WASTE MY TIME ASKING FOR INFO

[olepartsguy]

HOW MANY OF YOU SPEND SOME OF THE DAY JUST RESPONDING TO PHONE CALLS FROM PEOPLE LOOKING FOR INFO ON THERE VEHICLES SO THEY CAN PURCHASE PARTS ELSEWHERE?

WE GET TO THE PHONE WITHIN 3 RINGS SO PEOPLE KNOW WE WILL GET TO THEM QUICK.
I HATE THOSE PEOPLE.
MOST OF OUR CALLS ARE FROM PEOPLE THAT EITHER CALL THE MILLION DOLLAR PARTS DEALERS BECAUSE IT IS HARD TO REACH THEM , AUTO PARTS STORES, INTERNET.

WE HAVE DECIDED TO SAY F___ THEM.

WE DO STILL GIVE INFO OUT TO THE CUSTOMERS THAT PURCHASE FROM US , JUST NOT ALL THE STROKES.

I DIRECT THEM TO " REPAIRLINKSHOPDOTCOM

I SPENT MY MONEY THERE FOR A FEW YEARS WITHOUT GETTING TOO MANY NEW CUSTOMERS.

[dandanthepartsman]

We just made it company policy this week that we are no longer giving part numbers out over the phone.
"Sorry your 100k Escalade has a $1000 taillamp. We have it if you need it but we cant help you find it elsewhere.

[olepartsguy]

JUST TO ADD. HOW MANY LOCAL AUTO PARTS DEPARTMENTS SAY THIS ; " JUST CALL THE DEALER FOR THAT INFO"

IF GM HAS HOME DEPOT, AMAZON, WALMART AND EVERYONE ELSE SELL PARTS WHY DONT THEY HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE.

THEY DEFINITELY DONT HELP US STOCK ANY FAST MOVERS. THEY GIVE THOSE OUT TO THE WD SO THEY CAN CHARGE US OVER COST(19383805)

[scott2112]

We quit giving out parts numbers about 10 years ago. Had a young man threaten to sue me for not giving him a part number. He said its public information...said ok. gimme your CC number and for 20.00 non refundable charge, I'll
give you the part number. He argued it should be free. I said it is...however, my time is not.

My goto line is asking if the customer takes their own steak to Outback and asks them to cook it for you? More often than not they laugh and say no...to which i reply, well you asking the same service of me. I have part here or I can get it and you wanna buy it elsewhere. most of the time they understand.

Sadly, the days of over the counter and phone sales are long gone here. I focus on the captive audience here in the shop. Pinch pennies where I can, rinse and repeat.

[Denise Trimble]

Our manager has yet to grasp the concept of "We no longer give out part numbers." The last dealer I worked for had no problem with me telling my counter staff NOT to give the part number! It really is us against the world here, man!!!

[LOKI1]

Tell them that part numbers are the property of gm and you are not supposed to give them out. If they don't like that remind them that the parts catalog is a service you have to pay for.

[CADLOU]

This just happened yesterday. Customer called wanted to know the price of a LH hand strut and both tie rod ends; he also wanted the part numbers. I looked the parts up and gave him the price. He said he wanted to order the tie rod ends. I said sure, what is the card number and the name, be glad to order them. He goes well give me the number of the strut first. it isn't like I was not born yesterday, had this happen before and not doing it. They will go through the whole thing to order the other parts and then call back to cancel the other parts. I can put a stop now or fight with the return policy. Better now than latter. So, I said we no longer give out part numbers over the phone. He hung up.

[retiredpm]

I fought that for years. And I know it has to be worse now. This can get into a liability issue if you give the wrong number based on the info the customer gives you. He buys it someplace else and if it caused injury or damage he can try to come back at you. Some times I may have come down with dyslexialexia when quoting the numbers.

[mdishong]

We just made it company policy this week that we are no longer giving part numbers out over the phone.
"Sorry your 100k Escalade has a $1000 taillamp. We have it if you need it but we cant help you find it elsewhere.

SAME!

BEST DECISION WE MADE 10+ YEARS AGO. WHY HELP SOMEONE THAT IS "TRYING" TO BUY SOMEWHERE ELSE? YOU KNOW IT & THEY KNOW IT.

[MSInventory]

Not sure where this came from or who penned it but I have had this for years.



FOOD FOR THOUGHT !!!!




“Many years ago, one of my counter salesman was courteous enough to give a customer the part# over the phone for a fan blade for a medium duty truck, which we had in stock. The customer went to another dealership and purchased the blade. As luck would have it, my employee looked up the wrong fan blade. It either had too many blades, or not enough, (I can't remember).

Anyway, it caused a vibration, which (over time) put stress on the water pump shaft. The shaft eventually broke, the fan blade went into the radiator, and thru the fiberglass tilt hood, causing several thousand dollars in damage. As you would expect, the dealership he purchased the blade from wouldn't give him any help, since he furnished the part#, and it was the wrong blade. He then came to us, and we sent him back to the dealership he purchased it from.

To make a long story shorter, we ended up in court and were found to be at fault, because we furnished the part#, which caused the customer to purchase the wrong fan blade. It was quite an expensive lesson.

So, THERE IS A LIABILITY TO GIVING OUT A PART# TO ANY CUSTOMER.
That is exactly what we tell the customer, and most all of them are ok with it.
When one gets upset or irate, I leave my office and take about 5 minutes of their time telling them this story, and explaining to them that "that's why we no longer furnish part numbers.”



This explanation has always worked for me when I had someone that just couldn't understand why I would not give the part number.