The Potential and Value Of A Dealership Service & Parts Department

Here's an excerpt from my soon to be available book, Commercial Truck Success, The Book. There will be more details about this book soon.

Service and Parts

In my opinion, there is more opportunity in the Service and Parts Departments in dealerships than in any other area. Committing to an addition of an effective commercial truck department provides even more opportunities.

Part of the reason I think it is such a huge opportunity: In all the dealerships I worked for, there are none that I would personally go to for service. I’ve had negative experiences in every one of them. Keep in mind not every experience was negative. However, as a whole experience, I wouldn’t return. From a loyalty point of view, when I worked for that company, it only made sense I would take my vehicle to ‘my’ company’s service department. I always gave them more opportunities as a result. But each dealership’s service department seemed to have an attitude that was not helpful, like a doctor with a poor bedside manner. And in addition…they failed to do the work well or properly on several occasions.

In my travels, I have seen very similar things at far too many dealerships. I’ve talked with numerous commercial truck managers that cringe when someone needs to go to their service department. Immediately I can tell this dealership will never reach but a very small part of their potential as a result. Service is so important to the commercial truck department’s success. Instead, these commercial truck managers should be proud and thrilled to send their customers to their own service department.

In addition, as a sales manager for 30 years in dealerships, I saw service and sales at odds with one another so frequently. It seemed ridiculous to me that this was even allowed to exist. Many dealerships have different standards for service than from the rest of the organization.

I won’t go into any more detail about my experiences or my associates’ experiences, but the main reason I bring it up at all is to show you how prejudiced I am in believing there is such an opportunity for more business in Service and Parts. Those departments could have had my business by treating me differently and by being good at what they do. I’m hoping your Service and Parts departments are the exception. If they are, the commercial market will beat a path to your door once they know you are open to bringing service to that market. If you’re not the exception, wake up and see the opportunity that exists right in your own organization. Then make dramatic improvements with little effort or investment.

So, let’s talk about the opportunities in Service and Parts. . .