Here is a great story. Two months ago, I received a call from Doug Williams, an old customer who owned Eagle Auto Parts located in Martinsburg, WV. Doug and his wife, Lori, purchased Eagle Auto Parts back in 1983. I have been there many times and would speak to all their employees and follow up with a customer appreciation dinner. Schedule was like what I did at Nordstrom’s in South Dakota, Wellers in Michigan, and AAA in Minnesota. Only difference is that Doug and Lori had recently sold their facility to a large scrap metal recycling company, Conservit, Inc. in Hagerstown, MD. Doug had some challenges and wanted me to focus on employee morale, team building and increasing production, but he needed someone who could put into action prescribed methods and best practices of very successful every day, professional recyclers. Not a small task, but this doctor was willing to diagnosis and prescribe the right changes to get that business back to health. Sometimes thinking creatively means you bring in others to help you.
I brought in Ron Matthews from Rhode Island to help. I met Ron through Car-part.com many years ago. He is an expert on turning recycling centers around. Ron had the eBay department double their business in only one month. Incredible achievement. When I called Doug this week, he told me that Car-part.com made all the difference.
I called Ron, he answered his cell phone even though he was working at 2060 Auto Parts in Buffalo, New York. Here’s a quick update on this three-generation location. First, they have been in business since 1972. When I spoke with Michael Serwicki, Jr., he explained to me how his grandfather who at the time operated Clinton Collision, went to his local junk yard to buy a part for a car he was working on and came back with the part and became the owner of the place from which he had purchased that part. The grandfather, Matthew Serwicki, Sr. was called Matty by most everyone. A decade has passed and Michael Serwicki, Sr., son of Matthew Sr. stepped into his father’s shoes to revive this old-fashioned yard into a fully operational automotive recycling enter. After 37 years of hard work, building and operating the business, Michael suddenly died, leaving his son Michael, Jr. to continue the legacy of 2060 Auto Parts. Today, it’s one of the top auto recyclers of Western, New York.
To coin Paul Harvey’s phrase, here’s the rest of the story. 2060 Auto Parts hired a gymnast, Jeff Matthews…no relations to Ron Matthews. Remember, Jeff has NEVER been a recycler, nor did he ever work in a yard. In fact, Jeff also competed in gymnastic events and coached kids to be successful gymnasts. As Jeff put it, when 2060 Auto Parts hired him, with Car-part’s HELP in only two months, Jeff was a professional, eBay person doing 20 to 30 thousand a month himself.
They use Matt Hamlin from Online Parts Depot. Matt is located out of Boyertown, PA. He takes a small percent and helps run your eBay department, makes the transition smooth and the process easy. His email address is matthamlin@onlinepartsdepot.net. Doug Williams, from Eagle also just signed up with Matt Hamlin.
What I learned from my contacts with these people is that Car-part.com has eBay classes every Wednesday from 12pm to 2pm, ET. They are taught by Theresa Colbert, who is an eBay expert. If you’ve attended an ARA or URG Convention in the past, you’ve probably heard Theresa speak. The classes are free—YES, FREE—to any recycler. Go to products.car-part.com. Click on webinars and you will find the choices. Everyone I spoke to bragged about the Car-part.com classes and how those webinars/classes have helped increased their eBay department. With my calls for answers on what everyone is doing to increase sales, one story lead to another story. So I’m glad that I picked up the phone to talk to several people in this industry.
With all that COVID-19 has thrown at businesses today, we must be all in. We need to make sure our eBay departments are making serious money. The timing could not be any better, and Car-part.com is the answer. I could probably list 30 more companies that would say the same thing. However, I will leave it here. Thanks, Theresa and thank you Car-part.com.
See you next time.
Correspondence regarding this article should go to:
D.J. Says, 2820 Andover Way, Woodstock, GA 30189
D. J. Harrington is an author, journalist, seminar leader, international trainer, and marketing consultant. He works primarily with customer service personnel, and his clients include such world-class companies as General Motors, DuPont, Caterpillar, and Damon Corporation. He may be reached at 800-352-5252. E-mail: dj@djsays.com. 52 weeks a year, we are as close as your telephone.