By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Betty Knapp's awards for three years as manager fill two shelves at the Dowagiac Auto Zone on M-51 South.
The cancer survivor won Store Manager of the Year, regional WITTDTJR (What It Takes to Do the Job Right) and inclusion in the President's Club, denoting the top 1 percent of managers in the $6 billion company ranked 379th in the Fortune 500 with 3,800 U.S. stores and 100 more in Mexico.
"I've won all the awards I can win with Auto Zone," the 1977 Union High School graduate said Monday afternoon.
For Store Manager of the Year, she was nominated by her district and regional managers, with final approval by the divisional vice president at the corporate level.
The tenacious Dowagiac woman has apparently followed her own advice – "have hope" – that she gave in May 2002 at the Cass County Relay for Life when she had already been battling cancer for three years.
The company is sending Betty and her husband Mike to Cancun in December.
"I wish I could take the whole staff," she said, "because they all deserve it."
"I was excited" upon returning from the awards ceremony in Indianapolis. "They gave me a standing ovation. It was tear jerking. It's very hard work to achieve all that – especially from our little town, Dowagiac. We have been the top WITTDTJR in our region for over three years. You can expect it out of Chicago, where they have more customers, but for this little town, we have really done well."
Knapp credits attention to customer service and "living the pledge. Auto Zone has a pledge. 'Auto Zone always puts customers first. We know our parts and products. Our stores look great. We've got the best merchandise at the right price.' We thrive on having a lot to offer customers. My goal is saving the customer money – especially with gas prices the way they are. That's why we test stuff. We have so much testing equipment for batteries, alternators and starters. If you live our pledge and believe it, you're going to make it happen. To stand back and look at our accomplishment is a great feeling and we are very proud. It's a lot of hard work, but it's worth it because we love our customers. It's the dedication from my team and customers that makes it worthwhile."
She joined Auto Zone seven years ago from a drug store background (Hook's, now Rite Aid) as a PSM, or parts sales manager.
"It's been a great achievement for me," considering that she knew nothing about cars when she started.
"I read and learned to work on my own car so that I can help a customer diagnose their car – so I know what they're talking about. I can almost guarantee I'll find whatever you need. I'll go looking for it. It might take me a couple of days, but I'll call you back with an answer because customers deserve that. You win your customers by achieving whatever it takes to make it happen. I want them to know that I'm here for them and I'll do anything within reason to find it for them."
She remembers her early days at Auto Zone when a man refused to even be waited on by a woman for fear she would give him the wrong parts.
Her manager sent the Watervliet native back to the floor with, "You're going to be here a long time" and urged the customer to "give her a chance."
"Now, the people call me and want to talk to me. 'She knows what I want. She knows my car. She's helped me more than once and I want to talk to her.'
"I have a great staff and they're all knowledgeable. Without them it wouldn't have happened. I have great leadership skills and I make sure they're trained and I make sure people get what they need. If my staff can't do it, they get me. I think that's important that they feel free to speak out. We strive for excellence," Knapp said.
She credits her faith and prayer for getting to this point.
"I still have some ups and downs," she said, "but I get up every day and say, 'It's a better day.' I always come in with a smiling face and say, 'We can do it. We can make it happen.' I was really bad back then (in 2002), but the people and the public and my work make me want to come into work and to do better.
"I still have the deer on the refrigerator that came up when I was so bad. I fed it carrots and it stayed there an hour with me. My niece brought me down when I couldn't stand up. At that point I thought I was dying, but that deer looked at me as if to say, 'You've got a long time left. You need to fight.' I look at it every time I have a down day.
"It's a busy world out there and some days it's too busy, but I really enjoy working where I'm at. (Aaron Kirkendall) says I'm like an Energizer Bunny. I have a lot of faith, and if I didn't have that I don't think I'd be here today. Working every day and seeing people I enjoy being with and helping individuals make me worthwhile. At the drug store, every prescription I filled to help someone, it made me feel like I did something for someone. If I can put a smile on your face when you walk out my door, I have accomplished something worthwhile. If everybody thought that they'd have a successful business. This is a great little town. It took Dowagiac to help me live and to stand up and say I had to fight. I want to help people."