SAS - you impress me

The smaller flyer over on Oct 15th - has some interesting glasses ... you have to be OLDER than 45 years old to appreciate how your eye sight sucks ..... so these safety glasses are VERY handy

Come on guys -- if you are NOT showing these to your customers -- you are not doing the OLDER customer any favors -- what a tremendous idea -- and they are available in different powers --anyone who needs reading glasses knows the power setting his eyes need-- take one last shot at these while they are still on SALE

IMAGINE --if only we had someone with ENTHUSIASM

ENTHUSIASM -- what a wonderful commodity -- kind of like HUIMAN nuclear power ....

Imagine if we had someone in CARQUEST that would review and summarize the next EQUIPMENT flyer and SPOTLIGHT new items that we need to get UP on ... like this part ... SRM 5420-50 ( levels have been set for all stores -give it a day for the system to CORRECT the price to reflect the SALE PRICE )

Hay -- CARQUEST -- have someone with ENTHUSIASM go thru the next flyer and write up a summary on the HOT NEW THINGS -- make me fall off my chair with excitment .... dare you .... ( caution --- dead asses need not read this post )

rubber gloves are for more than 'playing doctor'

Just when you thought rubber gloves are for 'playing doctor' - the proctologist joke --along comes HYBRID vehicles

SRM 6418 electrical rated gloves -- I have set the level for all stores so salesmen can take out and discuss. You should run a google search and find some documentation ( and I have one in your mail slot provided by Tyler from Caruk ) on safety issues for disconnecting the battery when servicing the vehicle.

Now-- here is the GOOD PART -- look for laws that tell you you have have your gloves safety tested every 6 months --and re-date stamped. For now SAS Safety ( our line SRM ) will do this ( soon -- in the set up phase ). They will do the testing at no charge ( for now anyways )

We will ask CARQUEST if we can set up a transit program thru our stores to the DC and back to the place in Toronto for the testing to see fi we can minimize the cost of transport.

Many things will happen on this issue -- stay tuned. Salesmen --it sure sounds like the shops will need TWO SETS of gloves -- as one set could be in transit to be re-tested

ACL Dual Mass Flywheel - error -

in ACL line of AMS clutches - the pricing for Dual Mass Flywheels has been identified ( after Ryan wrote in for a HUGE price problem ). It seems the sub-line # 3 was incorrectly set up to not show the discount. I have been told by Peter McNally that this has been corrected --and yet another problem has been solved by staff who DO SOMETHING and give feedback.

Have you found a problem today --and done something to fix it ??

possible MISSING XRA links

We have 117 part numbers in our Rotor & Drum line from CARQUEST that we link to a second supplier to offer our customers a choice in quality and price. So - any time someone at CARQUEST fiddles with the description updates we worry that we LOSE our links -- so the customer and staff will KNOW KNOW there is a 2nd option. We do these links using the @ sign in the description. I have asked Ryan if he can have someone run thru the list to see what numbers need to be updated.

A side point - someone at Petes Paint added 54060 and forgot to add the @ in BDR -I corrected this when I compared every part in BDR that had an @ to every part in XRA ( think it was Petes - as no store stocks yet but someone returned some to Petes )

PWR generators

CLICK HERE for the supplier web site - ALL POWER AMERICA for the new line of PWR. The lIne code finally made it into our system. We are awaiting the next Parts Source CD and awaiting word when stock will arrive --these are the parts on the back page of the current equipment flyer ...ouch ... that hurts when we are not prepared.

Awaiting more info ....

WATER BORNE CLINIC

Petes Paint is having a water borne info night,
at Petes from 6:pm to 7:30 Oct. 07/08
P P G rep Paul Squassin will be doing the clinic
geared for painters and owners .

magazines available on line for reading

A growing number of magazines are available on line for reading. We have received Aftermarket Business for many years - some articles are good - many are of limited interest ... just like you where mining for gold -- you don't find that nugget of gold in every shovel full --so you have to train yourself to separate good useful info from the chaff or filler.


click here to read Aftermarket Business Oct 08

This magazine requires you to register - click here to see main page and follow steps and they send you an e-mail when the next issue is out. I found the Cardone ad to the most interesting for Oct 2008.

