Scott is the President of Bennett Auto Supply, Pompano Beach, FL, with 34 stores, 1 distribution center, and over 60 Certified Service Centers throughout Southeast Florida.
1. As the current chairman of the board for the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, what are the key differentiators/advantages for shops to partner with Auto Value and Bumper To Bumper over other parts suppliers?
One primary differentiator is our exclusive parts ordering eCommerce tool, MyPlace4Parts. It’s recognized by technicians as the easiest and most complete parts-ordering system in the industry. The MyPlace Google-powered search engine with multiple search options allows users to find any part their supplier carries and order it all in one convenient place. Technicians can find parts by brand, product group or part number, by make, model and engine, by scanning VINs or by license plate and it goes directly into their MyPlace account using their Apple (iOS) or Android device.
Another key differentiator is the Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper Confidence Plus North American Warranty. This industry-leading parts and labor warranty allows our technician customers to provide their customers with peace of mind with a guarantee on work performed for 24 months/24,000 miles and up to 36 months/36,000 miles.
We also host a convention every three years with over 4,000 customer attendees. This convention is unmatched in its size and scope.
We pride ourselves with having exclusive national brands and premium products, combined with great technical and product training, marketing support and promotions. But, most importantly, our Service is the Difference.
2. You mentioned the technician promotions offered through Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper. Tell us more about your promotions for this year, and why they are a successful offering.
Our promotions are second to none. There isn’t another auto parts group that even comes close to what we are doing.
One of the best parts of our promotions is that when our shop customers buy parts from MyPlace they are automatically entered into the sweepstakes and are updated with their total entries.
Here is a recap of the four Technician Promotions for 2017:
• Bosch Give ‘Em Hellcat — One lucky technician received a custom Dodge Challenger Hellcat. We were fortunate enough at Bennett Auto Supply that the winner was one of our customers. Seeing the look on the shop owners’ faces was amazing!
• The Road Warrior Weekend — 50 people will enjoy a trip to Arizona in October for a white-knuckle, high-octane racing weekend, and 50 first prize winners received a $500 VISA gift card!
• Perfect Stop Powersports Summer Giveaway — From the June and July promotional period, there are six winners of power sports vehicles (a $15,000 value per vehicle) and another 150 gift card winners awarded up to $500 in VISA gift cards.
• Kentucky Horsepower Trip Crown Corvette Giveaway — We are sending 50 people to Louisville for a once in a lifetime weekend experience. They will visit the National Corvette Museum and enjoy a spirit of Kentucky after party on Fourth Street Live in downtown Louisville that night. Then they will spend a day at the track watching live thoroughbred racing followed by an exclusive reception at the Kentucky Derby Museum. During the reception, we will be giving away three brand new Corvettes and $25,000 to each lucky winner! We will also be giving away another $45,000 in gift cards to 240 other lucky winners. The promotional period runs from September through November 2017.
3. Being a part of the Alliance, is there an opportunity for all of your shops and technicians to openly talk with others in the group about their current needs and in the future?
There are several opportunities to share best practices and ideas and to brainstorm on issues and challenges.
As previously mentioned, we have the Aftermarket Jackpot Convention coming up in 2018. We will host over 4,000 of our technicians and jobbers. We will have many different trainings and seminars available to our customers. This is a time where everyone is able to talk shop.
We also have a Service Center Advisory Council comprised of top-tier shop owners in North America. They advise the Alliance on business matters that are critical to shop owners. When we talk to one another, we uncover new solutions to problems we face. This group also provides input related to our Certified Service Centers. That’s how we improve our programs, and resources and tools that we put into our Certified Service Center program.
4. Educating the technician has always been a critical mission for Auto Value and Bumper To Bumper. As a distributor yourself, how do you keep your customers (the technicians) educated, along with keeping your message current and informative to their diverse skill sets and needs?
Our members serve as host locations for field training put on by our channel partners. There are also in house, on-line training opportunities for technicians, such as our Alliance University. Offering on-demand training for all skill levels and immediate test results, Alliance-U is a great way to hone your skills.
In addition, we now have a new Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper Technician of the Year program. This is exclusively available to all technicians in our Certified Service Center network. Selected finalists, who meet the training requirements, will attend an exclusive training trip to the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, and will be tested to determine the 2018 Auto Value Technician of the Year and the 2018 Bumper to Bumper Technician of the Year. These two grand prize winners will then be honored on stage at the Aftermarket Jackpot Convention 2018 and the ASE Technician of the Year Awards Ceremony, as well as walk away with $2,500 in cash.
5. Lastly, as the Alliance chairman of the board, what do you see as the keys to success for shops over the next 2-3 years? And what can they expect to see from the Alliance group?
Ultimately, our key to success is always providing top service. We understand that technology and products change, but service doesn’t, which is why we are always looking to recruit and retain top talent.
Our focus is on exceptional service. With this in mind, we’ll be set not only for the next 2-3 years, but for many years to come!
