How technicians source A/C Compressors
By the staff of Aftermarket News
New 2010/2011 data from the Professional Automotive Repair Technician Survey (P.A.R.T.S.) shows that only 5 percent of technicians responding to the survey keep A/C Compressors in stock. They rely on 2.8 sources when it comes time to re-stock for the three jobs per month, on average, they perform requiring this part. P.A.R.T.S. is conducted annually by Counterman magazine and tracks technician preferences in a number of product categories.
The compressor is the most replaced A/C component and brand continues to score very high among technicians. As the chart below indicates, availability and good sales reps are two reasons shops will call a particular parts operation. Jobbers have gained a stronghold in supplying A/C compressors. In 2009, 38 percent of shops looked to jobbers to supply these parts. It’s now at 47 percent.
These and other statistics can be found in P.A.R.T.S., produced annually by Counterman magazine. Eleven years ago, Counterman began surveying repair shops annually to determine when, how and why they source specific automotive parts and products. The resulting data, published every fall, offers perspective on how sourcing and brand-loyalty trends have changed.