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Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #

Posted by Peter Warman on August 26, 2010, 12:12 pm
Message modified by board administrator August 26, 2010, 3:55 pm

Euro Car Parts do seem determined to dominate the Aftermarket

Does this mean no other Motor Factors can sell Bosch replacement parts?

http://www.aftermarketnetwork.com/News/Industry+News/item27147/

http://www.bosch-presse.de/TBWebDB/en-US/Presstext.cfm?id=4065 (AutoCrew Info)

http://www.autocrew.de/

Translation below for the above German website:

"Auto repair shops are members of the crew fabrikatsunabhängigen full-service workshop idea of Robert Bosch GmbH

The crew car repair shops offer a wide range of services around the vehicle's and unbeatable customer service - because with the car crew is always the customer at the center. No matter what brand or model you drive, the car repair shops crew take care of a competent and reliable for you and your vehicle. When the car is your car serviced workshops crew not only competent but you will be helped even with the necessary repairs quickly and easily - and always at a fair price.

Through the support of Robert Bosch GmbH, the crew car repairers are of course about the latest technical know-how and the necessary workshop equipment to care for each vehicle competently. Of course in car repair shops only crew installed spare parts in OEM quality."

Peter

Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #

Posted by Tom Williams on August 27, 2010, 7:21 pm, in reply to "Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #"
Tom Williams

This should get the attention of Bosch Car Service Garages.

Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #

Posted by Kelly Clarke on August 29, 2010, 8:03 am, in reply to "Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #"
Kelly Clarke

As a BCS member this is something we heard about earlier in the year but at that time there was no mention of Euro running the scheme. Auot Crew is something Bosch has bought inot on the continent and were loking to bring it over here to run at alevel below BCS in no way will it ever be the same as BCS as this is the flagship of Bosch.
It should be interesting to see how Euro get on running it in my area as they have selective delivery areas and my town is not on the list.

The thinking behind it as far as i could gather was to get smaller independants involved in raising their game and help them with training and obviously from the Bosch point of view sell more product. The other side to it was that if they got a diagnostic job in they cannot do they should then send it to their local BCS, and not just turn it away or send it to the main dealer.

It is a step up from GGS but at the same time the membership rules were not going to be so stringent as those for BCS, but certain criteria is going to be needed to be on the scheme.

Kelly

Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #

Posted by Tom Williams on August 29, 2010, 9:17 am, in reply to "Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #"
Tom Williams

Sounds like a recycled version of 'Bosch Motor Plus' a scheme which ran in the early nineties.
Maybe the inspiration came from some old brochures found in a cupboard.
Will it work this time around?

Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #

Posted by Ed Kaps on August 31, 2010, 4:17 pm, in reply to "Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #"
Edward Kaps

Tom,
My thoughts entirely.
Ed Kaps

Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #

Posted by tony bickers on September 1, 2010, 10:29 pm, in reply to "Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #"
Tony Bickers

Well,

My experience of ECP from the trade perspective is "Don't touch with the biggest bargepole you can find",

I have had several occaisions recently where this shower has supplied "genuine parts" only for them to be proved Chinese rubbish copies causing more problems than the original component failure !

There is another thread running here on this forum about how ECP are supplying parts to the public at "trade prices", they can do this because the stuff they supply is inferior quality, I have never, and never will source any part for a wheel barrow, let alone a modern car, from this lot !!

Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #

Posted by pete greenow on September 2, 2010, 6:32 am, in reply to "Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #"
Peter Greenow

Hi

So Tony whats your honest opinion regarding ECP & their products/service ??

Regards Pete

Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #

Posted by chris hogan on September 5, 2010, 11:57 am, in reply to "Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #"
Christopher Hogan

The Bosch sign in the window or on the wall will lead customers to think they are dealing with a Bosch sponsored outlet BCS or Ecp Bosch in the customers eyes good or bad you will all be the same they wont supply a Bosch sign saying better dealer.
as for joining i suspect the only qualification you will need is MONEY and BCS members can look forward to competing with Bosch outlets that discount Bosch parts !

regards chris

Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #

Posted by Lee Mackintosh on September 5, 2010, 7:10 pm, in reply to "Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #"
Lee Mackintosh

If this is fact then how the hell to they keep getting away with it. Surely trading standards would have some interest in this especially as this has been happening for quite some time, that's assuming its fact.

Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #

Posted by Tom Williams on September 6, 2010, 4:24 pm, in reply to "Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #"
Tom Williams

Having had a Bosch sign on the wall for a long time, I would suggest that many customers will think that you repair refrigerators and power tools. Bosch are well known to professionals and enthusiasts as an automotive supplier but not to most car owners.

