Turnaround time on warranty work?

[GLantern]

Desmoworks since you are involved with the dealer how long does warranty work usually take in your shopon average, just ?  And i would also like to know the answers to the questions that duclvr asked.

[desmoworks]

Just curious do dealers like warranty work? I mean does it take them awhile to get paid from DNA for it?
Would they rather be working on a Cash in Hand customer than a wait for the money warranty?


These are honest questions because I truly do not know how thay operate.

All dealers are different. Some (not just Ducati) don't like warranty work as it is often a hassle. There is a lot of paper work that takes time and now a lot of it is on the internet and service managers aren't always computer wizards. Warranty work is done on a hourly basis as specified by the manufacture and paid to the dealer at the posted shop rate. On some jobs it is very hard to meet the times... for example a base gasket on a superbike. The book only allows a few hours, but for anyone who has done it they know it take quite a while.

Anyhow, our shop doesn't mind warranty work at all. We take anything that comes in and try to complete it as quickly and effeciently as possible. We view it as part of the job and part of what you have to do to keep customers happy! Sometimes it is hard to get parts quickly if they are backordered from Ducati, but if you (as a dealer) are working with your service rep and follow the correct procedure it is often possible to make things happen.

Not always though - if the parts don't exist then they don't exist. There is nothing that can be done in this case. They will just have to be ordered and waited for.   

[desmoworks]

Desmoworks since you are involved with the dealer how long does warranty work usually take in your shopon average, just ?  And i would also like to know the answers to the questions that duclvr asked.

Every job varies based on many things. The bike has to be brought in and the problem has to be determined. If it is something simple like the Voltage Regulators on the 848/1098 it takes 20min. If it is bad valve guides on the 1000DS motor it takes much more time. There is a procedure to follow for diagnosis which can take a little time if the issue isn't found immediately.

Once we order the parts if they are in stock with Ducati in Italy we will have them 2-3 business days later and then fix the issue. If they aren't available we will do what we can to find them and if they can't be found we just have to wait for them to be produced like everyone else.

[duclvr]

desmoworks thanks for the insight. 

[desmoworks]

No problem... most is just my opinion and EVERY dealer has their own thoughts on service and warranty.

[GLantern]

Thanks a lot desmo, much appreciated its nice to have some insight on this!

[He Man]

Thanks a lot desmo, much appreciated its nice to have some insight on this!

+1 , sounds like you guys have a good business model. Because VOR'ed to me sound like some guy is actually going to look for the part and express mail it. But i guess its all about the dealer getting the call in and pushing for it to be done.

Glattern are you using the same guys that did your 1098 last time?

[Howie]

What is VOR?  My dealer did mention that they have my bike on some rush order list since it is in for warranty work and can not be ridden.

VOR means vehicle off road.  Most manufacturers provide two methods for ordering parts, vehicle off road or supplemental parts order.  Think of this as next day mail or second class mail.  SPO is less expensive.  It is up to the dealer how to order the part.  Most manufacturers have some avenue for covering the additional cost of VOR on crucial warranty parts.  Ducati has some sort of finagle system and I am not sure how it works.  Back order means there are none in the warehouse.  This does not prevent the dealer from attempting to find the part at another dealer.  Back order is also not always the manufacturer's fault, since many of the parts are outsourced.

[GLantern]

+1 , sounds like you guys have a good business model. Because VOR'ed to me sound like some guy is actually going to look for the part and express mail it. But i guess its all about the dealer getting the call in and pushing for it to be done.

Glattern are you using the same guys that did your 1098 last time?

Yes i am, they did me right last time and well its the closest dealer to me and since i got the bike from there i feel like i get treated a little better.  The next closest one is goldcoast motorsports but that is 2 hours from my house.

I guess my dealer must have VORed my part, he told me they would be getting it straight from the assembly line.

I'm not really too mad about the whole thing right now just rather upset overall, my experience hasn't been too bad.  It just hasn't been great the lack of communication is what really bugs me.  And the actual amount of time it takes for this thing to get repaired every single time.  From what it sounds like, judging from desmo's words and what my dealer has told me, its more on Ducati's end than anything.  Its always waiting for parts or approval, which as a company is not something a customer wants to hear.

Personally i am looking forward to meeting with the regional representative to discuss these issues and would love if more people could chime in with their experiences when it came to warranty repairs.

[DoubleEagle]

I have had good luck when it comes to having either my #1 S4Rs , BMW K1200S or !098R worked on just by calling the Dealer ( who happens to sell both Marques ) and make an appt. unless the parts aren't in stock and are already on back order.

That hasn't been a problem so far except when I ordered a Full Termi Exhaust for my #1 S4Rs and it was in the Summer when Ducati and all of Italy takes a month long Holiday ...so it took 3 months to get my exhaust.       Dolph

[mxwinky]

Any dealer with half a brain should love warranty work as they know it'll be paid by the manufacturer and they don't have to worry about the customer not approving the work or paying for it.  Some dealers apparently have more of a clue about processing claims and ordering parts than other dealers, and that's really where the problems lie.  And yes, VOR means Vehicle Off Road, and all manufacturers have some form of this order type that allows the dealer to order parts in an expedited fashion to prevent long delays in receiving parts.  Again, some parts departments out there just don't have a clue about the tools available to them and fail to handle their customers' needs properly because of it.  Figure out which dealers in your area know what they're doing and your results will invariably be good.

As for back-orders, they're very real and all too common.  In a nutshell, often times manufacturers fail to accurately estimate what the demand will be for parts for each model and there will therefore be shortfalls.  One particular model may have a higher crash incident rate, thus resulting in increased demand for those body parts or radiators, gas tanks, whatever it may be.  They may have a bad batch of a particular part, which spikes the need for that part sooner than the supplier can get stocks to the manufacturer, also resulting in a sudden shortfall and hence a back-order.  Smarter manufacturers always keep on hand a small reserve of critical parts for those heat cases that will arise that must be handled outside the normal channel of parts distribution, but this is not always the case.  Even the largest warehouse runs out of something sometime, so back-orders are a part of life in the parts business.  DNA is working on establishing a North American parts distribution network that will, eventually, rectify the current lag in response time on parts orders and increase stock and minimize back-orders.  It can certainly only get better.

[GLantern]

Update, long story short i contacted DNA with my concerns and they got right back to me!  My radiator shipped out today from Italy and to top it off my dealer , formula one motorsports, lost their ducati mechanics    DNA however will be taking my bike, on their dime, to a much better dealer about an hour from this one getting it repaired then arranging bringing it back to me.  I asked for a closer one but they insisted that the new dealer, gold coast motorsports, has a top notch team and they want my bike taken care of.  And the DNA rep said she will be emailing/calling me regularly with updates and to make sure everything is take care of to my satisfaction.

+1 to DNA you guys made a bad situation right!

Now i wonder if F1 will ever call me with any updates about these happenings 

[ducpainter]

I know one of the guys that works at Gold Coast.

You are in good hands I think.

[GLantern]

I know one of the guys that works at Gold Coast.

You are in good hands I think.

Your the 4th person to tell me that today, good to hear duc 

[He Man]

I had my bike worked on at Gold Coast, good guys, if you can stop by, they are really nice to talk to. They were recommended by Steve and Jay at ECS, and those guys are top notch. not sure if they opened up a shop that accepts warranty work yet though.

Eitherway, if the parts are in then you should be fine. As long as they dont outsource the work to Fast by Ferrachi....