By
Counterman
Thirty years ago, I was full of questions. As a rookie counterman, I was also pretty short on answers. I hadn’t “been there, done that” and I didn’t even know about the T-shirt. I was strictly an order-taker, fumbling my way through a catalog of unfamiliar parts and asking a lot of questions. I asked coworkers what parts were called, I asked customers whatever the computer prompted me to, and I even asked myself (several times) if this was the right job for me. Turns out it was, and I just needed to learn to ask the right questions.
Customers come to us every day for answers, but the search often requires us to ask the right questions before we arrive at the answer to theirs. One of the most difficult types of questions from both sides of the counter involves diagnostics. Ideally, when a customer presents their request, their diagnosis is already complete and accurate. More often, we are also asked to interpret a symptom, translate a printout from a code reader, or offer a solution to a problem we haven’t experienced alongside the customer.
Professional technicians have a distinct advantage over parts specialists in the sense that they get to “experience” a repair from beginning to end, rather than being brought in midway through the process. From taking a test drive to performing pinpoint electrical testing or disassembling a component or assembly, technicians are literally “hands-on” throughout the repair process. On the other hand, we are frequently asked to give assistance without seeing, hearing or touching the vehicle in question.
In Australia and Asia, our job title is often advertised as “parts interpreter,” which is a pretty accurate description of what we do daily. We translate a foreign language for people who might not otherwise understand the information in front of their eyes. In order to perform our function as interpreters, we must be able to mentally perform a “virtual repair,” confirming that the correct diagnostic procedures have been carried out, that we are providing all of the necessary components and supplies to repair the vehicle, and then analyze the results to determine if our interpretation has been successful.
More than just cataloging and identifying parts or selecting boxes from a shelf, the best parts specialists have the knowledge of how these parts coexist within the systems that they are a part of. An understanding of the methods used to test and troubleshoot components is critical when determining what your customer has done (or not done) to arrive at their “diagnosis,” and to help guide them through the appropriate steps to correct any further issues they may have. In those cases when we do have the luxury of seeing the problem firsthand, using visual and audio clues along with our own knowledge of how the affected parts tend to fail gives us yet another opportunity to recommend the most appropriate solution for our customer. On those occasions when the diagnosis doesn’t match the parts request, this approach also helps us to prevent comebacks and “alleged defective” returns.
It’s often said that “there’s no such thing as a stupid question.” Looking back on my career behind the counter, I’m still not entirely convinced that’s true, but now I know that some questions are more important than others. Here’s hoping it doesn’t take you 30 years to figure out which ones those are, and that you aren’t afraid to keep asking until you do!
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By Counterman
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