The Secret Life of a Motor Factor

Hands-on classic owners don’t always buy their cars’ replacement parts from that website: it’s highly likely they’ll pop down to the local motor factors to source a much-needed component.

But spare a thought for the poor counter staff when you’re after brake pads for a Hyundai Stellar or a clutch for a Talbot Solara. As The Special has found out, there’s more to your local factor than keeping a load of parts in store, waiting for your visit.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a long-established motor factor shines a spotlight on the trials and tribulations of keeping a factoring business not only alive, but profitable too.

Staff is the biggest problem, as Mr X told The Special: “To keep staff you have to pay top wages and then they say they don’t want to work overtime. But then they usually suffer from bad timekeeping, being five minutes late most days while being 10 minutes late isn’t uncommon.”

Mr X’s staffing woes don’t stop there, as he explains: “They all want long Christmas and Summer holidays. And they tend to have a relaxed attitude, adopting the ‘someone else will do it’ idea, and that means I’ve got to be pushing them all the time, whether it’s putting a parts delivery on the shelves or answering the ‘phone.”

The non-wage costs of staff, such as pensions, adds to everyday woes and it’s not surprising to hear that paperwork takes up time and can cause worry. “And, don’t forget, we’re up against the big factor chains and their marketing ploys,” Mr X says.

So far it seems it’s only the staff that seem to get Mr X reaching for the paracetamols but then there’s the customer aspect…

And unsurprisingly the customer can be a right royal pain in the neck, especially when it comes to returns. “The thing is, they’ll buy a part saying it’s the right one and then about a fortnight later they’ll be back saying it’s the wrong! Meanwhile, at the same time as serving customers and dealing with these returns idiots you’re being bombarded with nuisance phone calls from gas, electricity and broadband companies.

“And talking of technology I’ve got to update the electronic catalogues (no good asking the staff) and that takes time.”

Stay with us dear reader, because there’s more. “I work much longer hours than the staff – I’m in way earlier and I go way later. And it’s those early starts and late finishes when I have to deal with one of THE most troublesome part of the business – the late payers. It goes without saying we have account customers, some long-standing, that either pay late, or don’t pay at all.

“Meanwhile I’ve got my own life and my own family to deal with – I s’pose you could say it’s not all doom and gloom, honest!”