dfrisby

I have an older snapon smoke machine I got a good used deal on from the snapon truck. Has to blow smoke out a hose. Got mine a year ago and can't believe how often I use it. Intake leaks, exhaust leaks, gas tank leaks on small engine tanks. And of course, evaporated leaks. Could never go back to not having one.

 

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I don't know why I never thought to do this. My last 2 employers did the same thing. Charged me about $3.50 per week and I didn't mind at all.

I thought a couple times about having my guys pay for the work clothes, but if $30 a week is gonna kill me, I'm doing something wrong. I charge for shop supplies on every invoice to cover such things. Their uniforms are as much or more a benefit to me as to them in that my shop appears more professional. My guys really appreciate the uniforms, and moral is higher. Worth every penny.

 

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I found the service worthwhile. $10 per week per tech. 11 jeans, 11 shirts, 3 coveralls and 3 jackets each. I can't wash them for that price, and they are under warranty. Rip and they are replaced. My only complaint is that they don't have clothes in my small children's sizes and they don't do socks and underwear.

 

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I just read your other articles, and I think your intent is good. After reading them, I have to strongly recommend getting somebody to proofread them. The AC article is the best, with useful information for the consumer. I'd recommend continuing with articles like that about brakes, cooling system, maintenance, driveline noises and such. Don't create distrust for the industry with negative comments about other shops. Just keep it about the positive things your shop provides.

 

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Sorry, two year old cut me off short. Just make a simple page with actual quotes and statements about your business. Your audience will trust what your customers say about you far more than what you say about you.

 

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When hiring a technician, always try to check their certifications and online reviews. Many mechanics will try to offer parts or services you may not need. Checking online reviews will give you an idea of what the shop reputation looks like. Stay aware shop owners, its not like the older days when we could rely on anyone.

 

Heres an example of how i stay connected with my local audience. I wrote an article on how customers can trust us for Auto Repair in Tracy CA

I'd recommend some spell check and grammar review first. Second, any shop can tell you how good and honest they are. I think you would have better results not talking down other shops and just focusing on your shops principals. By talking down about other shops in area, and telling how great your shop is, my first instinct is to be suspicious. You have 1 "customer review" and because it's also written in improper English, just as the rest of the page, I suspect that the author is one and the same. As a consumer, I'd see this page as one giant red flag and take my work elsewhere.

 

Just make a page for customers r

 

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The transition to baymaster was easy, and tech support is top of the line. Still recommend giving them a try.

 

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There is a shop 40 miles from here. They Take a 350 set of tires and charge 900 for them stretched out over 6 months. I think its a check hold program?

That's not a bad plan.... with 350 down and the rest on payments. I'm not a bank, and don't want to be. I can turn that same 350 into 900 in weeks vs. Months. On the other hand, if you are in the position of having sufficient cash on hand laying around doing nothing for you, then being a bank might make sense for you.

 

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And this is exactly why I think computer driven cars are a bad idea.

 

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I buy most of my parts through oreillys. I'm 20 miles west of one store and 20 miles east of the other. Both stores deliver to me. Many of the employees there have become good friends, and my part time service writer is an assistant mngr at one of those stores. I get great service from them. I like the fact that they deal with a lot of the diy crowd. Once they get over their head, the guys at the store usually refer them to me. I'd say 10 to 15 percent of my new customers this year are referrals from oreillys. I'll take that kind of advertising any day.

 

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Who owns the loaner cars? If the company owns the cars, why Mark up the parts or labor? My techs are flat rate. If book time is 5 hours on a company vehicle, they get their normal flat rate at 5 hours. Say that flat rate is $30 an hour. Tech gets 150. If the company owns the vehicle, why Mark up parts at all and what's the benefit to adjusting the shop rate?

 

I understand your techs are hourly plus 5%, are you trying to save on the commission? Is your tech worth less working on your vehicles than your customers vehicles?

In my opinion, it's hard to find good techs. I'd be leaving a company quick if I found they were trying to figure out ways to decrease my pay. I pay them well and do everything I can to help them make more. I want them happy to have this job, and will absorb a few costs to keep them.

 

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Whether it's in house repairs or for a paying customer, the tech should get paid the same. Unless the tech owns the business, why would it be fair any other way? If service writer is performing the job of service writing for this job, they should get paid the same as any other job.

