By BECKY CRISSMAN

becky.crissman@gaflnews.com

CORDELE — Marcus Gee enjoys “tinkering” with cars. I guess one could say it is a hobby. It seemed only fitting that he would have a job where he could help others meet their automotive needs.

Gee has been the store manager for O’Reilly Auto Parts for almost two years. There he spends a good deal of his time assisting customers who are in need of parts, accessories, or other items for their vehicles.

“It is good to have some knowledge of vehicles and their parts in order to properly help our customers.” said Gee. “When customers need parts we look them up on the computer by the year, make, and model of the vehicle. Factors such as the type of engine in a particular vehicle let us know the number of the part they need. What is right for one vehicle may not work in another. If we don’t have a part, we do everything we can to locate and order that part for our customers.”

Gee says that the operation of the computers is not so bad because they are self explanatory. Once a part has been located for a customer it is also important to make sure they have everything they need to complete their task. For example, if a customer is changing the oil in their vehicle you would not want to sell them the oil without a new filter. They may need a drain to dispose of the oil.

“Customer service is important when working with the public. We want to keep our regular customers coming back and bring new customers in with them.” said Gee. “If we don’t provide them with that service we will lose their business.”

Some of the customers that come into the store often are not certain what they need, so it is important that Gee and the remainder of the staff have the ability to help customer’s troubleshoot if necessary.

“One way we help customers troubleshoot is by testing alternators, batteries and starters.” said Gee. “We also have the capabilities of testing ignition control modules. When a customer comes in and says that their ‘check engine’ light is own in their vehicle we have a machine that reads the code to find out what has caused the light to come on. It could be a number of items. Sometimes the code reader shows more than one code, but it does help narrow it down.”

In addition to that there are a number of other services Gee says is provided to their customers such as; installing batteries and wiper blades, turning rotors and making hydraulic hoses. As store manager, for Gee, that list extends to ordering stock for the store, handling paperwork, scheduling of employees, making sales calls and visits.

“We do deliver and I try to keep a good working relationship with those customers and make sure they have what they need and that everything is running smoothly.” said Gee. “It is important to me to form good relationships with my customers. It is all about the customer service.”

Gee said that he has high expectations for the future at O’Reilly.

“This is a great company to work for and I hope to continue advancement within the company some time in the future.” said Gee. “However, right now, what I want most of all is to see the store continue its tradition of serving our customers to the best of our ability, while providing them with good, quality parts at competitive prices.”