Independently Owned Shops
I have a great Indy I use for occasional engine work who has no problem with me providing parts. 1/2 the time I buy online, the other 1/2 he has in stock & I'll buy his parts. I look at it this way, I order online and Indy doesn't have to deal with ordering, shipping, tax if applicable and does the labor which is pure profit and no taxes to report. If he quotes me an hour or two or whatever and I agree I pay that agreed upon amount then we're good. He also knows if I'm not happy with the amount I won't go elsewhere and will do it myself but bring it back to him if I have a problem.
Getting ready to do just that with new rocker upper & lowers to replace the chrome stock with wrinkle black. If I have a problem I'll take it to him and pay our agreed upon amount. Indys have a business to run and we have money to save. The American way!
Getting ready to do just that with new rocker upper & lowers to replace the chrome stock with wrinkle black. If I have a problem I'll take it to him and pay our agreed upon amount. Indys have a business to run and we have money to save. The American way!
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 2,719
Likes: 1,834
From: In a house
My local Indy is pretty cool and has worked on all of my bikes at some point. If you bring in your own stuff he'll install it but no warranty if anything goes wrong. Only exception is tires, he won't touch a tire not purchased through him. If you order parts there and something takes longer than expected or something comes up he'll cut you a deal on labor if he can. If you walk in with your own stuff you're paying for every minute no exceptions. He does good work and his approach passes the common sense test for me.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,365
Likes: 9
From: Greensboro, NC
The independent I use charges 20% more labor if you bring in the parts, and the parts must be new in the original packaging. If he can't match the price on name brand parts, he will let you supply the parts, so as long as the parts are new still in the package. For just about all my H-D parts, he has been with in 5% of prices on line, so I give him the business.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 3,414
Likes: 374
From: Southern NY, known as Florida
Being in the auto business I can provide some insight. Many customers buy parts online and bring them in for install. I do not care, heck I sell parts online too.
The problem arises when the part is cheap, wrong or defective. If I supplied it, I will not charge the hours we have already worked on the car. If customer supplied, they are paying the hours invested to find out its wrong or defective.
Problem occurs is that sometimes we have a vehicle that cannot be moved off a lift or is a pushed till we get the right part. How many customers want to pay for the dead time in a shop? I have yet to charge that but technically I could. I just have great relationships with my customers.
Anyway, that is generally the reason they want to supply the parts.
PS my parts prices are usually the same as they pay anyway
I have one customer who wanted to buy all his parts, I would give him the specific part numbers and the actual links to the parts. He would tell me he ordered them, he drops them off, and I find he ordered something similar, that was less than 2% cheaper and its the wrong part.
The problem arises when the part is cheap, wrong or defective. If I supplied it, I will not charge the hours we have already worked on the car. If customer supplied, they are paying the hours invested to find out its wrong or defective.
Problem occurs is that sometimes we have a vehicle that cannot be moved off a lift or is a pushed till we get the right part. How many customers want to pay for the dead time in a shop? I have yet to charge that but technically I could. I just have great relationships with my customers.
Anyway, that is generally the reason they want to supply the parts.
PS my parts prices are usually the same as they pay anyway
I have one customer who wanted to buy all his parts, I would give him the specific part numbers and the actual links to the parts. He would tell me he ordered them, he drops them off, and I find he ordered something similar, that was less than 2% cheaper and its the wrong part.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,377
Likes: 647
From: Santa Clarita
I will venture to say that the guys saying 'oh, he's just chasing business away', or 'business is business' have NEVER run their own similar business. When you have done so, you'll agree more with that independent who won't install parts you provide.
First off, a necessary part of doing a repair business is the margin on parts. That's what keeps the doors open, in part. When you go get your parts on the net, you're taking that money out of their mouths. Just making money on labor doesn't cut it.
Secondly, I will absolutely guarantee you that when it's time to warrantee the part, the customer will expect the mechanic to remove the part, go thru the warranty process, and install the new part...all for free. Every time. How can a mechanic warranty a part he didn't purchase himself, realize the profit, and be able to stand behind it. And don't tell me 'oh no, I wouldn't do that!' Bull crap. 95% of cheapass internet buyers DO do that!
