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Had a conversation today with a customer that I had repaired his duramax about two months ago. Says he was happy with the repair but I charged about $1500 too much. Says he called and got prices on parts after repair and says he can get parts for less. Try to explain that I have to mark parts up to make a profit. That is what your labor is for. Says other shops only charge what you can get parts for. How do you deal with customers like this? I personally know my labor and price markups are less than other shops. By the way repair was both head gaskets, heads rebuilt and three new injectors on a duramax diesel, A very expensive repair, but also advised him not to buy the truck originally.

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You won't win arguments. I find it best not to argue. Be sincere and let them know your are tops on quality and you value his service.

 

I haven't used this in my shop but my day job I have plenty of experience being a sales professional at the most exspensive in our category. People frequently complain but we have the highest loyalty in the industry.

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You can't win against these types of arguments. The perception of your shop should be honesty and quality above all else. Quality comes with a price. You have to warranty anything that goes wrong with a vehicle, that is built into the part price as you may have to rectify the work at a later date. If the customer can't understand why he/she is getting a superior job for the price they are paying they need to walk.

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Being fairly new to owning my shop, it's nice to hear others have had problems like this. I try not to take these complaints personally, but I pride myself in my quality and it cuts to the heart. Thank god for this forum and its members.

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Being fairly new to owning my shop, it's nice to hear others have had problems like this. I try not to take these complaints personally, but I pride myself in my quality and it cuts to the heart. Thank god for this forum and its members.

I was amazed when I found this place, it did wonders for my profit when I realized others hear the exact same comments and it didn't really have anything to do with me, my work or my shop. As a matter of fact less people have complained about price since I started charging more and correctly. I lost some customers that liked the old pricing but also left a good bit of stress behind with those customers lol. Can't please them all, best just let it go. Easier said than done lol.

 

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

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In the words of the great Ron White "you can't fix stupid." I had a customer yesterday tell me that I wasn't a good guy and he was going to tell all his friends about me because we failed his car for having horribly dry rotted tires. I take pride in doing state inspections as honestly and as thorough as I can. So it hurts on a personal level when someone tells me I'm a bad person. But I just have to tell myself that guy is stupid and I can fix his car but I can't fix him.

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Glance through some of my old post and stories and you'll find out that you're not the only one that deals with these situations. I find it better not to argue with these type of customers because you're not going to sway their opinion at all. Once they have made their mind up... it's over. All you can do is tell them that you appreciate their business and hope they continue to use your services. However, if you feel that my prices are to high then I'd try that other shop. 9 chances out of 10, they'll be back, mainly because they'll take the time to actually think about it and come to the realization that it's not the price as much as it is the quality of the service.

 

Funny, these type of people won't ask their dentist or doctor for a cheaper rate. go figure.

 

Service work will and always be judged by the consumer by the price and not by the service. People who want quality and expect it... don't price check.

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Glance through some of my old post and stories and you'll find out that you're not the only one that deals with these situations.  I find it better not to argue with these type of customers because you're not going to sway their opinion at all.  Once they have made their mind up... it's over.  All you can do is tell them that you appreciate their business and hope they continue to use your services.  However, if you feel that my prices are to high then I'd try that other shop.  9 chances out of 10, they'll be back, mainly because they'll take the time to actually think about it and come to the realization that it's not the price as much as it is the quality of the service.

 

Funny, these type of people won't ask their dentist or doctor for a cheaper rate.  go figure. 

 

Service work will and always be judged by the consumer by the price and not by the service.  People who want quality and expect it... don't price check. 

I recommend just buying the book! My books been passed around to the point the pages are worn thin!

 

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         5 comments
      I recently spoke with a friend of mine who owns a large general repair shop in the Midwest. His father founded the business in 1975. He was telling me that although he’s busy, he’s also very frustrated. When I probed him more about his frustrations, he said that it’s hard to find qualified technicians. My friend employs four technicians and is looking to hire two more. I then asked him, “How long does a technician last working for you.” He looked puzzled and replied, “I never really thought about that, but I can tell that except for one tech, most technicians don’t last working for me longer than a few years.”
      Judging from personal experience as a shop owner and from what I know about the auto repair industry, I can tell you that other than a few exceptions, the turnover rate for technicians in our industry is too high. This makes me think, do we have a technician shortage or a retention problem? Have we done the best we can over the decades to provide great pay plans, benefits packages, great work environments, and the right culture to ensure that the techs we have stay with us?
      Finding and hiring qualified automotive technicians is not a new phenomenon. This problem has been around for as long as I can remember. While we do need to attract people to our industry and provide the necessary training and mentorship, we also need to focus on retention. Having a revolving door and needing to hire techs every few years or so costs your company money. Big money! And that revolving door may be a sign of an even bigger issue: poor leadership, and poor employee management skills.
      Here’s one more thing to consider, for the most part, technicians don’t leave one job to start a new career, they leave one shop as a technician to become a technician at another shop. The reasons why they leave can be debated, but there is one fact that we cannot deny, people don’t quit the company they work for, they usually leave because of the boss or manager they work for.
      Put yourselves in the shoes of your employees. Do you have a workplace that communicates, “We appreciate you and want you to stay!”
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