Success (1969)

This is a true story. It has as its cast of characters. You, the store manager, you, the automotive serviceman, and its setting is your Western Auto Store's automotive service department. The time is right now, today. The plot is simple. How to go from this to this? A successful automotive service operation. Successful because the bays are full of customers. Successful because there are more customers cars waiting to be serviced. So the question is, how do you put yourself into this plot and make your store a success story? Heat. Heat. You know, I think all of us want to be part of a success story to succeed in our jobs. Now, Western Auto has developed a plan specifically for the automotive department to help you do just that. We call it simply the automotive service program and it's a new concept that will help you and your store to gain a greater share of the automotive service market and most importantly to help you increase your own personal earning power. With this program, all automotive service department personnel will have over and above their regular salary the opportunity to make as much as 40% of all automotive service income that is over two times their base pay. Here's how the commission plan works. For all net automotive service income the serviceman personally generates that is between one and one and a half times his base salary, he will receive a 10% commission. When the income he produces is between 1 and 1/2 and two times his base pay, he will receive a 25% commission. His commission jumps to 40% for all income over two times his salary. From here on there is no limit. If the serviceman brings in business worth five times his salary, he still gets 40% of it. So the amount of money a serviceman can make is limited only by his ability, efficiency, and enthusiasm. To make it easier for you to bring in that extra income, Western Auto provides a sales program that makes us highly competitive with the rest of the industry. For example, shock absorbers. We sell and install two grades of Wizard shocks. The Wizard Exceptional Value Shock meets or exceeds original equipment standards and has an 18,000 mi guarantee. And the Wizard Life Glide Shock far exceeds original equipment specifications and it's guaranteed for the life of the car. Both guarantees are effective while the original purchaser owns the car, and both include labor if the store installed the shocks. We offer two merchandise and service deals on brake overhauls. The Wizard 30 brake package is guaranteed for 30,000 miles. The Wizard LTG brake job carries a lifetime guarantee. Both brake jobs include free inspection, 1,000mi adjustment, and the lifetime guarantee covers both parts and labor. Our standard muffler carries a free replacement guarantee, including labor if the store installed it, for 4,000 miles or 90 days. If you check out the competition in your district, you'll find that our deals and our pricing put us in an excellent position. But we can't sell these deals unless we tell people about them. Our advertising program is designed to make the public aware of what we offer. It consists primarily of assorted newspaper ads. Sign packages are another form of advertising we provide. These banners can be easily installed over the service base and will help catch the attention of casual passers by. Make them notice our special automotive service deals. Besides advertising and sign packages, Western Auto also provides displays that have been designed for maximum eye-catching appeal and which provide a focal point where the serviceman can talk to his customer. In addition to the sales, advertising, and display programs, our training department has put together an automotive service training program. This handbook contains a complete training course on all types of automotive service provided by Western Auto stores. When the automotive service trainee completes this program, he will be well on the way toward playing a big part in our success story and earning that 40% commission on the work he does. So, you see, our automotive sales program touches all points of a total sales effort. There are sales and display materials, sign packages, the commission plan, training and advertising information. All of it is about automotive service. So, think of it for a moment as a fine automobile engine. When everything is in order, when all parts function as they're designed, the engine performs beautifully. Disconnect the spark plug though and the whole system falters. What I mean is that the automotive service program is a total concept. It does work. It will work. But only if all its parts are there. only if you make proper use of all of them. The customer, he is the most important person you'll ever meet at a Western Auto store. A clean, wellorganized service department, projects your attitude about your job and the company you work for. And your personal appearance should be this way, too. Then the customer will automatically have a good attitude toward you. he'll be more inclined to buy from you. And remember, every service sale you make adds on to your commission. When a customer first comes in, stop what you're doing and go over and greet him immediately. It's at this point that your attitude is of utmost importance. A friendly, courteous, and helpful approach will go a long way toward making this sale and others. Because if the customer likes you, he will more than likely come back again. Sometimes a customer may appear when you're busy and can't drop what you're doing immediately. When this happens, don't frown at the customer no matter how busy you are. And don't ignore him. Tell him that you will be with him momentarily. He'll wait longer when he knows that you've acknowledged his presence and that you will wait on him just as soon as you can. This kind of attitude will keep the customer happy, even though he's had to wait a few minutes for you. But don't make him wait around too long for service on his car. If you can't do the work right away, tell him so and ask to set up an appointment for a specific time that is convenient to him. Anytime. And this is a point that can't be overemphasized. Anytime a customer brings his car to a Western Auto service department, you have a real opportunity to increase your commission, regardless of what the customer wants. To help yourself do that, always use this Western Auto Super Service order and safety check form. When this serviceman filled out the order earlier, he asked the customer if he could perform the free safety check on his car. The customer agreed. The