Then there's the quality issue, which is related to the item above. If you're gonna cheap it out by buying on the web, you're going for the bottom line, meaning that you're probably gonna be bringing in a crap part for that mechanic to install. How can he stand behind that? And when problems happen...and they will...you, the customer is gonna get all pissy when the mechanic tells you 'ya bought a cheap *** part, it broke, I ain't standing behind it'. You're gonna argue, you're gonna whine, you're gonna go on HD Forums and cry about it and the Real Bikers and gonna back your play.
Nope. No reason for an independent to install parts that you provide. Why would anyone think that's OK? YOU bought it on the net...YOU install it. Simple as that.
First off, a necessary part of doing a repair business is the margin on parts. That's what keeps the doors open, in part. When you go get your parts on the net, you're taking that money out of their mouths. Just making money on labor doesn't cut it.
Secondly, I will absolutely guarantee you that when it's time to warrantee the part, the customer will expect the mechanic to remove the part, go thru the warranty process, and install the new part...all for free. Every time. How can a mechanic warranty a part he didn't purchase himself, realize the profit, and be able to stand behind it. And don't tell me 'oh no, I wouldn't do that!' Bull crap. 95% of cheapass internet buyers DO do that!
Then there's the quality issue, which is related to the item above. If you're gonna cheap it out by buying on the web, you're going for the bottom line, meaning that you're probably gonna be bringing in a crap part for that mechanic to install. How can he stand behind that? And when problems happen...and they will...you, the customer is gonna get all pissy when the mechanic tells you 'ya bought a cheap *** part, it broke, I ain't standing behind it'. You're gonna argue, you're gonna whine, you're gonna go on HD Forums and cry about it and the Real Bikers and gonna back your play.
Nope. No reason for an independent to install parts that you provide. Why would anyone think that's OK? YOU bought it on the net...YOU install it. Simple as that.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,377
Likes: 647
From: Santa Clarita
One more thing...it just amazes me time after time that guys buy what is probably the most expensive motorcycle going, that right out of the crate needs improvements and modifications, and then turn around and cry about what it costs for those improvements and modifications! If you're buying a thirty thousand dollar fun machine, why try to cheap out the work you're doin' on it. Let the minions with oil and grease under their fingers make a buck too if you're not willing to get any of that nasty stuff under your nails...sheesh, folks...
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,483
Likes: 4,957
From: North Dakota
Everyone complains about shop labor being so high - can you imagine what they would have to charge if they didn't have profit from parts to help pay the bills?
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 15,365
Likes: 24,241
From: NC, USA
My indie guy doesn't really care if I bring him the parts or buy through him. Most of the time I only buy stuff he can't get through his distributors. I'd say I do about 50/50 that way and all is good. I "give" him my takeoff parts/chrome so he makes out on that again including labor and I don't have to carry them home and have a pile of stuff I may never use again.
I own my own business and on occasion customers will buy things elsewhere and bring them to me and I have to deal with them. The only thing that scorches my *** is when a customer sort of brags how much they saved rather than if they bought it through me. In that case, you can bet your *** there's ways I can "make up the difference" and I do. Just be respectful to your guy and you should be able to have a mutual beneficial relationship.
I own my own business and on occasion customers will buy things elsewhere and bring them to me and I have to deal with them. The only thing that scorches my *** is when a customer sort of brags how much they saved rather than if they bought it through me. In that case, you can bet your *** there's ways I can "make up the difference" and I do. Just be respectful to your guy and you should be able to have a mutual beneficial relationship.
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,693
Likes: 17
From: Ontario Canada
I own a sales and service business. If you buy something I sell but didn't buy from me and then ask me to install it and or service it the answer is, I only install and service what I sell. I will not service cheap crap product you bought elsewhere to save a few bucks. Take it back to where you bought it and have them service it. If you bought a tire from a discount web dealer have them mount the tire.
If I owned a motorcycle shop my policy would be the same or I would implement a different service rate for parts and tires not purchased from me. Why would I do it differently.
If I owned a motorcycle shop my policy would be the same or I would implement a different service rate for parts and tires not purchased from me. Why would I do it differently.