Mattie Staff
BIG WHEELS: Happy customers the best reward for Mattie Import's Bob Moniz
By Marc Munroe DionHerald News Staff Reporter
Posted Oct 01, 2008 @ 04:56 PM
Fall River - There are two components to car repair: parts and labor. In general, neither one is much good without the other. At Mattie Imports, 80 William S. Canning Blvd., Bob Moniz is the guy who gets the parts together with the labor. He's the parts manager for this trusted, thriving, family-owned dealership. What does a parts manager do?
"We keep an inventory of the most readily used parts," Moniz said.
It's not a particularly easy job. "We have thousands and thousands of parts," Moniz said.
But technology, if it hasn't eliminated the job's great responsibility, has at least made the nuts and bolts aspect of the nuts and bolts business just a bit easier.
"We have a very sophisticated computer system," said Moniz. "It knows what you need to keep in stock. Moniz said the computer system notes how many times there is a call for any given part and lets him know what's needed. Moniz said if his department uses any one part three times in 12 months, the computer notes that part should be kept on hand.
"We order parts every day," Moniz said. "Every two days, we get a delivery from New Jersey."
Moniz himself has been kept on hand for a good long time at Mattie, where he started nine years ago.
"I was the parts driver," he said.
From parts driver, whose job it is to fetch auto parts from various places, he made his way indoors to work behind the counter in the parts department. From that job, he made his way to the job as parts manager. Moniz said he likes a lot of things about his job, but he likes the customers best.
"My favorite thing about this job is the customers," he said.
"Volkswagen and Audi customers are different," he said. "It's not just a car to them. It's a lifestyle.
"Volkswagen and Audi customers really know their cars," he said.
Mattie Imports sells new Volkswagens and Audis and a variety of used cars.
"We do work on Volkswagens and Audis and the used cars we sell," Moniz said.
Mattie Imports has been in same location with the same family name since 1981. The dealership mission statement says they're not here to sell you a vehicle but to help you find the vehicle that suits your needs. And Bob Moniz makes sure they don't run out of parts.