A glimpse of what is possible

Our Jobber of the Year award celebrates new approaches to industry challenges.

By Allan Janssen

The backbone of any good business is a commitment to excellence.

The company that routinely does the bare minimum required to meet its obligations will not flourish, particularly in tough times. It’s the company that always strives to exceed expectations, in every situation, that will earn the trust and loyalty of its clients.

Those are the companies we want to recognize in our Jobber of the Year and Shop of the Year issue.

We’ve been doing this for years. We put out a call for jobber stores and repair shops that have made significant changes in the last 12 months. We want our award to celebrate the successes that have materialized in the past year.

It is always gratifying to see how many companies have earned votes as the top business of the year. As a matter of fact, it is a particular pleasure of mine to go through all the nominations, read the success stories, and talk to the nominees whose unique approaches to customer service have led to unexpected rewards. These stories fill my agenda for the following year, as I call on them for advice and opinion.

As a trade publication dedicated to improving our industry, we’re always looking for good stories to tell. Stories about companies that have implemented new work systems and productivity practices that deliver customer satisfaction. Aspirational stories about surprising victories and earned success. Motivational stories about overcoming challenges. These are the stories we want to tell in our year-end issue, as we name a jobber store that has gone above and beyond the call of duty, and an automotive repair shop that stands out from its peers.

For better or worse, some businesses are running on autopilot. They’re doing business as they always have. If it’s working for them, great. If it’s not, I hope they wake up soon. Maybe they’ll learn something from the progressive companies out there that are keeping up with technology, customer preferences, and retail trends.

Maybe they’ll catch a glimpse of what is possible from the businesses of the year.

Got an opinion you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me at allan@newcom.ca.