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Technician Takes Customer's Car on 99 mph Testdrive Sorry...

Here is more fuel for this fire. TB Service Zone Newsletter In this article the writer points out that all some shops do is clear codes and send people on their way. How many times has a customer come into your shop with a service engine soon light on who says that it has been on for months or years and "their" mechanic says it wasn't anything. Between the discount parts stores with their code readers and technicians/mechanics who don't understand diagnosis and the way cars operate today we face an up hill battle.

Wow I am glad you are back up. I was having withdrawal symptoms!

That is a good question. BUT WHY NOT. It seems to be a conflict of interest and a change in their business model.

If you are looking to hire a Tech how do you go about it? What are your best resources for finding someone? Here is what I have done and currently do: 1. Advertise in the newspaper. 2. Advertise on Career Builder. 3. Advertise on our State Work Force Development Site. 4. Talk to outside parts and tool vendor sales people to see if they know of someone looking. 5. Talk to Vocational school (only for beginner). Any different ideas?

TomH I noticed that you are an AAA approved shop. What do you think of AAA buying shops in Ohio and potentially being competitors?

A local shop (about 6 miles away from our shop) was just named Motor Age's shop of the year for the whole US. http://www.menkesauto.com/aboutus.htm. I know that they have a fleet of loaners. One reason for that is their shop is way out in the middle of no where.

Agreed! Agreed! AGREED also. Joe, you have a perfect vehicle for this with this site and your website.

That is too much! Thanks for a smile!

Ducks quack and Eagles soar but people with too much time on their hands plan complex wild and crazy stunts.

Midas acquires 22 N. Calif. Midas shops ITASCA, Ill. (Jan. 26, 2010) — Midas Inc. has acquired 22 Midas automotive service shops in northern California in connection with a settlement between franchisee Maurice Glad and the California Attorney General and Bureau of Automotive Repair. Go to www.tirebusiness.com.

That is a great story.

This vehicle was designed and intentionally programmed to shut out the independent repair shop from the system. Our government has to do something! We need to support right to repair.

Some of you may find this video amusing:

Sweet Tea A woman goes to the doctor, beaten black and blue. Doctor: "What happened?" Woman: "Doctor, I don't know what to do. Every time my husband comes home drunk he beats me to a pulp." Doctor: "I have a real good medicine for that. When your husband comes home drunk, just take a glass of sweet tea and start gargling with it. Just gargle and gargle." Two weeks later the woman comes back to the doctor looking fresh and reborn. Woman: "Doctor, that was a brilliant idea! Every time my husband came home drunk, I gargled with sweet tea. I gargled and gargled, and nothing happened!" Doctor: "You see how keeping your mouth shut helps?"

We tried the "free diagnoistics" and couldn't make it profitable. Most of the free diagnoistic stuff (think Auto Zone) results in selling people things they don't actually need and we have problems with that. I have also saw the places who offer free diagnostics some very large estimates and we have problems selling more repairs then people may actually need. Thus we have comromised by doing a discounted diagnostic which is about 50% of what we should charge but it is our compromise solution. It keeps people coming in the doors and we recoup some of our costs.

I think some of the bait and switch advertising or the low ball price with up sell is more prevelant in larger markets and with the chain operations. In this market one of the major tire chains is constantly running an $18.99 oil change. We are friendly with the local store and this promotion is a killer for them. They aren't crooked to take advantage of it and are constantly swamped with nothing but cheap oil changes on poorly maintained vehicles. I think some of this is old school thinking (like the high pressure door to door salesman of yesteryear).

BBQ RULES We are about to enter the BBQ season. Therefore it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity . When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion: Routine... (1) The woman buys the food. (2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert. (3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer in hand. (4) The woman remains outside the compulsory three meter exclusion zone where the exuberance of testosterone and other manly bonding activities can take place without the interference of the woman. Here comes the important part: (5) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL. More routine... (6) The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery. (7) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is looking great. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he flips the meat Important again: (8) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN. More routine... (9) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table. (10) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes. And most important of all: (11) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts. (12) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed ' her night off ' and, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women.

Alex, you are the man. Thanks for the information and advice and thank you for the hard work on this forum. I like it better since the updates.

Here is a follow up on this situation.

Do these shops understand what their fixed costs truly are? Some shops do not charge enough because they are working out of buildings that are paid for and their labor rates, low parts mark up, "free diagnosis" is subsidized by not figuring the true market value of the property or the return they should expect from that investment. The costs of real estate, the cost of equipment, the cost of training, the cost of adequate help, i.e. is very high. We started a shop from scratch: bought the land, built the building, purchased the equipment, stocked inventory, hired help, placed yellow pages ads before we opened, paid franchise fees, etc. etc. That experience is a true eye opener as to the costs associated with this business. If we do good work we should be proud of what we do and charge enough for an adequate return on our investments.

I am pleased that the Colts are in the Super Bowl and New Orleans. I was rooting for Favre and he should have been there but NO fans have suffered for a long time so I am happy for them. My greatest joy is that there are no Steelers, Patriots, or Cowboys. No offense to anyone who roots for those teams but those are teams that I am not fond of.

Alex, you have been a busy guy. What did you do stay up all night Saturday evening and Sunday morning? Good job!

Joe, I am sorry that your Jets lost but I am glad the Colts won (I am in Indiana after all). The Jets played well but Manning was just too much in the end. My prediction now is the Colts will win the Super Bowl. The Vikings should have won but how can you with 5 turn overs.

Your website is definitely nice and entertaining but you don't seem to promote your business?