Dee1234

I feel as shops, if we don't find anything at all we shouldn't charge the customer. With that being said, if you look closely enough you can find something. if it comes down to "the pcm needs reprogrammed" then i tell customer we need to start there. Once reprogrammed then we continue checking the other systems. Its all in the wording. There are rare occasions that i have to ship something bc am stumped. Id rather fight my way thru even if take hit on a part that didn't fix it...bc in the end i will have gained the knowledge for the next time. I truely the most money to be made is in diagnostics. Commit to learning new techniques and doing it right and it only gets easier.

I agree with xrac. Getting cust info and question and call them right back with quote. But ALWAYS answer the phone! Maybe if manager helps out during busy hours. Or if you have a swing person that has personable voice and get be good service advisor when needs to step in (if have such a person that isn't your tech).

I feel it is best for techs to get vehicle info. Service advisor can write down customer concern and what type of car it is so tech knows where to find it in parking lot. As to the comment about voice mail. No way would i rely on voice mail lol. Many customers will just hang up and call someone else. I need my service advisor helping customers via in person and phone. Some techs just don't like paper work...oh well. I agree that you should put it in their job description though so they know up front. Service advisor is a crucial part of getting MORE business in the door. If they have no customers at counter, then they need to be making call backs to check on previous customers and relay The specials to them. If that's done, and my front area is clean and appealing, now they can post some ads on web, tweet, facebook, do stock order, etc. there is so much for service advisor to do and keep busy. Once work gets there let the techs handle it and suggest the upsales to service writer. Now its the service writers job to sell it. As for window tint, car washes...the advisor can upsell that without walking to the car writing down vins. i do like the idea that tech answer call after 2 rings. I think a better suggestion would be a head phone ear piece for the advisor so they can answer all calls even if have to put customer on very brief hold. I don't like techs answering phones unless absolutely necessary. Many don't have the same people skills as the service advisor should, and techs susually sound too busy to talk to customer.

You handled it well. We have all been there. Can only tell Customer that warranty is at your shop only and you don't take any diagnosis from any tech that you do not currently employ...dealer included. However, i will mention a couple of things about the repair....you can use the scope at the wires coming from pcm if cant get directly to sensor easily. This is a possibility to get valuaeable info when sensor hard to reach. Also be sure to note any current issues that may lead to code returning or failure of part. Also if sensor is difficult to reach may think of using dealership part to help with possible inferior parts. Don't let customers economic situation put you in a difficult bind if you can help it....meaning you buy aftermarket part because is cheaper.

This may.be good idea. Typically i have 1 labor rate $85/hour. I tweak charges by changing the hour time i charge for certain things. I post that my labor time is based on labor guide AND technician experience. So if i feel alldata time is deceptive ill adjust the time (hours) that i charge for thr job. I dont price match. If im cheaper or more expensive its all fine. There are many shops in raleigh big and small. But not many that have good rep for diagnosing properly. So i use that to my advantage. Im not free nor cheap. You pay to have me. But yes i lose on something like oil change at .3 because only make $20 versus $25 or so. I agree that may be good idea for different rate for diagnostics bc does take more to do typically. But i combat that by not capping my diag charge out at 1 hour. If im chasing electrical issue or multiple codes then i need to be compensated. Usually meet customer somewhere in middle so is fair on both ends.

I think the answer is simple even in mathematical terms. Your profit from an oil change is a whopping $20 at best! Liability from doing what, as a professional you should no better, would possibly lead to $4000 new engine...hmm tell the customer nicely to kick rocks! Seriously if your biz is gna sink bc you miss a couple oil changes a month then you need to read thru the rest of the articles for tips on improving biz anyway!

"the customer is always right...until i decide they are not :-)"

I usually handle it like this: "oh ok so just tell me which parts you want me to replace and ill give you a price. If you want me to replace everything in that system then lets start with $1000 tab and go from there. Or pay me $85/hour to narrow your list down from 100 parts to maybe only 3 or less. Im game either way :-)" ive been pretty successful with convincing customers to pay me to diagnose because many mechanics in my area just throw parts and success rate isnt that great..so when customer gets tired of throwing money out the window they give in and are usually happy they did...especially when AUTO ZONE told them they needed a fuel pump because their car wouldn't start and i found a bad fuse from where they straight wired their fan and caused fuses to blow not allowing power to fuel pump. So $450 fuel pump job not needed...$85 diagnosis and $35 electrical repair (my time isnt free) and they are back riding. I love it! Ill make a believer out of them...bring that lil printout to me all day long...I'm easy to get a long with ;-)

$18 hour for lube is outrageous here in nc. Prime techs at busy shop is about $25 here. Think its to the point where you gotta offer more than just salary. Maybe if you can afford insurance, benefits.

