Buy here pay here (BHPH) dealers interested in reconditioning of their inventory have quite a few options to choose from. BHPH dealers with an existing association with a new car dealer are most likely to have a service department that can help with repairs, service, and reconditioning. Though this process is convenient, it comes with its own challenges. It is often seen that a BHPH vehicle reconditioning is treated with much lower priority by the dealerships compared to the paid repair jobs from the customers. This is why it is extremely important to maintain rapport with the new car dealership’s service manager.

Proper Communication: There is nothing more important than being transparent in communication. Clearly inform the manager of the service department about the repair jobs that are most important to you. The reconditioning goal for the BHPH dealers is slightly different from that of the typical inventory of used cars. In these cases, it does not make much sense to fix a cosmetic damage. Instead, the focus should be on vehicular safety and reliability. All the repair jobs related to safety and the mechanical aspects of the car should be completed first. Without clear communication, the service department may end up doing more work than required. This will unnecessarily waste your time and money.

Pay more at times: One of the most important discussions with the service manager is to finalize a labor rate. In some cases, it is the standard practice to offer a discounted rate. However, it may be a great idea to offer them the retail rate. This will ensure that your work is not pushed behind the paid work from a customer.
Once you become a service department’s key customer, your contribution plays a significant part in helping the employees achieve their desired performance and rewards. This will also allow you to have your say about the work that needs to be done. This is where a good relationship with the service department can really help.
Don’t be worried if you are a new BHPH dealership or your dealership doesn’t have a service department.  Here are a couple of alternatives for you

Create your own service facility: This is much easier said than done, and involves spending a lot of time and money.

Sublet your work: There are many independent repair shops that will happy accept your work on sublet. However, in order to grow a healthy relationship with the service department manager, you must be able to provide a significant volume of work in advance. Moreover, to meet your different reconditioning needs, you may have to be in touch with multiple repair shops offering different specialties.

Software for progress tracking: Many online tools are available these days to help you track every detail relating to your reconditioning process. Simple Recon is one of the most trusted names amongst these technology solutions.
 
Check on the spot: As mentioned earlier, you need to be very specific with your communication with the repair shops to ensure that no additional work was done or no extra payments were made. Always spot-check the car after receiving the estimate and before the approval of the work.  By doing this, your work will always remain within its necessary limit. At the same time, the shop will know how serious you are about cutting unnecessary costs. Interestingly, your costs will start increasing as soon as you stop these spot checks.