There are more than 33.7 million vehicles registered in Canada. With billions of kilometres on the odometers of those vehicles, Canadian drivers rely on the country’s more than 23,000 automotive repair and maintenance providers to keep those engines purring. And those hardworking auto mechanics with the know-how needed to service those vehicles? Well, they rely on the tools of the trade.
That’s where Snap-on Tools comes in. Every day, Snap-on franchisees start up their trucks, or as Snap-on Tools’ Director of Franchise System Tom Kasbohm calls them, “show-rooms on wheels”. The fully merchandised mobile store hits the road to sell tools to professional mechanics and other clients who furnish their own tools as part of the day-to-day operation of their business.
“Snap-on Inc. has a 99 year legacy of providing innovative productivity solutions to our customers,” explains Kasbohm of the franchise concept. “The Snap-on Tools of Canada LTD. (Snap-on) franchisee offers product solutions from Snap-on’s extensive line of over 33,000 products and another 6,500 products distributed by Snap-on Tools. A Snap-on Tools franchisee brings personal service, innovative solutions, and financing options directly to the customers working in the bays, where they per-form critical tasks and repairs.”
Working from a protected list of clients, a Snap-on franchisee visits many mechanic shops a day either to make a sale, follow up with a client, provide a quote, or collect payment. Serving not only mechanics in the automotive space, Snap-on franchisees also provide equipment to clients in a wide range of other sectors, including aviation and aerospace, construction, manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, and more.
Franchisees come from many different disciplines and have many different skills sets, but they all have one thing in common: a commitment to delivering top-notch customer service.In addition to acting as a knowledge base of the Snap-on brand’s extensive product line – which includes every-thing from tool storage solutions to hand tools, power tools, and diagnostic equipment – Snap-on franchisees are people persons.
“The typical Snap-on franchisee exhibits personal discipline, is goal and customer service orientated, and enjoys a relationship-based business,” says Kasbohm. “The Snap-on franchisee regularly services their list of calls and establishes a strong personal relationship with the customer.”
Snap-on franchisees are motivated entrepreneurs, with each franchise owner establishing their own goals and benchmarks for success. As business-owners, Snap-on franchisees are the authors of their own success, but they’re not in it alone.
The franchise provides extensive initial classroom training and three additional weeks of on the mobile store training. Snap-on’s extensive training programs help equip franchisees with the skills and knowledge they need to establish relationships with their customers and familiarize themselves to the products they’re selling.
Once the franchise is up and running, the franchisor offers on-going support in the form of franchise performance team members who offer ongoing training, monthly product plans, and marketing strategies. In addition, the franchisee is encouraged to attend annual meetings, such as the Franchisee Kick-Off and Snap-on Franchise Conference, to continually hone their skills and better achieve their business goals.
“Together, Snap-on and Snap-on franchisees work to build the brand. We know that together, we can improve the franchise experience,” Kasbohm explains of the system’s franchisor-franchisee relationship dynamic. “Franchisees often take advantage of the services offered by Snap-on’s performance team, attend training meetings, and participate in the National Franchisee Advisory council. We strive to be the franchisor of choice and are proud to be recognized by Franchise Business Review with the Franchise Satisfaction Award for 12 years running.”
