I don't understand why you believe that a main dealership should keep spare parts for ICE? As for spare parts generally, the trade has relied for many years on overnight deliveries from the manufacturer for parts not held in stock. It would be completely impossible - not to say financially crippling - to keep every spare part for every VW vehicle produced. I would agree that basic servicing parts should always been in stock.
Whilst I agree with you in principle Stuart, that ice parts are unlikely to be on the shelf, and that it is cheaper for the dealer to have as few parts as possible. It is also fair to presume that an air-con condensor is going to be a generic part used on a number of models. And a key, lets face it, the whole VAG group use the same key, just with a different badge on the back.
It always amazes me the amount of parts NOT held in stock at dealers, I remember a few yaers ago being told by a Ford dealer, that they don't keep an exhaust on the shelf for a 1.8 diesel van!!!!
|
AR-CoolC: It always amazes me the amount of parts NOT held in stock at dealers
A word in prasie of my Renault dealer, then: the Scenic's ignition coil failed last week. A well-known Megane foible but the parts were in stock and the car back on the road within two hours of the service department getting it.
But they don't stock keys or keycards (why?), as was explained to the owner of a new Laguna who was in front of me in the queue.
I was also pleasantly surprised that their labour rate was the lowest of the three marques (Skoda, Fiat and Renault) run by various members of the Gromit household.
- Gromit.
|
|
IME if a dealer has a part on the shelf it means its a regular failure item and therefore fact moving enough to warrant keeping stock. A lot of dealers these days run with very little stock, sometimes the 'stores' is no more than a large cupboard. In the past I've been a bit stunned to find that my local Merc dealer didn't have a copper washer for the sump plug!!
|
I am a customer. In customers eyes my car went in to have a service and three items sorted out, all of which they were informed about 1 week before it went in.
It came back, having just had the oil and pollen filter changed., so in effect its a complete and utter waste of customers time, in reality with nothing being done.
Is it too much to ask for a "predicted failure" list of parts to be pre ordered, and if used wonderful, if not they get sent back.
This is not just VW BTW.
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
|
>>Is it too much to ask for a "predicted failure" list of parts to be pre ordered, and if used wonderful, if not they get sent back.
Slightly off topic but a neighbour of mine works for Bosch repairing their domestic appliances. If a customer phones up with a problem, an engineer is booked for the following day. Overnight his van is stocked with all the likely parts he will need for every job that day, and all unused parts are removed. This system works well for Bosch and means virtually every customer has his machine repaired on the first visit.
If Bosch can do this, why do not franchised car dealers have the same facility. The customer would appreciate having his car fixed on the first visit and the knock on effect of an improved brand to the consumer. The only downside would be the extra selection and movement of parts, but the delivery vehicles will still be making the same trip on a daily basis.
--
Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
|
|
That may work for Bosch, where washing machine components are pretty much the same, and relatively easy to stock. (ie size, cost), and don't forget that a franchised dealer actually purchases items from the manafacturer, whereas people like Bosch will loan their engineers stock. Also, it was recently published in a trade magazine that a franchised dealer has to spend £1 to earn 20p, so that profit can't be tied up in stock that may or may not be used, either because the part wasn't needed after all or the customer doesn't show up.
|
|
|
|
The reason Bosch does it is either because it thinks customers will appreciate the first time fix, and/or that it is Bosch, and not the customer, who would have to make two visits. It is easier for car dealers not to bother when it is the customer doing the running about.
|
|
|
I remember the same service with a Neff appliance - part of the same Bosch/Neff/Siemens repair outfit. I had a dented cooker hood panel (not noticed on delivery or fitting)...and I was flabbergasted that the guy had one in his van. I was seriously impressed. That sort of thing you remember and spread as good news....so many businesses don't understand how to deliver good service even if it hit them in the face....Every single modern garage i have been to seems to have at least 2 customers arguing over servicing or parts at any time of the day and night and the topic is nearly always "you said you would get it fixed today....oh no sir we need to order a part.....but I told you what was needed why did you not order it in? ARGH ARGH etc etc".
The industry has alot to learn....still....
Perhaps they should experience the world outside a car dealership and experience real world customer relations....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Keys & keycards are usually ordered through a fax system, to a group which is run seperate to the main parts factory. This form has to be signed by a member of the parts dept who is responsible for checking V5'S & the customers details. You really wouldn't want it to be so easy to order security items would you? Also, if keycards where stored at the dealers, it would only take one dodgy employee with criminal contacts to enable cars to be stolen at will.
|
Ah! That makes sense, Carrow.
The security problem with replacement keys hadn't occurred to me because, in the case I mentioned (and TVM's) I presumed the replacement was needed for a car supplied by the dealer who would therefore know the owner to be genuine.
|
|
|
|
TVM, would YOU be prepared to pay the handling charge levied at the dealer by the factory, for returned parts that are not required?
|
IME this used to be a Vauxhall thing:
Visit the dealer, get a diagnosis;
"that will be your okikokivalve sir",
Book it for the next week, leave the car for a day, pick it up;
"is it all sorted then?"
"no sorry sir we have had to order a part"
"the okikokivalve per chance?"
"yes that's right sir"
"why the hell did you not order it after my visit last week"
"we need to make sure sir"
"but you diagnosed the fault last week, you have had the car today to fix it, did the guy who diagnosed the fault not ask for the part to be ordered"
"he has made a note of it though he is not authourised to order the part untill we have had the car in"
"so who is authourised to order the part"
"I am sir"
"so why did you not order it, did you not trust the diagnosis?"
"yes sir though we needed to have the car in"
"why, when you knew what needed ordering?"
"because that is they way we do it sir"
"what a waste of time, what was the point of my earlier visist?"
