How to Win Over the Big Boys By Charles Crouson The headline in the local newspa- per read “AutoZone Opening Soon.” I still remember the sick feeling in my stomach as I read this headline over and over. My wife and I own and op- erate amom and pop custom rebuild- ing shop ina town of 10,000 people. How could we possibly compete with a national auto parts store? I remem- ber feeling even worse when I found out they were locating just two blocks from my shop. My granddaddy always told me “never worry about something that you cannot change.” AutoZone was open- ing and there was nothing I could do about it. I knew that if we tried to com- pete with them we would be the los- ers, so I called the AutoZone manager and introduced myself and welcomed them to the neighborhood. I told him that I was looking for- ward to having a good working rela- tionship with AutoZone. I explained that I did not specialize in automotive starters and alternators. I specialize in heavy-duty diesel, agricultural, marine, industrial, antique vehicles, emergency vehicles, pump motors, tailgate lifts, winch motors, and odd units of all types. I informed him that I would send the people that I could not help to his business. In return he could send me the customers that he could not accom- modate. Believe it or not he liked the idea! Well, I did forget to tell him that I did do some automotive starters and alternators, but only the ones with good profit margins. You just can’t remem- ber everything in one phone conver- sation. One week later a guy with a tractor starter under his arm comes in the door and says AutoZone sent him to my shop. We have had a good working relationship ever since. Ayear later Advance Parts (a re- gional chain parts store) located one block from my shop. The next year Wal-Mart opened a super store with an automotive center about a quarter mile down the street. Three of the lo- cal parts stores went out of business, and their employees got jobs in the new parts stores. I already had a working relation-ship with these people so it made my business strategy work even better. Five years later I am still in busi- ness. Cana little mom and pop rebuild- ing shop prosper in the shadow of two large parts stores? Yes! A good business strategy, hard work, and some good luck is all you need to do the same. You must make your business appear to be totally different from the big chain parts stores. You must educate your customer about how your product is custom made and personally tested by a trained techni- cian with years of experience. The one constant in this world is that things are always changing. You should never be afraid of change. You must learn to expect and accept change as a way of life. The world changes, your business changes, and you change. Twenty years ago when I started in the rebuilding industry the 10S] alternator was the most popular unit on the market. Every shade tree mechanic in the country and his sister were repairing this unit. Today the CS130 alternators are some of the most popular units on the market, and because they are much more difficult to rebuild very few people attempt to repair them. Hardly APRIL, 2001 a week goes by that some customer doesn’t tell me how he used to repair those old Delco alternators. [just smile and tell him how much he owes me for rebuilding his CS 130 alternator. I do not know what the rebuilding industry will be like in the future, and neither does anyone else. I do know that there will be a place in it for me. Tomorrow’s starters and alternators will likely be combined into one unit, and located in the drive train. I would like to see some shade tree mechanic try to repair that unit! The best thing about this unit is when the starter will not work the alternator will not work either. Ifall my customers in the past 20 years would have had both their starter and alternator rebuilt at the same time, I would be retired by now. When I think of the future of rebuilding I get very excited, and so should you. Charles Crouson is owner of C & L Rebuilders, Union City, TN. Page 1 of 1