What do workshops want from their motor factor suppliers? Oldfields Garage Services Director, Tim Benson, whose workshop is a Garage Forum member of the Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association, has his say:
Consistency of service
Consistency of service helps to ensure that we can keep our garage running smoothly. Firstly, the phone answering needs to be timely. When I speak to the parts sales advisor, I need to be confident that they’ve understood what I need and when I need it. When I come off the call, I need to feel confident that what has been arranged and agreed is going to happen.
We would expect our key factor suppliers to inform us if there are any issues. Once that is dealt with, we need to be clear on when the parts ordered are going to arrive. We’re in a rural area and use factors 12 miles away, so for us, vans that leave on time – and subsequently arrive when expected – are very important to us.
Personally, I would prefer to order off a supplier that I knew what was going to happen, rather than one that is inconsistent. We’re able to plan for known outcomes!
Product range and quality
We don’t fit customer-supplied parts, as we feel that it’s important to be able to trace the source, and notwithstanding the profit we need from parts to help run the business. With more than 30 years of trading, we have found product ranges we like and feel happy to fit. We prefer to spend a bit more on original equipment (OE) quality brands and pass the cost on to our customers because we can fit them and forget.
Whilst offering a warranty is important, our take on it is that we don’t want to use poor quality parts and have the customer re-visiting and us having the hassle of dealing with it. Where OE brands aren’t readily available – and we can’t wait for them – we have found brands that we like and trust. We actually buy certain product groups from suppliers because of what they stock and have readily available.
Relationship with the business
For me, one of the most important influences of using a key factor supplier is that it understands how we would like to operate and our overall business. We use this relationship to help develop the efficiency of our workshop, and understanding how the supplier works is a key enabler for this.
I prefer to work with our suppliers, rather than beat them up, as they are vital elements in our overall service proposition. We really notice when staff change in our suppliers; they certainly are an extension of our team, as we deal with these people more than anyone else. Good rapport with the phone staff, the business development and the delivery drivers help make the day go along.
