Ever started your day with a mountain of job cards, a phone ringing off the hook, technicians demanding parts "five minutes ago," and a customer explaining that they've found it cheaper on eBay?
Then you already know the reality of life behind the parts counter.
Surviving the Parts Counter is a practical, honest, and often humorous guide to one of the most demanding roles in the motor trade. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience across dealerships, motor factors, and independent garages, it shares the lessons, mistakes, frustrations, and occasional victories that come with the job.
Inside you'll find real-world advice on reading EPCs, managing stock, handling customers, working with technicians, avoiding costly mistakes, and surviving the daily chaos that every parts professional knows all too well.
This isn't a textbook written by a consultant. It's a survival guide written by someone who's lived it, breathed it, and still turns up for work the next morning.
Whether you're new to the trade or a seasoned veteran, you'll probably recognise more than a few of these stories.
What Readers Are Saying
(via Amazon reviews)
"What stands out is how relatable it is. It doesn’t try to dress the job up or make it overly technical. It simply explains the realities in a way that new starters (and even experienced advisors) will recognise immediately."
"This should be given to anyone starting in dealership parts."
"Excellent book and very relatable to the industry!"
"It has helped me with my parts knowledge and helped me gain more insights into the way the trade works! Totally a 5 star read!!"
"Great overview and introduction on how to be a parts counterperson. But also on how to really handle jobs in many other industries"
"An excellent analysis of the mindset and skills required to work in the parts trade."
"The book can easily be read in an evening. It should be required reading for anyone considering entering the field."
"This book is exactly what the industry needs. It gives a detailed and directed indication of what is involved in the day to day life of a parts advisor. Although it is aimed towards the motor industry it could easily be used for many industries with a similar protocol. From aircraft to medical machinery, if it has replaced parts someone will be going through the same process in the supply chain. Excellent, thank you."
"This should be something all newbies should read as they start their journey in the parts advisor sector"
"As someone with nearly 30yrs in and around the industry in various roles, who also trains new staff at a main dealer, this is one of those books that I'm reading, nodding away at, smiling and wondering which kind of person I am from his list of characters he's met in industry"
"I've already handed my copy to someone who's just a year into his role as a parts advisor....."
"Surviving The Parts Counter by Dan Wiggins is a straightforward, experience-driven look at a job that rarely gets explained properly, even to the people doing it."
"Excellent book that describes the ups and downs of working on a parts counter. Reading it brought me back to the days I spent doing the same job 30 years ago"
Surviving the Parts Counter
Lays Bare a Hilarious and Brutal Reality
Surviving the Parts Counter is an authentic, battle-scarred look at the motor trade. It is packed with actionable advice for apprentices finding their feet, and plenty of shared trauma for the veterans who already know the pain of a phantom backorder. Highly recommended.
Samantha Harbon
fmr. Aftersales & Business Development Lead
(Mercedes-Benz UK)
I'd go as far as saying this should be recommended reading for every new Parts Advisor entering the automotive industry. In fact, I think manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz and dealer groups across the UK should be looking at it as part of their onboarding and training. It gives a genuine insight into the role, the mindset needed to succeed, and the challenges that no classroom can truly prepare you for.
Congratulations, Danny. You've created something that genuinely adds value to our industry, and it has been an honour to read it and contribute a little from a marketing perspective.
VOICES OF THE TRADE
Real stories. Real experience. Real people.
Available December 2026.
The automotive market is changing. The people behind it have stories to tell. Voices of the Trade is a collection of experiences, lessons, challenges, and reflections from those who keep the industry moving every day.
Launching December 2026.
