[scootermcgee]

Howdy all!
Had an interesting conversation with the dealer's service department (I bought my used scooter from this same dealer.)
Turns out the service department will NOT work on the scooter unless I buy all needed parts through them.
Im not talking about putting any aftermarket, hot-rod parts on either, all of the parts I picked up are through an online dealer and match
the part #'s listed in the repair manual (only parts NOT original are the tires, going with different skins.)
Couple of questions maybe the community can help answer:
1) Why would a service department not work on a bike (and they are a licensed Suzuki dealer) when all parts are genuine Suzuki parts (aside from the tires?)
A side note here, I have owned a Honda Rebel in the past and took it to a Honda dealer and they did not hesitate to work on the bike.
2) Has anyone else ever encountered a service department (especially the department at the dealer you bought from!) that would not work on your bike unless you bought
the parts through them?
I am sure service departments are backed up right now with bikes coming out of "hibernation" and needing work, but this just completely stumps me.
I could understand if I was wanting to put something on that wasn't exactly "legal" or didn't match up per the manual, but having to buy all parts through them?
Anywho, called another dealer and they were more than eager to work on the bike and they are now in the process in getting me an estimate for the labor (waiting on the call back.)
I'm sure this is not an isolated ordeal, but this may influence me in any future bike purchases. I would like to keep "scratching the back" of the dealer if you know what I mean. Surely with the labor costs the dealer factors in not only paying the service tech, but also putting some cash in their pocket (if I am wrong, please feel free to correct me.)
Please jump in if you have encountered anything like this with your local dealer.
Thanks, and safe riding this season.

 

[Daboo]

The local dealer will charge one price for changing tires if you buy the tire from them. Another much higher price if you buy the tire elsewhere and want them to install it.

The answer is simple. They are trying to stay in business. There's a mark up on the cost of the parts that helps support the business and a markup on the labor to install them. They need that markup to make enough money to be there next year when you need them.

There's a bit of supply and demand going on here too. As you said, there are all the other bikes coming in to be serviced as they come out of hibernation. As long as they are there, the dealership can be choosy and take the more profitable work.

You might be able to find another non-dealer motorcycle shop that is hungry for your business and get them to do the work...or use the tutorials here and do like many of us and do the work in your own garage at your convenience.


Chris

 

[osbornk]

A lot of businesses won't work on stuff if they don't supply the parts besides the lost profit. If they did install a part that the customer supplies and the part is bad, the customer would not want to pay for the labor even though the problem is not with the work. The customer would not want to pay the necessary labor to remove the bad part and reinstall another.

My brother owns and operates a body shop and people sometimes want to supply their own parts. He doesn't refuse but he makes it clear up front that he is not responsible if the parts are bad or go bad in the future (he guarantees his work as long as the people own the car except for rust repair). He also tends to adjust the labor cost to compensate for the lost profit he would have made on the parts.

 

[DandyDoug]

Well it gets a bit involved;
but any dealer who installs parts he has purchased through his supply link to the OEM must warranty them.

If you buy a part, no matter if it is an actual part from the OEM from someone else and ask your dealer to install it , he may or may not want to accept the warranty liability if the part goes bad. Since he cannot prove he bought the part through his normal channels , the OEM has every right to deny a warranty claim on the part in question.

Dealer franchise contracts with their respective OEM's are at best a very convoluted mess.

Plus the profit lost from not selling you the part is a factor in his overall P & L margins for the year.
Then think about how much of a year long discount the dealer gets from the OEM based on how much he spends over the year.
EG; the more he buys the less expensive his cash outlay is. He can still charge the retail price for all parts and pocket the difference.

 

[Jim]

When I was in the trades, (General Contracting) we had customers who wanted to buy their plumbing fixtures from a big box store, then wanted the plumber to install them. The plumber also refused, because he had profit on those fixtures factored in for the job. I resolved it by asking the plumbers for a bid, then show the deduct for fixtures if the customer wanted to supply his fixtures. I suggested that he should show his cost for the fixtures as a deduct. That way, he still made the same profit, and the customer seen that he really didn't save anything buy purchasing it himself.

Also, the plumber warranted his product, but offer no warranty with the customer supplied items.

Problem solved.

I would think the dealer is in the same situation. If the profit is lost for the materials, then it needs to be made up on labor.
Also, you cannot expect the dealer to provide free labor to replace defective parts, if he did not supply them.

 

[scootermcgee]

All good points and thanks for the input. Since this was the first time I have contacted a dealer and they refused, I figured it was along the lines of either
profit or liability/warranty issues. Unfortunately I do not have the time/tools to do my own work (full time college student with work) so the dealer is the only option for me.
I did contact another dealer and they are willing to do the work and are quoting me labor cost. Again, thanks for the responses and I am ready to get my ride up and running!

 

[Steve D UK]

I work in a garage and if someone wants us to fit their own parts, we make it clear that we will not entertain any claims on faults that may occur with parts that we don't supply. We would also charge waiting time if, for example, we stripped a car and find that the customer had brought the wrong parts along. No garage has an obligation to take on any work unless they are an authorised dealer and it is a warranty job. Customers that want to supply their own parts are doing it for one reason - to save money but that saving comes out of the garages profit. We don't usually charge more for a 'parts supplied' job but the trade off is that the customer will have to pay the labour again if the parts failed and take up any issues with the part supplier who will invariably blame the person that fitted them!

Personally I think it's a bit cheeky asking a garage to fit parts that they could be supplying, guaranteeing and earning a profit on - you wouldn't turn up at a restaurant with the ingredients for a meal and expect them to charge you just to cook them, would you?

