One of the more frustrating parts of what I do is visiting the same dealerships year after year and not seeing a change.  I teach them how to get rid of obsolescence, how to improve profitability and have an overall more efficient operation.  More often than not though, there are no changes in procedure, no changes in condition of the parts warehouse, no changes in the level of obsolescence, no changes in attitude…..no changes in anything!

Parts managers do nothing to improve, General Managers tolerate it.  I’m told it’s too much work to change the status quo.  It’s supposed to be hard work, that’s why you get a paycheck on Friday!  But I go back year after year to the same mess and I know it will be there again next year too.

I’m just hired to count your parts and the checks keeps cashing so why should I care?  Because if I didn’t care, than I would be just as guilty as the sub-par Parts Managers/General Managers I’m complaining about right now.  I have to care, I need to care, it’s who I am.  If you’re reading this, it’s probably who you are also.  If you’re reading this, you come to work every day with the intent of doing the best you can do and “leaving it all out on the field” as they say.  As a matter of fact, that may be the only difference between us and them.  We may not be any better or smarter than them, but we try every day, will fail sometimes (and get right back up) and we learn as we go.  We use what we learn to raise our standards and do better next time.  We do better so that next year when a guy like me comes back around, he does see a difference.  And he knows and appreciates why it’s better.