4 Skills You'll Need to Begin a Parts Clerk Career After Service Advisor Training

If you’re interested in using your automotive knowledge to help customers, a career as an Automotive Parts Clerk (also known as an Automotive Parts Salesperson) could be right for you. Parts salespeople work within dealerships, parts replacement shops and similar businesses, helping customers to identify the right automotive parts and components for their needs and educating them about the various functions or advantages of different ones. As a parts salesperson, you’ll also be in charge of inventory management, ensuring that transactions are monitored and all parts are tracked and stored properly. 
After completing your service advisor training at CATI, you’ll be equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue a number of different careers in the automotive industry. Below, find out whether a career as an Automotive Parts Salesperson is right for you by learning more about the skills necessary to succeed.

After Service Advisor Training, You’ll Need Communication Skills

As an Auto Parts Salesperson, communication skills will be crucial for you to successfully determine a customer’s needs and expectations while maintaining a clear exchange of information between you and your customer. You’ll need to be able to listen to the problems a customer is having, give advice to them about potential replacement parts and keep them up-to-date through the process of ordering and delivering new parts. In order to maintain transparency and efficiency, building strong communication skills during service advisor training will be crucial.

Strong Product Knowledge

If you’re pursuing a career in auto parts sales or service, there’s nothing more important than the knowledge you possess about the products you’re selling. Whether you work for a dealership, a garage or a retail shop, maintaining an understanding of the parts and components you have in stock will enable you to accurately and effectively address the needs of customers, without having to waste time cross-checking information. Throughout your career, make sure to consistently upgrade your knowledge, learning everything you can about the new products which enter your shop.

Attention to Detail

Attention to detail is a key skill for a number of different duties that you’ll perform as an automotive parts clerk or salesperson. For one, you’ll need to manage inventory and monitor transactions, keeping an up-to-date record of all parts which are leaving or coming into your shop. Additionally, you’ll need to label and organize different parts based on their function, requiring you to meticulously sort through your shop’s inventory. Lastly, you’ll need to keep track of orders you’ve placed for replacement parts, ensuring that they’re delivered on time. If you have a good eye for detail, pursuing a service advisor career as an automotive parts salesperson could be right for you.

Customer Service Skills

Given the number of customers that an auto parts sales person will interact with on a daily basis, developing customer service skills for this role is essential. As an auto parts salesperson, you must be able to greet customers with enthusiasm and a helpful attitude, while maintaining a friendly demeanour in situations where a customer is frustrated or dissatisfied with a product. Once you build the skills to ensure that customers are satisfied and their complaints are handled effectively, you’ll be able to succeed as an automotive parts salesperson. 
Interested in auto service programs? 
Consider training for a career as a parts clerk with CATI!