Parts Department sharing policy expense

[Doug]

I've always posted on the Service Manager forum but would like to throw this open to you guys and gals as well.

First, though, let me say that i was a Parts Manager for many years before becoming a Service Manager....so i think i can see both sides of a story.

I have a great relationship with our Parts Manager and we agree on nearly everything...really ! One problem though.....

Whenever a problem comes up where the parts department should be held accountable (not too often but it DOES happen !) I just can't get anyone in parts to ever fess up and admit they were at fault (wrong part, forgot to order part, etc).

In many cases we take plenty of heat from the customer and/or have to eat rental expense.....and everyone in parts just seems oblivious to this and steadfastedly refuse to step up to the plate. If confronted with an overwhelming amount of eveidence the PM may help with a rental bill but I'm not out to do battle or create confrontations. Service ends up eating some stuff that we really shouldn't have to.

Personally, when I know that Service has goofed, I "step up to the plate" with no quibbling.

Any thoughts on this? I'm not sure if I'm asking for advice or just venting !

Thanks,
Doug

I have

[Gary J. Naples]

Doug,

What is the relationship like between the parts manager and the rest of the parts staff? Perhaps, the parts manager comes down hard on a staff member when a mistake is made. This would certainly preclude error admission by any of the parts staff.

If its not a personnel related issue, or any other such circumstance beyond oblivious reaction as you stated, maybe its a matter of sitting down with the parts manager and defining what specifically constitutes responsibility on the part of each other. This is what I refer to as internal guarantees. Simply put, one department will guarantee its work delivered to another in a specified manner or incur some type of meaningful penalty. I posted an inquery concerning this practice on the dealer, gen. manager forum because I'm curious as to who out there has tried it, uses it, and benefited from it.

When I was a parts manager, I had very good working relationships with all the dealership department managers, particularly the service managers. Early on I figured out this was the only way to work as a team and accomplish set goals.

Even though, as in your situation, I enjoyed an amicable partnership the boundaries of responsibility for errors sometimes blurred. To remedy this, the service manager and myself sat down and as clearly as possible defined what constituted responsibility on behalf of our respective departments. Once we had a plan we involved the department staffs to finalize it.

Take wrong parts for example. The parts staff made the techs and ASMs aware of what information was needed to specify the correct part. We agreed in these cases that the responsibility for necessary information gathering leaned toward the parts department. The parts department knew the right questions to ask. However, if a wrong part resulted and it was simply a matter of acquiring another on an emergency basis the parts department ate the costs. But, if it went beyond that involving rentals, etc., then those additional costs were split between the parts and service departments, no questions asked.

This might help in your situation. However, all parties must be willing participants and stick to their commitment.

Feel free to contact me if you would like to further discuss the process of internal guarantees. E-mail me at gss83@aol.com or phone me at (570) 824-1528.

Gary J. Naples
GNA

[cwalden]

This is a situation that coulb be less of a
conflict between 2 departments if they were
both paid from the same bottom line.
Although that is not the case at our store
I can see where my service manager and I
wouldnt have any conflict in any of the
situations if we were.