A
ftermarket distribution is an
industry affl icted with sameness.
Most products stocked in a dis-
tributor's warehouse in western Canada
can be found in another distribution
facility in central Florida. The brake and
wheel end repairs being done today in
San Diego are the same jobs being com-
pleted in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
There are unique needs and products
here and there — typically across duty
cycles — but on the whole, the parts
and service found in the aftermarket
channel is overwhelmingly homoge-
neous. And it is specifi cally because of
these similarities that so many aftermar-
ket distributors eagerly search for ways
to be different. Like the general popula-
tion with a gallon of milk, a commercial
truck owner can buy a brake drum just
about anywhere in the aftermarket.
For distributors uninterested or
unwilling to differentiate themselves
through price cuts, exclusivity and
uniqueness are best established through
customer service.
Nailing customer service is no easy
task. Consistency is imperative. A dis-
tributor that chooses to hang its hat on
customer service must be confi dent its
14
Cover Story
T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E | J u l y 2 0 1 8
By Lucas Deal, Editor
lucasdeal@randallreilly.com
Teaming
toward
success
Opening communication
lines across your
business improves
cooperation, customer
service and sales
