SmartToyota:
Carquest? Did your company by anyway attend the just concluded AUTOPARTS EXPO AFRICA lastweek?
Welcome to 9ja

EgunMogaji:


Do you have a steering rack for a 2002 4Runner 4WD?

radautoworks:


Bosch is a good, premium brand. Well worth the money. We will carry their spark plugs too.

LeJeun3:


Lagos

- Olowu
- Lagos island

radautoworks:


No we didn't. We are actually three companies in one. Mr Transmission, Milex and Carquest. The first two do repairs and cCarquest is for parts.

radautoworks:


We will be able to look up all parts after the 25th when our inventory system is fully online. We have a LOT of parts and finding manually is not exactly feasible.

Shalomc:

So Mr olowu
And Mr Lagos Island stocks them...kudos

Shalomc:

Don't make their mistake. Always monitor all calls into and out of your office. I got pissed off after speaking with their partner hydro trans

chukel:
pls can u share

Kashif:


Most batteries in the market now are more than eight years old, almost expired on the shelves....

chukel:
so where do we buy and how do we know expired ones. Boss, no hoard the knowledge naa.

Kashif:


Sent you a PM.

chukel:
replied.

radautoworks:


Bosch is a good, premium brand. Well worth the money. We will carry their spark plugs too.

banky3w:

Please do inform us when you're fully online, I've been looking to change my brake system(parts) to bosch since to no avail. I'm happier than EgunMo.gaji as you dey see me so.

AutoElectNG:


I too use Bosch brake pads and rotors.

You will love them.

Nice taste in parts by the way.

Everyone has something good to say about bosch. I wan join for testimony time.

Cosplay:
Cautiously optimistic.

obekediamondfuto:
battery tí take ova this thread

@op nice and welcome move.
I like being blunt when conversing... so....
if it is to take Nigeria and Nigerians to the next level in terms of automobiles (repairs and parts) then u are highly welcome but if profit is the initial and Main aim, then u might be looking at a very looooong thing; probably the tower of Babel.

I love the initiative, it's a nice and welcome one and I will probably become ur grand patron.... but problem is, the average Nigerian is ever poor and discontent in "his" own eyes. u might need to compensate for the lack of traffic/ volume of transactions by focusing on customer profiling and merchandise tailoring, to suit the average Nigerian car owner else u might never break even. I'm sure this service will not be cheap and easily affordable in the minds of the many potential customers that will be attracted...

kudos to u

EgunMogaji:


We discussed this on another thread and it is a very important business insight.

Someone was complaining that he charged N10K to go offsite to do a vehicle inspection. I will charge that for a limited onsite vehicle inspection. Offsite is at minimum N25K.

It's all about the demographics being marketed to. If you can afford a N5M Range Rover then you can afford a N25K inspection, as an example.

Very good conversation.

obekediamondfuto:


exactly!! and someone planning to buy a reg used 02 camry cannot pay more than 10k for off-site inspection. so it's more like a trade off..... how many people are willing to buy the range and how many are buying the Camry. so for a premium service such as the one op is offering, he has to limit his portfolio to the high-end individuals and if he wants to revolutionalize Nigerian he might have a separate structure that will take care of other low and middle cadre requests.


but wait, catering for only high end individuals will result in very little traffic but mega deals per engagement and prolonged turnover

catering for lower cadres will result in faster turnovers, more profit, heavy traffic etc
but this would also involve stocking inferior parts which will negate the original intent of the biz as emphasized by op in her opening speech.

oh well, I'm sure op has taken into cognizance all these points before now and has a well thought out plan to mitigate all risks involved

EgunMogaji:


Even if the Camry is N1M, a N25K inspection is a prudent investment.

It also depends on the worth of the mechanic and the report. Is he getting a "Is good car Oga, I mash am well and the engine pipe pass water" or does he get something similar to the attached?

