What Software Runs a Parts Counter and a Truck Repair Shop Together?
Selling parts over the counter from the same inventory your shop uses needs one stock count, fast counter invoices, and limited access for counter staff.
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Use one system with one stock count, so a part sold over the counter cannot also be promised to a truck in the bay. The main things to check are how fast a counter sale can be billed, and whether counter staff can work without seeing the shop's labor numbers and financial reports.
What should we test?
- Bill a walk-in customer for three parts, and time it.
- Sell a part with a core charge, then take the core back.
- Pull the same part onto a repair order and check that the stock count is right.
- Log in as counter staff and see what they can see.
- Check that counter sales and repair revenue report separately.
How does WrenchPilot handle counter sales?
Parts counter staff get their own role. From inventory they add items to a cart and bill the sale, without opening a full repair order. They work with parts invoices and do not see the shop's financials. Counter sales and repair jobs share the same inventory.
Where would a parts system be a better fit?
If parts is your main business, with multiple branches, a large catalog, delivery routes, and supplier EDI, look at a dedicated parts or dealer system such as Karmak or Procede. WrenchPilot suits a repair shop that also sells parts, rather than a parts house that also does repairs.
How should we price counter sales?
Many shops use a different markup for counter customers than for repair orders, since a repair job also includes the work of finding, fitting, and warranting the part. See how to build a parts matrix, and confirm in your demo how the system applies different prices.
Want to see it on your own work?
Bring a real repair order to a WrenchPilot demo, and check current pricing first. Lite is $100 per month for one user. Pro is $300 per month with up to 10 technicians, no per-user fees, and no contract.