1 man operation is very stressful but yes you can make money. If all you want is to,own a JOB with a lil freedom then its the way to go. If you want a BUSINESS that makes money even if you're not there then you need qualified Help. Just depends on your retirement plans. I say go for the gold. Build a biz so you can work 1 day week if you choose.

I think if you have the space then it may be viable. But be sure to make it worth your while. $10/month isnt quite worth the effort in my opinion. If tires sit n dry rot, now customer blames you. Unforeseen fire/damage now youre paying for those $1000 tires. Maybe charge monthly with additional for insurance. Its a thought. But extra storage space should be able to yield you more than a happy meal...unless your rent is dirt cheap.

Pay your main mechanics on flat rate per labor hour. If you have the budget then get an hourly general service for inspections, shop helper, driver, etc. decide if you are 50/50 partners or what and do it with certified accountant even if you guys are friends! Word of caution though: if you have no mechanical experience get to learning some fast. Otherwise you are at the mercy of the other mechanic and things may be unnecessarily stressful. Id recommend hiring another mechanic that isn't a partner so if things dont work out you can continue to do business. I have been in similar shoes and had to learn that opening a,shop without being a mechanic can be a trying road especially if your pockets arent deep. As for lifts, you can go either way. But if you dont personally know the biz,you getting it from, you might as well go new. If economcs is a factor then start with 1 heavy duty 10 or 12k lift like rotary, challenger,etc and 2 economy 9k lifts, like eagle($1600). Hth

Ive experienced the same things as Ive been open only year and half. 6 months is not enough time to measure. I do read a couple of areas for improvement off the bat. #1 your customers dont have the money. Offer financing. GE CAPITAL is who i use. It works! Research that and get on board. #2 add more customers with flipping few cars if you can. Depending on your dealer laws, etc. this adds revenue for you and helps keep techs busy. #3 you said you have 1 of the best techs in area. Do you only have 1? If many folk are setting appointments bc you are busy then maybe need more help.

Hey integrity i sympathize with you. Im a 1 woman show here. Advice: iatn does have free membership. Read the fine print. As for a penny saved...well it depends on what the penny is for. Im in my 2nd year and just getting a few months in black. But ive learned that somethings are worth that penny that you don't think you have. Ex: iatn has more provileges if pay the $45 per quarter. And if you don't make your money back off it its because you don't have any work...in which you have other problems any way lol. Another idea, if its allowed, share the identifix cost with another colleague. Ill tell you 1 thing i have learned is that i can't do everything myself :-)

I would double check internet/peers that this is not possible. Then hold my ground to the fact. Offer to look at it and charge as stated before. My fee would be spelled out upfront at an hourly rate and no max amount of hours. Basically make it worth your while to deal with this guy. He wont want to pay $85/hr for and undetermined # of hours if he tried to rig his own,mirror. BUT i would take the time to learn how those seat sensors work bc it may be possible that the sensor was looking for a particular weight situation as compared to the weight in the driver seat and computer set a code. I don't know but it has to sense something. So id check into that so im not made a fool of later. Also, if you have the capabilities, you could erase the seat belt code and see if it reappears.

Maybe take a look at what type repairs others are offering. If all are general repair then specialize in something. Like brakes, or electrical repairs, or exhaust work, or diagnostics, or transmissions, engines. Don't put too much focus on competition though. Yes you need to know what you at up against, but it can't define you. Example: competitors do brakes for $149. So you do $169.99 and offer better warranty or free gift w/purchase or better quality parts. I learned that price can't be your only factor or else cust can compare you to everyone else. Start with "what do YOU like to do with cars? Or what can make you the most profit on cars?" But i think youre doing good by planning things out ahead of time.

Ive wondered about this in my area. Im 12/12 currently. Thinking of changing it to fit the warranty im given from my suppliers. They have recently changed labor claim warranty to only 90 days. So was considering 90 day labor and 12 parts. But also have considered lifetime warranty options parts and labor. Feedback would be helpful.

I think the brake pull is a good answer but could lead to the question of if you think its unsafe then why would you perform that practice and open yourself up for potential law suit after admitting to cust that it could cause loss of control. I usually play the economic card...saves money to do it now. Then let cust decide, assuming rotor is within spec.

