Advance Auto Parts 2006 Annual Report Download - page 8

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Our people separate an extraordinary shopping experience from an
ordinary one. Our people make the difference. Our people represent the
image of Advance in our customers’ eyes. Together, we are Advance.
As a result, we have always focused on hiring qualified Team Members
at all levels of the organization. We believe seven qualities, in particular,
are the basis of the ideal Advance Team Member:
1. Friendly
2. Product Knowledgeable
3. Customer Oriented
4. Team Player
5. Detail Oriented
6. Change Oriented
7. Dependable
We use these criteria in our hiring decisions, annual performance
evaluations, and promotion decisions, to ensure Advance has the
right people serving our customers. Product Knowledgeable refers to
the automotive and parts knowledge our store Team Members need
to serve our customers. But it also may refer to being bi-lingual, or
being able to speak sign language, in order to communicate effectively
with customers.
As we mentioned in last year’s annual report, we use the term
“customer” broadly. Just as it’s essential that we have experienced
professionals behind the counter at our stores, it’s also essential
that we have the same quality of people at our Distribution Centers
and Store Support Center. There, our behind-the-scenes subject-
matter experts serve their “customers” by analyzing lease
renewals, negotiating with vendors, and ensuring we have an
ample supply of merchandise on-hand. This allows our store
teams to focus on their most important job: serving our retail and
commercial customers.
The customer compliment on the facing page about Paul in Naugatuck,
Connecticut, is a testament to the type of can-do attitude our Team
Members have. They do more than expected, because that’s how
they’d want to be treated if they were in the customer’s shoes. They act
as business owners, because they are. And they serve as role models
to their fellow Team Members, who emulate their exemplary behavior,
creating a culture of customer service.
We work hard to convey a strong impression to our customers
through impactful advertising, sharp pricing, and immaculate store
conditions. But when Paul learned sign language to communicate better
with his customer, that had a profoundly positive impact. And not just to
that one customer Paul served, but to all of the customer’s friends and
family members that heard the story, too. The Advance Way is about
securing customers for life.
Differentiation the Advance Way
Advance Auto Parts, Inc.
▲
Annual Report 2006
6
Since Arthur Taubman founded Advance
Auto Parts in 1932, we have operated
with the belief that customers deserve a
great shopping experience; we owe it to
them. In order to make that a reality, we
must employ a top-caliber Team.
The
Advance
Value
Proposition
The
Advance
Value
Proposition