RPA's

[Tschube]

What are Hummer, GMC, and Chevy truck dealers doing to deal with all the RPA's that are flooding in to the dealership.
I have noticed a lot more vehicles and accessories that are now dealer installed items from the factory. I think that the parts department should be compensated for dealing with these parts. We get 1 to 2 pallets a day and they take up a lot of space. Plus we have to track these items, follow up on items not shipped, back ordered or lost in transit. The way I see it is GM has passed another one of there expenses on to the dealership parts department.

[This message has been edited by Tschube (edited 08-20-2005).]

[gmtoypartsguy]

This is a thorn in the side for any GM parts department!!!!!!!!! I would urge everyone to fill out a DFOAB form and send it in and complain. Maybe if enough folks send in the form, it maight help. Once again, the parts department gets the shaft.

[jlrwillis]

I feel yor pain! Just this morning our PDI tech comes in demanding I track a spoiler for a HHR that never came in. Am I supposed to drop what I am doing to go on a goose chase for a order that I was left out of the loop on? I have been told recently by a ADI executive that this program is going away. Apparently all accessory orders will eventually be handled by the ADI distributors. I was also told that these orders will have to be handled by the parts depts.

[Tschube]

By the way I just spent $400.00 for an extra dumpster to get rid of all the pallets and 2 hours of labor to fill it. Never had this expense before.

[JEFFG]

An accessory rep from GM told me last month the Hummer RPA's would be gone in September. The other RPA's to follow! We'll see!?!?

[PaulB]

RPAs are a pain indeed...but being a "team player" I do my part to help out with them. By that I mean when they are dropped off, I note that they are here, and put them in a storage room so they don't disappear. After that, I'm done.

About a year ago, I did an "apples to apples" comparison on some RPA packages that we have ordered regularly compared to if we did the accessorizing in-house. Bottom line was overall cost on the vehicle was higher, but doing them in-house added to parts gross, service gross, overall vehicle gross (accessories priced at list plus install), and increased salesperson commission. For example, tubular assist steps invoice $387, sticker price $450 as an RPA. (sales gross: $63); in house cost (installed) $465, retail $575, resulting in $110 gross profit to sales. Add to that the 20% markup that Parts made ($70), and the 1 hour labor that service billed and you have more dollars coming in to your overall business than when done as an RPA. (My numbers might be a little out of date as I did this a year or so ago.)

Additionally I tried to sell the idea of flexibility in accessory offerings, and the lack of headache on a swap ensuring that the RPA went with the swap. The DP saw the increased price to the vehicle and chose not to bring all accessories in-house. I'll agree that it could be a tougher sell especially for those that shop around, but good sales technique could make up some of that too.

[jimt01]

but paul (if your sales people are like mine) then a sales person would have to do more than just take the order they would actually have to sell somenthing

[gully]

The most recent example of frustration for me on this topic was the 20 wheels for Trucks. I have been trying to sell these and the sales management say they cant sell them and end up swapping them out on another truck time and time again.

So what pulled into the lot the other day....a transport with 2 GMCs with 20 wheels already on them rolling out on our lot!!!!

[camaroman]

I just had an incident where we received a set of chrome step bars, outside of box was torn but bars looked ok. Once we opened it we found that one of the step pads was damaged. RPA rep. told us that we couldn't get the step pad seperate that they would have to send us a new set of bars instead of getting the step pad for us. They wouldn't tell me who the manufacturer was so that I could try and get it either. So here we go GM will spend $50 to send out another set of bars and spend another $50. shipping the damaged set back to them. And to think I only needed a $15.00 step pad. Just think if one of your customers damages his step pad, you will have to tell him he needs to spend 360. to buy the step bar for the damaged side. Another happy GM customer you will have. LOL Well maybe thats why they are in the shape they are in.