Parts Connection brings the sunshine KNOWING CUSTOMERS WERE DOING IT TOUGH LAST YEAR, PARTS CONNECTION DECIDED TO SPREAD A LITTLE JOY arts Connection is making a name for itself for going the extra mile for its customers and the person driving that approach is marketing manager Pam McNickle. In the midst of level 3 lockdown in Auckland, Pam decided what customers might appreciate most was a bit of human contact — a little sunshine to take people out of their closedin world. The question was how to do this in a contactless way? “Well,” says Pam, “You put your long-serving BBQ truck out on the road, delivering donuts! “Every day since September — and thousands of freshly baked donuts later — we have brought a little sunshine and sweetness to our customers’ days,” she says. “It was so good to be able to turn up in the big yellow truck, don a mask, leave the donuts at a ‘drop off’ point, and give the customers a wave and a smile — you really have to smile with your eyes when you’re wearing a mask!” laughs Pam. Her clear favourite donut, which also proved popular with customers, was a “Parts Connection yellow” donut with lemon curd and custard. As the alert levels reduced, Pam put the truck’s coffee machine back into action and also offered cold drinks to ramp up the customers’ star treatment. Pam enjoys the delivery run and the feedback so much that she is keen to get back on the road again this year, still delivering delicious donuts in the morning but also cooking up a storm with BBQ burgers at lunchtime at a different location each day. Not only does Parts Connection visit their customers with treats, Pam has also decided to rerun Parts Connection’s “pretty awesome” Gold Rush promotion, for the third year in a row. It starts up again this month — February. The prize pool this year is $200,000 in cash. Qualifying for gold rush cards is easy. “All you have to do is purchase a part from any Parts Connection member and you will receive a lucky gold rush card with a number on it. Visit the Goldrush promotion website — pcgold.co.nz — and check the number to see whether you are an instant cash winner,” Pam explains. The Gold Rush promotion offers a prize pool of a minimum of $20k every month, and more if the top cash prize of the previous month isn’t claimed. In that case, the biggest gold rush nugget jackpots into the next month’s prize pool. Over the past two years Parts Connection has paid out prizes to hundreds of lucky winners throughout New Zealand. Parts Connection is one of New Zealand’s leading dismantler groups. For more than 30 years, Parts Connection has provided customers with
P
34
Auto Channel Issue #43 February 2022
quality new and recycled car parts. Its 16 members operate under the Parts Connection banner and each member provides a specialist parts service for their specialist make of vehicle. Because they are specialists, their customers receive fast, reliable, accurate, and friendly service. Pam says that’s what makes them stand out from the rest. “Wherever possible all their recycled parts are tested, checked, and cleaned, and come with a specialist parts guarantee so customers can be confident with their purchase.” Another benefit of dealing with the Parts Connection group is its large stock-holding of parts, giving customers more confidence the part they need will be available. Parts Connection’s computerised labelling and barcoding system enables staff to pick and pack parts correctly, and its nationwide delivery service means a same-day or next-day service to most parts of the country. Parts Connection is continually looking at ways to improve its processes in automotive recycling and is committed to ensuring safe environmental practices at all sites. Partnering with Parts Connection means customers are dealing with a professional organisation with a wealth of experience — and also one with a heart. For more information, see partsconnection.co.nz or call 0800 70 70 40.
