What does it take to be successful in the automotive aftermarket? Offering quality products and providing value for money, for sure, but one of the most critical aspects of making it in the crowded car parts business is making a connection with your customers. While you might get by for a while by just throwing parts in boxes and handing them off to the guy in the big brown truck, companies that go the extra mile by listening to consumers and turning the transactions into a two-way street inevitably outlast the competition.

Billy Boat Performance Exhaust is a company that “gets it,” as shown by this video shot at the 2013 Bloomington Gold show. Doing on-site sales and installations, we get to see firsthand as a couple of Corvette owners upgrade the sound and performance of their cars right there on the spot with new exhausts. While the difference in tone between the stock and B&B pipes is noteworthy, reading between the lines you see just how important providing this kind of interaction really is. Potential customers at the show get to see and hear the products in action, and the Billy Boat staff gets to meet the people who, in the end, are paying the bills and keeping the lights on for everyone at the company.

The boneyard of failed companies is filled with businesses run by guys who could bend tubes and stack nickels with the best of ’em, but who couldn’t be bothered to understand or even care about the people they were working for – their customers. How important is that level of interaction to you? Let us know in the comments below…