Advance Auto Parts enhances Technet program

ROANOKE, Va.—Advance Auto Parts Inc. (AAP) has added value for members of its Technet Professional Automotive Service marketing program, launching an online training program, a program website and various other enhancements.

The program, which is closing in on 9,000 members, is being assessed and adapted to meet the needs of participants, according to John Hanighen, vice president, commercial programs, AAP.

“At Technet, we've worked very hard and will continue to work very hard with the members to make sure it's the kind of program that differentiates the Technet member from the competitors out there in the consumer's mind,” Mr. Hanighen said. “We're working very hard along with our website launch, helping the members make sure their digital marketing campaigns are excellent, their customer retention is terrific and the aggregation of new customers continues.”

Earlier this year, AAP launched its Technet Academy sales training program, both an off-shoot of the Service Sales Academy originally implemented by the firm's Carquest brand and an enhanced version of it.

George Lesniak, director of commercial programs, Technet, said the focused training program is specifically tailored for service advisors.

“It's about helping service advisers better communicate with consumers to help sell automotive service, maintenance and repair,” he told Tire Business. “The way the program is laid out, is its virtual online training. It's presented live, but it's online.”

Sessions last about an hour each and are presented 24 times throughout the year, Mr. Lesniak said. Each session is presented live once but repeated twice later in the evening to accommodate members in different time zones.

Training sessions are archived in an online database for Technet members to view at any time.

Whereas Technet members have access to these training sessions as part of their membership, Service Sales Academy remains a paid program for non-Technet members.

 “Not all of our customers are Technets,” Mr. Lesniak said. “Our best customers are, but we need to help all of our customers, so the Service Sales Academy is there for all of our other customers.”

Those who utilize the Technet Academy also have access to one free local instructor-led training event per year.

In early July, AAP relaunched its Technet program website at an entirely new URL, www.technetprofessional.com, replacing www.techauto.com, which now redirects visitors to the new site.

Mr. Lesniak said that in addition to usability enhancements, the updated website allows the company to bring its development in-house. He called the new website “critical to our members as well as our consumers.”

The site features separate portals for consumers and program members, with relevant features and information for both.

“It's where the consumer can go to locate a Technet shop in their area or when they're traveling, but they can also go there to get information on our consumer protection programs,” Mr. Lesniak said. “…They can find the (warranty) claim forms there and phone numbers to call. They can also get information on our latest consumer promotions and learn more about their own vehicle by looking at the Virtual Vehicle systems training videos being added to the website.”

Virtual Vehicle is a communications tool designed to help consumers understand why certain vehicle repairs and maintenance items are recommended. The website tool is a parred down version of the Virtual Vehicle virtual aid rolled out to Technet member service shops, which offers 350 different system specific animations, Mr. Lesniak said.

“On the consumer site we built very specific videos,” he added. “They're different than what a shop owner would use to help sell service—we built videos that are for consumer education. There's 15 different vehicle systems available where a consumer can get onto the Technet website, click on the Virtual Vehicle tab and learn more about different systems in their vehicle and why they're so complex.”

For members, the website gives AAP the ability to better organize program content, Mr. Lesniak said, making it easier for them to become more active in various program elements.

The new member portal is set up similarly to the Technet Essentials guide, he added, allowing participants to “get in, get what they need and get back to work.”

“What we've done is take basically every program element (and given it) a separate page on the website with all the details about what's in it for members, how to get started and any phone numbers, forms and documents you need to implement that program within your shop,” he said.

The new website also includes access to an online store featuring one portal dedicated to Technet-brand merchandise and consumer giveaways and another for point-of-purchase (POP) materials.

“In the past, point-of-purchase materials would have to be ordered manually by calling Technet support, and then Technet support would have to order them through our third party vendor and then bill the members individually,” Mr. Lesniak said. “What we do now is allow our shop members to order those materials directly through the portal, have them shipped right to their shop and then they are billed through their Advance or Carquest store account.”

The POP store also has been enhanced with a section dedicated to most often used items—including warranty repair order holders, invoice stickers and mirror hangers—which now are available to Technet members at no charge and with free shipping.

According to Mr. Lesniak, there are more changes to come.

“This is only phase one,” he said. “This is the start of technetprofessional.com. Once we have the base platform launched, we have some very exciting enhancements—user forums, live chat, self-help, the ability to register for local councils—a lot of different possibilities that we're going to be enhancing this website with on a regular basis.”

AAP has made several other upgrades to its Technet program this year.

Prior to Jan. 1, members had access to 12-month/12,000-mile labor reimbursement on parts purchased through Advance and Carquest locations. The reimbursement period has been extended to 24 months/24,000 miles to better match the company's consumer protection warranty.

In addition, the company rolled out changes to its roadside assistance program.

In the past consumers who spent at least $25 at an Advance or Carquest shop could call the roadside assistance hotline, which would then direct a service provider to their location to assist them. The feedback from the field, Mr. Lesniak said, was that it took too long to get help to customers this way.

“We found that if we would allow our consumers to call the service provider of their choice, they can contact anyone they want, they can negotiate the rate and have the service provider come out to help them,” he said. “The consumer pays for the roadside assistance and Technet reimburses them up to $75 per event.”

Both changes were a result from program member feedback, Mr. Lesniak added.

“Something really important to understand about Technet is that this is the members' program,” he said. “They pay in membership fees. I'm in charge of running the program for them to make sure that we've got the right elements that they request, that they want and they need to run their business, so when enough of our members ask for something we have to find a way to make it happen.”

Other optional enhancements include discounted access to digital menu boards, lobby TVs and website marketing by AutoNet TV and enhancements to shop management programs from Bolt-On Technologies. In addition, the firm's nationwide consumer warranty now covers hybrid/electric vehicle batteries.

Though AAP always is considering new program offerings, one of the biggest challenges in recent years for Technet has been getting members to use more of the program elements that come with their membership, an issue Mr. Lesniak said the firm finally addressed in 2016 through internal “boot camp” training.

He said the company has trained its commercial sales managers and account managers to become local experts on the program, allowing them to work with shop owners in their areas to customize the Technet program to work for them.

“We are seeing tremendous results,” Mr. Lesniak said. “We are definitely seeing an uptick in output of our Technet member shops. They're selling more services because they're using the tools we provide to help them grow their businesses.”