What do you want from your Local Spare Parts Department?

[b2tf]

As most of you probably already know, ive not long started a traineeship with my local Ford Dealer, in the Spare Parts Department. One of the things i like to do in my work is evaluate how i'm doing, and see if there is anything else i could be doing to make it better for myself, the people i work with, and more importantly, the people who i deal with - the customers.

And that point got me thinking - too often have i read on here stories of ignorant Parts guys who cant find the part you want, or who charge too much, or who just downright don't care. Sometimes you hear about things being out of stock etc etc, so i thought i would writeup a few points to remember, as well as things that i have learnt.

Keep in mind im talking for myself here, im not out to defend every Spare Parts Guy cos im sure that, like anywhere, you would get some bad eggs.

* The 1st point is (and I personally cannot stress this enough as i am new) dont treat us like assholes. Microcat, while being very easy to use, has in excess of 200,000 parts listed in it, and believe me, when you're new to the game, it can take a long time to find a part - like a needle in a haystack sometimes. Ive already had a few people get impatient with me, and ive had to explain that i am still learning. So guys, i cannot stress this enough - please give us a fair go, as we all have our mistakes and bad days, and some of us, like me, are still learning to crawl before we can walk. There seems to be a bit of stigma attached to Ford Spare Parts Guys - but we're just doing our job (most of us, some can be pretty lousy).

If you know the part is listed but we cant find it for you, help us out as much as possible by telling us EVERYTHING you know about it. Tell us your model, what series, what spec (i.e. Ghia, XR etc) and what the part you want is for, if it differs from that. The more info we have to work with, the easier it is for us to find the parts in an efficient manner - and thats what we want to do.

* Second Point. Please dont get mad at us if we make a mistake. We are human, and as ive said, we do stuff up simply because of the sheer volume of stuf we have to work with. I speak for myself when i say this, but i always try my hardest to get the job done right first time around, and if i dont get it right i will learn from it. If there's a lot of work to be done it can get confusing and very very quick paced - so bear with us, we dont do it intentionally!

* Third point. Our pricing is set by Ford, not us. Microcat tells us a price and we abide by that, or in some cases we'll alter it in yuor favour if we can. Sometimes dealers willharge more for parts than other dealers because they have to buy a certain amount at one time, or freight etc etc - this cannot be helped, and the reality is there is nothing the parts guys can do about it. All the pricing is approved by the Dealer Principal, if you have a gripe, he is the man to see.
I have no problems whatsoever giving people discounts or selling at trade price, but dont go in expecting to get a discount, as refusal will offend! As ive said, some parts we are told not to discount under any circumstances, others cost us more than usual etc. But the bottom line is that the pricing is set by Ford, not us. We are a business, we do what we have to, and yes we do make a profit but it is not as much as you would expect.

* Final point. If you have any suggestions, tell us! The Spare Parts Department serves three main groups - The Workshop, The rest of the deaelrship for things like accessories for new cars sold, and most of all You, the owner, enthusiast, customer - whatever you want to call yourself. And for that reason, if yuo have a suggestion in how we can help you or serve you better, tell us. Write a letter to the DP or the Parts Dept. Manager, because if we know what you want, chances are we'll do our best to do/get it for you.


And on that note, if any of you guys have any suggestions for improvements etc, please tell me. I can't change every parts dept in Australia, but im happy to do what i can to pass your request up the line, as well as implement it where I work (Hillis Ford Wagga). If ever you're in our dealership, please come in and say hello!
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