I agree it was handled perfectly. I will mention to customer that we offer PAID DIAGNOSTICS but will "start" with o2 sensor if he/she wants and go from there. No matter how i have to word it so that the customer feels like their in charge, it all bills the same way..."you will pay me regardless of wether its fixed or not". As for guy with fuel pump....i like those :-) i simply have customer fill out an intake sheet that they write what they are requesting in THEIR handwriting, and i note on work order that cust declined diagnostics. And i also note that cust provided own USED part. But ill take those "self diagnosis" all day long :-)

Oh wow! So this guy isnt even spending money currently? Well in this part of nc the guy would be directed to youtubr or the internet on his first call that i take from him about a car that's not in my shop along with Assn invite to bring car in for PAID DIAGNOSTICS. 2nd call would be more stern and say there is nothing i can do for you over the phone. Make appointment at my regular labor rate per HOUR when you are ready, but i am very busy and have work to do and won't have the luxury of stopping again bc many customers are waiting to have their cars fixed. I have a couple customers like that. They usually wind up towing the car in or not calling until the have other work for me. As for customers who call throughout day. It usually only happens once. I remind them that end of day means 6pm, and that i can't hold to that time along with everyone else waiting for their cars if im on the phone. That typically solves that. I usually try to set a time farther out than i need also. If i think it will be ready by 2pm ill say 6pm to account for bottle necks. And if they show up early and im withing on something else, i just offer them a seat in waiting room and remind them of the completion time. But ive learned to NICELY limit interruptions.

I personally like when other "mechanics" have screwed something up or couldn't figure out the problem. A "hack job" just creates an opportunity for me to earn more money :-) And i can understand why some shops specialize. Im learning now why some of the big name shops in our area doesn't do many heavy jobs (engines, transmissions, head gaskets, engine rebuilds)...b/c its just not as profitable! Im a 1 woman show currently and can make more money on the alternator, starter, tune ups, suspension, brakes than engine job. Furthermore ive recently started promoting for a specialty...Diagnostics! In my area there is a serious lack of Technicians that can/will diagnose properly....so i agree with the specialty trend.

I have had a couple trainees before. 1 had been to a UTI type school and paid lots of money...and didnt know the basic "lefty loosey, righty tighty"...not even an oil change for this guy. But i remember when i was starting 10 years ago. I didnt know anything, but i was eager to learn. So i was a sponge and excelled quickly. Its all about the individual candidate. I thin it can work out for student and employer. But needs to be shop that has the time to train and nuture and student that is open vessel.

I have a repair shop in Raleigh NC. I agree that this misconception is a concern, but not a big 1. I allow customers to bring their own parts if they wish, and do their own diagnostics if they wish. I carefully explain the difference in about 2 sentences. I hand the "print out" back to them when they give it to me and ask them which part they want me to fix. Also give them option to pay me $85/hr to find out problem. Either way i get paid. You are a "know it all" and just want me to replace YOUR PARTS....PAY ME. You want to TELL ME what to fix...PAY ME. You want me to DO MY JOB and thoroughly diagnose the issue...PAY ME. It actually creates an opportunity for me to show the customer why im worth my $85 when i solve a problem that the autozone machine couldnt. And for the customer that is just too cheap to pay me to diagnose the issue...well thats not the customer im targeting anyway...so nothing lost. And the battery thing...i like that too. So many times a customer comes in because car wont run right or at all after battery replacement. Thats fine. My knowledge of relearn procedures makes it the easiest diagnostic fee ever and i look like a hero to a new customer...WIN WIN AGAIN! I like DIYERS, they make me money on the hard problems or come backs bc they were so called "mechanics". Send them all to me :-)

Lol @ 26" wheel repair lmao! Ok seriously i have found that if you continue to try and drive in new business with cheaper prices you will be working HARDER longer. Value is where its at. See how you can set yourself apart from competition in other areas then price is not the only comparative.

I can understand your position. I started a shop before knowing much about cars. Mistake! Unless you have lots of capital. Even hiring a master tech is no guarantee. Many techs will take advantage of the fact that you don't know about cars:try to have you sell unnecessary repairs so they make more money, fix things on their own time with no urgency because they are the only tech in shop. May be good idea to partner with someone who is a tech so there is a vested interest in business succeeding.

So is there a particular parts markup AND profit margin on labor we as shop owners should be trying to hit on each ticket?