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Advance Auto Parts completes deal to purchase GPI-CARQUEST


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I did quite a bit of business with CARQUEST and was concerned about the changeover. As Joe said the sales and counter people have remained the same and that was a relief. What did change however was my cost and list price for most lines. If you have been switched over to Advance please take some time to compare pricing.

Example - Cabin filter for a 2003 Honda Odyssey EX 3.5L

Napa #24897 Cost $10.99 List $20.61

OEM Cost $17.99 List $27.99

Advance #C45459 Cost $21-99 List $55.98

 

There is nothing that can be said that can justify the above pricing issue. Can you imagine invoicing a cabin filter for $55.98 and the customer comes in the next day armed with the OEM list price that 50% less! We try our best to establish a good reputation that could be tarnished by things like this. The above example is NOT unique. I have documented 20 to 30 price comparisons all ending with Advance having inflated cost and list pricing. Wipers, steering/suspension and exhaust prices so far have checked out OK with a fair cost and list.

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The list prices autozone and advance spit out are moronic. Many many times I've climbed all over the territory managers for its stupidity.

 

Phynny, I've never understood why "list price" even exists as everyone pays "cost" or less. What did the managers say about it?

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Wow... I find I quite amusing how people bash certain auto parts suppliers and say that their employees are "wanna be mechanics " but yet those persons that bash on those parts supplier buy parts from them.arent those wanna be mechanics the same person that are selling you those parts ?? And NO I don't work for them..,it just irritates me to think that just because we may or think we know more than someone else in a lower position then us,we put them down..It is really dumb..And yes I was a wanna be mechanic.,, but you know what WE all was once A

Wanna be.. And now we

Are IT.. "THE BEST OF

THE BEST"...i didn't,and WILL never

Forget where I came from..

JUST SAYIN.... We just need

To keep humble...

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         5 comments
      I recently spoke with a friend of mine who owns a large general repair shop in the Midwest. His father founded the business in 1975. He was telling me that although he’s busy, he’s also very frustrated. When I probed him more about his frustrations, he said that it’s hard to find qualified technicians. My friend employs four technicians and is looking to hire two more. I then asked him, “How long does a technician last working for you.” He looked puzzled and replied, “I never really thought about that, but I can tell that except for one tech, most technicians don’t last working for me longer than a few years.”
      Judging from personal experience as a shop owner and from what I know about the auto repair industry, I can tell you that other than a few exceptions, the turnover rate for technicians in our industry is too high. This makes me think, do we have a technician shortage or a retention problem? Have we done the best we can over the decades to provide great pay plans, benefits packages, great work environments, and the right culture to ensure that the techs we have stay with us?
      Finding and hiring qualified automotive technicians is not a new phenomenon. This problem has been around for as long as I can remember. While we do need to attract people to our industry and provide the necessary training and mentorship, we also need to focus on retention. Having a revolving door and needing to hire techs every few years or so costs your company money. Big money! And that revolving door may be a sign of an even bigger issue: poor leadership, and poor employee management skills.
      Here’s one more thing to consider, for the most part, technicians don’t leave one job to start a new career, they leave one shop as a technician to become a technician at another shop. The reasons why they leave can be debated, but there is one fact that we cannot deny, people don’t quit the company they work for, they usually leave because of the boss or manager they work for.
      Put yourselves in the shoes of your employees. Do you have a workplace that communicates, “We appreciate you and want you to stay!”
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