New Charity at CARQUEST

the Special Olympic's is out -- a new charity is in .... hmm ...who in the heck heard about this -- looking forward to ANYONE who can find this posted on our Cdn CARQUEST-link ( the link that sucks ). Here is whaT CHRIS ALLINOTTE tells me about the new charity ( it came up as an unrelated issue )

Chris says ..."beginning January 2008, CARQUEST's Charity of choice is the CARQUEST / WorldPAC Charitable Foundation, which supports charitable initiatives in the communities throughout North America. Teammates across North America, from both our corporate and independant stores can apply to the Foundation to receive grants to help make a difference to the charities in their area."

watch for more details

CARQUEST hats

everything you wanted to know about CARQUEST hats ....

1) are they in stock NOW -- yes ---- this is what Chris Allinotte wrote "Because Norscot only ships to the DC's in Canada, we tend to place a large stocking order twice a year when these renew. As such, we try to get enough in stock that they are available at all times. At last check - there is a lot of stock available on the two variations in the Toronto D.C."

2) what are the part #'s
SPE 7651113 CQ NAVY/KHAKI HAT
SPE 765112 ROYAL HAT

the old hat used to be IMP2003 --forgettaboutit .... the new numbers are what you need to know

Do you have hats in stock at your stores ?

Payroll

I will be doing payroll on Monday. Send up all timesheets and vacation/sick days before then. Thanks.

New lower prices on many CFI #'s

Look for many HD & industrial filter numbers to be lower - changes happened this last weekend

Please - give feedback to Greg on issues where prices are still not right ...

Options for Paying

Rhonda has made a statement stuffer to help remind customers of the options of paying their accounts with Internet or Telephone banking. If you are NOT familiar with how you can use either of these features PLEASEZZE see Rhonda or your store manager ( yep - hint - skill testing question for Oct staff meeting to be held at Petes on the THIRD monday - since Holiday is 2nd Monday )

How GOOD or BAD is your waiting room

this is a copy of what we put on the CTI blog ....

CLICK HERE
for article on the shape of waiting rooms ... are you in the good or bad ? What will it mean for your future?

POS

I have put a POS schedule in the mail slots here at D&T. Please make sure you follow them for September and October. It's fiscal year end this month!!!!!!! Any questions please call me.

dot the i - cross the T

There is always something that someone at CARQUEST forgets to do ... one might think that you could STANDARD REPETITIVE DECISIONS -- and verify the steps .... oh well - one can hope ?

Case in point -- many ( most ? ) J-Con systems are missing the line code CHT for CARQUEST hand tools - the new line that is finally arriving ( after weeks of sitting in the back corner of the warehouse as Toronto tries to sell off more of the older WSW line ) -- but guess what -- since the line code is NOT IN our computers --the parts don't get posted ... we have made Larry on the J-Con help desk aware that others will suffer the same fate and have to scramble to update.

There - our good deed of the day done - and it is still before lunch time

driver courtesy

There have been times I stumbled across a funeral procession with little warning ( like coming around a bend ) -- PLEASE -- pull over and wait -- you are driving in a truck or car with our name PLASTERED all over -- you reflect the company and by not pulling over you show disrespect for all.

Adrian in Woodstock tell so of a incident in his area - ouch.

