Whether you’re a seasoned driver with years of experience handling dealership repairs or a new owner-operator, you will likely have to interact with a dealership when it comes to repairs or basic service on your rig during your career. Clear communication with the dealership can increase the likelihood that all parties end up satisfied at the end of the day.
Here are some simple tips we’ve compiled to help improve your overall experience.
Service and Warranty Records
Always have your complete service and warranty records at the ready for your appointment. Certain delays at the dealership can be prevented if you show up fully prepared with the information they need to get started. Warranties can especially be tricky if you don’t have your paperwork.
Technician/Mechanic Experience
Never tell the dealership or service person what to fix. Instead, explain all you know about the problem and take a technician on a test run (if possible) to recreate the conditions. While you may know a lot about your rig, the dealership also has extensive experience.
Appointments
Don’t show up to a dealer and demand instant service. You’re likely not the only one with a “hot load” who needs fast repairs. At the very least, call ahead and explain your situation.
Diagnostics
Authorizing an hour or two of labor for diagnosis if a problem is not readily identified can be cheaper than experimenting with repairs and more likely to yield results. With proper and efficient diagnosis of an issue, your truck can be back functioning and producing as expected, according to Tom Kraemer, account manager for Snap-on Business Solutions/NEXIQ Technologies.
Selling Dealership
If possible, establish and maintain a relationship with your selling dealership. They usually have more motivation than other dealers to do warranty work or go to bat for you with the factory because they want your repeat business. Plus, your best leverage is the ability to take your steady business elsewhere.
Demeanor
It’s easy to let anger or impatience run away with you when the heart of your business—your truck—is out of commission. However, the staff at the dealership is more likely to cooperate with you if you’re calm and collected.
Remember, everyone wants the same thing: your rig functioning properly. Take your truck in for regular maintenance and at the first hint of anything going wrong, schedule time for a repair.
Being your own boss comes with lots of upsides but presents its share of challenges too. Let TBS Factoring help you overcome some of those challenges with our cash flow solutions, truckers bookkeeping services, back-office support, DOT compliance services, insurance help, trucking permit services, and more. That way you can focus on what’s most important: building your business.