Car dealers

[danndeb]

Does anyone have experience working with car dealers?

[Pickermeapie]

In reference to what? Locks, Keys? More Info

[danndeb]

I mean, is there a market for locksmith services with car dealers? Is there good demand, are they approachable, how do they pay, etc.

[Pickermeapie]

Kinda still not sure what your saying, but I think I can respond. Most Dealers do their own work themselves. Some do still call upon locksmiths, but most do in house work. Especially keys, Whoo, do they love their keys. I saw a study where the ALOA called several dealers preforming a study for one of their up and coming classes. Just about all of the dealers said that locksmiths can't cut keys, can't program cars, and can't rekey door locks or relpace ignitions. Mostly because of the transponder systems. But most of what they said is rubbish. I might be able to dig up that study if anyone wants to see it.
-pickermeapie

[sl_aus]

Does anyone have experience working with car dealers?

I mean, is there a market for locksmith services with car dealers? Is there good demand, are they approachable, how do they pay, etc.

Hi daandeb,

I'm a motor dealer and take advantage of a local mobile locksmith whenever the need arises - actually I tend to call him out at the slightest opportunity now I have more of an interest in locks

The main service he provides is cutting keys or rekeying a replacement lock. Every now and then he does have to unlock a car for us though

I've never used him for remotes/transponders as most are easily recoded (for the vehicles we mainly deal with anyway) or my mechanic can do it with his software.

Are we approachable? yep, as long as you're not too expensive - dealers are major tighta$$es. Also bear in mind that even though we are car dealers we are still human, just...

Is there are demand/market? yep, although predominantly with used car lots as opposed to new car franchises who generally have a service department. Being a mobile lockie will definately help.

How do we pay? Most car dealers will avoid cash and prefer to pay via cheque upon reciept of an invoice as the cost will go against the particular vehicle you've worked on.

Don't expect a car dealer to be your biggest account but there is work there...

Hope this helps a bit.

[wraith]

I've had a mixed dealings with dealerships. I have freinds that work at several, and that helps tremendously! The ones where I go in and talk with the service manager have been a little hit and miss. YMMV, but here are some of my experiences;

- Call, and make an appointment, if possible. Service Managers are busy people, and they tend to be a lot nicer if they know you're coming.

- Be on time! Look sharp! You are selling your service.

- Be prepared to show off what you can do, wether it's unlock a vehicle, rekey, etc. Now, no dealer will make you rekey a car for him right there, but you might show him your tools, cylinders, etc. - just let him know you have the right equipment.

- Carry business cards. I know it sounds silly, but i'm sure all of us have forgotten.

- If the dealership already has a locksmith, try to find out who it is. I've found that going to the locksmith and letting him/her know you'd like to assist, if needed, goes a long way.

- Listen to what the dealer needs. I've had a few dealerships drop thier locksmith in favor of someone like me because they don't listen.

- "No" doesn't always mean "no". I've left cards at dealerships that didn't seam interested, only to get a call at 7:00p the next week for a car unlock...

As i've said, YMMV, but this has helped me. Remember, dealers aren't evil, they are people to, but like us, they have a bottom line they want to keep as well!

Trey

[Shrub]

I have a great relationship with my local pug dealer, i get to practice on all the new cars that come out and they call me out for anything lock related, i let them have transponder keys at very little above cost (they copy pug keys on a copier, anything else or anything that needs programming i do) before i got my copier and programmer i used to borrow their copier when ever i needed one, they also have a laser machine that i could use but i have my own, they gave me a ford and jaguar tibbe cutting machine which was nice.

If your decent with people they are decent back, if these dealers know what you can do they may very well use you a lot.

[Magic]

Sounds like a great arrangement. Just one thing - even though I have 25+ years in the motor trade, I have no idea what a pug dealer is?

[Temple]

Another place you may want to look at is Wrecker services. My wife works for a wrecker service and they tow a lot of cars people abandon for one reason or another. By law they hold the car for 30 days and then sell it at auction for the what everthey can get. Most of the time they don't have a key when they tow the car so they have to have one made. They will sell anywhere from 30-40 cars per auction and most of them need keys.

Not to mention the number of lock out calls they get that they have to turn down because they dropped that service because of insurance costs. When people ask can you recomend some one she just tells them they have to look in the phone book. However if you were in good with the wrecker service they could recomend you. Hope this helps and gives you some more ideas.

[zeke79]

Sounds like a great arrangement. Just one thing - even though I have 25+ years in the motor trade, I have no idea what a pug dealer is?

Pugeot. A brand of automobile.

[raimundo]

be sure to put your cardout to the big realtors, they will probably want to buy keysecure boxes, and will also send business your way when a house is sold and the new owner wants to rekey immediatly, Also, big construction companies. The lockshop I worked for in san francisco, had coldwell banker, and bechtel on retainer, but for this type of business, there are some things that will help, absolute competence, and ability to make a decision, they don't want to spend a lot of time discussing the problem, they just want to tell you about it and have you deal with it. Other accounts were cruiseships, (american president line in those days, and airlines. you may also want some banks and department stores, supermarkets (safeway) when you get one of these accounts, use their name to get the next one, when they have an issue, be sure to have a solution, they don't want to talk about it and understand the problem, they just want you to do something, if you install a lock but can see that the problem is now just changed, don't worry about it, they will pay the bill and forget it, then when they realize that they need something different, thats a new job, don't critique your own work if your coming back to do a job over or differently, just do it, smile and hand em the bill, thats all they want.

[Jake P]

I've had a great deal of expirence with smaller used car lots. They always need a locksmith, some light opening, lots or copies, and the always popular making a set of keys to replace to one that just disappeared. I suggestion is to print up cards and go up and down auto row in your area, leave cards with the sales managers, it will result in service calls.

[HeadHunterCEO]

bE PREPARED TO BE A SLAVE TO THE DEALERSHIP.If it is a large dealership that sells used cars your phone willl ring practically daily.
Down in VB ,VA there was this dealership that would always have at least 3-4 cars every 2 days.