Barry Leabo is the President & CEO of Jobbers Automotive Warehouse, the largest automotive aftermarket warehouse in Kansas. Established in 1954, they currently service 85 stores, 26 of which are owned by Jobbers Automotive Warehouse. They take pride in servicing each store with overnight deliveries.
We recently sat down with Barry to discuss his experience with their vendor,Continental Battery Systems:
What service doesContinental Battery Systems provide for you?
"They provide us with an extensive product offering in the battery category—not just batteries for cars and trucks. We like the fact thatContinental Battery Systems is getting into advanced technologies, such as MixTech and Lithium-Ion. It seems like every single year they're coming out with new batteries that are powered by cutting-edge technology."
What's it like working with Continental?
"We've partnered with Continental for well over 20 years. They ship extremely well—for example, we submit a purchase order to them each week, and they have an outstanding fill rate (meaning if we order 100 batteries, they'll ship 98). Their fill rate is extremely high, and this is something we value greatly.
"Continental routinely provides us with the best service and the most reliable product that we've ever experienced in the battery category. They also continue that support with dedicated representatives that we rely on heavily. In short,Continental Battery Systems and their customer service reps go above and beyond to take care of Jobbers Warehouse."
Are there any incidents or situations in mind where Continental went above and beyond to help?
"There have been several one-off situations where Continental really took care of us when we were in a pinch. For example, every now and then, we have had to lean on their marketing department for graphics. They'll send us proofs; we'll make changes and promote specific categories through the use of print media, such as an oversized banner.Continental Battery Systems also supports Jobbers through promotions (summer promotion) that allow a store to track battery sales out their door—and for selling so many batteries, the store is rewarded with a gift card and is eligible to win even larger prizes!
"There have also been instances where a customer required a specialty battery, and the nearest Continental warehouse didn't have it in stock. In this particular instance, the Continental rep jumped in his car and drove 9 hours roundtrip to get the customer's specialty battery. Usually, this type of situation involves a fire truck or a medical vehicle that cannot afford any downtime.
"Continental goes above and beyond by providing us with special assistance and requests such as that. They really have come through for us and go the extra mile time and time again—that's just what they do.
"At the end of the day, they make us feel special, and the relationship continues to improve year after year. It's no wonder why they're our #1 selling product line in the warehouse."