So I decided to give a local dealership a little work recently....

[NJRR]

.....Most dealership owners don't even want a service side as it's far less profitable than new car sales. When a dealer service department gives an outrageous estimate, they are either trying to avoid working on an older model, or more often they are just trying to upsell you because they (service writer) get commision on those sales. It's a flawed system.

I disagree about dealers not wanting a service and parts dept. One of my my oldest friends is the parts manager for a group of 3 dealerships and always tells me that parts and service makes the owner the most money. Also, see the paragraph below.

"Initial findings show that at the average dealership, service, parts and body shop gross profits grew to 47.3 percent of the dealership's total gross profits in 2016, from 45.4 percent in 2015. In contrast, the new-vehicle department's gross as a percentage of total gross fell to 27.8 percent from 29.5 percent. In used-car sales, it was 24.9 percent, off from 25.1 percent."

http://www.autonews.com/article/20170417/RETAIL06/304179922/dealers-relying-more-on-fixed-ops

 

[BigBlock61]

I can't understand how the switch (in the picture) could be changed WITHOUT loosing refrigerant? Any answers?
Mike

shrader valve under the switch in the line.

 

[moparedtn]

shrader valve under the switch in the line.

You are correct, sir. I can personally attest to that now.
The switch has a pintle and a little hole in the end that screws onto the outlet on the a/c line. The pintle comes in
contact with the stem in the Schrader and depresses it as the switch is screwed down.
Sealing is done with a simple o-ring and you can't over-tighten the switch; it simply bottoms out against the shoulder
on the Schrader when it's all the way installed.

 

[moparedtn]

I disagree about dealers not wanting a service and parts dept. One of my my oldest friends is the parts manager for a group of 3 dealerships and always tells me that parts and service makes the owner the most money. Also, see the paragraph below.

"Initial findings show that at the average dealership, service, parts and body shop gross profits grew to 47.3 percent of the dealership's total gross profits in 2016, from 45.4 percent in 2015. In contrast, the new-vehicle department's gross as a percentage of total gross fell to 27.8 percent from 29.5 percent. In used-car sales, it was 24.9 percent, off from 25.1 percent."

http://www.autonews.com/article/20170417/RETAIL06/304179922/dealers-relying-more-on-fixed-ops

Agreed. Any honest dealer will tell you this, too. The particular dealer in question in my case confessed readily when we discussed this very subject recently, in fact.
Further, the Service Manager does rely on commissions paid off what their department generates, just as sales people of new cars do.

I did receive a reply to my email to that dealer SM BTW.
She blamed her quote on the "certified technician" and said I could have brought aftermarket parts in for them to use, but that any work performed by them using same would not carry any warranty due to the "inferior quality" of said aftermarket part.
Like I said, I was going to let them use all that over-priced "upgraded" Chrysler stuff if they liked; the fact they flat out lied to me about needing to evacuate and then recharge the system in order to simply replace the switch is what killed the whole deal for me.
Knowing this Service Manager, I can understand she might not know that detail; the fact that both she and the "certified technician" couldn't fess that little piece of information up between them is appalling.

 

[71dodgechargerrt]

Stealerships.

 

[Budnicks]

I still do all my own stuff except alignments & machining
until I can no longer do it...

I use to work for a larger dealership group
HG Automotive at 1st, Concord, Walnut Creek, Lafayette
Dublin, Pleasanton, Oakland, Martinez, Berkeley etc.
SF East Bay area
It was great group to work with, really good people
I knew all the org. owners & their wives,
{I always got the honey do lists...LOL}
I know most all the techs in all 4 dealerships in Concord personally
I know all the parts guys personally too
I know all the service writers personally too
I grew up with most all of them, they all were at my MNF or Pool parties
one point or other, when I still lived down there...
{Service writers are sort of weird kinds of shady guys, but they were always honest with me}
it went from 4 to 8 then 16 dealerships shortly after I signed my org. retainer
to work exclusively for them...

I didn't do wrenching...
I'm not a mechanic/tech...
They did have their name/sponsored on my racecars too...

