RECOGNITION Store Stars Gus Chaves
Installer NVS Audio Elizabeth, N.J. Carlos Ramirez, owner: “Gus helped us land a large home audio install
this month, along with coming to the shop for early mornings and weekends to help with the build. With his help, we are two weeks ahead of schedule.”
Jose Almanza Store Manager Thug Life Car Audio Albuquerque, N.M. Christian Almanza, owner: “Great customer service and able to manager and motivate employees.”
Ian Carmona Lead Installer and Lead Tech Harvey’s Tint Alarm & Stereo Lake Worth, Fla. David Stein, manager: “Over the past five years, Ian has continued displaying excellence in all of his work day-in and day-out.”
Ray Pocaigue Sales Specialist SoundWorks Car Audio Anchorage, Alaska Jon Murphy, owner: “Ray has been a huge asset to our business. His customer service is phenomenal, and it shows through his sales, customer responses and reviews.”
Miguel Bautista Store Manager Soundz Good Stereo Oxnard, Calif. Bader Hijaz, CEO: “He provides great customer service all the time.”
46 Mobile Electronics June | July 2012
From L to R: Custom Auto’s Installer/Salesman Ryan Hillman, Installer Jason Schiers and Owner Barry Pierce in front of the retailer’s relocated shop.
After an inventory influx of remote starters, Custom Auto of Rexburg in Idaho promoted great deals on the product, doubling its sales margin each month for the past year. Meanwhile, January drew a major setback, forcing Custom Auto to relo- cate due to the building collapsing from a snow pack. Despite the old location getting more customer traffic and having an additional 3,000 square footage, moving was the best thing that happened to the shop. “The first quarter, our sales were flat. As soon as July hit, our sales were killing the year before,” said Owner Barry Pierce. “In our new location, we’re seeing a lot of new customers, but still maintain our relationships with several loyal customers as well.” Saying farewell to what had been 10 years of outstanding business at Auto
Sound’s old location, to carrying a large back stock of remote starters, and then later increasing the total per invoice by more than double, has concluded this bit- tersweet experience into a significant impact.
A Combo of Great Deals and New Atmosphere Lead to Doubled Sales
Hello Sales, So Long Economic Crash
Setting its own record marking the beginning of 2012 as its highest yet, Mo- bile Edge in Lehighton, Pa., no longer uses traditional advertising. Better yet, its marketing tactics have evolved, staying active on Facebook and with producing a blog.
Although it was an incredibly mild winter, with total remote starter units sold
having dropped nearly 20 percent during January and February, remote starter sales were virtually the same as last year. “I attribute this to customers willing to spend more money for higher-end products and my team doing a great job upselling,” said Owner Mitch Schaffer. “We are very active online; our website ranks well on search engines, and we get a lot of traffic from all over the U.S.” While audio and video numbers are starting to increase, and experiencing an
early influx in window tint sales this spring, it’s a sign of the times that consum- ers are starting to spend more money on better quality products, once again. “When I hear about similar sales gains from my friends in the industry, it leads me to believe that we may have rounded the corner with a bright future for inde- pendent retailers,” Schaffer said.
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