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By Swizz Auto
Swizz Auto is a trusted auto parts provider in the US. We provide you with quality-tested inventories to get you the right fitment for the car’s make and model. Also, when you reach our portal, you can find link hidden, please login to view near me using the online locator tool. If you see challenges in finding the relevant information, you only need to provide us with the make and model no. Discuss them with our reps if you are concerned about warranty and shipping.
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By Counterman
ost of our workdays are spent typing and mouse-clicking our way through hundreds of parts requests and catalogue prompts, and we rely heavily on computers for most aspects of our daily operations. Think of the last time your store’s internet or server network went down. Catalogue and inventory information, ordering and receiving functions, invoice printers, driver dispatch and order tracking, and even time clock access are all crippled when the plug gets pulled. Chaos ensues, and if there is no backup plan in place, work grinds to a halt. Depending on corporate policy, you may even have to close the doors until you are back up and running.
Even when our computers are running at peak efficiency, the quality of the information we feed into the system has the potential to create a snowball effect of errors, wasting time, personnel resources, inventory dollars, and, ultimately, disappointing our customers. The phrase “garbage in, garbage out” dates to the early days of the computing industry and is a simple way of recalling that no matter how far information technology has progressed in the past 75 years, we still need to capture the correct information to begin that automated process successfully.
It all begins with the customer. We rely on them to present us with the basic vehicle and diagnostic information required to catalogue the correct parts, but once we take control of the process, we still need to maintain the integrity of that information. Asking the right questions, following relevant prompts, and verifying options that differentiate similar products lead to successful sales and reduce the number of returns.
When you call the parts department at your local OEM dealer, their initial reply is often to ask for the last eight digits of the VIN. That (relatively) simple bit of information serves to eliminate a lot of these errors, identifying the vehicle and all its individual options. It eliminates multiple questions that must be asked (and correctly answered) to lead the parts specialist to the appropriate listings. This reduces the margin for error, but certainly does not eliminate it altogether. Just as a customer might misquote their vehicle descriptors, the customer may misread or misspeak the VIN information, or the parts specialist might write it down incorrectly. It is also a good practice to keep accurate notes (on paper) to keep track of previous calls and orders. These notes also may help your coworkers get up to speed if they need to take over for you with a customer, so legible handwriting counts! Complete notes will help refresh your memory in the event of a comeback or complaint, and may come in handy if you are asked to explain what went wrong with a particular transaction.
I prefer to repeat a customer’s information back to them, showing that they have my full attention and confirming that what I think I heard is what they believe they asked for. They should not have to repeat themselves, but confirmation is critical at this point in the process. It is certainly better than getting through an entire transaction before realizing the customer who just told you they drive a “Cherokee” is now busy loading their parts order into the back of a GRAND Cherokee!
Incorrect information anywhere within the conversation can skew the results, and guessing at vehicle identification or options is a recipe for returns. Occasionally, we can skip through irrelevant screen prompts, or even bypass the computer altogether when we know something by heart, but when in doubt, ASK THE QUESTION! We may not be able to prevent our customers from guessing at critical answers, or even from giving us inconsistent information, but we are able to limit the amount of “garbage” that we feed into our computer on our customer’s behalf.
When we do encounter a legitimate catalog error, we shouldn’t just blame the computer. In these cases, the “garbage out” is the result of an error (likely made by another human) that was fed into the database. The computer is just repeating the answer it was programmed to give based on the information requested. It is important to report these errors so that the catalogue provider can investigate the error and make any necessary corrections quickly.
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By Counterman
Carter has won the 2023 Catalog Excellence Award from the Automotive Content Professionals Network (ACPN) for its brand-new Carter water pump catalog.
The Catalog Excellence Award acknowledges organizations that provide industry-leading product catalogs, evaluating criteria such as catalog quality, resourcefulness, creativity, content, effectiveness and overall excellence.
The award recognized Carter’s dedication to producing exceptional catalogs that educate its audience and support continuous product innovation for its growing water pump lines.
“Carter is committed to enhancing the ease of our customer’s job by providing support for quick and accurate access to product applications, resulting in improved repair processes,” the company said in a news release. “Engineered to move fluids efficiently and reliably, Carter water pumps are specifically designed to meet the evolving technologies and high-temperature environments of modern engines. With an emphasis on quality, performance, and warranty, Carter engineered water pumps provide peace of mind.”
For more information, visit
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By Counterman
FleetPride has acquired the assets of Zender’s Truck & Equipment, Parts & Service Inc., based in Bellingham, Washington.
Zender’s has been providing parts and service to the heavy-duty trucking industry for more than 20 years. This acquisition is part of FleetPride’s strategy to continue expanding its presence in the heavy-duty aftermarket.
“We’re delighted to welcome Bruce and the entire Zender’s team to the FleetPride family, with their wide-ranging expertise, outstanding service, and loyal customers,” said Mike Harris, FleetPride president of parts and service. “Zender’s Truck & Equipment has a strong culture, which is reflected in their talent and robust customer following that fits very well with our vision and values. We look forward to supporting the Zender’s team.”
Bruce Zender, owner of Zender’s Truck & Equipment, Parts & Service, added, “Joining FleetPride is a tremendous opportunity for our team and customers. This move will help us to continue to provide superior customer service and support for our customers.”
This acquisition gives customers in northwest Washington access to FleetPride’s advanced supply chain and provides future employees with career development opportunities, including FleetPride Tech University. In addition, it marks the company’s first service location on the West Coast.
“Establishing a comprehensive parts and service national footprint maximizes our ability to support customers with technical expertise in local markets we serve,” added Harris. “It also enables large regional and national fleets to leverage our scale for greater uptime, and lets them access our broad assortment of products, and e-commerce solutions on FleetPride.com.”
More information on joining the FleetPride network is available at
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By Counterman
Carter has expanded its popular line of Rapid Fit water pumps and now is offering 33 part numbers covering 80.8 million vehicles in operation.
Carter Rapid Fit water pumps are engineered with pre-mounted components to deliver time-saving installation for the professional technician. Designed to be installed directly out of the box, Rapid Fit water pumps help save an average of 15 to 25 minutes in the bay, according to the company.
“Expanding the coverage of our Rapid Fit pumps gives our customers more options to help get the job done and save time.” said Ryan Gernheuser, repair group director, product management/aftermarket engineering at First Brands Group.
Also now available is the release of a new Carter online water-pump catalog. Gernheuser added that the new catalog “is another valuable resource for automotive technicians providing vehicle-specific information for engine cooling applications on the road today.”
For more information, visit
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