Imagine this: You have a vehicle that you promised your customer would be ready at 10 a.m. the next day and you find out you’re missing a part needed in order to finish the repair. It’s 7 p.m., and all of the dealer parts departments you work with are closed. What do you do? Wait until the dealer opens the next day at 8 a.m. and hope you have enough time?
What if you could order that part right away and the order was waiting for the dealer parts department immediately when it opened the next day, allowing enough time for you to put the part on before the customer arrives?
OEC RepairLink lets you to do just that.
OEC RepairLink allows you to search and order parts online, any time of the day, from your preferred dealers. Through RepairLink, you can access special OEM pricing, ensure profit margins and gain access to best-in-class illustrations and technical diagrams, giving you the ability to provide a more accurate repair in a shorter amount of time, leaving the customer satisfied and adding to your bottom line. A total win-win.
“The shops that regularly use RepairLink love it,” says John Haluch, director of customer success at OEC. “We continue to get feedback from shops that they can’t get the level of OEM parts details anywhere else. There’s lots of value to be had and the more you use it, the more comfortable you get with it.”
Haluch shares with Ratchet+Wrench how RepairLink will help unlock hidden potential for shops.
Time Savings
Being put on hold is a total time waster. Being dependent on the phone leaves mechanical repair shops at the mercy of how many salespeople are available in the parts department. Web-based RepairLink eliminates that. The days of calling and being put on hold because the parts department is short staffed to order parts are in the past.
“RepairLink is another channel to conduct business; you’re not at the mercy of how busy the dealership is,” Haluch says. “This makes the dealer easier to do business with and provides additional opportunities for shops that prefer an online channel.”
When working with people, there will always be variables that impact how busy the parts department is. Doing business online eliminates the need to get the salesperson on the phone and makes reaching them that much easier.
24-Hour Parts Ordering Accessibility
“I’ve worked with enough shops to know that they’re in early on weekdays and on weekends,” Haluch adds. “When a parts guy isn’t available, it can stop business. The ‘RepairLink parts department’ is always open.”
Shops can build a customer’s quote and be confident that they’re quoting the right parts at the right price because of the accuracy within RepairLink. The order can be placed, even if it’s after hours for dealerships, and will be waiting for the dealership right away in the morning.
“Through RepairLink, when you have normal business to conduct, you can be confident that you can order parts online and the dealership will fill that order,” Haluch says.
Wealth of Information
Vehicles are growing more complex each day, so getting the most up-to-date information is critical for vehicle repairers. "With detailed illustrations and diagrams, RepairLink helps technicians confidently identify parts needed for a repair.
“The days of flipping through repair books are done,” Haluch says. “In a lot of shops, the techs use RepairLink as a part of the diagnostic process. For example, if they’ve narrowed down the area but they’re not sure of all of the parts that need to be addressed, RepairLink provides that level of detail for them.”
Competitive Pricing
“A lot of shops assume dealers will be the most expensive option. We’re trying to turn around that often false perception,” Haluch says.
Taking a few extra minutes to look up parts that are normally purchased through the aftermarket could turn into parts savings that you pass along to your customers. Plus, you’ll have the added bonus of telling customers that you used a genuine OE part.
“RepairLink allows you to source the best parts at the best price,” Haluch concludes. “Through RepairLink, users are able to test different [pricing] scenarios.”
