A Parts Manager’s 6 Biggest Headaches (and How to Cure Them)

What’s worse than trying to fill a customer’s order and finding that you don’t actually have the part? The manual is showing you have it in stock… so, where is it? 46% of small and medium businesses still don’t track inventory digitally. That opens up a huge opportunity for error, even with diligent employees. The solution is quite simple (and it doesn’t include spending time and money on rigorous training). Replace your old inventory tracking method with a digital system that makes proper posting, billing, and stocking effortless.

Wrangling inbound calls can be a huge pain (not to mention, time-consuming). When 92% of all customer engagements happen on the phone, ignoring calls costs you customers. It could be someone who’s frustrated with your parts form or wondering about shipping cost. Long story short, if you don’t get to the phone another dealership will. With an internal messaging system and a virtual parts counter hosted on your website, technology will do the leg work for you, saving you time and eliminating the risk of missed calls.

The influx of sales calls a parts department receives every month is headache-inducing. Make sure your staff and receptionist know how to tell the difference between important calls and calls that can wait. Don’t let a sales call take your employees away from helping customers get quotes or following up on parts orders.

Your back counter is like the local watering hole—it’s where techs, counter staff, and service consultants gather to tell stories, scroll on their phones and [insert productivity-killing activity]. Are you willing to hinge the success of your parts department on the circus behind the counter? Adding a parts catalog plugin to your website means you don’t have to rely on your employees to respond to parts form orders as they come in.

Sometimes the Fixed Ops Department turns into a battleground during disagreements. Whether it’s pricing, availability, or daily duties, there always seems to be something holding the department back from functioning effectively. Making sure your employees are appropriately trained in their positions will help avoid disagreements and create one united force. Refocus your efforts on what really matters: selling parts and making customers happy.

Paul’s that counter guy who’s notorious for pulling the wrong part to fill an order. Don’t let avoidable errors throw a wrench in your operation. The easiest way to make sure your customers get the right part every time? Get rid of your parts form. With a 24/7 storefront plugin, your employees won’t need to interpret incorrectly completed parts forms and your customers will have the tools they need to make a purchase right there on your website.