I'm disappointed that Bosch has chosen ECP but I believe that it all comes down to money. Pile it high, sell it cheap.
There is a culture in Britain of believing that cheap c**p is just best quality sold at a discount.
The UK brake friction market demands the highest proportion of budget,low-end brake pads in Western Europe.

Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #

Posted by Mark Carter on September 6, 2010, 7:01 pm, in reply to "Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #"
Mark Carter

Hi Tom, I agree with your comments, but change has to come from the inside.

We as a trade need to stop buying this cheap cr*p but by the speed that ECP have grown I can only assume the trade must be happy with the quality of the current cr*p sold.

Regards mark

Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #

Posted by Graham Bullock on September 7, 2010, 12:31 am, in reply to "Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #"
Graham Bullock

I think the local factors have a lot to do with what quality the parts are that are bought by us, Last week I rang for a certain part and was told it was not in stock but they did have 23 of the cheaper cr*p ones in stock. The choice for the customer is wait 2 days for a good part or have a lot cheaper part now, as we are in a rural area with very poor public transport you can guess which part was wanted.

The next step is statistics will show their buyer that the cheap parts are in demand, hence 23 in stock. What it should show is that it was a second choice part.

Graham

Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #

Posted by Mark Carter on September 7, 2010, 10:14 am, in reply to "Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #"
Mark Carter

Hi Graham, I do see where you are coming from, but how long is it going to be before you are changing the said part for free under warranty?

Regards mark

Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #

Posted by Tom Williams on September 7, 2010, 10:49 am, in reply to "Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #"
Tom Williams

I always try to purchase OE quality.
The good independent repairer has two problems.

For every clued-up thoroughgoing professional technician, there are probably ten people out there that couldn't be trusted to bolt the wheel onto a wheelbarrow. These repairers shop on price and being the larger group, tend to dictate what the factors stock and sell.

OE quality costs more. Many customers, even if they are smart enough to choose a good mechanic or repairer, still have it fixed in their mind that the independent should sell parts cheaper than the dealer. Large dealer groups, with the economy of scale and these days the need to keep their workshops operating at full capacity, will often sell OE parts at the same price as the independent. Hence, in desparation, the good guy will sometimes have to sell parts from a second tier supplier to get the job.
Not hard and fast rules, there are exceptions, but it does seem to be a developing trend.

Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #

Posted by Graham Bullock on September 7, 2010, 4:21 pm, in reply to "Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #"
Graham Bullock

Quote Mark Carter "but how long is it going to be before you are changing the said part for free under warranty?"

Good point Mark, but I have been in this trade long enough to know to make it clear to the customer that if there is any come back at all with the cheaper parts that they request then they will have to pay my labour in full the second time around, they can also have the name and address of my factors and take any complaints to them.

And yes, I know who is ultimately liable and all that, it's become just another part of life now to duck and dive!

Regards

Graham

Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #

Posted by Kelly Clarke on September 10, 2010, 8:07 pm, in reply to "Re: Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #"
Kelly Clarke

The problem is most of the factors are in buying groups and taht limits what they can buy and ultimately it means cheap c**p. I have ried to pesuade one of my factors atht cheap is not good but they say there hands are tied because of the group.

Oh for a good independant who can buy from where they want and that gives us a chance to claim labour when something does go wrong but if it is good product it probably won't go wrong.

I hear that down Devon/Cornwall there is an independant selling just Bosch products and nothing else, lets hope they can expand to Norfolk.

Kelly

AUTO CREW

Posted by Peter Warman on November 17, 2010, 3:36 pm, in reply to "Euro Car Parts signs workshop scheme agreement with Bosch #"

There was an AUTO CREW stand at Mechanex. I did inquire about entry into the scheme

The basics are as you would expect, clean workshop, reception area, adequate parking, admin area / office, oil storage facilities, restroom facilities etc etc

Euro Car Parts must be your first line supplier

Loyalty to the Bosch brand (parts ect)

Minimum of 2 Technicians

All other scheme signage removed to make way for AUTO CREW re branding, estimated cost £1500.00

Monthly fee of £100.00 for support, marketing, website etc

Must have Bosch KTS

Random audits by internal Bosch staff, mystery shoppers

Once they have some workshops signed up it will be launched on the public and a UK website

For any further info contact Tim McGing on 0785 407 7240 Network Development Manager

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