JOE O’BYRNE, BRENTWOOD CAR AUDIO, BRENTWOOD, CALIF.
28 years in the industry
I deliver: “A seamless blend of a customer’s ever-changing lifestyle with their vehicle; a real personal experience that vehicle manufac- tures just can’t do.”
My skill: “I stay current on all platforms of media, not just my per- sonal choices of equipment. Knowing the quirks of different products and devices really helps build confidence with my customer.”
What I Want From Automakers: “I would be hesitant to do so. They have taken so much from the aftermarket in the last decade that I feel they would just move in on those segments quicker. The carmakers are really listening to their customers now. Before, they just put out a product that was take-it-or-leave-it. Now, with world competition, they need to be more astute to what their customers’ needs are and be fluid to change as technology changes.”
LUKE FIDLER, AUDIO EXPERT CAR STEREO, CLEARWATER, FLA.
JASON EWING, AUTOMOTIVE DATA SOLUTIONS, PITTSBURGH, PA.
24 years in the industry 15 years in the industry
I deliver: “A solution to customers’ needs and their desires that is custom-tailored to fit their lifestyle. We don’t use an assembly line to make the process faster; we design and integrate by hand to make the process better. We can personalize almost everything.”
My skill: “Getting the customer the best possible system for the money spent. Often when the customer buys a new car the only way to get certain upgrades is to step up to the next trim level for thousands of dollars more. If a customer of mine wants more range on his remote start but is happy with a lower power amplifier, then we utilize their available budget for the exact features that will add the most joy to their vehicle experi- ence.”
What I Want From Automakers: “They need to understand that we aren’t out to destroy the ideas that they’ve built into these vehicles. We’re trying to make that customer happier with the vehicle they own. Their hands are tied by the need to build a car that 100,000 people will like, but our job is to build one car that one person loves. Let us do that job easier. For example, have engineers forgotten about circles? Speaker holes in new cars come in all sort of shapes, but very few are normal circles of a standard diam- eter. Why??”
I deliver: “Solutions to individual customer needs and wants. I provide the ability to modify product in a vehicle to give customers upgradability, and we as installers can adapt at a moment’s notice to emerging trends in the marketplace.”
My skill: “Understanding complex vehicle electronics and communication, and the ability to integrate to said systems.”
What I Want From Automakers: “A standardized framework for product, and analog wiring added to allow user upgrades without damaging the integrity of the vehicle’s main wiring harness.”
me-mag.com 29
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60