AutoElectNG:

I too use Bosch brake pads and rotors.
You will love them.
Nice taste in parts by the way.

obekediamondfuto:


please how much is the 06 Camry rotor or brake disc

obekediamondfuto:


exactly!! and someone planning to buy a reg used 02 camry cannot pay more than 10k for off-site inspection. so it's more like a trade off..... how many people are willing to buy the range and how many are buying the Camry. so for a premium service such as the one op is offering, he has to limit his portfolio to the high-end individuals and if he wants to revolutionalize Nigerian he might have a separate structure that will take care of other low and middle cadre requests.


but wait, catering for only high end individuals will result in very little traffic but mega deals per engagement and prolonged turnover

catering for lower cadres will result in faster turnovers, more profit, heavy traffic etc
but this would also involve stocking inferior parts which will negate the original intent of the biz as emphasized by op in her opening speech.

oh well, I'm sure op has taken into cognizance all these points before now and has a well thought out plan to mitigate all risks involved

Kashif:


I don't think what the OP is offering is premium service; I see it as standard instead.

There are people who are willing to pay for standard services, as long as they are getting value for money. For many of these people, the most important question for them is "can you fix it?" They will avoid you if you sound cheap. Counterfeit is a big problem in Nigeria. Most of the things you buy off the market are fake, and might even break before you leave the market! Even those who stock genuine products keep them away, until you say you want the original. Personally, I have learnt to spend only if I can get value for money.

Coming to the Camry analogy, if you have spent 15k+labour three times on a fake part in a year, won't you be better off spending 40k once on genuine part? I laugh when people argue that tokumbo is better than new. It is because they dont/cant find the genuine parts. Once, I asked my mechanic to change my brake pads because I was travelling. By the time I got to my destination, my wheels where covered in black powder, and my parking brake handle was upright on engagement!

As a mechanic, rather than work for 10 bargain hunters for 10k each, wont you rather work for 5 people who know value, for 20k each, or even less? You are better organised, less hassle, and lower overhead. This is because if you are a professional, you will always deliver standard service, no matter if it is a 1996 Mazda, or a 2018 BMW. In the 80-20 rule, wont it be nice if 80% of your revenue come from 20% of your customers?

Somebody here mentioned that so many car owners don't have the financial capacity to own automobiles. Some will want you to come to their house for 5k!

Kashif:


I don't think what the OP is offering is premium service; I see it as standard instead.

There are people who are willing to pay for standard services, as long as they are getting value for money. For many of these people, the most important question for them is "can you fix it?" They will avoid you if you sound cheap. Counterfeit is a big problem in Nigeria. Most of the things you buy off the market are fake, and might even break before you leave the market! Even those who stock genuine products keep them away, until you say you want the original. Personally, I have learnt to spend only if I can get value for money.

Coming to the Camry analogy, if you have spent 15k+labour three times on a fake part in a year, won't you be better off spending 40k once on genuine part? I laugh when people argue that tokumbo is better than new. It is because they dont/cant find the genuine parts. Once, I asked my mechanic to change my brake pads because I was travelling. By the time I got to my destination, my wheels where covered in black powder, and my parking brake handle was upright on engagement!

As a mechanic, rather than work for 10 bargain hunters for 10k each, wont you rather work for 5 people who know value, for 20k each, or even less? You are better organised, less hassle, and lower overhead. This is because if you are a professional, you will always deliver standard service, no matter if it is a 1996 Mazda, or a 2018 BMW. In the 80-20 rule, wont it be nice if 80% of your revenue come from 20% of your customers?

Somebody here mentioned that so many car owners don't have the financial capacity to own automobiles. Some will want you to come to their house for 5k!

AutoElectNG:


A vehicle came to me. It does not start. It was heavily abused. I told the client my findings. I told them I can fix it. I told them ill need inspection fees, fees for factory data, fees for parts and labor totalling $625. Client screamed vehicle is not quite worth £500 to £600 in Europe. Why should I charge that much? I should not charge more than $100 to $150. This is a vehicle in which in the name of fixing a/c vehicle stops starting. A/C fan is permanently on because it was wired to the chassis and not the fuse box, so it was no longer under ECU control. Beyond that wiring was butchered in so many places. That notwithstanding with painstaking detective work I knew it could be restored. Etc etc etc

Other client has oxygen sensor issues. I say ill do diagnosis and fix for $100. You can buy your own parts, ill tell you what to buy if that is what you prefer. Client pleaded to pay $25. This is a vehicle that involves tearing down the mid dashboard to access wires at the ECU to run voltage drop tests.

Many Nigerians are not willing to pay premiums to fix their cars.

Kazeems will never seize to exist.

Tokunbo parts business cannot die out.

You can bet on that.