The technician's ability to recall information or instructions from his serv- ice adviser. 3. The service adviser's ability to decipher the tech's bad handwriting. 4. The tech's ability to clearly explain something on paper (work order). 5. The WIP screen in your point of sale software (POS). 6. The printer printing work orders. 7. The paper rack holding printed paper sheets. 8. The bags that keep the key to the vehicle and the paperwork together. 9. The scheduler in your POS. 10. A whiteboard or spreadsheet to manage vehicles in the shop. 11. A time punching system or flag sheet. The Sad Thing Not a single one of these 11 things can be avoided. Service advisers are forced to be superheroes, juggling 11 inefficient and disjointed "management tools" through- out their day. The Even Sadder Thing In order for the service adviser to juggle all of this successfully, they often skip or at least minimize the engagement with the motorist. In other words: Service advisers skip advising service because they are too busy doing busywork — and they are too busy doing busywork because the tools available can be inade- quate. The Saddest Thing You, the owner, are unable to measure behavior today. You can only measure the results available in your POS reports. What does this mean for your shop and your staff? You don't know what tech is pencil whipping or over-recommending. You don't know how many of the rec- ommendations made by a tech during the inspection process actually make it Workflow (Cont'd. from p. 1) to the estimate (after researching hun- dreds of shop's databases AutoVitals revealed that 56 percent of all actions recommended by techs are not sold to the motorist). You don't understand why vehicles are in the shop a lot longer than they should be, and you are left wonder- ing: Is it time spent waiting for parts? Is it an inefficient service adviser? You don't know why the efficiency of tech A is 95 percent but that of tech B is only 53 percent. How do you turn 11 dis- jointed tools into three integrated ones in two easy steps? Step 1 Add a tablet to your tech's toolbox, add a second screen at the front counter, down- load AutoVitals SmartFlow from Google Play or the App Store and have your techs use the app on their tablet and your service advisers on the second screen. Step 2 Eliminate these things from your shop: paper, time punching systems, laptops in the back shop, paper rack, white board, spreadsheets and bags. You're done! Your service advisers have the ability to quickly and efficiently dispatch techs, manage customer communication and supervise the shop's vehicles. But how will your techs know what's going on? Everything can be managed right through through their tablet. They will clock in, access any and all the information they need, chat with service advisers and be alerted of new information and vehicle work assignments, all through their tablet. Managing the day becomes simple with tools like large touchscreen moni- tors and a morning huddle with your techs. With SmartFlow the front and back shops work smarter, and they work in sync, turning problems into productivity. Sign up for one of AutoVitals' SEMA pre- sentations at www.autovitals.com/SEMA, or stop by booth #33219. For more infor- mation, call 866.949.2848. Now, instead of just nitrogen, con- sider a branded, high-purity nitrogen inflation product that your customers know and which includes meaningful benefits like tire repair and replace- ment coverage and roadside assistance to enhance the value of each conver- sion and to keep your customers engaged. In other words, consider NitroFill. NitroFill not only provides amazing value to your customers, but also an invaluable customer contact, management and marketing platform designed and dedicated to keeping your NitroFill (Cont'd. from p. 4) customers. NitroFill's renowned Tire Inflation Maintenance Program bonds your cus- tomers to your business by combining its unique inflation product with a comprehensive customer retention sys- tem, plus an array of valuable cus- tomer benefits to leverage regular tire pressure maintenance into customer traffic, tire and service sales opportu- nities and loyalty. Visit NitroFill at booth #42197. For more information, visit www.nitrofill.com and watch the video on the home page of www.nitrofillnow.com. ACDelco TPMS components over so- called "universal" systems: TPMS com- ponents include the sensor body, snap-in rubber valve or aluminum valve stem, plastic cap and electroless nickel-plated valve core, and a corrosive-resistant stem; available service kits contain all the necessary parts to service the TPMS in one convenient package; GM OE sensors ensure accurate reporting via the vehi- cle's Driver Information Center and OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics; and GM OE sensors communicate correctly with the computer system of every GM make and model. Educate Your Customers About TPMS Systems The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration made tire pressure moni- ACDelco (Cont'd. from p. 4) toring systems mandatory on all light- duty vehicles sold in the U.S. after Sept. 1, 2007, although GM equipped many models with TPMS as early as 1991. Because the expected life span of an original system is up to 10 years and 150,000 miles, systems in older vehicles are now wearing out and may need replacing. Like many other automotive components, the actual service life of a TPMS system battery depends on driving habits and ambient air temperature. The more a vehicle is in motion, the harder sensors work. Remind your customers that replac- ing a vehicle's TPMS sensors is not a rec- ommended do-it-yourself job — even for those who rotate their own tires. For more information, visit booths #4609-4809 at AAPEX, go to www.ac delco.com or call 800.ACDelco.