Rich Okonsky

Parts Manager Rich Okonsky, Allen Samuels Katy store, explained the highlights of his shop’s success. “We have a huge inventory – over 1,400,000 parts in stock. Our warehouse alone delivers to over 200 cities – all free of charge. We have four wholesale guys with over 50 years experience working the phones in a dedicated room. A very important factor for our collision repair customer is our lenient return policy. Any part can be returned within 30 days with no restocking fees.”

Even little things make a difference. There arerefrigerators located throughout the offices where customers can get bottled water at their convenience (again at no charge).

Okonsky himself has worked for Dodge for about 13 years. “I started out selling wholesale parts, became assistant manager and now I am parts manager. My functions include overseeing stock and taking care of customer’s needs. Our philosophy is to take care of the customer. We totally believe in it. The customer comes first. We believe this is the secret to success.”

Company-wide the dealership puts on golf tournaments almost every weekend. Okonsky’s store donates small prizes such as hats and t-shirts to these events. The golf tournaments benefit I Have a Dream; United Way and Rainbow Kids – all charities for underprivileged kids.

Parts manager for S&W Collision in Lufkin, Stephanie Choat has done business with the Allen Samuels Katy store for over ten years. “We patronize the Katy store because they are very efficient in getting the right part to our shop right away. They have a good supply of parts    we use regularly. Orders are delivered the next day, the staff is very easy to work with, and the return policy works well for us.

“Whether it is over the phone, internet or via fax, we never have to worry about our orders getting misplaced. They always go the extra step to give a call and acknowledge that the fax has been received. Even though Clint is my contact, the staff is all cross-trained and anyone can help at any time.”

Overall Responsibility
The North Richland (Ft. Worth) Allen Samuels store is where the parts director for all of Allen Samuels Dodge Roy Benner hangs his hat. While each store is responsible for stocking its own parts, Benner’s functions include overseeing obsolescence, balancing the inventory between shops, and training management and staff.

“We reach out to our customers through every medium – phone, internet, direct sales. We are concentrating on developing procedures to make our services especially desirable to autobody shops,” said Benner. “We offer daily and overnight delivery of parts. If a shop is in town, parts are delivered the same day. Those shops further away receive parts overnight so technicians can begin work when the shop opens, rather than delaying another half-a-day before starting.”