missing parts on repair orders...

[kpratt]

I have a problem with counterpeople who don't bill all the parts to a repair order. It is really tough to look the owner in the face when he has a stack of warranty repair orders without the proper parts billed. He wonders how much of his retail and wholesale is goofed up if we can't bill correctly on warranty claims....Have any of you had this problem? How did you deal with it short of firing the individuals involved and running the department by yourself....
Thanks


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[sallen1]

The only thing you can do is to have your techs write down what they get from parts (and who gave it to them). Short of this, only the firing squad will help.

Think about this: A parts counter person giving parts with out charging them is a lot like the cashier handing out $10's and $20's. What would you do to the cashier? Do the same thing to your parts people!

scott

[Gary J. Naples]

Is it carelessness on the part of the counter people or are they so busy they forget? Is it all your counter people or one or two?

One way to deal with the problem is through a closer working relationship with your service department. Money lost in any department and on any level eventually affects everyone in the dealership. Cooperation between the parts and service departments is essential. Speak with the service manager and try to work out a system of "checks and verification" to insure all pertinent parts have been properly posted to the corresponding work order prior to close out. Depending on circumstances a process could be as simple as the service department requesting verbal verification by the parts department that all parts have been charged out, to having the counter people list the parts required to complete a job on a sheet of paper which is attached to a work order or list the parts on the back of the work order hard copy. As for the service department they should be watchful for things that might send up a red flag. For example, if a radiator hose is replaced, the absence of related parts like coolant, clamps, or both should trigger a query. Whatever method you choose, it should not be a time consuming process nor should it transfer parts personnel responsibility to service personnel. Rather, it should serve only to confirm, as quickly and efficiently as possible, that all parts have been assigned to the proper order.

Gary J. Naples
GNA

[MBailey]

First, you may want to casually observe the actions of your parts counter people for a few days, because this may give you much insight into the problem. Are they continually rushed, filling orders non-stop from tech to tech, while at the same time taking care of other items such as answering incoming parts phone calls? Are there always alot of techs waiting for parts? These are some things that may indicate the need for additional counter help, or you may see that they are just not utilizing their time properly.

I agree with Gary that service can be included in the checks and balances. Cashiers can be trained as to which parts commonly go with certain jobs, so shortages/discrepancies can be taken care of when repair orders are flagged and invoiced. Service Advisors should receive invoices of all jobs they have sold for verification of proper parts and labor amounts prior to contacting customers.

In regards to warranty repair orders, the Warranty administrator should DEFINITELY have a firm grasp on what parts are commonly used on warranty repair operations. Additionally, it is a good idea to hold off final billing warranty repair orders until they have been checked and verified for proper doucumentation, labor ops, parts and sublets by the Warranty Administrator. Only then should they be sent to accounting.

Finally, if the parts counter people are paid on a percentage of sales or gross, then it should be a no-brainer for them to realize that by giving parts away, they are costing themselves income.

Good Luck!

[gman]

I agree with sallen1...at least the second sentence. I do not believe in terminating personnel hapharzardly, but if your inventory is leaving the shelves and not being billed out, the job is not being done.
I would put the operating procedure in writing
(ie. parts are billed upon issue) cover it with each employee, and then enforce it with a two warning-termination system. To be fair, tell the counter people that you will closely monitor this for 2 weeks before enforcement begins. This will allow you to take care of any personnel (understaffed) or facility based problems (not enough terminals) that are not the fault of your counterpeople.

If you are understaffed you will be able to tell as you will hear techs screaming about long waits at the counter. (what's new!)

[MBailey]

gman,

Good reply - I agree with your logic. I quite simply have just never had a consistent problem with parts not being billed out on RO's, as this is heavily emphasized during new employee training. Guess I've been lucky.(But of course I tell my dealer it's superior management!)

[AL HAGER]

WHAT I HAVE DONE IN THE PAST WITH NEW COUNTER PEOPLE OR IF THE PROBLEM IS NOTICED BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR OR CASHIER IS TO HAVE THE COUNTERPEOPLE PRINT A PICK TICKET[REY&REY] AND THEY PULL PARTS FROM THAT AND WE KEEP THE PICK TICKET FOR A WEEK OR SO IF PROBLEMS COME ABOUT. I WAS SURPRISED HOW MANY TIMES THE TECH ASK ABOUT A PART THAT HE DID'NT GET, BUT AT LEAST IT WAS'NT GUVEN OUT EITHER. WHEN WE GET SWITCHED OVER TO THE PC SYLE CATALOGS, I'LL ATTACH A PRINTER TO EACH PC AND DO IT FULL TIME, IT REALLY SEAMS TO MAKE THE COUNTERPEOPLE FEEL MORE ACCOUNTABLE WHETHER YOU CHECK IT OR NOT.

[jargonaut]

When it comes to warranty repair orders your warranty person be they a clerk or administrator should always be reviewing for all potential missed parts as well as documentation as to 3C's so will also monitor tech comments and find missing parts there as well. Some incentive can be given to the warranty person as well to ensure missing parts are picked up and charged out. In electronic RO systems if you pass along RO's to warranty person before cashier they can also monitor cash parts.

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Alan The Warranty Guy

[Gary]

One problem I have found with Rey&Rey is when you program either a PC or "dumb" terminal to have a "END" key and a "E-E-S" key to end RO input in screen 2525 is you have countermen hitting the wrong key. If you hit the "END" key after putting the parts on the ticket you
lose them. We marked the END key bright red and the E-E-S key bright green. That seemed to cure the problem.