PLEASE make sure your drivers are reminded.

lower prices on ANT 101C Anti Freeze

Check out the new LOWER prices on ANT 101C anti-freeze

I guess the QUESTION is --how did we let Toronto get away with the slow PRICE CREEP. Eventually someone complained that was heard and they vastly corrected the price creep to a more competitive level. How many more lines and parts are there like this -- well - lots. For example we are asking when the extra 43% price creep will be taken out of the line MILTON

The LINK is very slow - I mean SSSLLLLOOOOOWWWWW

Tried logging into CARQUEST link lately ? Yep -- very very very slow --they are working on it ... but ..... ( called a contact in Raleigh who really knows )

Biggler Bros & Wilson -- two sides of the same coin

Pete Heinrich noticed that Biggler Bros ( WRE in CARQUEST line code ) do not have any Generators listed --so when he looked it up in the Wilson e-cat ( remember we have the user names and passwords to do that ) and found WILSON # 92-01-3115 -- he was surprised that we had such a hard time getting the product. CARQUEST wants a WRE #. Well -- WRE doesn't have ANY generator part numbers ...

So --either WRE had better GET numbers -- or -- change the policy so we can order Wilson #'s ....

Tell Greg H of any problems like this --we call Jeff Lewicki -- VP Sales for Wilson and he sends them to us --and will try to get this problem corrected.

Chain Lifts

Wonder how large the market is for chain lifts ?

Aside from Jepson thru CARQUEST you also have Dynaline either direct or thru Auto Sense ( at the same price - BTW ) so the only issue is - do they have it --and how is freight handled. Dynelaine seems to be better priced on these items -- how can you grow the business ??

new line PWR - delayed

the line of power generators on the last page of the new tool & equipment flyer - PWR will be delayed while they get the data into the computer in Toronto - and then on to us

someone let this one slip up - will have HI PRIORITY to get in asap. We are also checking on when stock will arrive at Toronto for this

RV Anti-freeze

during the summer ( yet again ) someone in Toronto decided that we should only have the more expensive RV (plumbing) Anti-Freeze (15-384 & bigger size 15-385). The cheaper number is now back in the system with stock in Toronto ( 15-334 ).

If your customers don't know the difference they assume it is all the same - you need to stock the less expensive and perhaps the better quality - see your store manager for his feelings. If you need a lower freeze point - go better - but if you don't - your choice

sell up on pads

Click here for the entire article

In summary ...
"n fact, drivers are more likely to “trade up” for premium brands and materials, especially ceramic brake friction products, according to a recent report by Frost & Sullivan."

"It’s easier to sell a premium brake pad than it is a premium rotor, say the manufacturers we spoke with.

Lelchuk also attributes the driver’s need for less brake dust as a factor in selling premium friction materials. However, brake dust may not always be connected to the friction material. At times, “the dust you see is not pad dust but dust from the brake rotors,” he adds."

Smart Car battery group

Gary from east-penn tells us that the battery for the Smart Car is a 690MF -- make a note in your BCI paper guide

This is stocked by both Petes & D&T and has been added by Auto Barn as we type.

Gary says the battery is underneath the passenger floor --and a bit or effort is required to get to and replace.

how many more applications do we NOT HAVE in our e-cat for the smart car ???????

BATTERY changes

Effective Sept 5th there will be an assigned core for all batteries ( except motorcycle batteries ) --so the stores like Petes that were weak on doing the optional core will find the BIGGEST change.

The Core will apply to all accounts --so salesmen -- make sure you explain. The fact that East Penn is the LAST to set up a core policy should not go unnoticed. Exide and Interstate all have CORE policies. This will help eliminate a lot of fly by night battery core 'picker-uppers'


Some additional pieces of info -- 1) we can NO LONGER order batteries from East Penn - we have to order from Toronto -- so tell Greg H any battery that Toronto doesn't carry and we will make damm sure they get their act in order if they are going to eliminate our ability to order from London. East Penn has a location in Mississauga that Elsa can pick up for us.
-- 2) cores will be picked up every 2nd WEDNESDAY from all locations -- guaranteed. You will rememeber all our problems with consistent core pick up -- every 2nd Wed --starting this Wed Sept 10th