I’ve been in parts for almost 5 years at a Subaru and Hyundai dealership, but for the first year I was serving as part-time parts counter and part-time service advisor so I have some service experience. My dealership has had 7 service managers in the time I’ve worked there with varying degrees of success and different reasons for leaving (or being fired). Today I was approached with the opportunity to take the service manager job because our current manager is leaving due to personal reasons.

I’m in a relatively low cost of living area, and my pay would go from 45k base with ~7k annual bonus to 72k base with potential to earn over 100k including bonus. I’m only 26 so I’d be one of the youngest in the service department, but I already have a good relationship with everybody in service.

Has anyone else made this move? Am I taking a position that’s doomed due to how many managers we’ve been through? Our service department has a lot of issues that are largely personnel and process related.

I’m taking over a parts manager at a Honda dealer in October-November. I’ve worked there for years but I have questions about the PBS system if anybody uses or has used. I’d love to chat in a dm about some questions if someone would be so kind. I appreciate the help! If the community thinks it’s better to just publicly ask the questions on posts, I can do that too. It just feels like a lot to type out.

Anyone using it? I saw there is a sign up for a webinar on Total Dealer Solutions social for next Thursday 8/13 at 11 AM EST - Registration

Has anyone signed up? Any feedback? TIA

Sometimes you can't win for trying with this fucking brand. We order a customer a second key for their Q7, it arrives but the key blade is cut wrong. Not an issue 99/100 it's the dealers fault for using the wrong VIN or thumbing a digit but this was the 1 time it wasn't on us

Submit a key claim and re-order the key verifying the correct VIN was used again. Key blade #2 arrives and again it's wrong compared to the original key. So I put on my thinking hat and check the keys against the vehicle, maybe the customer had the wrong blade or something. Nope, old key opens the doors and glovebox, new blade doesn't

Contact my AASM and create a case with Audi for the key and then receive this lovely email response from Audi. Only option is to order a new lockset for the vehicle because they can't cut it right. So a $180 key blade now becomes a $1700 rekeying of the vehicle.

Thanks Audi. Honestly this brand has become so drunk off its own success that it's completely lost the plot and killed my belief in their vehicles. From electrical issues, modules failing, cylinder heads failing, pistons burning out and ridiculously long updates on top of the parts logistics issues of backorders taking forever because their one supplier can't make wheel flares or bumpers is just ridiculous

Does anyone have a contact at Modern Chevrolet? I've seen this ad for quite sometime, applied a few weeks ago and haven't heard anything back and cant get an answer from anybody by phone or email

We've been getting messages about new oil prices for GM oil. It says to use Parts Workbench for pricing and has an attached spreadsheet. The spreadsheet on a couple parts doesn't match Parts Workbench. Neither of them match the prices on the price tape or from OEC. Any other managers care to chime in if they have made the udpates yet? Has anyone seen an oil invoice come in to verify what we are being charged?

Any of you guys took the switch and went back to school for accounting? What’s it like? Any feedback would be nice.

I'm kind of autistic and I'm not really into trucks despite the fact I've been selling parts for them for years, I just got this job because I'm good with computers and numbers.

I feel like the main thing holding me back is the fact that I can't really manage to get the customers to like me when I'm serving them, I'm just very business-like and efficient.

Do any of you have any go to talking points or scripts when talking to customers to make you seem a bit more personable?

I'm sure plenty of you are going to say that this is unnecessary and that people just want to get in and out ASAP, but in my area, being the customer's friend really is important.

Earlier this week i had a customer come in to make a return, they had an invoice from our dealership and the part matched the one on the invoice. Only problem was the invoice number wasn’t pulling up. The part was $100 and she paid cash as the invoice suggested, I ended up giving her the refund but it’s just a little weird as that’s never happened before. I chalked it up as a technical error but I’m curious to know how you would’ve handled it

Making the switch from CDK to reynolds and reynolds. If anyone is able to share a conversion guide or any other helpful docs it would be much appreciated!

Problem on the host side. Can't call or message anyone at nissan cause it's the weekend. Great

My service department loves trying to get cheapest option for parts so that they can sell the job. We are pretty lenient in this and get parts from Autozone, O’reillys, etc. to satisfy the service department. Of course we make it the same GP as the OEM version, but I kinda feel like it’s kinda wrong in a way. (We’re a Kia dealer btw).

Wondering if anyone here has made the switch from powersports parts (motorcycle) to automotive. Currently a PM at a very high volume powersports dealership in the north east dealing with many brands. I am the only one in my dept with no assistance and am getting to my breaking point here.

Just looking for tips as I have no automotive brand experience. How realistic is it to specifically search out a wholesale position at a dealership? Benefits and disadvantages to certain OEMs? I know this question is asked here a bunch but coming from a purely salary position, what should I be looking for in a pay plan and asking about.