I was the Facilities Manager/Contractor & sub contractor coordinator
sometimes Projects Manager on retainer &
I did all the new construction build a few from the ground up
did remodeling, lighting maintenance & construction projects etc.

10 or so years in, late mid 80's
they later were bought out/merged with by a huge group
125 dealership strong, that was all over the western US...
That was traded publically, that changed everything in all aspects
& profits, bottom line & volume, became more important
than return customers it seems...
That was 1st American Automotive Group...

But most the people working there were honest
& were good people, tech's & management...
I still worked for them for quite a while, until about 1997
Sometime between then & 2007
{IIRC}
I think they've dissolved the partnerships, not sure of particulars
all the CEO CFO Chairman President & VP etc. all resigned
& they split it back up into smaller more manageable groups...

I still work with them still/occasionally,
consulting more than anything now...

There's good/decent & bad dealerships for sure...
Seems like no in between types anymore...
There's great, good & mediocre techs, parts guys & service writers too...
Not all dealerships or employees are created equal...
Some service dept.'s & parts dept.'s are run by arrogant ********
I experienced that 1st hand, it's not like it was even 10 years ago now...

I wish it wasn't that way, but it is...

good luck in the search, you'll need it

 

[YY1]

1- Fortunately for me, I have been friends with a career Mopar parts manger for the better part of 30 years.

2- Also have been friends for almost the same amount of time with a guy who started as a Mopar service writer and then a ford service writer, then spent time as a wrecker/roll back driver then working for a drag car builder and then opened his own shop. He is 100% honest with everyone about what needs and doesn't need done with many options in between....to a fault.

3- My latest and newest acquisition (2105 jeep Renegade) has taken me to the local DCJR dealer for an oil change. At $50 it was a wash vs buying my own oil and doing it myself, plus I wanted to have record of the dealer doing it before the warranty ran out.

They asked if I wanted the tires rotated. I asked if it was part of the service, and they said "usually", so I said OK. The bill was $89. She neglected to mention that there was an additional $39 charge, which I would have declined, and that's why I asked.
Also, this vehicle "tells you" when it needs an oil change, and the manual says "around 5000" miles". The dealer put a sticker on the windshield for 3000 miles.
Really, 3000 is 1990's mileage with 1980's oil.....and they've been calling and emailing my twice a week, starting the day after it turned 3000!

 

[YY1]

Sorry, that's 2015 Renegade. The 2105's aren't quite out yet.

 

[BBishere2]

I dig all that, BB. I worked (and wound up managing) a parts store way back when I was going to college.
As you'll note in my reply to that service manager above, I was going to let them use whatever switch they wanted to - if they had bothered to be honest with me.
They weren't, quite obviously.
They're a small town dealership, recently acquired by a large outside the region conglomerate of dealerships.
The dealer has a history of not doing well. I'm sure they have marching orders from their overlords to generate as much revenue as possible as quickly as possible and they aren't going to do it selling new cars, not in this neck of the woods.

Well, I'm small potatoes to someone like them for sure - but I do buy new vehicles every so many years and I was trying to get a relationship going with them to service my little fleet.
They underestimated me.
They lost.

The Chevy dealership I worked for would bend over backward for customer just out of warranty if they’d bought 1 or 2 cars but if that customer had bought several vehicles there - they wouldn’t do jack sh*t for them. Never made sense to treat loyal customers like that.

 

[BBishere2]

Dealerships do not have a requirement to use OEM parts when a vehicle is out of warranty. Out of warranty, or customer pay work, can be done as if they are an independent shop, using whatever parts are available from other local parts stores. The honest dealers will tell you that. Most dealership owners don't even want a service side as it's far less profitable than new car sales. When a dealer service department gives an outrageous estimate, they are either trying to avoid working on an older model, or more often they are just trying to upsell you because they (service writer) get commision on those sales. It's a flawed system.

No they don’t have to use OEM parts for out of warranty work - but the bigger dealers may have several thousand dollars of inventory on their shelves and they will use those 1st before calling out to the parts store to order the same thing they already have.