WIT: Serving Your Industry… Today, and in the Years Ahead
June 1, 2017
400 Views
12 Min Read
When WIT opened its doors back in 1999, it had one underlying goal: to serve the transmission repair industry… whatever it takes. That goal was so pervasive throughout their business model that they chose it as their name: WIT — Whatever It Takes.
WIT’s business model is unique in our industry. Everyone who works there — from the president to the drivers who deliver parts to your door — is an owner in the company. That creates a very special attitude when it comes to customer service.
Kelly Hammock, VP of branch operations, explains it like this: “When you call WIT, you’ll never have anyone tell you ‘It’s not my job.’” Serving the industry is everyone’s job at WIT, and it’s a job they take seriously.
But ours is a changing industry. The business environment you face today is nothing like it was back at the turn of the century… or, for that matter, just a couple years ago. So WIT’s approach to serving the industry has had to change with it.
That’s why a big part of their business model involves monitoring trends in the transmission repair industry. By analyzing those trends, WIT is able to predict how the industry will look a few years from now, allowing them to prepare for those changes long before they reach your door.
Let’s look at some of the ways WIT has adjusted its operating strategies to address this changing environment, to serve you today… and in the years ahead.
Rapid Delivery and Expanded Inventory
One of the most obvious changes to the transmission repair business involves parts. Most of us can remember when transmission parts were part of your shop’s inventory. It was a rare situation when you had to order anything for a transmission after it was on your bench.
Today, not so much. The immense variety of transmissions that most shops work on regularly has virtually eliminated the value of maintaining an inventory. Which means you have to order everything you need. And, when you order those parts, you need them to reach your shop quickly.
Fast delivery has been a hallmark of the WIT business model from the beginning. Their drop-box deliveries have become the stuff of legends, and they’re regularly opening new locations and increasing their inventory, to make sure most shops can have their orders the next day… or even sooner.
“It wasn’t long ago where even the smaller shops kept an inventory,” explains Production Manager Chris Combs. “That isn’t the case any more. One of the ways we’re addressing this need is to improve every branch of our in-house coverage, so that our customers don’t have to wait until the next day to get their parts.
“We have some areas where we can deliver parts four and five times a day,” says Rodney Peters, VP of sales. “And we’ve had situations where we’ve driven over two hours to help get one of our customers out of a jam. It’s about getting them the right parts at the right time.”
Another way WIT is addressing the need for quick delivery is by expanding into new regions. In September, WIT opened a new store in Houston, Texas.
“When we move into a new market, what seems to impress people the most is that we offer them someone to call and talk to, and to provide them with exceptional service,” says Rodney. “You’d think it’d be more complicated than that, but it isn’t.
“One of the difficulties with opening new locations is finding qualified people and getting them trained properly. They need to know the industry; they need to know parts.
“This is and important part of our business model. When someone calls and asks for a valve body for a 4L60E — or maybe they need a filter or a band — talking to someone who can relate and tell them what they need is critical.”
How does a new WIT store help you? It puts that inventory closer to your shop. The shops in the Houston area now receive multiple deliveries daily. Shops that are a little further out still receive at least one delivery every day.
That makes it easier for them to operate, without tying up money in inventory.
And, while the Houston store is looking like a terrific success, the folks at WIT aren’t sitting back on their laurels. They’re already scouting other regions for new stores; if you don’t have a WIT store nearby yet, don’t be surprised to discover that they’re evaluating sites near you.
New and Used Hard Parts
Think back: It wasn’t all that long ago that you probably had a few dozen cores out back. You needed a drum or planetary, you pulled a core apart, took what you needed, and put everything else on a shelf for later.
Once again, the huge variety of transmission types has eliminated a practice that was once universal. Today, you could have a couple hundred cores and not have one with the parts you need. And buying those parts from the dealer could easily push your customer over the edge, from a cost perspective.
“We’ve actually handled hard parts for as long as we’ve been in business,” says Chris. “When you talk about hard parts, there are a lot of places that offer the major components: pumps, drums, planets, and valve bodies.
“But it makes no difference whether you need a major component or a snap ring or bearing; either one can keep you from finishing a rebuild. So we try to provide access to a wider range of hard parts; some new, some rebuilt, some used.
“Something as simple as a set of used pan bolts or a bearing — whatever you need to get the transmission back together, we service it for our customers.
“Anyone can offer the big parts, but the parts that keep someone from putting a unit together are just as important. It’s not particularly profitable, but it’s what our customers need.”
The need for quality hard parts has become critical over the last few years, so about a year ago, WIT’s management team decided to revamp its production department, to expand its production volume and inventory of hard parts.
“We’ve added several new pieces of equipment, increased our drum lines, and almost doubled our inventory capacity,” says Chris. “We’ve set up a welding and remanufacturing center for planets, and even dedicated machinery to handle nothing but cases.
“We’re constantly looking at ways to provide a better product, while remaining as efficient as possible for us and our customers.”
In-House Valve Body Diagnosis and Repair
One of the most problematic areas in today’s transmissions is the valve body. Many have dozens of valves, creating literally hundreds of places for leaks to occur. And, too often, parts aren’t available; your only choice is to replace the entire valve body. That can create a hard sell to a customer who’s already been pushed to his financial breaking point.
