Jeff

Got a call last week from a shopper wanting a quote for A/C repair on a mini-van, a Kia I believe. Stated he ran an airport shuttle service, had a fleet and was shopping for a new shop. When asked he stated his past shop had closed. It was a one man show and the fellow had decided he wasn't making enough and was taking a job at a dealership. Before closing up they had diagnosed the problem as a failed compressor and advised him it would need that as well as the drier and expansion valve. Got his info and based on the prior shops diag wrote an estimate. When I called back with the quote the owner got rather huffy about the price. Went on to say how we are all crooks and that he could get the parts off the INTERNET for half. And in addition had gotten a quote from another shop that was half the labor! I tried to explain the differenece in cost and the reason I will not use internet parts but I was still a crook. Now I understand why his prior shop went under!!! It will still come down to quality and integrity. The "shed" shops can only last so long before they go out of business. Lack of training and equipment will kill them off gradually. We just need to persevere!!

Being a one man shop I have learned to suck it up. My age sometimes tells me otherwise. I will take a break i the afternoon, point the fan at the desk and do paper work. also have been working later in the evening and earlier in the morning. And lots of gatorade!!

The key defense to this is "severe" driving which fits the majority. Another point to make is how many consumers are performing the necessary checks, tires, oil, tranny, brake, etc. By promoting a 3/3000 regime these necessary checks are performed. I use BG Products and promote a 4/5000 service that coincides with the road service cards they provide. I do have a few customers that have vehicles with oil life monitors that trigger at the factory intervals who follow them. When they show up as a rule the tires are all 10 psi under-inflated and all the fluids will be in need of top off, beyond what would be normal. "But the salesman said" is their avg response. The car knows!

I ordered one of those high tech thing a ma jigs but it is still on backorder! Guess I will have to stick with my hammer and screw driver.

Been following them myself Joe. Seems they are quick to produce a needed "piece" that seams with M1. There has been a bit of discussion on it in the M1 forums and it looks pretty good. Just not in the budget for me right now.

They all go see "Some Guy". He can do it for less and RIGHT NOW! I had a fella stop in Friday, same deal. I was pushing to get a commercial acct vehicle out. It was about 10 and the van needed to go by noon. I apologized to the fella. He "just needed a minute". I kindly told him I did not have a minute. Leave it or schedule it. Then he whips out his free scan report from XYZ and wants to know how to fix it. GIMME A BREAK! I while still working advised him his list was BS and leave it or schedule it! He left like I had told him his mommas cookin sucked! Oh well "Some Guy" just got another one!

To bring this topic back to the top....A local news article ran this week on the nightly news. Stated that a survey of american drivers found most planned on keeping their cars longer and the avg age of vehicles on the road had gone up. Cant remember the exact numbers but it was encouraging. The fleet ages, finances are tight, new cars are pricey, and we WIN! We need to position ourselves to take advantage of this trend. I personally find my customers just need to be educated to the advantages of keeping a 8-12 year old car. A 2 grand repair averaged over 2 years is less than $100 a month. Cant buy a car that cheap. At the same time I will be honest with folks. Some cars just ain't worth fixing. Even then some of those folks will opt for repairs due to limited budgets, poor credit or just don't want a payment. At either rate its a winner for us!

I have to admit I was a "back-yarder" before I opened my garage. BUT I charged a competetive rate (aint workin till 2 am for nuttin ) although slightly lower than the area. And I offered a warrenty, used quality parts, etc. That is how I financed my start-up. But in the last few years it seems the trend, in my area, is to rent a cheap warehouse, rape and pillage till there are no more, then bail. I get the same calls almost daily. The thing that ticks me off is the customers attitude. "If Some Guy (remember him) can do it for $xxx why cant you. Your a %^#$*&^ crook!" I kindly tell them to save my number, call me when it ain't repaired correctly, and have a nice day. I can go fishin and it will cost me less than it will to work at the rates some people expect!

There are 4 or 5 used tire shops on the street my shop is on. I have considered gettin into the used tire biz BUT was warned of the liability by a friend that manages a Firestone store. New tires are the way to go. As you build up your "scrap " pile you could sort out the best and resell them. Just be sure to CYA on the invoice for used. Get signatures and let the people know they are signing a no liability disclaimer when you sell used tires. Might help to get a lawyer to word it for you! Just my 2cents.

