readying a third truck/trailer.
Beveridge’s first truck, which has
been on the road for nearly two years,
has a headcount of 300 customers.
The second truck, started about four
months ago, has about 350 customers
on the books.
The energetic business owner
makes a point to see everyone on his
route, and is careful to make good use of
every minute.
“We work five days a week and half
a day on Saturday tidying up the truck
and checking the stock,” he says.
Every day the team is in the shop at
6:30 AM, prepping the trucks to be on
the road by 7 AM.
“We work from 7 AM until all the
customers are seen,” Beveridge says.
“Some days it might be 5 PM, and some
days we might get off at 7 PM.”
High standards
spur solid sales
Every technician and shop owner Beveridge
encounters is treated with the
same respect, attention and friendliness.
This focus on customer service
creates consistency and trust. It seems
to help collections, too. Beveridge says
he encounters only a 2 or 3 percent
skip rate.
“I found that if I service my customers
on a weekly basis I’m less likely to
encounter skips, because I know right
where they’re at,” Beveridge says. He
laughs ... “If you miss them for a couple
weeks it’s like cold case murders ... If
you don’t get them in the first 48 hours,
they’re gone.”
This morning, four new customers
come onto the truck and they all start
new accounts.
“I want them in the back of the
truck, fast,” Beveridge says. “I don’t
want them lingering in the front because
there’s a lot more to see back there.
There’s a better chance they’re going to
buy something if they get in the back.
I try to start with the big-tickets and
let them work their way down. Never
underestimate the customer’s ability
to buy.”
Beveridge admits one of his biggest
challenges is getting customers approved
for credit with financing. He says that
although time payment does a great job,
credit restrictions still apply.
Still, on this truck there’s something
for everybody. Trade-ins are encouraged,
and Beveridge says he likes to be a “onestop
shop” and offer ‘good, better, best’
product options.
“If you want the best, I have that; if
you want all the rest, I have that, too,”
he says.
To round out his customer service
strategy, Beveridge frequently channels
his diesel mechanic skills to provide
quick repairs. He recently took apart a
rivet gun to retrieve a stuck rivet for a
customer. This special touch no doubt
helps with his street cred and keeps customers
coming back.
“I’ve got a solution”
The day I visit with Beveridge is a busy
one. With two trucks on the road, a
promo event (GEARWRENCH is in
town) and a new employee-in-training,
you’d think things would halt a bit as the
day wears on. But even as the hot Texas
sun continues to beat down, Beveridge
and his team stay agile and upbeat.
Product keeps moving.
10 Professional Distributor I September 2018 I VehicleServicePros.com
Independent distributor Geoff Beveridge’s main
vehicle is a 22’ Freightliner.
“I’m everywhere,” Beveridge says.
“It’s important to be able to multitask
and keep moving…You’ve got to be hungry.
You’ve got to be outside-the-box.”
He describes some of his more effective
sales efforts: “Sometimes I’ll walk
in with a headlamp on my head; I’ll get
under a hood with a guy. I’ll turn it on,
light it up, and they’ll be like, ‘What are
you doing?’ And I’ll say ‘I’m shedding
some light on the situation for you ...
And how’s that kink in your neck from
holding the flashlight?’ You just get
involved. Interact with the customer.”
Another customer once asked about
a slim jim lockout tool.
“Well, slim jims are old news,” he
says. “Nobody sells slim jim’s anymore.
They sell new lockout tools.” Beveridge
saw a learning opportunity here. “I
walked it out to him … to a brand new
minivan with the keys locked in it and
a dead battery. Less than 30 seconds I
had it open.”
The customer bought the tool on
the spot.
Those who do business with Beveridge
see him as a problem solver, not
a just a salesman.
Freeman Honda Service Director
Mike Hyland looks around the truck a
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