 

[knucklehead]

Personally I think it's a bit cheeky asking a garage to fit parts that they could be supplying, guaranteeing and earning a profit on - you wouldn't turn up at a restaurant with the ingredients for a meal and expect them to charge you just to cook them, would you?

Excellent analogy Steve!

 

[Scootereno]

That is exactly why:
1) I don't buy from dealers.
2) I do all my own service.
3) I don't buy new or under warranty motorcycles.

I like to ride and save money not wait days for service and pay exorbitant prices and when it comes to scooters most dealers don't have an experienced service staff anyways.

 

[Fatjock]

.................clipped ..........Personally I think it's a bit cheeky asking a garage to fit parts that they could be supplying, guaranteeing and earning a profit on - you wouldn't turn up at a restaurant with the ingredients for a meal and expect them to charge you just to cook them, would you?

Not to be a Male Hen, but I have been to such a restaurant.......
.....It was essentially a two part place, one side being a retail store wher you could purchase ingredients, which you could then take home, or wheel your cart into the other side, where for a fee, the chefs would prepare them in a variety of styles (chosen from a menu). You also had the option of bringing your own ingredients from home, and paying the fee to have them prepared. Price was dependent upon style chosen.

I thought it was a good concept, myself, and am surprised I've only seen it the once.

I will qualify by saying that this wasn't in the US or Europe that I experienced it.

Being a Service Manager myself (not on vehicles, but Industrial machinery), I agree with a lot of your comments, to a point, but I have in the past supplied my own lubricants for a service and requested they be used (without asking for a cost reduction) simply so I'd know exactly what was going into the vehicle. I've never had anyone refuse, or be in th slightest churlish about this, probably because it adds to the proft margin.
It's all about how things are approached. try to take peoples income away, and they're going to get upset. Add to their income, and they are very accomodating!!

 

[Steve D UK]

Hmmm. So, we've got scooterMCGEE and fatJOCK supplying their own parts. Anyone spot the common denominator there? :lol: :lol: :lol: Sorry, no offence but I couldn't resist that one. (Probably only us Brits will understand that one).

 

[Bakeisback]

Basically you have to make a choice, sort of... if you want to do it all yourself, you may alienate the dealer and they may not help you when you get in over your head especially if you have hassled them about parts and prices and bringing your own parts. If you let them do it all, it will cost you.

I keep them all separate. I have things I go to a dealer for, things I go to a friend for, and things I do myself. I wanted to get cheaper tires, but to get them cheaper I would have to spend an entire day at a 3rd party garage waiting. My friend/mechanic charges almost as much as a dealer, but no wait.

 

[SPS Tools]

... you wouldn't turn up at a restaurant with the ingredients for a meal and expect them to charge you just to cook them, would you?

I'll note one exception to that general rule - restaurants on the pier will often cook what you catch, but it's not really that much cheaper than ordering off the menu.
I never take my Internet cigars into the B&M lounge for a smoke; I always burn their product in their shop.

 

[bigfoot]

Other than maybe tires, I wouldn't even ask a dealer to install factory parts not purchased from them.
My dealer has given me 15% off all OEM parts I order through him for the last 6 years. :thumbup:

 

[Scooter_Maniac]

Other than maybe tires, I wouldn't even ask a dealer to install factory parts not purchased from them.
My dealer has given me 15% off all OEM parts I order through him for the last 6 years. :thumbup:

Much better deal than the 20 - 50% over MSRP my local Suzi shop charges!!! Fortunately, their shop guy understood and agreed to install parts I ordered online (including a salvaged front wheel and front fork assembly off eBay).

 

[lloyd123]

Other than maybe tires, I wouldn't even ask a dealer to install factory parts not purchased from them.
My dealer has given me 15% off all OEM parts I order through him for the last 6 years. :thumbup:

While asking a dealer to install a new part that you've provided from another source may be asking too much - do you think asking a shop to install a used/salvaged OEM part provided by you would be considered a proper thing to do? Maybe this would depend on just how complicated/expensive a job it is. Replacing a sensor might not be worth it but replacing a whole engine would.

 

[Jim]

They may do it, but being a salvaged / used part, they did not provide, I assume there would be no warranty.

 

[v8eyedoc]

I work in a garage and if someone wants us to fit their own parts, we make it clear that we will not entertain any claims on faults that may occur with parts that we don't supply. We would also charge waiting time if, for example, we stripped a car and find that the customer had brought the wrong parts along. No garage has an obligation to take on any work unless they are an authorised dealer and it is a warranty job. Customers that want to supply their own parts are doing it for one reason - to save money but that saving comes out of the garages profit. We don't usually charge more for a 'parts supplied' job but the trade off is that the customer will have to pay the labour again if the parts failed and take up any issues with the part supplier who will invariably blame the person that fitted them!

Personally I think it's a bit cheeky asking a garage to fit parts that they could be supplying, guaranteeing and earning a profit on - you wouldn't turn up at a restaurant with the ingredients for a meal and expect them to charge you just to cook them, would you?

NOPE.........!!!!!

 

[ashby102]

I ran my own auto electric repair shop for over 25 years and I had to develop the policy of not installing customer supplied parts. It's not fair to the garage to tie up lifts etc if the customer part is the wrong thing or faulty.Beside taking away the small profit from the garage.

 

[ErikDK]

300% markup on already expensive motor oil costing $10-$15 per liter in webshops really reveals how garages make the required profits to pay for the salesmen's stone and glass temples.