DealersEdge Professional Forums

What are you thoughts and suggestions about customers who bring there own parts. It ticks me off enough when customers do it, but we have our general manager here who does it as well. Just curious what people thoughts are about this in general and about my gm. Thanks

It happens here to but very rarely. It was out of control for a while and we just started telling customers no. It is just like
bringing your own food to a restaurant for them to cook it.

Recently, we have had problems finding 2005 Silverado Hybrid parts (stator and rotor) and a 2004 G-van with the factory CNG option (various parts). We would gladly have owners of those trucks search for their own parts and supply them !!

Create a statement, that the customer must sign, that absolves the dealership from any and all responsibility for quality of the products they bring to the store. This is one worth having your attorney make up for you; it will protect you from them in the future; other option; post a sign that says' "only parts purchased from our authorized suppliers will be used in this store". If your GM is doing it; that is 90% of the problem

This has always made me laugh, i remember a saying my old parts manager had... "would you bring steak and eggs into a restaurant and ask them to cook them up for you????"

we have a form the customer signs that basically states we will not warranty any labor on parts installed that customers provides nor be held responsible for any damages as a result of part installation. Also we note on the repair order the customer provided own parts.

Thanks for the replies. Mike I really like the idea about posting a sign, but it may be hard to convince the gm. Maybe I need to go straight to the man. Our owner and ask him about it. Thanks again everyone

Mike Nicholes wrote: If your GM is doing it; that is 90% of the problem

If your GM is doing it, how much are you charging him for the parts that he has to go elsewhere to get them?

When I was with Saab years ago, we had a salesman for another dealership about 1200 miles away buying parts for his own car from us because his own dealership charged employees too much. LOL
And he bought a lot of stuff over the years - it was pretty sad.

Not saying that's what's going on there, just made me remember that

LOWAIRD1964 wrote:What are you thoughts and suggestions about customers who bring there own parts. It ticks me off enough when customers do it, but we have our general manager here who does it as well. Just curious what people thoughts are about this in general and about my gm. Thanks

It's getting harder to find someone to say NO.... It happens here but not often.