"I agree sir though it is company policy"
"as is talking with your sphincter muscle then I guess!"
|
The Audi has developed a minor fault with the climate control. Called in last week, technician looked at it while I waited, part ordered, car back in today, just had call to say it's fixed.
'We are aware we gave you a lift to work this morning. Do you want picking up or shall we drop the car off at off at your office?'.
Neither is required today as I am going out with a colleague and I can pick it up on the way back, but it's service like this which mitigates some of the hassle caused when a car develops a fault.
|
|
Exactly why I stay with Renault as the dealer I use is so good.
|
Just out of curiosity, and to give an example, my Scenic was recently in to dealer to have air con problem fixed.
The first visit they took the gas out and as it was short of gas told me that this was the problem and it needed regassing. So I took it to an air con specialist who said it was short of gas, and topped it up for £20 but it didn't work and he reckoned some sort of switch had gone on it.
I booked in to dealer for second time and they kept the car for 2 days, giving me a courtesy car and eventually diagnosed a switching problem.
Car was booked in for a third time when the ordered switch was available, courtesy car was given, and car was repaired.
Now this was all done under warranty, the question I am asking is how much of that would the dealer be able to reclaim from Renault? All 3 visits or is it a set fee? Is it in the dealer's interests to have you back in when it is a warranty repair and therefore to make sure they don't have the spare part required?
|
|
The Audi has developed a minor fault with the climate control. Called in last week, technician looked at it while I waited, part ordered, car back in today, just had call to say it's fixed. 'We are aware we gave you a lift to work this morning. Do you want picking up or shall we drop the car off at off at your office?'. Neither is required today as I am going out with a colleague and I can pick it up on the way back, but it's service like this which mitigates some of the hassle caused when a car develops a fault.
>>
I agree. Cars will go wrong - they're thousands of parts bolted together. It's what the dealers do about it that counts.
A good friend of mine had one of the first 190 bhp Celicas (with the VVTLi engine). The car was an absolute dog. A circlip sheared in the gearbox and the 'box grenaded itself, the wheel alignment went out every 5,000 miles, the engine management system was forever needing firmware updates to cure everything from 20 mpg fuel consumption to misfires to flat spots, the cat disintegrated twice, the interior creaked like an old truck plus countless other things.
The dealer was first class. Courtesy cars provided without being asked for, expenses reimbursed without being asked for, personal updates from the service manager without being asked for. He hated the car, but the support from the dealer (and Toyota) were first class. Even in this extreme case he was prepared to stick with it and hope to get a resolution.
My neighbour has a Touran on an 04 plate and he sings its praises. I guess the Friday afternoon phenomenon still exists although on today's automated production lines I can't understand how.
Cheers
DP
|
So - can we safely assume that:-
Touran - the love affair continues
is intended to be ironic - or would I be junkly to an unjust conclusion.
|
So - can we safely assume that:- Touran - the love affair continues is intended to be ironic - or would I be junkly to an unjust conclusion.
Gosh! is that the way I come across? who'd have thought it.
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
|
|
|
|
TVM, would YOU be prepared to pay the handling charge levied at the dealer by the factory, for returned parts that are not required?
No - the dealer or VAG group can absorb that out of the huge mark-up on the cost of the part. I am failry sure there is plenty in a 600 quid lump of aluminium.
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
|
Someone at work had a Daewoo Nexia from new (1996) and it had a 5 year exyended warranty, over the 5 years it was rebuilt effectively countless times for free.
He thought this was marvellous, he thought the car was being continually rejuvenated, and he was really 'getting his money's worth'..
It does demonstrate what is often talked about on here, expectations etc...
|
|
|
I agree with TVM - it's what dealers are for, or should be. There is a lot that could be done to reduce the re-booking rate in my opinion.
They don't need to stock the majority of the parts to satisfy most requirements from stock; this could be complemented by predictive ordering based on systematic recording of symptoms.
|
|
|
TVM, so apart from the niggling problems...what did they charge you to change an Oil and pollen filter + oil refill?
-------------------
VW Bora (51) 2.0 SE
VW Touran (54) 1.9 TDI
|
The Audi has developed a minor fault with the climate control.
If only my Audi dealer worked like that when I had the A2. They loved waiting for me to trapse back to the dealership at the end of the day, only to tell me they were keeping the car overnight.
Maybe Audi should develop some form of communication tool that allows people to talk to each other......oh hang on I just googled that idea and it came back with "telephone".....sarcasm, lowest form of wit, I know.
|
|
So then TVM, a car manafacturer shouldn't profit then? And go bust, & take thousands of jobs with it, & wreck communities & turn them into areas of high unemployment. Just so we don't have to make TWO trips to the garage. If you go to your dentist, and you need root canal work doing, he/she will book you in at a later date when the have a bigger time slot. It's the same as cars isn't it, say you phone up with your Toran & say the aircon isn't working, should the dealer then order in a compressor, condensor, control panel & every aircon pipe , & set aside a 5 hour time slot just in case? After all, it could be just a blown fuse or something simple like a switch, which could be fixed quickly.
|
No thyey should look at the statistics for that model of car, look at the predictive failure rate based on past actuals and say 70% chance this, 20% chance this, and have those items arrive the day before my car does.
Its 1.5 hours book time btw
I think you will fnd that most multinational service organisations now do exactly that type of thing where they are sending out engineers as human time is money and they save shed loads by getting part and person to the right place at the right time together once,
But then hey its my time and money the car maker is wasting so that OK then isnt it.
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
|
But then hey its my time and money the car maker is wasting so that OK then isnt it.
Well, I think that's the nub of it, isn't it?
|
yup just about sums up the car maker and customer relationship
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
|
|
Look man, just trade it in for another Renault, then you will be happy again.
|
Its penance Xman, a sentence, for killing lola in her youth
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
