Why do dealerships do this??

[Skidawg]

So a couple of years back I had the car up on a lift at a friend's garage on a weekend and we noticed the tailshaft seal was leaking.

So I call the dealer near my work on Monday morning and schedule an appointment for service on Thursday morning. When asked what I needed, I told the tech that the tailshaft seal was leaking. He asked me how I knew this, so I told him.

I drop the car off at the dealership at 7:00 or so on Thursday monring. I get a call about noon from the dealership. The guy is like "yeah, your tailshaft seal is leaking." (To which I'm like "Duh!") and then tells me he has to order the part and they won't get it until tomorrow." WTF????

So this time around I need two front wheel studs replaced. I made the appointment Monday for Friday and told them exactly what I needed replaced. I get there today and the desk guy comes out to check me in. He asks my name and what the problem is. I tell him and show him. At the counter he's typing in what needs replaced. Shouldn't this already be under my customer name and appointment?? So anyway, 45 minutes later he comes to the waiting room and tells me "Sir, you need two front wheel studs replaced. We had to order them from another dealership. They'll be here shortly." I nearly lost it, but held it to, "Well, yeah! That's what I'm here for. I told you guys on Monday.".

So I guess my questions are, why do they not have the parts there when you specifically tell them what you need replaced? Is that too much to ask? If they're not going to have the part(s) there, then why do they ask what you need? What's up with typing in what I'm there for when I get there when I already told you over the phone?

I guess I may be asking too much.

 

[nl mex]

I've always wondered the same.

 

[CobraRed_96_GT]

Im on the same boat man, I call any tech place or dealer and tell them exactly whats wrong (i.e. i have a broken 1-2 accumulator spring and suffer torque converter shudder) and they ask how do you know this? Who told you that? Have you taken it apart? As if they're pissed they cant charge me on a diagnostic or on bs claims of other stuff broken. The dealer is worse, i tell them what's wrong - i let them see it. They come back, tell me what i told them and then say i need a new tranny!! F u guys, i got it instead rebuilt w/ a 3200 stall, Stage II shift kit ,and all parts rated at 500rwhp + and it didnt cost as much as a new sluch box 4r70w + labor. I even had enough money to buy and install my own tranny cooler and be $700 less than their quote.
/rant

 

[kaostik]

maybe they do not want to pay for the parts to ship to them on the word of a customer?? they'd rather check things out for themselves before they order parts. if the customer is wrong, or a part can be fixed rather than replaced, and the part isnt needed, the dealership probably has to eat the cost of delivery as well as restocking fee on a return.

that might not be the reason, as it probably happens because of irresponisbility.

but i digress, no matter the reasoning, id be aggrivated just the same as you.

 

[chuck943]

Well let me give you a dealers perspective on this, at least on the parts anyway. Dealer has to manage his inventory pretty closely,all parts are paid when ordered so it is like say money in the bank vault. He can really only afford to stock the parts he sells on a regular basis,like once every 3 months or twice a year,what ever they have set as their guidelines.
A good parts manager will normally keep track of what is called lost sells which would also include parts purchased from some other source (another dealer,etc.). If he gets a call for that particular part a certain amount of times then the computer will suggest he stock it.
Now on the other hand if that part sits in inventory so long he has to sooner or later get rid of it,usually at a loss. Plus in order to be able to afford to buy more inventory he has to get the idle inventory out. Owner will usually have some guideline as to how much his inventory can be since it is like his money sitting idle in the parts vault.
Now as far as ordering the part ahead of time when customer makes the appointment, well it would have to be a good regular customer that I know he is pretty sure of what he is talking about and that I know will show up so I am not stuck with a part that normally doesn't sell. And you would have to be careful of just who at the dealership you gave this kinda authority to or things could get way out of control in a hurry.
Now if you wanted to you could ask for the parts department and see if they had the part in stock and if they don't get them to order it and pre-pay it with a credit card, just a suggestion if you were really strapped for time and didn't or couldn't leave your car.

 

[Mustang5L5]

So a couple of years back I had the car up on a lift at a friend's garage on a weekend and we noticed the tailshaft seal was leaking.

So I call the dealer near my work on Monday morning and schedule an appointment for service on Thursday morning. When asked what I needed, I told the tech that the tailshaft seal was leaking. He asked me how I knew this, so I told him.

