Buying Parts Through the Repair Shop

[Hall]

Isn't that what the minimum wage lot boy is for?

...and a vehicle, insurance for it, fuel, and they still will likely sit around without much work all day.

 

[bdcardinal]

...and a vehicle, insurance for it, fuel, and they still will likely sit around without much work all day.

Like there are times that I will have my driver pick up a part when I know he is already out near wherever the part is from. But generally we don't send someone unless it is a time issue.

Also the non wrapped vehicles, ie a blank white van/truck, are done on purpose. People can be vindictive and will call reporting a wrapped vehicle for a company they don't like. Then you get someone like the lady the called me saying our delivery van almost hit her in a parking lot. She gave me a plate number and it wasn't ours. She assumed that a white Transit with our dealer plate frame was obviously ours. Also couldn't grasp that of the hundreds of Transits we have sold, probably 99% have been white, and all of them have our dealer branded license plate frame.

 

[Wolf359]

Never understood this extending credit thing. If a shop doesn't have the money to by the part, they shouldn't be in business. And why do you deliver parts for free? I'd rather get a discount for picking up my own parts.

It's all about volume. It takes time to process a transaction. Easier to just slap the parts on a bill and bill once at the end of the month than process each transaction individually. Plus when you deal with a shop, they know what they're buying, no time wasting inane questions from customers, it's a quick transaction. Also paying later means you can play the float, it's one reason Warren Buffet likes insurance companies, you collect lots of money in premiums but you don't have to pay them out til the claims eventually come in.

It used to be a very lucrative business to be in. My family growing up knew a lot of pretty well off shop owners. You'd of thought they were doctors or attorneys. It's just a sign of the times that it's not a lucrative business like it once was. The blame there can be put on the automotive industry along with the modern economic status.

I guess it depends on the scale of the shop. I go to one indy places that still does $20 oil changes, but their regular rate is more like $110/hour which is almost as much as a dealer and they don't do free loaners. Owner is hardly there as he's got a bunch of other businesses, he's been at it a while so he has a good rep. He has the setup where he has like 3 service advisers at the front desk and probably 10+ bays.

 

[Hall]

Also the non wrapped vehicles, ie a blank white van/truck, are done on purpose.

I guess recognizable is relative. For decades my local Checker (then O'Reilly) and AutoZone has had a couple blah white trucks --typically Rangers or Frontiers -- with the "safety stickers" on the tailgate of call 800-xxx-xxxx if my driving sucks

Now that you two say that, yeah, it did seem like the local Autozone had a plain, white small pickup around at times.

 

[Andrew1972]

All they do is call the auto parts store and have the delivery chickadee drive one over to them from a few blocks away. Warranty repairs are just an unfortunate pita side effect of anything that involves mechanical logistics. They're still paid by the parts manufacturer or car manufacturer for warranty work. Granted they can't put a little more icing on the repair costs because whichever co is reimbursing them for the repair will only pay a fair flat rate.

If a shop gets bad part which happens more often now they eat the removal and reinstall . There is time involved with acquiring the parts by ordering, locating or calling etc. I understand a part is delivered but that is least of time. That is why they separate labor rate from parts.

 

[Hall]

If a shop gets bad part which happens more often now they eat the removal and reinstall .

I've seen people indicate that the part's manufacturer (or whoever puts their name on the box) reimburses shops for their labor. Is that true ? For the shop's sake, I hope the process is made really simple and hassle-free 'cause a lot of shops don't have time to play games chasing their reimbursement. Ideally, the local part supplier/distributor handles most of the process for them.

 

[The Critic]

I've seen people indicate that the part's manufacturer (or whoever puts their name on the box) reimburses shops for their labor. Is that true ? For the shop's sake, I hope the process is made really simple and hassle-free 'cause a lot of shops don't have time to play games chasing their reimbursement. Ideally, the local part supplier/distributor handles most of the process for them.

Depends on the supplier, but labor claims are basically social welfare. Everyone pays for them thru higher part prices. WP doesn’t pay labor claims, but Technet and others do.