There are many aspects of the automotive industry that Diego Gomez appreciates. “The people are exceptional, and the complexity of the business is fascinating, as is the machine itself,” he says. “Vehicles are a part of everyone’s daily lives, and they’re continuously scrutinized: will today’s products be better than yesterday’s?”
That fast-paced environment and pursuit of perfection comes with a lot of hard work…and Diego is up for the challenge.
After graduating from the Drivability and Diagnostic Automotive Program at Tarrant Community College, Diego began working in a Chevrolet dealership’s service department. “I really began to understand dealership operations there, which in turn impacted my career at MarketSource,” he explains.
One function of a car dealership’s service department is to address and resolve recalls. A recall is issued when a manufacturer (or sometimes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) determines a vehicle or equipment creates an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet minimum safety standards.
MarketSource works with several automotive manufacturers supporting the largest vehicle safety recall in U.S. history—the Takata airbag recall. In a crash, defective airbags can rupture unexpectedly, spraying shrapnel into the vehicle. Over time, exposure to heat and humidity increases this risk.
MarketSource team members facilitate the airbag repairs, whether it’s through scheduling appointments at a dealership, coordinating repairs at owners’ homes for dealerships with mobile repair capabilities, or even performing the repairs themselves. At the end of the day, their mission is to make sure these vehicles are safe to drive…and in turn, they save lives.
The diverse expertise that recall specialists must possess plays out in many different roles. Says Diego, “First, you need to be a salesman. Although the repairs are free, we still need to explain the benefits of having the repair done in the first place. Next, you need to act as a parts manager. We perform repairs on-site, so we must know how to manage and maintain our inventory, too. Of course, you need to be a technician to perform the actual repairs. Finally, you must be great at people management.” While each of our dealership partners files the warranty claim, orders parts, or writes a repair order, the MarketSource team must understand its impact on every department.
“I was told early on in my career that hard work beats genius,” he says. “Others may have an advantage, so make sure they can’t out-work you.”
After five years of experience, Diego has become a Takata airbag recall expert. His commitment to continuous improvement and his meaningful impact have earned him two promotions, as well as the respect of his peers. He recently completed a 10-week MarketSource leadership course that helped him become an even better leader for them.
“I was told early on in my career that hard work beats genius,” he says. “Others may have an advantage, so make sure they can’t out-work you.” And, he readily adds that truly enjoying what you do makes a difference. “I remember once being told that, whether you’re flipping burgers or making millions, take pride in your work and let there be no doubt that you did it!”
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*June is Airbag Recall Repair Month! MarketSource is joining Check to Protect in urging all drivers to check their vehicles for airbag recalls and get any recalled airbags replaced for free at their nearest authorized dealer. Visit ChecktoProtect.org.