customer's order calls for only a 99 cent brake adjustment. The serviceman does this work first. Then he begins the safety check, which covers four basic areas of the car. brakes, steering and suspension, tires, and the exhaust system. The entire safety check will take you only a few minutes, and you should strive to do it on every car you service, because it might very well turn a 99 cent brake adjustment into a commission building service job for you. First, of course, you have to know what to look for. In the case of shock absorbers, a leaky one is a dead giveaway. It has lost its fluid and its effectiveness and should be replaced. Check the shock mounts. A broken mount means the shock is worthless. Another piece of evidence of a failing shock absorber is excessive tire wear. Worn shocks permit wheel hop and side sway in addition to causing poor handling. The last shock absorber on this car appears from here to be all right. However, shocks should always be replaced in pairs for good stability as well as an even ride. All right. This car obviously needs new shock absorbers all the way around. Now what? First, make sure you have completed the rest of the safety check and have properly done the work the customer ordered. Next, sell the customer a set of shocks. You can do that by going over the safety check with him. Tell him that you completed the work he ordered and then performed the safety inspection. Point out the items that you found in good safe condition. Then tell him about the condition of his shocks. In fact, if the customer is there in person, show him the problem. If a shock mount is broken, point it out to him. Show him the wear on his tires and explain how worn shocks cause it. Maybe he's still not quite convinced. Show him the bounce test. This is probably the most obvious demonstration of a need for new shocks. Check his mileage. Explain that original equipment shocks are good for only about 20,000 mi. You can point out the safety factor. Also, tell him about how new shocks will save him money in the long run. Good shocks cut down tire wear and protect the suspension system. By this time, you should be ready to tell him about our Western Auto shock absorbers and the guarantees they carry. Point out the advantages of the heavier duty lifetime guarantee merchandise. If the customer says he can't afford the job right now, tell him about Western Auto's total charge plan. You've sold him. If the work cannot be done right away, make an appointment that is convenient for him. And don't forget, thank him for his business. You've just made a good customer. You've made a customer. You can keep him by treating him right. And by doing a good, quick, professional job on his car. You'll be helping yourself, too. Because the way to boost your earnings to a high level and keep them there is to get more cars into your service bays and to get them out faster. But fast work doesn't mean slipshot work. It means a good, efficient job. There's no commission on returned work. Western Auto installation manuals will give you definite steps and procedures to follow to help you beat the clock and install more equipment easier in less time and for greater profits for both the store and you experienced serviceman. You no doubt have installed shocks and could do it without following the manual. But the key to achieving a 40% commission level is to do your job more efficiently. The manual will help you do just that by giving you specific steps to follow for easier, quicker work on every car you service. Using the proper tools and assembling them before you start the job will save you time and effort. Following the procedures you read in the manual, you can quickly install the new shock absorbers. If you follow this wellplanned procedure for installing equipment, you'll be able to accomplish your job in an efficient and professional manner. And you'll make a good impression on your customer if you get his car ready on time. Besides keeping the customer happy, you'll be able to handle more cars per day, which means that your earning power will keep on climbing. Another area in which the safety check can be an extremely valuable earning device for you is in selling brake work. A part of the safety check is the entire braking system, and you have to pull the wheels. You can't tell the condition of the brake shoes unless you look at them. Inspect the lining. Is it thin? Are any of the rivets touching the drum or almost touching? If so, then these linings are worn out and should be replaced. Even if the linings are not worn, check to see if they have become saturated with grease or brake fluid. Linings like this will cause the brakes to grab and pull in one direction or the other. They need replacement regardless of wear. Check the brake drums of each wheel, too. They should be turned if they are scored or out of round. New linings on this kind of a drum wouldn't last very long. Check the grease seal next for leakage, swelling, or other damage. Check each wheel cylinder to see if it is leaking or gummy. If so, the wheel cylinders should be replaced or rebuilt. Finally, check all the brake hoses for cracks or swelling. Once you've made a complete check of the braking system, including the master cylinder, list the problems you have found. If your customer is present, the best way to sell him on brake work, is to describe the work you can do for him. And your major selling point is safety. his own and his families. Point that out to him. Always try to upgrade him to a thorough break overhaul. Regardless of the kind of automotive service work you are doing, you can increase your income regularly by developing your ability to do that work more efficiently. You will be a leading character in the Western Auto Service success story. What it's all about is total automotive service the Western auto way. A sales, advertising, display, training, and incentive program all rolled into one complete package. The program represents our recognition of the vast automotive market that is here and is increasing. It is designed to do two things. To increase our automotive sales and service and to increase your personal income. These procedures do work and work well. They were tested first in our San Antonio district and in a very brief period of time, San Antonio's labor income increased to more than 7% of sales and the employees increased their personal income proportionately through the commission plan. That's a real success story, the kind we all like to see over and over. And I'd sure like to see it again for you and your store.