Going Above and Beyond the Call

There is no doubt that Rob Grabowski has seen his fair share of parts orders in the last 20 years, but he has made his job about more than just filling orders.

Grabowski, who hails from Winnipeg, Man., originally–having made his way to Thunder Bay’s Auto Parts Central only a little more than five years ago–began his career in the aftermarket at Fort Ignition in 1983.

“My uncle was the service manager. I started in the warehouse and, around 1985, began filling in on the counter.

“I loved it. I thought that it was the best feeling ever when you could help somebody out. They’re happy and you’re happy.”

That attitude has persisted and is a major reason he received multiple nominations from customers and colleagues alike for the Jobber News Counterperson of the Year Award. Sponsored by Activant Solutions and Wakefield Canada, the award is being presented for the first time this year. It is dedicated to the memory of Abe Schwartz, the late owner of century-old family-owned British Auto Supply in Toronto, Ont., who himself spent half a century working behind the counter. Schwartz passed away in 2004.

Since Grabowski’s start in the business, he has become the consummate counterperson, even measuring his progress over the years by the parts that he sold.

The early years were the breaker point days, and then there was the electronic ignition era. The newer coil-on-plug and DIS systems define the current era. When he thinks about the future, he muses about the 42-volt systems that may come.

“When I started, you weren’t a jobber unless you had a hundred points files. Now we stock one.”

He says, though, that the changes in this and other product categories haven’t been hard to keep up with as his training has been a major focus, both during his time with Fort Ignition and with his current employer, Auto Parts Central, a Bumper-to-Bumper associate in Thunder Bay, Ont.

“It hasn’t been tough to keep up with the changes. The manufacturers usually have seminars and let you know what is happening.” While much of that training is focused on his customers, the garage owner and the technician, he takes the time to attend most sessions. He says that the seminars, and his attendance at them, both pay off. He uses the introduction of ceramic brake friction as an example of a change that was initially met with some scepticism in the market.

“They didn’t want to get the ceramic pads when they could get a pad that fits for less.” But, he says, the information imparted in the training provided the facts needed to help his customers understand the differences.

“With our company, they not only train us, they also train the customers. That helps steer the garages so that they understand that if you put on an OE-fit part, there is less chance of a comeback. A lot of people go with premium pads, but then put on cheap rotors,” says Grabowski.

“With the education we have been giving the customers, they are going to the premium, once you hear of all the trouble you can have with the no-name brands–as opposed to just throwing on something that will fit.

“I shudder when somebody spends $40,000 on a truck and they want to do a brake job for 40 bucks.”

Grabowski pays attention to such issues because they affect the level of satisfaction that customers get from the parts they buy from him.

For Grabowski, it is all about customer satisfaction, and it is this quality which went a long way toward his being named as the first Counterperson of the Year.

In his five short years with Auto Parts Central, he has managed to build a real following among customers and other staff members who can call on his experience.

“Rob is a dedicated worker, who always goes the extra mile for his customers. He is ASE-certified and participates in any and all of the training seminars. If we have an automotive question, Rob will most likely know the answer. Rob is very proficient with our computer system catalogue and with all the books. Rob is always pleasant and helpful to everyone. It is a pleasure to work with him!” wrote Ginger Szyja, who works at Auto Parts Central.

Chris Walker at Midas Auto Service Experts says Grabowski goes out of his way to help. “Rob is very knowledgeable in all aspects of the automotive parts business. I can call him after hours and even on Sundays. He will open for me to get parts when my customers are in need of repairs after I close. I sometimes have to work on customer cars on Sundays for them to have them back first thing Monday morning.”

Grabowski says that the training he gets from Auto Parts Central, and the fact that they have a good crew on the counter, makes his job easy.

“The other counterpeople are just as qualified as I am, and they can all help customers out,” which is a welcome change from some other stores where one counterperson ends up being the only one that anyone wants to talk to. That’s gratifying, but it doesn’t do much for the store’s ability to take orders–or for that person’s sanity.

Still, he won’t duck a customer call, whenever it comes.

“They have my cell phone number. Sometimes they get backed up and have to work in the evenings. I tell them no problem. They pretty much have 24/7 access to our inventory.”

And when they don’t have an item in stock at the store, Grabowski says that access to the Uni-Select inventory helps him maintain his standards of customer service: any time, whatever it takes.

And, if you’re concerned what that kind of dedication to customer service might do for his home life, don’t be. He has a very understanding wife: Teresa is a counterperson at the other Bumper-to-Bumper store in town.

In case you haven’t noticed, Grabowski combines an understanding of how important training is with an appreciation for the skills of those who take advantage of it, and of the efforts required to make the whole operation work smoothly.

He knows the counterpeople push the delivery drivers hard. “We need them to get the order delivered in 20 minutes. We put them under a lot of pressure, but we try to make them understand that even if it’s just a filter this time, next time it might be a $400 order.”

When the opportunity arose to take advantage of ASE Parts Specialist Certification, he took advantage of it.

And when electronic cataloguing came in, he embraced it despite the imperfect nature of the early catalogues.

“Electronic cataloguing has had its ups and downs. I know it takes some time to work out the glitches–I read all about that in Jobber News–but it is definitely getting better. They are getting better at zooming in on the particular vehicle you are searching for.” One of the big advantages is the ability to show a picture of the part. “That helps a lot when you have a customer coming in and he doesn’t know what a part is called. We have had it in books too, but it’s time-consuming to bring up the books.” With the electronic catalogue–and the improving quality of manufacturers’ websites–“it’s all on just one screen.”

That fact is particularly helpful in handling what Grabowski calls his biggest challenge: the walk-in customer.

“The biggest challenge is the walk-in customer who isn’t educated on what he needs. An old-timer is driving a brand new Chevy with fuel injection and when he asks for an [old style] inline fuel filter, you have to explain why the old parts won’t work. It’s not just about what will fit.

“You have to talk him into buying the good stuff. I’d rather see him put in the premium parts–even if you have to cut him a deal–rather than buy something he’s going to have trouble with in six months.

“Go by the training you receive,” he offers as advice to other counterpeople. “You can’t argue with the customer–some customers just want to go cheap–but you can mention the points you know.”

Even after 20 years behind the counter, he still gets a thrill from the job.

“I love being face to face and on the phone with the customer. You get a special relationship going. For me, it’s great to know that there are people who I have never met whose loyalty I have gained.”

He shouldn’t be too surprised at that. With the announcement of his selection as Counterperson of the Year, word came from the industry–including competitors–that he was an outstanding choice. But what matters most to Grabowski is the vote of confidence from his customers and colleagues.

“It’s really nice to get the kind of comments considering the short time I’ve been here. To get this kind of recognition from the customers, well, I’m just floored.”

One regret he does have is that he won’t be able to meet Abe Schwartz, to whom the award is dedicated. “He spent 50 years behind the counter. He must have been really dedicated to his customers. I’m sorry I never had the chance to meet him.”