When the management at Swedish Engineering went looking for a new Parts Manager, they didn’t have to go far—Chris Diccon was poised just under the volleyball net, ready to score. As a teammate of Swedish Engineering’s Barbara Wilson, Chris’ excellent interpersonal skills, a prerequisite for the job, were already well known. It was a perfect match for Chris, too. Tired of travel his previous job demanded, Chris was ready to leave the road behind to learn something completely different. In the end, Chris scored a job he loves and Swedish Engineering gained an enthusiastic Parts Manager with a mandate to raise the bar on customer service.

As Parts Manager, Chris sells parts to customers who service their own cars as well as selling parts through the service department. Three months into the job, Chris is already familiar with a broad range of Volvo parts and has developed an extensive knowledge base of all the serviceable parts associated with the vehicle, including parts customers can take care of themselves.

With over 40,000 Volvo possible parts available, in an auto repair shop the size of Swedish Engineering’s, keeping track of inventory becomes the key to success, and the Service and Parts Departments must work together like a well-oiled machine. Thanks to technology, tracking parts is far easier than it was even ten years ago when hand tracking made the process much slower and the likelihood for error far greater. Today, sophisticated software keeps track of parts supplied by several different vendors through an automated inventory system that tracks every sale using a part number. When a part sells or a stock level falls below a certain level, the computer automatically deducts the part from the stock. At reorder level, the computer automatically generates a P.O. that tells Chris what part to purchase and from what vendor to bring the stock level up. Chris faxes the orders to their respective vendors and parts are shipped the next day.

But when it comes to the Parts Department, the parts themselves are only half the story. Exceptional customer service is a key factor in keeping customers from getting frustrated when ordering. By acting as a liaison between the customer and the technician, Chris believes he’s providing each customer with a valuable service. “When a customer calls the Parts Department, we have a limited diagnosis ability. But we can help customers identify specific parts by extrapolating from the information we get what part they’re actually looking for. There are times when the part is easily identified and something the customer can take care of—like replacing wiper blades or spark plugs. We can also help the customer recognize when their problem requires the expertise of a technician.”

Chris has learned more in the past three months than just the names of 40,000 parts. Before joining Swedish Engineering, he wasn’t at all familiar with Volvo’s reputation for longevity and safety. He’s since seen cars come into the shop that are still going strong after 20 years on the road and is especially impressed by a design that makes Volvos relatively easy to service. “Volvos are a reliable and safe vehicle and there’s a shared application of parts across the model line. For example, there’s a fuel filter that goes across many different models and a wide range of years. It’s become clear to me that the simplicity of the design speaks to its brilliance.”

Chris describes himself as a perfectionist determined to get things right for the sake of the customer. “If someone’s getting frustrated because they’re having a hard time explaining a part to me, I seem to have a knack for putting the person at ease and working with them. And I’ve learned the importance of staying in communication. When I say I’ll get back to them, I actually do.” It’s a strategy that’s already winning high praise among customers.