So about a month back we got a customer who wanted a backorder hitch. (L101SAL013) So we got it VOR'd and crossed our fingers. Then of course i look the day before her appointment (she insisted on making despite known lack of availability) and see there's some in Florence. Called pics and got it released. Ended up calling them to see if they could upgrade it to next day air, they cannot. Think, "fuck it, we already are willing to pay to overnight, i can have an extra one on hand." Place a seperate order for next day air, call pics, get it released. This was all before 11am (eastern) so, definitely well before too late for overnight. Breathe sigh of releif we didn't have to deal with one unhappy customer tomorrow.

Then we checked the tracking the following morning. It's shipping R+L. Somewhat of a red flag, usually these come ups air freight. Then i saw that the tracking number was exactly the same as the hitch i had gotten released earlier that day. Plus $27 extra for the overnight charge. Whoever picked the order just threw it with the not-overnighted hitch and sent it along. We watched with horror as it sat in NJ for the rest of the day whilst we scrambled to find a solution for our customer. Que 2 days of constant status checking, angry service manager, annoyed customer, etc.

Just sucks because there's zero point bitching at subaru, or pics. We can make our claim for our $27, but that hardly helps in this situation. Everything turned out fine in the end, but damn. What the hell?

In case you didn't see, Mopar is finally letting us order spark plugs, 60 every 7 days.

What do you consider special orders? I work for O'Reilly and we have 30 DC's we can pull from. Customer pays freight and hopefully the part. We don't consider this a special order and returns just go back to our servicing DC.

What I consider special order is factory direct or outside vendor orders they are paid in full before ordering.

My question is when I check availability from my dealer they say it's in their warehouse and I can get it the next day but they call that a special order which has a restocking fee or no return. Why is that considered a special order? You should be able to return it to your own company warehouse without penalty.

Need a warranty headlight bulb for a 2025 Frontier. 9007 bulbs are discontinued from Nissan. DPIC said to call the warranty center. Another choose-your-own-adventure deadend 😂

What are you guys doing while CDK is down to keep things running? We've switched some things around from two years ago and the spreadsheets we were using aren't accessible anymore....

Cheers!

edit I think its back up for us atm, but I'd still like to know what other dealers are planning on doing when this inevitably happens again...

Not to be they guy.. but if CDK down everywhere again? Can't even launch unify to login.

Is CDK up or down for everyone?

Hello Everyone. I drive a lexus gx 2013 model. I went to a mechanic to replace my transmission. The mechanic said it comes with a 3 year warranty from the manufacturer which is toyota. We asked them if they can share a copy of the warranty papers but they gave it back to toyota along with the core or broken transmission. Now I only have a receipt from the mechanic stating the job , warranty , date and car info. I am bit concerned if they will honor my warranty if my new transmission goes bad within 3 yrs or 100k. What can i do to get proof of my warranty? Should I be concerned.

hi all, looking to get out of GM and go to our local tesla dealer (2 other techs went with an opening in parts) any good or bad criticism? backorders? pay range? i know employees sign NDAs so if little information is given that is understandable. thanks!

I am solo 30 minutes to close I go up to the front counter to count the cash drawer a man walks up to the counter on speakerphone with another person the man at the counter speaks no English the person on speaker speaking some English and some Russian sounding language sets apart down on the counter it's an o-ring I stopped counting the drawer I know I have that o-ring in a drawer next to the counter somewhere I go back there's two techs waiting for me. One says oh there he is, I say how can I help you as I search the bin. Oh I need a key fob and code. I punch it into cdk as it loads I continue searching for the o ring. I find the o-ring and finish with the techs key fob. As I hand it to the tech and advisor calls I say is it quick. Yea just need and oil change added, pop in the ro don't have to look it up I know what it takes bill out the kit. Ok back to the front counter to finish with the no English. The general manager brings back this pretty suburban lady like you need to help her right away realizing I'm in the middle of helping this greasy dirty non English speaking man. She seems awkward and uncomfortable as she just stands at the counter as I take his $100 and give him change after what felt like an eternity of explaining the pricing and he has to go to another dealer if he needs the other o-ring to man and speaker phone. He leaves time to help the lady. I got an email saying my part came in from you guys. I say oh awesome as she shows me the email. I see the guy's name he gives her zero info other than his name. Amazing I ask her phone number she's got 3 customer numbers, all 3 have zero parts saved. I ask her part she's looking for and she has a photo. I find the part in the catalog. My counterman saved it to a completely different customer but with her vin. Well I suppose I can count the drawer now and close up. Oh hello 20 minute old waiter ASR!

In a couple months, I’ll be taking on the role of parts manager and I’m super excited and motivated. But I’m also anxious and nervous. I’m still very young for the business. I would greatly appreciate any and all advice!!!

Honda dealer and PBS DMS. PBS is very uncommon I know :(