I drop the car off at the dealership at 7:00 or so on Thursday monring. I get a call about noon from the dealership. The guy is like "yeah, your tailshaft seal is leaking." (To which I'm like "Duh!") and then tells me he has to order the part and they won't get it until tomorrow." WTF????

Same exact thing happend to me 3 years ago.

Car had 10K miles, i noticed the tailshaft was leaking. So i called up, told them the tailshaft seal was leaking and made an appointment. I even took the day off from work.

I get there, start filling out the paperwork and get the "Standard down time is 1-3 days. We will give you a call later today to let you know how long it will be"

So i went nuts. It was going to take all day just to tell me what i already know?? It's one thing if it was something major, but a tailshaft seal is pretty cut and dry.

 

[trinity_gt]

I'm guessing that for every one guy telling them exactly what's wrong they have a hundred or more idiots saying their grapple grommets are torn or their muffler bearings are spun or are even more utterly clueless altogether.

I wouldn't hold it against the dealer to not have faith in what some guy on the phone tells them, to order and stock parts that may not in fact end up being used. Who pays the shipping and restocking fees if the part isn't in fact used?

If you're sure in your diagnosis, order the parts yourself and put them in a box on the passenger seat. When you take it in, tell them to note on the workorder that the customer is supplying the parts. They shouldn't have any problem if the parts given were ordered/bought through the dealership parts counter.

 

[Skud]

I can see it both ways..

I trust my diagnostic skills (mostly), but the dealer doesn't really know (or trust me ) from a hole in the ground.

I'm in the IT business and I do the same thing.. A client tell me his network card needs to be replaced.. The first few things running through my mind are..

1) Who told you that?
2) Do you even know what you just said?
3) Did little jimmy pimpleface hacker down the street tell you this?

Now, the odd time that person who just told me what's wrong with their computer IS right and they generally have an idea of what's going on. But - and a very big but - 95% of the time the person is just going from hearsay.

I do agree with you though.. I've had the same issues at dealerships.. But, it is business after all..

Riley

 

[bdcardinal]

ya, dealers dont always keep every part in stock. generally most customers diagnostic skills are very poor, and if we ordered every part that every customer thinks they need, then we would have thousands of dollars of idle inventory. generally you can get most common parts same day, or the next day, at least with ford, so thats why a lot of dealers dont keep stuff in stock.

 

[Superhereaux]

I'm guessing that for every one guy telling them exactly what's wrong they have a hundred or more idiots saying their grapple grommets are torn or their muffler bearings are spun or are even more utterly clueless altogether.

I wouldn't hold it against the dealer to not have faith in what some guy on the phone tells them, to order and stock parts that may not in fact end up being used. Who pays the shipping and restocking fees if the part isn't in fact used?

If you're sure in your diagnosis, order the parts yourself and put them in a box on the passenger seat. When you take it in, tell them to note on the workorder that the customer is supplying the parts. They shouldn't have any problem if the parts given were ordered/bought through the dealership parts counter.

couldn't have said it better myself

as far as the typing they're writing up the RO (repair order) so you can sign it and you can have your car worked on. can't write up and sign an RO over the phone then have you not show up





grapple grommets

 

[bdcardinal]

a rule in my parts dept is that we will not order a part unless it is prepaid or there is a RO number attached to it. you would not believe how many people order parts over the phone and then never pick them up. generally they are parts we cannot return to ford or mazda and are stuck with.

 

[Mike97gt]

We do not order parts before a RO is written and the car is in the building unless the customer wants to prepay for the parts. Dealers can not possibly stock every part for every car and we don't want to keep the parts you say you car needs if you are wrong or if you don't show up.

I do not except the diag of another tech let alone a customer 99-100 times a customer diag is wrong.

 

[mransr]

I understand not ordering parts based on a phone call

but why don't they stock parts that are required to be replaced when replacing parts they do stock???

