thetireshop

We charge a nominal shop supplies fee. A percentage of labor that caps at $10.00. How many of you guys flash update controllers? We do a bunch. I usually charge a data fee per flash update, but I was wondering if it wouldn't be better to charge a small data fee to every repair ticket, akin to the shop supply fee. Thoughts?

I use an Autel MS905. Best bang for the buck scan tool out there currently. Haven't come across a light it won't either reset, or tell you exactly how to reset yet.

I buy a ton of parts, shop supplies and such on Amazon. Prime shipping is great, and most times, especially on a hard to find part, is faster than the stealership. As far as returns go, I've really only had to return a couple of parts, but the process was easy, quick and painless both times. They shipped out a replacement part, packed with an RMP and I shipped the wrong/defective part back in the same box! I once returned a hard to find a/c compressor because the customer bailed on the job. They accepted the return, no questions asked and I got a full refund. So far, I can't report a negative experience with Amazon. As far as profit goes, I tend to pass the savings down the line to my customers. I meet my margins just fine and everybody wins.

He does a good job on alignments and suspension work. He worked his way up from the tire bays to the lube bay to the alignment bay. His experience level beyond suspension work is limited. He's competent to do a brake job, say on a Tahoe, but you wouldn't want him to try a brake job on a Benz or a newer Land Rover or Jag, or the like, at least not without supervision. He's been writing up a bunch of work, then getting way off schedule on alignments (we do a LOT of alignments). I want him to continue to write up work, but he can't always get it all done, and I have to re-dispatch that work to another tech. Just trying to figure out a way to compensate him fairly for his time when the work has to go elsewhere.

I have an alignment tech that sells a lot of work off of his regular ROs, some of which he is not quite ready/qualified to perform. I'm trying to devise a "spiff" or something to keep him motivated to do what he's doing even if I have to route the job to a more qualified or idle technician, and he doesn't get behind on the alignment schedule. Any ideas?

Anyone able to share some insight as to why I can't seem to find anything other than brake pads/rotors or light bulbs for Hyundai cars in the aftermarket? My local dealer is the only game in town, and has stopped delivering parts to independent shops. None of my vendors seem to keep much of anything in stock. Frustrating.

I've been using one for years. I have to manage work flow for 6 techs, a lube tech, and 2 alignment techs. Makes it nice for anyone that needs to to be able to glance at the board and know what's going on. Making sure the right people are the ones updating the board is key, though.

Our oil changes are competitively priced, and we use a nice color check sheet that is quite comprehensive. My customers have come to expect this sheet and I sell a TON of additional work off them. Even if I don't make a sale that day, the majority of my regular customers return with sheet in hand to get at least some of the recommended services performed. They were received poorly by my techs at first, after all, the check over takes time, but when the work started rolling back in, they changed their tune. As I stated, there were some growing pains, and we do get some bottom feeders, but the returns have far outstripped the headaches.

Unfortunately, the owners stopped giving bonuses. We used to get them and they were appreciated. The owners say they apply more money to our 401k plans, but not everyone participates in the program. I know the younger guys, the ones with little kids and all the expenses thereof could certainly use the additional cash. I've been around for a long time, but even I appreciate the money and the gesture more than a 401k contribution. I don't know, it just feels like a thumb in the eye.

We get more and more people coming in asking to install their parts, or even requesting repairs based upon their own "diagnosis." We tried to do business with them by charging a higher labor rate and offering NO warranty. That being said, the headaches from those customers that provided us the cheapest junk they could buy online (so you have to know the parts were wrong) and them being upset when I pushed their car outside to bring in a REAL customer just weren't worth it. I'm not sure you can charge enough money to make this practice truly profitable. It's tempting when times are lean, but stick to your guns. Even if they're ticked-off for something that's their own fault, they're still ticked-off, and they and probably their friends won't come back... ever.

Phone shoppers can be a time-suck, but I have to say that we sell a TON of work over the phone. We have the usual caveats about pricing not being 100% accurate without having seen the vehicle, etc, and it usually works out well for everyone involved. Some time and patience invested in a potential customer who probably doesn't know or understand much about the technical aspects of their car can really pay dividends to the honest salesperson. Some of these people are looking for a relationship, not a quick fix.