This is why WIT offers rebuilt valve bodies: To take those problems off your plate and provide a reliable, cost-effective solution.
“There are so many variations out there that no one shop can afford to buy the tooling to repair every valve body they’re likely to see,” says Chris. “You could find yourself spending $900 or more for the tools to repair a valve body you might see once a year. It doesn’t make good sense for them.”
“All of our valve bodies are completely disassembled, washed, and cleaned,” explains Howard Fox, WIT’s valve body production manager. “All the valves are picked and stroked to make sure they aren’t sticking, and we vacuum test the valve body to look for any signs of a leak.
“All of the solenoids are tested and any that are out of specs get replaced. Then the valve body goes onto one of our test benches, where they’re tested under pressure, for leaks and proper operation.
“And now we’re expanding our valve body operation, from 1500 square-feet to nearly 5000 square-feet, for additional production and maintaining inventory.”
“Most shops don’t have the equipment to test a valve body,” explains WIT President Kenny Hester. That’s why WIT has begun to offer its customers a valve body testing service. “For a small fee, we let our customers send us their valve body and we’ll test it for them,” says Rodney. “In some cases, the problem isn’t the valve body at all.”
“If the valve body does have a problem, we’ll offer to repair theirs or sell them a new one,” explains Howard. “In that case, we’ll wave the testing fee.”
“In a lot of cases it’s a lifesaver for them,” says Rodney. “It saves them a lot of time and money, and they don’t have to experiment with parts that may not be bad.”
Rebuilt Transmissions Standard and Automatic
For a lot of transmission shops, the thought that their parts supplier is getting involved with remans is upsetting. But remans have their place in the industry, even for a traditional, custom-rebuild shop.
Part of that is because it’s becoming harder to find qualified rebuilders, and the ones who are out there are getting up in years. So, when your rebuilder retires, it could take a long time to find someone to take his place. Even vacation time can put you out of business for a few weeks, unless you have a source to buy rebuilt transmissions.
And let’s not forget that it’s getting harder and harder to be an expert on every transmission that comes your way; there are just too many different units on the road. Having a reliable source for remans means you have a fallback when your rebuilder isn’t familiar with the transmission that just showed up at your shop. All good reasons to reconsider using remans.
Many of the transmissions WIT offers are rebuilt in house; a few are rebuilt for WIT. All of them are dyno tested before they’re sold.
It’s important to remember that, while WIT does offer rebuilt automatic and standard transmissions, they don’t market them to the general public. Reman transmissions are a service that WIT offers its regular customers. So with WIT, chances are you’ll never find yourself competing with your supplier.
In fact, if a consumer came to WIT and asked for a transmission, there’s a good chance he’d be referred to a local shop, where the transmission can be diagnosed and repaired properly.
“We don’t want someone off the street who knows nothing about transmissions to install one of our rebuilds,” explains Chris. “That’s just asking for trouble. The technicians at the transmission shops have the knowledge to do the job correctly.
“That guy off the street? There’s no telling what kind of mistakes he’s going to make. And that’ll reflect badly on us, even if there’s nothing wrong with our transmission.”
Sharing the Knowledge
One of the most valuable features of being in contact with so many shops is the knowledge that WIT can accrue and share with its customers. This knowledge is often collected simply by keeping track of the parts that other shops order for specific units.
“Transmissions are getting more complex every day,” says Kenny. “So, for us to provide the best service, we have to learn as much as possible about the latest units, to be able to provide that information to our customers.
“Information is a critical part of this business. Today’s technicians have a tough job, trying to keep up with the changes taking place. There’s a huge need for information… for us and for them. Our success depends on each of us sharing as much information as possible.”
“Every day we focus on educating our team on the latest parts information and availability,” says Rodney. “There are a lot of things we’re doing behind the scenes to try to be there for our customers. We’re not just here to sell a part; we’re here to build relationships with our customers.”
“We listen to what our customers have to say,” says Kenny. “If several customers tell us there’s an update on a unit, and if you don’t do the update the unit’s going to come back on you, we’ll add that information to the system so our sales people have it at their fingertips when someone calls about that unit.”
“There’s no substitute for experience,” agrees Chris. “When we learn about issues with a particular unit, we’ll make notes in our computer database, to enable our sales people to ask the right questions and help lead them down the right path. That way the technician has a better shot at success on the first go-round with that unit.
“It’s a never-ending process; there’s always something we’re trying to add to the database to get the best information to our customers.”
At WIT, research doesn’t end with reading bulletins or talking to shops. “We’ll often buy a late-model transmission from a salvage yard and tear it down to see what we can learn,” says Chris. “After we’re finished with it, we’ll send it to ATRA for them to use for research and photos.”
Of course, WIT also supports education for the industry. They provide invaluable financial support for ATRA’s webinar program and regional seminars… support that’s critical for ATRA to continue to provide the programs necessary for shops like yours to meet the challenges facing you, each and every day.
No doubt about it: The industry we know today is nothing like it was just a few years ago. And it probably won’t remain the way it is today for long.
But one thing you can count on: WIT will be there to serve you, no matter how the industry redefines itself. And they’ll continue to adjust their business model to meet the changes to our industry…whatever it takes!