new Tool & Equipment flyer

Can you see the NEW LINES in our upcoming tool & equipment flyer?

Holly Cow  Batman - Star Warning -- after writing Pete McNally since 2005 and every year since then --we finally have Star Warning Systems ( page 7 )

Steadymate is part of Kinedyne (a truck hold down specialist similar to Ancra that some of our stores stock ) see page #2

CanRoss is new to me ( have I been sleeping ? ) part of ESP --not sure is ESP is a catch all line for amny vendors--havewritten for more details - see page 18

JET Tool we had hread about ( and their sister company ITC ) - we have sold Jet for many years - this is welcome and long overdue.  We look for more from Jet.  Page 28

Now --look for NEW PARTS in established lines ...

Freeze a stock re-order level ?

Want to keep something at a set reorder stock level ( for whatever reason ) -- you can click the DO NOT FORECAST box in the part record ( see image ).

Five years form now --want to print out what you changed to DO NOT FORECAST --you can get that report

in >> INV REPORTS >> FORECAST INFO REPORT and click on the forecast flags option for 'do not forecast' . Thanks to Larry on the BT Help Desk for all the details.

Greg G and others will look at setting some CARQUEST FRI metallic pads to do not stock --as the managers feel the ceramic in select sku's cover the application better.

Please -- quote a second opinion on catalytic converters

We are encouraging you to QUOTE from our Walker and a second supplier - of your choice -- whether it be A&B Imports or WorldPac or ????

Greg G in Auto Barn confirmed this on a converter that was just TOO MUCH in Walker and rather than LOSS the sale -- he quoted in A&B Imports and got the sale.

With the price of platinum going up -- a second opinion is a good thing

can't confirm a source for a part then hold on a QUOTE

Click here to see the BUG


the ability to Verify that a source is available for a quoted part -- suggested by Jason & Greg at Auto Barn and Ryan at D&T

Keep your suggestions coming -- we will get it only if we ASK.

For example -- where do you find the CAP marked 710 ?? ( see image )

Payroll

I will be doing payroll on Wednesday, January 27th. Please make sure that all vacation/sick days and timesheets are sent in before that.

Thanks.

BE HAPPY - it is contagious

Want to be happy -- work with happy people .... Click Here to see link

quote .... This means that surrounding ourselves with happier people will make us happier, make the people close to us happier — and make the people close to them happier. But social networks don't transmit only the good things in life.
Christakis found that smoking and obesity can be socially infectious too. If his thesis proves out, then the saying that you can judge a person by his or her friends might carry more weight than we thought."

Lets work on this - eh?

Honesty 101 -- what would you do ?

This tip came from Shawn at Auto Barn - Honesty quiz -- you bought a fuel pump --got a GREAT price for your 2003 Chev Impala -- going to install it - and guess what --that damm GREAT PRICE is not so great -- as the pump you bought has NO STRAINER .... so you try to buy a strainer ... damm ... delays .... HEY ... guess what -- no one sells a strainer separately ... WTF ... now that is a piss off .... and the place you bought that pump from --won;t take it back ... hmm ... burned ...or ?? hey -- buy a pump from CARQUEST - they have strainers on it -I will pull the strainer off and use it and return the pump -they won't notice ....

TRUE storey -- as we got a pump from the DC - and it had the strainer broken off. Look at the images --someone returns something like this --call up the image --and make sure all the parts are still there ... thanks for sharing Shawn.

What the hell just happened ????

The problem we just had ( master computer lost VPN ) seems to be getting better and the truth is coming out on what just happened today ( Monday Jan 11th ) - a server went down and had to be re-started a couple of times in Raleigh ... so where are the back up and duplicates ?

Anyways Shawn found out from a help desk person ( see this   link for suggestion on how to make the next PROBLEM better ) that you could also go to your computer 's CONTROL PANEL --  ADMINISTRATION TOOLS -- SERVICES -- and highlight the Cisco AnyConnect item and click on the RESTART the service link -- click on the attached image to see larger

Can you remember this tip ?  This is FASTER than shutting down the  WHOLE computer.    Debbie had to do this shutdown several times - perhaps her timing just just off relative to the serve in Raleigh coming back up.   Lets hope for some peace and quiet .... on our computers so we can go sell parts.

It is also interesting that Ryan solve the problem (by switching master computer to his machine )  so he could get the web-link orders to print.  The whole issue of what is the master and  what is a standby slave needs to be worked on - to get better in understanding.

Exploris Help Desk

I was having a problem getting a hold of the Exploris help desk this morning. It appears to be a phone issue. I decided to try the old JCON phone number and it worked. Add this number to your cheat sheet. 1-800-476-5266.

Ordering less than CASE QTY from Windsor

We fixed the problem (we think) of ordering 10 studs from Windsor (either store) and our system putting 100 into our inventory.  See you manager or the post of the EXPLORIS BLOG

This should mean you can order ONE STUD if that is all you need = as a byproduct of this change.  Need just one rabbit --order just one rabbit.

Fall out from NO Check List - missing FREIGHT & LABOUR part number

Something this complex really needs a check list - the install of Exploris is not exception.  The problem with the end of month reports allowed the help desk to ALSO NOTICE another problem - how we bill freight and labour (labor).

Only Auto Barn had the part FRT FREIGHT in their system (as some one answered YES to 'do you want to add' - but they had the standard tax code for a PART - so I went into ALL STORES and made/corrected the parts in FRT FREIGHT  and for LB7 LABOUR and LB7 LABOR (just in case).

You need to price and FILL IN OUR COST for these sales-- but they will now track properly on end of day/ end of month reports for these special types of sales.

Wonder how more simple mistakes we might have missed?  A special thank you to Randy on the help desk for all his effort.

Where Did My Weblink Order Go?

We had 2 customers call today and wonder where their orders put thru Weblink got to. We were able to find and reprint, then both came up at once. They were put thru at 7:50 and 8:44 came up on printer at 9:44. The missing link to the story is I logged Shawn's terminal(our master) on at 9:44. The master looks every 60 seconds for Weblink orders and if the master is not logged in they will not print. I guess Shawn will have to come in on his day's off and log it in for us!!!!!

Problems in TRANSFER Accounts - part 1

Parts from TRANSFER ACCOUNTS are different ---as they create an ASN to automatically receipt the part -- there are special circumstances that can cause problems - lets have a look at just one ....

Customer Joe orders a Blue Widget from your store and you in turn have to get from our local Super Store.  Fine - we do this many times a day - but hold on this time they  call back to Fred on the counter and tell him that their count was wrong - and they will issue a credit for the attempted order:   Fred tells you and you hurry up and find it somewhere else.

In two days Moe  does the overstock return & is looking for a BLUE WIDGET as it is on the suggested overstock return .....

What happened ?   Why ?   We will answer this question at Mondays staff meeting being held at Petes Paint.  Please bring a short written note explaining what went wrong.  Open Book -yep - you can ask anyone and everyone.

Hint --there are at least 3 different ways to correct this (question submitted by Bob Miller from Walker Rd Auto)

Postage

Postage will be increasing to 57 cents from the current 54 cents on Monday, January 11th.

Staff Meeting

The staff meeting on Monday, Jan 11th will be at Pete's Paint. If you cannot attend for any reason please let me know ASAP. I will be collecting pig money for this year's staff party. It's a $10.00 contribution if you pay before March 1st otherwise it's $12.00 for the year.