 

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Had a customer call me yesterday wanting free diagnostics. Told him there's no such thing. He mentioned oreillys, who just "loans" a code reader to the customer to pull their own codes. Told him to get his free diagnostics there then, and since you won't pay me for diagnostics, go ahead and have them perform the repair as well.

 

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Came in today for an axle seal. Might be a little more to it.

 

 

Hi Robbie,

 

Thanks for reaching out to us. We actually spoke with TABS a little while ago about integrating our software with their management system. Long story short, they didn’t seem too interested in their side of the involvement.

 

Great company, but perhaps they had other important things going on. Who knows, maybe if enough shops ask them, maybe they give it another thought.

 

Let me know if you need anything else.

I use baymaster. Do you integrate with them yet? I've been considering trying digital inspections, but only if the integration is there. Thanks, Dave.

 

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Baymaster is not internet based if that's what you mean. It's a program on your computer and can be set up with other computers on the local network linked to it. I currently use just one computer, but am about to add two more to the operation. One for the techs and one for the service writer counter. They will all be linked to the main office computer. I'm not sure about progressive billing. I'm able to process down payments on a job and have had as many as 8 payments made on one work order. It's integration with quickbooks enters those payments as a deposit for the customer, and an invoice is only created when the job is completed and paid for. I operate on accrual accounting method, so the only issue I had with it is that it doesn't show as "income" on quickbooks until the invoice is complete. I'm no accountant by any means, but it was different than the way my accounting worked before integrating. I have added and tried many of their add ons, and some worked great while others I didn't find as useful. For me, the phone app was a complete waste of time. Looked great at first, but to many glitches and issues had the techs wasting time figuring it out. The texting option I was sure I'd never use, but most customers like it. You have to figure out which customers are anti-text and just make the phone calls. I don't use it as often as I should, but when I get a no answer, I text. It's worth the $5 a month for me. I've been thinking about trying bolt on's inspection program, but only if it will integrate with baymaster. Will be making some calls to find out soon. Hope that helps.

 

Dave

Seems to me that until they develop fail proof throttle position sensors, PCM's, and every other item we face every day, it doesn't make much sense to head this direction. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be able to send my car to pick up the kids from wrestling practice and return them to me safely, but I think overall it's time hasn't come yet.

 

On another note, I remember a conversation my grandpa had with my dad about how he would never trust a car with an automatic transmission. How's the car gonna know what gear I want to be in?

I've had waiters that I didn't want waiting for oil changes. I explain that we squeeze quick service jobs in between other jobs. I expect to be able to squeeze 2 to 3 quick jobs in per day. They are scheduled and must be dropped off by 9:00am. Only guarantee I make is that we'll get it in that day. Discourages waiting.

 

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Small engine and power sports is a large part of my business, so no snow definitely cuts down on the work load. I've added a few fleet accounts and have been expanding my automotive side to provide some balance. So far that's been carrying us through.

 

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Welcome to the board.

 

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The other day I handed one of my techs a wheel hub assembly for a car. He took it and went to work. Pretty soon I hear all this commotion in the shop of the two techs looking all over for something. They lost it. Still in the box and hunting all over the shop for the hub. 20 minutes wasted because when I handed the tech the box, he grabbed some tool from the bottom drawer of his tool box and set the box down in the drawer, closed the drawer and went about his work. He was absolutely positive the other tech took it just to mess with him or something.

 

Situations like this make me think it would be a worthwhile investment to install a 16 camera security system in my shop. Not really to worried about security, but it would be nice to be able to hit rewind and find where we lost tools and parts.

We use one on ATVs, but not worth much cranking a car in freezing temps.

 

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Seems the customers you would attract by selling used tires would also be the customers that are cheap. Where does it end? Junk yard spark plugs? I'd rather attract customers that are willing to spend the money for new tires as they are also more likely the customers that will willingly pay for quality work.

 

someone who is taking to long, not doing a good job and charging way to much.

I was thinking about having my wife do mine also. Thanks for reminding me why I haven't.

 

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I've yet to see a torque stick under torque anything. Dfrisby - check your psi or air tool quality. A standard IR2135 will overtorque every time if gone around twice. I verified my torque sticks, the 80's come in at 100-110, the 100 does 120-130, the thick 120 will snap the stud eventually. 100lb/ft won't warp a rotor in a star pattern.

It wasn't with torque sticks. Just an impact gun. I think torque sticks are fine. I just used them once and didn't find the time savings to be worth the investment. I use my torque wrench all the time. If I was a tire shop it would maybe make sense.

 

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