Been a while since I got in and posted. Biz has been up and down and seems more down than up. But things have been improving and I am holding onto that and my Faith. 2 Years ago I posted here that I was done and going back to Ohio. Came back with my tail tucked and started over. In that 2 years I have went thru some mean downs but always remembered the support I got from the folks here! I just want to say to anyone out there that is having a tuff go " Hang on! Find the POSITIVES! " Am I where I would like to be? NO! Will I get there? Only GOD knows for sure but I like to think so! Anyway want to say HOWDY to ya'all and Thanks for the help!

I used AZ and ADV in the beginnig. Thought the less expensive parts would help drive business. Then one day after installing an alternator for the 3d time I had a 20 year old kid tell me I didnt know what I was doing! I drove to the store, forcefully returned the alternator, told the kid I would give him a life lesson he would never forget if I ever caught him outside and closed my account. They sent a rep by a few weeks later. I basically told them I would not do business with a store that thought they could fix cars better than me from behind a counter! I know AZ has really tried to capture the pro market but I still reflect to that incident. Just havin a hard time gettin that taste out of my mouth!

It is true that most callers are asking for "price". I offer them alternatives. Recycled (read used) parts, variations on warrenty, as well as the regular stuff. Most consumers dont know what else to ask than for price. I try to get them in for the inspection and estimate but many feel it is a waste of "THEIR TIME". I also will try to build a rapoire (?) with them while on the phone. Get a little backround on the car. Has it become a problem car? Who has been taking care of it? Miles driven a day, etc. And when I get the " Let me shop around" I ask them to please be sure to compare apples to apples, ie Warrenty, quality, experinece, etc. Ya cant get em all but if they go elsewhere and get burned maybe they will remember you in the future!

I find this very true. When I get a customer in that is not able to afford to fix their car i try to help. In a case like this if I get the "feeling" they need help I will work it out for them. Parts at cost, labor discounted to cost, etc. Passing along these blessings can make a bad week in the garage more bearable!

At one point I did not charge or charge the true value of diag. And being a small 2-3 man operation I didnt feel it was necessary. Then I began tracking the diag time and WOW! I was loseing it big time. I will still waive the the diag on occasion but it is an hour up front. Dont wana pay, take it down the road! I used to do work for another shop in town that was primarily a tire shop. Last car I worked on had over 1500 in parts hung and still had a misfire. I started out with computer diag thinking they had covered the basics. Was I wrong. 4 hours later I decided to do a compression test to find a burnt exhaust valve. Shop owner wanted to haggle the 4 hours. I told him next time save the 1500 in parts and bring the car to me first. He paid the ticket and aint seen him since AND REALLY DONT CARE. My standard daig fee is 1 hour computer time which is roughly 20% more than the standard labor rate. If y'all remember a year ago I had a "melt down" closed for a month and re-opened. Since then it is profit driven. I still do discount work on occasion but not like I used to. Without profit I wont be here next year!

What ya'all doin for Labor Day? I am smokin 3 slabs of ribs, making home-made bacon wrapped poppers, bbq 10 pounds of chicken parts, fixin the boat and hope to be able to finish the Harley (again). Afterall it is LABOR Day weekend! Enjoy, be safe and GOD Bless!

I have 2 dealers in town that offer "free" tires and batteries for life. As it turns out the "free" only applies when you follow the dealers "enhanced" service recommendatons. That wouild be an lof every 3k (and dont be late) trans, injector, fuel system, a/c services every 15k, and tune -ups at about 2/3 of the manufactures recommendation. I have been able to prove to several of these consumers that they are really pre-paying for the "free". At that point I generally advise them to take advantage of the last set of free tires and then send the dealer their "divorce" papers. I know this dont exactly cover the free lof question, but regardles I try to explain to folks "Aint nuttin FREE !"

