*blink blink*

[Spiffy McMoron]

Background: I work at a Dodge dealership, selling parts in the Parts Department. Easy, no?

So today I'm manning the front counter (where the average paying customer comes) and a gentleman walks in. We exchange greetings, and I ask him what I can do for him.

Him: Well, I'm wondering if I can get a price on some parts for the van I just bought.
Me: OK, what year is your van and what parts did you need?
Him: Well, I need a key cut and programmed, a radio, and a few other things. It's a 2005 Windstar.
Me: *thinking, 'OK, if he bought it here, that's not an unreasonable request. Maybe he'll get some of it for free/cheap'* OK, did you buy the van here? Have you talked to the salesman about this?
Him: No, I didn't buy it here. I bought it privately. I just thought you guys would carry Ford stuff here.
Me: *facepalm* No...we don't carry Ford stuff here. Try **** Ford down the street or **** Ford.

*Dies inside*

I don't know why, but it seems that on Saturdays, the odd ones come out--it's our version of a full moon.

[NightWatch]

I understand the whole ordering a Big Mac at Burger King business... But how do you confuse a Ford with a Dodge?! I mean, Dodges tend to have a ridiculously high depreciation value rate... And Fords just don't run at all. I would know, I had one.

[One-Fang]

I'm confused.

If he bought it here (after knowing it's make and model) it's okay and he'll get some stuff. Since he didn't, you sent him down the road.

Now, I can understand "you didn't buy it here, sod off". I fail to understand why it's so danged obvious that you wouldn't have those parts ... when you would if he'd bought the van there.

[Crazeyal]

They'd ORDER the stuff. Most dealershitships (sorry.. hate is only extended to the people who make the places so bad, not the poor saps following policy..but .. UGH..) that sell used cars have SOME sort of repair/warrenty program. Some have a full repair shop. Since they are a Dodge dealership, they stock and sell DODGE parts. Unless there is a full fledged auto parts store onsite, everything else would have to be ordered.

[Eric the Grey]

Maybe he's a fan of the whole FORD = F**ked over, rebuild Dodge theory.



Eric the Grey

[Peppergirl]

Background: I work at a Dodge dealership, selling parts in the Parts Department. Easy, no?

So today I'm manning the front counter (where the average paying customer comes)

Ah, the retail counter. I believe that's what many parts-guys refer to as the 'remedial counter'.

(Nod to JadedCarGuy and my Ex-Husband, the parts dude)

[Spiffy McMoron]

I'm confused.

If he bought it here (after knowing it's make and model) it's okay and he'll get some stuff. Since he didn't, you sent him down the road.

Now, I can understand "you didn't buy it here, sod off". I fail to understand why it's so danged obvious that you wouldn't have those parts ... when you would if he'd bought the van there.

Last things first: we sell used cars, which could be of any make--Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Toyota, etc.--which is why I thought he might have bought it where I work. However, the new cars we sell are all Chrysler products--Chyrslers, Dodges, Jeeps--which means that in the parts department, we are only allowed to carry Chrysler parts.

First things last: The reason I asked him if he bought it here is that sometimes a salesman will sell a car, and then:
1) Sell an additional warrenty plan for that vehicle, whether it's a Chrysler or not.
2) Sell a vehicle, and as a condition of the sale, the customer comes back at a later time so that we can fix the (non-safety related) problems. I'm refering to things like radios that don't work, missing/broken trim pieces, body work, windsheild repair, etc.--nothing that would cause it to be unsafe or unreliable. We'll then fix the vehicle we sold.
If either of those two options had been the case, I'd have been more than happy to help him out.

However, neither of these options were the case--he'd bought a Ford from an individual guy, and came into a Dodge dealership to ask for Ford stuff. The stuff he'd asked for could only be gotten through a Ford dealership, as well. If we need to get a key for a Ford vehicle, we HAVE to send the car down to Ford and get them to cut and program it for us.

To borrow an analogy from this thread, it is like walking into a Burger King and ordering a Big Mac, or walking into a McDonald's and ordering a Whopper--both sell burgers, but what is being ordered is specific to a certain chain. If you wanted a Whopper and went into a McDonald's, they would have to direct you to the nearest BK.

[draftermatt]

I feel your pain.

I worked for an International Dealership (big trucks) and we were the only such dealership in the area.

Not to mention we also carried Caterpillar and Cummins parts.

So we'd have guys come in who wanted parts for their Peterbilt, and we had to help them. Even if it meant calling a Peterbilt dealership.

The worst were the Dodge & Ford guys (Dodge Diesel = Cummins, Ford Diesel = International) who didn't understand that while they had that type of engine, Dodge & Ford add their own stuff to the engines, and the part numbers are no where near the same.

Which led to us calling the Ford/Dodge dealership.