may2023 - 42

TALES FROM THE ROAD
The life-changing ad
This husband and wife team didn't quite choose this career, it sort of chose them.
By Kayla Nadler, Associate Editor
W
hen Becky and Miguel
Richards became pregnant,
the plan was for
Becky to quit her teaching job
to stay home with the baby for a
couple of years. But when Miguel
found himself unemployed from his
IT job a week after the birth, they
were thrown for a loop. It wasn't until
Miguel saw an ad in the paper for a
flag that sparked the idea of becoming
a mobile tool dealer.
" [The ad] sort of jumped off the
page at us and we thought, 'We can do
that,' " Miguel recalls.
Now 13 years later, what started as
a career change for Miguel has now
turned into a life-changing, family
affair. A lot has happened over the years.
For starters, the Richards decided
that after eight years with a flag it was
time to make the switch to go independent
and join the GEARWRENCH
Street Team. Then a few years later,
Becky went from handling the paperwork
of the business and working fulltime
as a teacher to helping Miguel with
his route by driving a second truck.
WORKING TOGETHER
Miguel was putting in long hours on the
road which meant he was coming home
late and often missing family dinners.
To get him home earlier, they decided
to have Becky train with Miguel to
learn the business.
What's your story?
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from the Road column.
What started as a career change for Miguel has now turned into a life-changing, family affair.
" I have greater respect now [for
Miguel] because I can understand what
he was doing more than when I was just
handling the backend, " Becky notes.
She then went on to take part of his
route, first starting with one day a week
and is now up to four days a week.
" It's fun, " she says. " I like being
able to talk to so many different people
across different types of work and
there's something different every day. "
Not to mention, Miguel's just a
phone call away if she needs help.
" I can call Miguel and have the
customer explain to him what they are
looking for on speakerphone, " she adds.
Although, over time those phone
calls became less and less as she felt
more comfortable.
" For a while she was calling me
frequently about different questions
on tools, but now she barely calls me, "
Miguel says. " She has grasped all
the information about the different
products and tools and what they're
used for. "
OVERSTOCK OVERLOAD
One thing that makes the Richards' stand
out with their customers is by always
having fully stocked trucks. They have
42 Professional Distributor I May 2023 I VehicleServicePros.com
so much inventory on hand that they are
now having to move because their overstock
is taking over their house, literally.
" It first started with one shelf [in
the house] and has since spilled into
the dining room, living room, hallway,
garage, and storage spaces. "
However, this overstock obsession
has saved them a few times, including
the time Miguel's previous truck
caught fire due to an electrical issue
while visiting a customer's shop and
nothing was deemed salvageable as
well as when Becky first started as a
tool dealer.
In both situations, they were able
to fill a truck quickly to serve their
customers.
FUN FACTS:
Favorite Snack
Becky - Mountain Dew
Miguel - Whatever is in the
candy bin
Music for the Road
Becky - 80s, 90s, or 2000s
Miguel - Talk radio
Most Random Sale
Dog biscuits

http://www.VehicleServicePros.com

may2023

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