I had a Civic in for a failed trans. Customer, friends from church, complained of the cost for a reman. Its the daughters car, got no money, cat pregnant, dogs lost,yea, yea, yea. I can put in a used w/a 12/12 warrenty. They agreed and signd off on the order. Well the fiirst used unit had no reverse. Informed customer and told them it would be 2-3 days to get another. Now mind you this little "rocket" had the ground effects, add on fog lights and a ton of add on crap under the hood. Funky paint job with dents everywhere. I didnt go over it real close cause after all they are "friends" from church. When they picked up the car the dents were never there, all the loose wiring under the hood wasn't loose, yea.,yea, yea. Then on the way home it started smoking and knocking and overheating. Bring it back in on the hook. Road test 60 miles over 2 days w/o a problem. Called and told them I couldnt find anything wrong. "Oh you had to fix something and you dont want to admit it"! OK whatever. I explained it all again and asked them to please come go for a ride with me. The show up with "sissies" boyfriend. They want him to drive it. When the kid left with the tires chirppin I just grinned and told them that was the problem. Well they took the car and within a week I get a call from "sissie". My engine blew and the lawyer says you have to pay for it. OK have your lawyer call me. Next day "sissie" calls again and says the lawyer thinks I should pay for it because it will be cheaper than court cost and leagal fes. yeay, yea. I explain to her that the most they can sue me for is the repairs I did and it would have to go thru small claims court. And beyond that if the car was totaled it would still have to go thru small claims because the car is valued less than 5G. I finished with "Please have your lawyer call me" Never did get that phone call. And this all from "friends" from my church! Now hows that for honesty and integrity!?

43000 first pass. 54000 second! Need to get back to the range!

Its all about the price! Had a first time caller make an appointment for a BMW. Needs plugs and an lof. Also the check engine light is on. I dont do a lot of European, so I tried to refer them to an import specialist. NO I was highly recommended by a friend. Let me see whay I can do. They drop off the car. Scan codes, need more time for diag. Call with est for diag, tune up and lof. How much just for the tune and lof. $xxx.xx I says. Thats awful high! (Mind you these people are driving 2 bmers and live in the most expensive condos on the island). I tell them I use only factory recommended parts, it is what it is. They are lookin for a discount. None here. Ok do the work dont have time to shop around, we just thought you might be less expensive. Our friend says you are GOOD, FAIR, and HONEST! So again its all about the PRICE!! (See prior post in Joes Blog!)

I have always believed that some type of "liscensing" (spelling?) could lift us up from being "grease monkeys" to a more "Professional" status. The down side of that can be excessive restrictions and cost. And we all know that anyone can go to sears, buy a set of tools, swing by the local diy parts store and instantly become an auto repair expert. The issues with "bottom" shops is getting worse, especially in my area. And dont bother complaing to the powers that be, they dont care! These guys are renting a warehouse, putting their sign out, telling all their friends and working for half labor and parts at cost. No reponsibility for haz waste, taxes, etc. When they run outta people to "shear" they close up and move to a new spot. "Hey it cant be the same guy that ripped me off, the name and location is changed." I can imagine if the local powers were to shut down all the "shed" shops in town I would never worry about car count, avg ro or prfits again! Yet I have seen in other forums in the past that at the mention of liscenesing (?) other shop owners get irrate. WE are for the most part a very independent breed, thats why we are where we are. I am all for whatever it takes to get to the next level. I dont have the nicest, prettiest, cleanest shop in town. Do I aspire to that, YES! Can I compete with the sheds? NO! Dont want to. So Joe when ya come up with the "magic" that will get us above all this, please, please share! I am all ears! Because at this point all I am hearing is "PRICE"!

Right On!!!

Gonzo I can just picture it..doin the "dead mullet" across the shop floor, makin noises that sound like an alien, smokin from under the collar..........great story!

Happy Happy a day late

I have tried for years to convince my customers I can fix their cars as well as the dealers. Then I got bit. Customer brings in a Chrysler T&C that needs the sliding doors reprogrammed and it requires a DRB. Cant do it with my trusty "red brick". Now I want to be as competitive as the next guy but at what cost? If I bought a "factory" scanner for the big 3 us makers and the big 3 Japs I would be in over 40 G! And how many different fluids do we have to inventory? Maybe I am just whinin but this is getting silly. I gotta pour GM oil or it will void the warrenty! What will be next?

I have a Microvat that works great. It has never let me down..I have had carbon testers pass a batteey but the reading on a Microvat will show a sulfated cell. I agree that the customerlove the papaer evidence and have researched the same tester you got...may upgrade when the microvat dies.