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Commercial Specialist

Advance Auto Parts · Onalaska, WI · Full time

Posted Sep 22, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you made outbound sales calls or follow-ups. How did you keep them from feeling like a bother?

What they are checking: Whether they can do account touchpoints that build the relationship instead of annoying busy shop owners.

Give me an example of suggesting an extra product to a customer that actually helped them.

What they are checking: Whether they can upsell and cross-sell in a way that adds real value, like gaskets with a water pump.

Tell me about a time you trained or showed someone new how to do a job.

What they are checking: Whether they can patiently help onboard new team members, which the posting lists as part of the role.

What would you do

The Commercial Parts Pro is off for the weekend and a big shop calls with an urgent order. Walk me through how you handle it.

What they are checking: Whether they can lead the commercial program alone without dropping the urgency shops expect.

You're making a delivery and the customer says they don't have the cash to pay on their credit account today. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they can handle collections firmly and politely and report back so the account stays in good standing.

During a stocking visit you notice a shop is buying a lot of parts from a competitor. What do you do with that?

What they are checking: Whether they gather useful information on visits and bring it back to the CPP to win more business.

A walk-in customer needs help at the same time a delivery needs to be staged. How do you decide?

What they are checking: Whether they can balance retail and commercial demands without letting either side fall behind.

About the work

How would you keep a store's delivery vehicles ready and safe day to day?

What they are checking: Whether they take fleet checks seriously, since a broken-down or unsafe vehicle stops deliveries and puts people at risk.

Describe how an order moves from creation to dispatched for delivery, and where it most often goes wrong.

What they are checking: Whether they understand the dispatch flow well enough to spot and prevent the common breakdowns.

How would you organize the parts department, backroom and staging area so orders get picked fast?

What they are checking: Whether they see that a clean, logical layout directly speeds up commercial orders and cuts mistakes.

How do you handle cores and returns when you pick them up on a delivery?

What they are checking: Whether they understand that cores and returns have value and need to be tracked accurately to get credit.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Advance Auto Parts.

Job Description Primary Responsibilities • Support CPP-led commercial sales. • Assist with dispatching and coordination of commercial deliveries from order creation to dispatched for delivery. • Manage store vehicle fleet maintenance, safety checks, and general vehicle readiness. • Conduct account stocking visits and Pro Sales flyer drops. • Perform outbound calls, follow-ups, and basic account touchpoints. • Perform customer deliveries as needed, following standard driver procedures (pick, stage, deliver, returns, core handling collection of credit accounts, customer relationship building) • Lead the organization and maintenance in and around the parts department / backroom, staging, and delivery areas. • Maintain knowledge of product inventory and new arrivals to assist with sales. • Assist in upselling and cross-selling products to increase average transaction value • Lead commercial program when the CPP is not present (i.e. Weekends as business and customer demands require) Secondary Responsibilities • Engage with walk-in customers to understand their needs and recommend appropriate parts or services • Assist CPPs and GMs with tasking, special projects or execution initiatives including inventory management • Support onboarding and shadowing of new team members Success Factors • Friendly communication • Ability to locate and stock parts • Safety knowledge and skills • Operating inventory systems and store equipment • Parts and automotive system knowledge skills • Operating POS and Parts lookup systems • Strong selling skills for commercial customers • Ability to multi-task and remain organized in a busy environment. • Ability to route store drivers. • Strong vehicle maintenance knowledge • Maintain MVR certification. Essential Job Skills Necessary for Success as a Commercial Specialist • Ability to work an assortment of days, evenings, and weekends as needed. • Speak and write English (Spanish a plus); communicate effectively and build strong relationships with customers, peers, and management. • Understand and execute instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. • Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, parts catalogs, and procedure manuals; ability to write simple correspondence. • Willingness to learn about new products and sales techniques. • Use Microsoft software effectively (Word, Excel required) • Use basic math accurately: add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. • Strong organizational skills • Basic inventory management skills • Basic dispatching knowledge • Basic understanding of vehicle maintenance schedules • Working knowledge of automotive systems, and diagnostic ability to include internal engine, suspension, brakes, electronic, exhaust, etc. • Successfully complete the Parts Knowledge Assessment Prior Experience that Sets a Commercial Specialist up for Success Prior automotive parts experience preferred. Prior dispatching or logistics coordination experience Proven sales ability Formal of informal experience working in groups to achieve goals. Education High school diploma or general education degree (GED) Certificates, Licenses, Registrations ASE certification preferred, but not required. Must have a valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record as this role is required to have an MVR certification. Physical Demands The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job, with or without reasonable accommodation. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will predominantly be walking or standing. The employee is required to be able to talk and hear and use hands and fingers to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Work Environment The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job, with or without reasonable accommodation. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is usually working inside; however, they will occasionally be outside and exposed to various weather conditions while performing such tasks as installing batteries and wiper blades. The employee is also occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts; high, precarious places; toxic or caustic chemicals; risk of electrical shock; explosives; and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. 


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