I.E. front hub bearings; they 'all' seem to have the hub in stock but not the nut and dust cover that have to be replaced when the hub is

 

[harrisonfiveo]

Well let me give you a dealers perspective on this, at least on the parts anyway. Dealer has to manage his inventory pretty closely,all parts are paid when ordered so it is like say money in the bank vault. He can really only afford to stock the parts he sells on a regular basis,like once every 3 months or twice a year,what ever they have set as their guidelines.
A good parts manager will normally keep track of what is called lost sells which would also include parts purchased from some other source (another dealer,etc.). If he gets a call for that particular part a certain amount of times then the computer will suggest he stock it.
Now on the other hand if that part sits in inventory so long he has to sooner or later get rid of it,usually at a loss. Plus in order to be able to afford to buy more inventory he has to get the idle inventory out. Owner will usually have some guideline as to how much his inventory can be since it is like his money sitting idle in the parts vault.
Now as far as ordering the part ahead of time when customer makes the appointment, well it would have to be a good regular customer that I know he is pretty sure of what he is talking about and that I know will show up so I am not stuck with a part that normally doesn't sell. And you would have to be careful of just who at the dealership you gave this kinda authority to or things could get way out of control in a hurry.
Now if you wanted to you could ask for the parts department and see if they had the part in stock and if they don't get them to order it and pre-pay it with a credit card, just a suggestion if you were really strapped for time and didn't or couldn't leave your car.

+1

Thats how we operate at the dealership i work for and the problem with a customer calling up and ordering parts before the vehicle is looked at by a tech is:

1. the part the customer ordered and paid for they dont actually need

2. they end up needing more parts that they didnt plan on

Which both situations end up being a hassle and the customer ends up pissed in the end because we ( Parts ) are going to charge a 20% restocking fee on the part they thought they needed and they are going to have to bring their car back to have the actual parts they need for repair.

 

[007]

I will always go to Mustang shops or someone who really knows Mustangs. Dealerships are a joke. You could get any idiot working on your car for way more money than it would cost elsewhere.

 

[mrvax]

Well let me give you a dealers perspective on this, at least on the parts anyway. Dealer has to manage his inventory pretty closely,all parts are paid when ordered so it is like say money in the bank vault. He can really only afford to stock the parts he sells on a regular basis,like once every 3 months or twice a year,what ever they have set as their guidelines.
A good parts manager will normally keep track of what is called lost sells which would also include parts purchased from some other source (another dealer,etc.). If he gets a call for that particular part a certain amount of times then the computer will suggest he stock it.
Now on the other hand if that part sits in inventory so long he has to sooner or later get rid of it,usually at a loss. Plus in order to be able to afford to buy more inventory he has to get the idle inventory out. Owner will usually have some guideline as to how much his inventory can be since it is like his money sitting idle in the parts vault.
Now as far as ordering the part ahead of time when customer makes the appointment, well it would have to be a good regular customer that I know he is pretty sure of what he is talking about and that I know will show up so I am not stuck with a part that normally doesn't sell. And you would have to be careful of just who at the dealership you gave this kinda authority to or things could get way out of control in a hurry.
Now if you wanted to you could ask for the parts department and see if they had the part in stock and if they don't get them to order it and pre-pay it with a credit card, just a suggestion if you were really strapped for time and didn't or couldn't leave your car.

Chuck, this is exactly right. Most people do not kow what is wrong with their car and if the dealer bought & stocked the part requested and the customer did not need it, they would be stuck.

 

[Mike97gt]

I understand not ordering parts based on a phone call

but why don't they stock parts that are required to be replaced when replacing parts they do stock???

I.E. front hub bearings; they 'all' seem to have the hub in stock but not the nut and dust cover that have to be replaced when the hub is

LOL I deal with this every day...

I will always go to Mustang shops or someone who really knows Mustangs. Dealerships are a joke. You could get any idiot working on your car for way more money than it would cost elsewhere.

Very true.. Most of the techs at any of the dealers I have worked for I would not let near my car. I feel bad for the customers that get stuck with them..


BUT.... I have also seen some piss poor techs at performance shops and independents. At many performance shops the owner and maybe one or two other guys are good and they will have a few retards as cheap labor.

 

[streetstang03]

because they want to look over your car and up-sell you and charge you for a diagnostic.

 

[joshjwc9]

That's why I trust my mechanic on anything that I dont have the tools or space for. Plus he will order Motorcraft or Ford parts for me if I request them from ford with the same markup and less $ per hour of labor.

Best of both worlds.

 

[Mike97gt]

because they want to look over your car and up-sell you and charge you for a diagnostic.

The problem with customer or autozone diag when it don't fix the car they still blame us...

This is why I don't do customer or outside diags.