In a previous article, I challenged you to review how your capital investment is wasting away in your Special Ordered Parts bin. In yet another article I discussed how we look around the parts department shelves and just see parts, or pieces of cars, rather than the stacks of cash that the parts represent.

S.O.P parts - and the entire bin where they reside - should spark in you hope and not despair. Even if currently you have too many dollars tied up in unclaimed parts, that's okay because it means that you are about to fix a bigger issue! Contained on that shelf is the evidence that you have a customer. So let's consider how to make that relationship profitable.

Should your dealership be unable, or unwilling to ask customers to pre-pay for special ordered parts generated by a service visit, then you must immediately turn over special ordered parts logistics to the Service team.

Here's why:

Your Service team should be absolutely willing, if not eager, to find a way to book that customer back into the shop. With every part installed comes labor dollars and the potential for even more business.

When your parts team is sending post cards and ultimately calling customers in order to purge S.O.P., what will they actually do if they get a customer on the phone?

At best, they will transfer the call to the Service Department to book an appointment and the customer will commit to returning to have the part installed. At worst, they will call the customer and simply inform them that the part has arrived and the phone call will end with the customer still uncommitted, but someone in Parts is thinking they are doing the best they can.

A daily Call List of the special ordered parts that have arrived should be prepared. This list should be given to the Service Manager and the Appointment Desk. The person who normally sets appointments is the best person to be making these phone calls. Because in one step the customer can be notified of the part?s arrival and book an appointment.

Time and time again, this very simple change has produced the kinds of results that allow smooth operation and a reduction in obsolescence. Both managers of Service and Parts, working together as a Fixed Operations team, can and will benefit from just such a change.

Sign up today for more information on how you will benefit from small changes leading to a meaningful impact on your operation.