Dealership employee question

[TractorChick]

I've worked at 3 different equipment dealership over the last 30 years, and I still can't figure out the best way to manage operator manuals, keys, and accessories.

I'd love some feedback from anybody who has a system that works at their dealership.

In a perfect world, during pre-delivery and/or set-up, the piece (whether it's a walk behind mower or a 100+ horsepower tractor) would have its books and keys and accessories kept neatly together and marked with the stock number and stored somewhere safely so that when it's sold, all of it can be given to the customer. How come this is so hard to accomplish?

 

[crashz]

Thats funny, I just bought a new chainsaw and the salesman had me dig through a box of owners manuals to find the correct one. I feel good for buying at a local dealer and not a box store, but I probably could have gotten better sales service at the box stores. The only reason I went to that particular store was that the parts department is really great.

Why not have a filing cabinet with labeled files for every piece of inventory?

 

[civesnedfield]

I've worked at 3 different equipment dealership over the last 30 years, and I still can't figure out the best way to manage operator manuals, keys, and accessories.

I'd love some feedback from anybody who has a system that works at their dealership.

In a perfect world, during pre-delivery and/or set-up, the piece (whether it's a walk behind mower or a 100+ horsepower tractor) would have its books and keys and accessories kept neatly together and marked with the stock number and stored somewhere safely so that when it's sold, all of it can be given to the customer. How come this is so hard to accomplish?

Here's my suggestion for what it's worth----

When the tractor is delivered to the dealer, take the keys, manual, and all other things and put them in an 8 1/2 manila envelope. Seal it and put the stock number on the outside of the envelope.
Store in a standard file cabinet.
When the unit is sold all you have to do is hand over the envelope to the customer and he has all the things that go with his or her new toy, excuse me piece of equipment.

This seems like a simple thing to me.

What scared me a few weeks ago was this. I purchased a new bush hog. After assembly the dealer takes the front half of the PTO shaft off of the unit and stores it. It took almost an hour to find the shaft for my bush hog. They don't tag or mark them in any way. Just put them all into a big pile.

 

[Sackett2]

That amazes me too. I feel that when a new piece of equipment come in, that should be checked and filed away. If it's something as big as a tractor with several pieces and manuals, then order them right away if they didn't arrive with it. Put it in a big envelope with the stock number on it. Too easy, and yet not done.

 

[CHDinCT]

Well, I think the keys would be needed for pre delivery testing, and how often do the mechanics that set up a machine need to look at the manual? Probably not often, unless it's a piece of equipment with low sales volume. Just some practical issues to consider that add risk to all the keys/manuals getting back into the envelope.

 

[JDeerekid]

What scared me a few weeks ago was this. I purchased a new bush hog. After assembly the dealer takes the front half of the PTO shaft off of the unit and stores it. It took almost an hour to find the shaft for my bush hog. They don't tag or mark them in any way. Just put them all into a big pile.

I new of a local dealer that recieve a load of rotary cutters and finish mowers and did not remove the pto shafts and they all came up missing.

He even says he cant even keep pins or the clips for 3pt hitch(which cost around 15 cents a peice) on the tractors without them being stolen.



For the origional posters question. I would have a filing cabinet set up and like everyone else said put all paperwork, manuals and things in a folder and label with model numbers and such.

 

[Midsouth]

i like the big manila enevlope idea. As far as keys go the ones that come with the machine go in the enevlope most mechanics have keys for the machine. On most brands on key will fit several differant models

 

[Ridgewalker]

If you want I could sell you a RFID locator system. You tag the envelope/shaft with a RFID tag and put it away. Then you tag the tractor with a corresponding tag. When it's time to match the two up you use a handheld to determine the tractor tag number and then off you go to find the rest of the gear. The tag will respond when interrogated by the handheld letting the user know where its at. You could also store information such as a serial number or you could tie it to a database allowing you to know what you are looking for.

Of course if you're going to spend the money on RFID you will also want to install a good pick/put system. You can get all that done for $10-25K.

 

[KAB]

Most (not all) car and HD truck dealers use the folder system for owners manuals and the 2nd set of keys. For the primary keys they hang them on a board based on the last 2 digits of the stock number.

For accessories (items to larges to fit in the folder) if you have a designated area for them, you could tag the item with the stock number, place it in the designated area based on the last digit(s) of the stock number. (We used to do this with special order items when I worked in retail parts).

Kurt

 

[Onthesauk]

I like the envelope idea but like using a one gallon zip lock freezer bag instead. You can at least see what you've got.

 

[JDeerekid]

I like the envelope idea but like using a one gallon zip lock freezer bag instead. You can at least see what you've got.

good idea freeze everything and store it in the freezer with labels, caution dont leave in long they might get freezer burn.

No really it is a good idea zip it up and you wont loose anything.

 

[Kaabi]

Just zip it up. I don't think there's really a need to bring freezing into the equation.

 

[TractorChick]

Thank you all for your responses. It's an area that takes care and attention to detail from everyone at the dealership, from whoever receives it, handles it stores it, sets it up, sells it, and delivers it.

 

[chh]

Just use the system my local MF dealer uses. Keys stay in the tractor, manuals get thrown at a large desk in the corner and when you buy something they dig until they find a manual. Hey, I never said they were organized.

 

[irwin]

Thank you all for your responses. It's an area that takes care and attention to detail from everyone at the dealership, from whoever receives it, handles it stores it, sets it up, sells it, and delivers it.

Ain't that the truth. I've worked at several auto dealerships, in both sales and service (as dept. manager), and even with a good system in place things happen. With one person responsible (along with their real job) to keep track of files and know where and who has what.
It's usually a manager, (used car manager, lot manager, gereral manager, etc.) though it could be anyone that has access to the files, that loses things. A good system and an **** retentive person in charge will minimize problems. Being good at the job means being hard on the lazy and absent minded among the staff.

 

[TractorChick]

Being good at the job means being hard on the lazy and absent minded among the staff.


That's going to come up at the next impromtu meeting we have on this issue!

 

[TractorChick]

Oh, chh......that desk they throw things at where is work is MINE!!!!!!!!

 

[Foothill Rancher]

Most of the small items such as weed trmmers, pole saws and such had the manuel in a clear zip-lock bag tied to the machine with a wire tie, I can't every remember a problem finding a manuel with anything that I've bought.
I would also think that a folder with all the info in it filed in a cabinet would work well for larger items such as tractors.

 

[GreenWannabe]

In addition to the folder/envelope/zip bag, for items too large to fit, write down an inventory list and include it in the folder. At delivery time, use it as a check list to collect all the appropriate items.

 

[skipro3]

I can't understand why the manuals, documents, keys, etc need to be separated from the product to begin with.....

Why?

Even in my own home, every manual stays with every piece of equipment. My chainsaw has it's manual right there with the chain saw. I take each page and put it in a clear cover, (I get them from Office Max), then put the clear covers in a PeeChee type binder, you know,the kind you used to turn in homework reports with back in grade school. Then the manual sits on the shelf and the saw sits on the manual. With my tractor, the documents sit in a small document box behind the seat. There is only one place for any of my documents and that is with the product itself. If it's not right there with the saw, trimmer, tool, etc, then it's been stolen and no need to keep loooking. Ha!