Customers stocking parts...

Darrell_7

I change the rules...if a person wants to be a customer of mine and I want them as a customer and they happen to have a unique piece of equipment or unigue components that I would not usually stock on my van for the more universally used equipment and components, then I take the lead in suggesting that they stock some parts for their system, through me. Several good things happen...I am being proactive on their behalf, I can direct their spending on spare parts, I can control the quality of spare parts available, I know what parts are available there in their boiler room, they have pre-purchased the parts which makes an emergency call less expensive on the spot, and I still get the sale. Everybody wins.

The problem is some manufacture's won't sell parts unless they are sold to a serial number. For instance, I spent 2.5 hours on hold with American Water Heaters the other day trying to get a blower assembly for a Polaris Water Heater. The parts will be shipped under warranty...sometime...somehow...I am not going to call back and check...not enough time in the day. I could stock the assembly...but a four digit part for such a narrow market would be a poor use of my resources. The owner is without heat and hot water going on four days now and will be replacing the unit ASAP based solely on the response of American. The owner cannot stock the part without paying cash for it...even though the part will always be under warranty according to American.

Perry_5

Customers stocking parts...

One of the issues regarding boiler reliability is the availability of parts.

As boilers are discontinued; as many of the modern "advanced" boilers have unique parts, and as wholesalers are cutting parts inventories to a minimum.... and it is often not practical for a heating contractor to stock parts for something unless they have a large number of them in the field. What's a homeowner to do if their boiler breaks down?

I have also heard many a heating contractor on this site say that if the homeowner tells them they have the parts that they walk...

On the other hand I read yesterday in another thread where a several year old mod/con boiler just got replaced because they could not wait for parts to be shipped in (like a week delivery).

Just a few minutes ago I had a conversation with my local heating contractor about just this issue. His comment was that with the way things are changing - that he is being forced to change his thinking on some things. Given I have a unique boiler in the immediate area that he does not have a problem with my stocking parts for it. So I will be ordering parts for my Vitodens 200 from him.

What are your thoughts on customers stocking parts for their boilers?

If you are installing an oddball boiler are you willing to recommend to the customers that they should stock parts?

If you see a boiler being discontinued - how do you handle the future parts issues?

If a new customer calls you and tells you that a previous vendor installed the boiler - and because it was not a common boiler in the area (or a discontinued boiler) that they had a stock of parts for it... how would you react?

Perry

Derheatmeister

Trailer

I have this trailer that i use as a selling/training/and emergency heating tool.

So on all the boilers that i install and support i have a spare boiler in stock or shall i say in the Trailer!

Spare parts are not a issue..

I also stock many Domestic generic parts..

For the Triangle tube Prestige i have the Parts kit.

For the Baxi Luna i made my own a Kit.

And for the Viessmann: Well i do not really have to ever work on them :-) Richard from Heatmeister

Robert O'Brien

I'd

have no problem with that as long as it was a proprietary part.Why should the consumer suffer for lack of parts at the local level?

Dale

Not just boilers

It isn't just the boilers. Modern funaces have unique parts that are not available on 10 year old equipment,had one last week, 2 speed inducer not available for 2 days. -5 F outside. Need a burner for a Ruud Drum, good luck. A good dealer is a better part than the part. Most will have a stack of plug in electric heaters to loan until the part can come on a furnace they sold.

Steamhead (in transit)

When we started

installing power gas burners on residential boilers, we faced the question of parts. We decided to stock parts for the Carlin EZ-Gas and the HeatWise SU burners, since none of the supply houses did. We'll do the same for the Midco EC burner if we install any more of them.

Of course, since we have had the parts in stock, we haven't needed them ;-) Isn't that always the way? But it's supposed to get down to 9 degrees this coming Friday night, and that will really stress these units.......

"Steamhead"

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an old wrench puller

It was quite common for our industrial and commercial customers maintenance deptments to stock many parts for their equiptment. When they had a problem we sent a guy, he took their part and used it, no problem. Many times they would order a replacement for the shelf from us. If they didnt, it is still no problem. We charge them for the time, Fixed the problem and they would call us again, and again and again. service work is a long term partnership, not one stop shopping.

nicholas bonham-carter

HEAR-HEAR!

you certainly put that right. in repair situations, there is no time for shopping, or price comparisons. the customer just wants things working again, and to be able to call someone he trusts, and feels comfortable with. maybe someone who also could persuade him to have a bit of maintainance done, to reduce the number of breakdowns.--nbc

oil-2-4-6-gas

just got back from a call 120unit apt building blower wheel blew apart Ray burner -luckily we keep a spare motor and blower wheel --it was a 1/2hr job --without parts it could be 2 days --the blower wheel would have come from california overnight the motor is a standard 3hp 56c fr -but that would have been at least an extra 2 hours picking 1 up from the shop -or the folowing mourning if i didn't have 1 ==-the super and manager were VERY happy they had parts

Andy_17

customer parts

I don't see any down side to customer stocking hard to get parts. If anything it is a benefit for you to suggest it. I have in the past informed customers about unit there are being phased out & suggested they purchase the usual parts I might need & stock them. This has only brought in more customer loyalty, they feel you are looking out for them. Even if they purchased parts on their own, you still are getting the same $ to install, you get a signature on a bill stating you have no responsibility for performance of the part installed, if it craps out asap,you get paid to install another one

realolman

I see nothing

wrong with a customer stocking any and all parts. Oddball or not.

Anyone wants to walk because someone had the foresight to keep spare stuff on hand should be shown the door.

It'll probably be the same guy who doesn't have an ignition transformer on hand.

Robert O'Brien

Realoilman

Many restaurants allow customers to bring their own wine and then charge a corking fee.That's how I look at this.Unfortunately most don't want to provide the parts to avoid downtime,which I fully understand and agree with but rather to "save" money.I have a number which must be met,how I get there is meaningless to me

Dave Stroman

I stock all the parts for a boiler that I install a lot. I got a call from another contractor who was looking for an ignitor for that boiler. I seemed to be the only one in the state that had one. The manufacturer is 6 weeks out to get another one. Now that is just stupid. The local rep for that boiler just dumped it. No one else had the part, not even the "stocking wholesalers". I am steering toward another brand now.

Dave Stroman

mtfallsmikey

Whenever

I sold a piece of heating equipment, especially gas, I would include an ignitor,and/or some parts that the distributor did not or would not carry. That was figured into the selling price. I usually had most of the service parts on the truck to at least make something happen until I ordered parts and returned. Trane commercial is one outfit where S/N is required to order parts. At work, I keep fuses/contactors, other parts to minimize downtime.