3PuttFever

I expect every retail service provider I use makes money on the parts and labor. I don't want to hassle with it. Some people will spend a dollar to save a dime. We have the privilege of dealing with all kinds of great and not-so great folks from time to time. We're respectful and don't install outside parts. Liability is the primary reason. The other is profitability. If a prospect doesn't want me to make a fair profit then I'm fine with losing their 'business'.

Guys, I bought a successful shop after 15 successfully recruiting Information Technology professionals for contracting roles. That was easy compared to this! The good candidates are hard to find and even harder to recruit to your shops. One thing I'm trying now is to offer two ASE Master Technicians the role of Assistant Manager/Service Writer and Technician. They'll work two or three days up front and in the shop each week giving them a taste of both worlds. I'll be able to see who really can sell and who can't as well as who can produce and who can't. From there I can make better decisions, free up my time to be out selling to the larger accounts and community, and improve my shop efficiency/morale. Hard part is finding people who will actually come to work here after they tell me how great this all sounds.

Double posted - apologies

I bought a high volume shop before several competitors came along. I'm still higher volume but about 100 cars short from these summer months last year. I get anywhere from 5 to 15 calls a day asking for prices. If they're menu board prices I provide them but I ask questions first. Questions like 'where do you usually go?' 'How did you hear about us?' I will also include our process in the inspection and build trust by getting to know them on the horns. I won't give a price on anything I have to look up while on the phone. I ask for their name and number and if they've been here before so I can look up their vehicle information. If they haven't been here I need this. Once in a Blue Moon someone will come back a month later saying I quoted them this or that price and I haven't a clue unless I have their estimate saved on file. If they won't give me a name or number they weren't very interested in coming here. Like most of you - if a prospect wants a price that needs a diagnosis first I won't go there. I build value in determining what the issue is before talking price through our process. **I just quoted tires to an existing customer. I price tires competitively and I'm usually in the ballpark. But today, and this happens once or twice a month, Big O' Tires quoted the tires right at my cost plus installation. The customer can't tell me what installation and other fees there will be but they think I'm outrageously expensive. All I can tell them is if you can get the tires for my cost installed or only pay another $30 per tire installed then please buy them there. It'll help you and me out at the same time!**

I'm so glad to read some of this. Being a new shop owner and new to the business I have been surprised a few times by people. 99% of my customers are honest and decent folk. But some of them will be dishonest to get out of paying and find a hole in the communication process somewhere to their advantage. EG - "$1400 for four struts and an alignment? You said $400! No way I would have approved this when the car isn't worth that much!" Ironically, we also did a sway bar link for free and some brake clean and adjust while telling them that if you're spending nearly $1500 with us we can take care of these things for you. No memory of that conversation. Get it all in writing if you can.

My area dealers give me list price about five dollars over my price. I have to use my matrix and common sense on what I need to have to stay in business. It's a game that the dealer parts suppliers use to keep us all competitive.

I tried Mudlick per the recommendation of a friend and marketing professional. I changed what I was doing amidst several competitors opening up inside of a mile of my shop within a year. My car counts are down 25%. I have done two mailings with them and have seen less than ten come in with our mailer offer, have logged 12 calls from offer recipients, and have not improved my car counts in the least. I would like to continue but at over $3k per month to send these out (6,000 mailers) I can't afford to keep hoping. I'm going back to my customer base and inserts in my local paper that always drive customers. Sure, we get some oil change only customers but we convert many of these customers to higher tickets in time. I also feel that if I do a good job on oil changes and this customer is pleased they will tell others to come to my shop for service. Somewhere in that referral chain is a great customer or two.