Chris Collins and Christian tackle whether shops should install parts customers bring in themselves. They recommend accepting the job, charging labor only, but being clear upfront that if the part doesn't fix the problem, you'll need to diagnose further. Treat it as a trust-building opportunity, not a hassle.
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Welcome everybody to the big show. This is your Friday drive by. This is where we answer your questions. I'm Chris Collins and this is Christian.
Hello, everyone.
Christian.
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There's some good questions out there.
Let's go to today's question.
What is your policy or thoughts on customer supply parts? Customer shows up. Hey, can you put this AC compressor on that I purchased somewhere else? Do I take labor for the dealership or turn the work away because parts.
Didn'T get it cut?
Do you think this is a parts manager or a service manager asking this.
Question sounds like a service manager because I think that a parts manager would say, what do you think about the service department putting on parts that we didn't get?
It's an opportunity to make a friend. It's an opportunity to fact find. So.
Just out of curiosity, why are you buying the parts somewhere else?
What made you think that you needed that part in the first place? Is always the first question in my head. It makes me so nervous.
Sometimes extended warranties will send a part. Sometimes extended warranties will send a used part. I've had extended warranties send a used part and then pay for it to be pulled back out and another used part to be put in because it wasn't good.
And then finally. You ever have it where they change it, like just put in the OE part? Yeah, me too.
For sure. I don't think there's any connection between parts and service in this sense. Like, nobody is saying, hey, we're not going to wholesale you apart because you're not using our labor.
Right.
We're selling parts over the counter and wholesale all day long. And the parts department isn't saying, hey, I'm not going to sell you that if you're going to put it in yourself. So I don't. I wouldn't understand why there would be any sort of, oh, they just do this. Yeah, it doesn't make sense. It's. It's a. It's an opportunity to win somebody's business and to make a friend and you're getting labor out of it. So, yeah, we're not getting a part then. But.
We can learn why.
Yeah, I, I, I definitely have not always thought that way.
Really?
Yeah. As a service manager, I just felt like I was, I was stepping in a pile when somebody drove in with their own part.
Oh, I didn't say you weren't stepping in a pile. Yeah, I didn't say that. Maybe you miss heard me.
Well, you, you essentially said we're picking up the labor. I always thought about, like, what does the give and take here?
Well, oftentimes, like you pointed out. Well, why? Because you don't. You're throwing parts on it. Right?
That's right.
So people don't know it's either, what, YouTube for them?
Yep, exactly. Right.
Yeah. So I think the better they have to accept responsibility for that.
Yeah. And I don't, I think that at the end of the day, I don't need to put the wrong part in that someone brought for me to tell them that they're wrong. I'm with you. That I'd much rather have the conversation of, like, why do you think that? And then maybe if we're going to use the labor, why don't we use the labor to make sure that what we, what you think is wrong is wrong.
Here's the thing that I, that I have learned.
Over time, and I think this applies to a bunch of areas. But when somebody comes in with their own part and I tell them, like, hey, Christian, so we've done no diagnosis here. We don't know that you need this part. You're asking me to put it in, I will put it in. This is what it costs to put in. Should that part not fix your problem.
You can't be upset with me.
Blah, blah, blah. Part doesn't fix their problem. I have way more.
Authority now with this customer. Yeah. Way more authority with them. And so oftentimes, the most difficult customer or a situation that's different or awkward create lifelong customers more than anything else. All of the customers that still call me to this day to ask what to do were customers that I got in a situation that they were heated and nobody, you know, could, could take care of them. Nobody wanted to deal with them. And I stepped in and listened and told them the truth. And they're lifelong customers. So I think those sort of things, of being honest and telling them, like, hey, we didn't diagnose it, but I'll put the part in. If it doesn't fix it, you're not going to be mad at me. And then we'll diagnose it. Yeah. Still want to take that chance the.
Way that you presented, it's almost like can't lose situation.
Yeah. No, I make it a friend and I'm telling the truth.
Yeah. You put the thing in, it works. Then you sold the labor. You put the thing in, it doesn't work. Then you made the friend. Because now they need you.
One thing that people don't want to.
Hear, Christian, what's the they don't want to hear no.
Yeah. I'm not saying no. I'm telling him the truth. You're saying, heck, yeah, I'm happy you're here. Why would you buy a part somewhere else? What if the parts aren't parts of the department? Surely marks it up four times more than whatever you paid for this on ebay.
Right.
Don't you want to pay four times?
What if the part's made of Legos?
Probably pretty good.
Yeah.
Good quality.
I mean, look at Lego.
Yeah.
They've got it figured out.
Plastic, I dig it. Yeah. I don't, I don't. I don't think any parts manager is turning down over the counter wholesale, you know, and it's. It's actually rare that a parts department would say, hey, who's putting it in for you? Right.
I think that's a huge opportunity. We talked about that on parts hold, actually, not too long ago.
Yeah, but I think just like part C selling apart as an opportunity, we should see in service replacing a part as an opportunity and a way to gain authority. Because if the diagnosis was wrong, we can fix it.
Right.
And sometimes people got to learn the hard way when you. Unfortunately, when you learn the hard way, it stinks.
That's right.
Yeah.
You just can't have them learn the hard way at your expense. I think you're right. It's about the conversation before the install the part. It makes all the difference in the world. Good stuff.
Great stuff. Thanks for the question. I didn't hear a name, but Joe Blow. Thanks for the question. We'll see you next time on Service Drive Revolution.
Thanks for watching this week's Drive By. I hope we gave you something to think about over the weekend. We're uploading new stuff every day, so make sure you subscribe and click the bell icon so you don't miss out. If you have a question you'd like us to answer on the show, call call 8333 Ask SDR and we'll answer your question on the show. That's 8333 Ask SDR. For special deals on our books and training, head over to offers.chriscollinsinc.com that's offers.chriscollinsInc.com I'm Chris Collins, and I'll see you in the next video.
