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ETTN Member Insight Feature: Using Technology and Customer Service to Overcome an Economic Disruption

By Ashley Reyes

Brian Reese from The Retrofit Source (TRS) and Brandon Harding of Vintage Air are the latest members to be featured in the SEMA Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN) member insight program. In this week’s spotlight, Reese and Harding share how they have overcome recent challenges in their businesses and their experiences on how they are utilizing PPE and technology to further invest in their employees and customers.

Brian Reese
Brian Reese

Brian Reese: The Retrofit Source (TRS)

What hobby have you picked up or reignited now that you find yourself socially distanced?

Cooking at home. 

What has been the most challenging aspect for your company and how are you overcoming it?

Preparing the company for a safe and embraced return to the office. We’ve invested in plexiglass partitions for the tops of cubes in customer service; hired a cleaning and disinfecting service to complete daily service; created a protocol for checking and logging all employee temperatures every day; created sanitizing stations at the building’s entrance, break rooms and bathrooms; supplied PPE for all employees; and established social distancing guidelines for the office.

What advice do you have for businesses to help them stay positive during this pandemic?

Focus on the customer! This is the third time I’ve worked through a major economic disruption (internet bust/9-11, housing collapse and now COVID-19). In each case, my company increased its focus on customers, customer service and delivering the best products possible. We’ve invested in marketing every time, which is the inverse of many competitors who took a short-term view of conserving cash. Every time it has proven successful.

Brandon Harding
Brandon Harding

Brandon Harding: Vintage Air

What hobby have you picked up or reignited now that you find yourself socially distanced?

Learning new programming languages, such as Python and SQL.

What has been the most challenging aspect for your company and how are you overcoming it?

Keeping up with customer demand. Improving our plantwide communication was key to overcome this challenge.

What advice do you have for businesses to help them stay positive during this pandemic?

This is a great opportunity to use technology to improve how we all do business.

Fill out this form for a chance to be featured in the next ETTN Member Insight. Additional updates and resources are also available to assist ETTN members and their business at www.sema.org/coronavirus.