Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM AUGUST 2023 58 S erviceSource, the exclusive AVB BrandSource initiative to help servicing dealers improve their repair operations, is adding a new feature this fall. The first ServiceSource Factory Technical Training Camp will set up shop Sept. 19-22 in Franklin, MA, at the headquarters of AVB affiliate New England Appliance Group (NEAG). There, factory trainers from GE, Electrolux, LG, Samsung and Whirlpool will conduct four-hour tear-down service trainings over the course of the program. According to ServiceSource Senior Lead Paul MacDonald, the hands-on sessions are designed to "train-the-trainer," so that attending senior repair techs can return to their service departments and impart the skills and instruction they gleaned to their own teams back home. The factory training camp is the latest in a long line of innovations introduced by the AVB BrandSource buying group to help its self-servicing members achieve profitable repair operations. Under the direction of MacDonald and ServiceSource, the group, among other initiatives, has developed a comprehensive how-to manual called the Service Playbook; conducts ongoing accredited service manager trainings at AVB's bi-annual trade shows; produces a monthly newsletter jam-packed with best practices; and holds live, bi-monthly video chats with BrandSource members, suppliers, and vendors. In other BrandSource news, the group's digital marketing and advertising arm, AVB Marketing, reports that members enjoyed a seamless transition this summer from Google's now-defunct Universal Analytics service to its new, more comprehensive Google Analytics 4 (GA4) platform. Google flipped the switch on July 1, after which any website owners not prepared for the changeover stopped receiving critical data about their online performance. Fortunately for BrandSource members, AVB Marketing began preparing for the conversion well over a year ago, and all dealers using the group's proprietary Alta websites have long since been plugged in to the new GA4 system, making the transition seamless. As AVB Marketing's SEO director William Glade explained, Alta users can now access a massive amount of information about their website's metrics and visitor interactions, including link clicks, video views, filter usage, merchandising information, checkout funnel data, and over 60 new customer behavior tracking events. All of these critical insights are streamed to members via centralized, best-in-class dashboards, which AVB Marketing enhanced beyond Google's own standard interface. "These dashboards will take all of the important aspects of members' businesses and boil them down into a highly consumable, easy-to-navigate reporting experience," Glade said. Their easily digested, top-down format spotlights the most action- able information, he noted, making it easy for dealers to access the insights they need quickly without having to drill down for answers. AVB Marketing's Product GM Kate Morris added, "Now we will be able to provide members with even more insight into how consumers are shopping on their websites and how they should invest accordingly to improve conversions and purchases on their flagship stores." To that end, Glade suggests that BrandSource members log in to their dashboards at least once a week to check for any changes in website traffic and tweak their digital marketing accordingly. B U Y I N G G R O U P N E W S RO BRANDSOURCE LAUNCHES VENDOR SERVICE TRAININGS Factory-led tech sessions set for September Alan Wolf is Senior Communications Specialist for AVB BrandSource, the nation's leading member-owned merchandising and marketing co-op for independent appliance, furniture, bedding, and consumer tech dealers.

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