ROBK

Been there, don't that.. totally agree with ya Joe... If the customer would just sit down and wait, or wait for my call... I'll bet I could take care of it. I hate being pushed and shoved into a repair because THEY are on a time crunch.

 

I've even had them tell me, "Call, me when your slower, I'll bring the car back then so you can get to it right away."   Seriously???  you want me to call you when I'm not busy??    I seem to have lost there number, hmmm, ....

I get that just a little to often! I have a handful of customers that want to just come in when they feel like it but refuse to call ahead to make an appointment. They show up and if I tell them I'm backed up I'll get a "well I'll try again in a few days when your not so busy" or the "call me when you have time" but for reasons I cant comprehend resist making an actual appointment in advance.

Sadly Frogfinder is correct, and you are too, just to varying degrees. The average customer is the key here, all they know is the price. In order to elevate them from the average the key is to educate them and make sure they understand. But to many, too many actually in this economy and in general, the only thing that matters is what they know well, and that is price because they don't know anything else to ask. To the average customer all things are equal, except price. Isn't that what the retail giants have drilled into the consumer for decades? When we, the wise, know that to make the Walmart, Kmart, Target, Sam's, Costco price point the manufacturer may cut out a few thread count, extend the stitch length, remove a few pleats in the filter, lower the bag weight from 20#'s to 14#'s (Iams cat food for example), or change the model number slightly so it's not the same as the next guy so you can't compare. The manufacturer's got smart and in order to meet price points they made changes to accommodate the demands of lower prices. But the average consumer doesnot know, and does not care.

 

In today's ever increasingly narcissistic society all the average customer wants is what they want, when they want it and at the CHEAPEST price they can get, in part because that is what the retail giants have told they want and have done a very good job at convincing them of such. And nothing you can do or say will change that. The people you succeed with are the ones who want your knowledge, skill and expertise. It's akin to the leading a horse to water. You can talk until you lose your voice, but if the consumer/customer/client does not care or want to hear what you have to say, it doesn't matter. I am not saying compete on price, absolutely not. But do not kid yourself, "If I'm speaking and the customer is hearing blah blah blah it means I failed that customer" used to be true, just like it used to be true that the quality of your work was the most important thing. Just like it used to be true that I was young, thin, good looking and had a full head of hair. But things change. Today's average customer/consumer/client is too self-absorbed to care what you have to say beyond what they want to hear. Remember the key was "The average customer." But I still like and follow your thinking while trying hard to evolve to accommodate the new reality of the average customer.

I hear what your saying, it goes back to my statement in an earlier post about finding out what the customers expectations are to see if those expectations are able to be met. If they are to hung up on price and little else I don't waste all that much time trying to educate. I'm less then 3 years in business and still learning and tweaking how I do things but what does stick in my mind from the feedback I have heard from customers is they like that I explain things to them.

The average customer hears BLAH BLAH BLAH $1000.00. The customer call's another shop and hears BLAH BLAH BLAH $800.00. Verdict You are a rip off and they are not coming back.

 

 

Read the story of the Prodigial Customer (i mean son)

For me personally, if I'm speaking and the customer is hearing blah blah blah it means I failed that customer and in doing so I've failed myself as a shop owner. The essential challenge is to know the right way to speak to each customer that walks through that door in such a way that they hear what you are saying and not just the words you are using.

The responces are terrific. If you didn't know it, but this is EXACTLY what I always wanted to see after someone read one of my stories. It's always a great pleasure of mine to see that I got you thinking about different situations that you've been in. LOL This is TERRIFIC.

 

Thank YOU, Thank YOU... I'm so proud to be in the business, and if there is one thing I want everyone to know... I'M PROUD OF YOU TOO!

 

It can be a thankless business, especially when somebody brings in a maggot filled car, or one that stinks to high heaven.

 

We all need a laugh once in awhile.

 

I hope I'm helping out in that area. My hats off to all. Gonzo

I've been going down the list and reading your stories for about the past hour and each one has had me cracking up.. at the humor but equally because each one seems to trigger a memory of a car or customer from my own experience. As for the trash heaps on wheels I usually snap a picture with the smart phone and send it to some other people I know in the field... kind of a running contest to see who is having the worst day!

 

The best repair means nothing if the customer experience is not first-rate. Like it or not, your customers judge you more on the quality of your customer service and the appearance of your shop, than by the quality of the work you do.

the average customer does not know that we took a few extra minutes cleaning the parts on a repair job. They don't know that during a simple oil change we walked around and checked underneath for leaks, worn suspension parts etc while the oil was draining. And they don't the time and effort that may have gone into accurately diagnosing there check engine light because the machine we plug in does that for us. Communication is every thing. Knowing our customers and letting them get to know us. No matter how busy it may be at a particular moment when someone comes in to pick up or drop off taking the time necessary to establish what the customers expectations are and communicating whether or not we will be able to meet those expectations when they drop off along with being able to answer any questions and giving them an overview of what was done during the repair process goes a long ways.

TrustedMechanic, welcome to the forum. However, did you notice this post is almost two years old?

I'd imagine if anything was still for sale at this point it could be had at a really good price

Ahhh one of the benefits of running a one man shop..... The shop I was at before going out on my own it was a constant problem. One tech I ended up changing his hours instead of 8 to 4:30 I gave him new hours, 9 to 4:30. Which amounted to less money for him at the end of the week. He did make it in by 9 and the other techs referred to his walk across the parking lot to the shop at 9 every morning to his walk of shame as he came in. Had it turned into a problem with other employees he would have been let go. The only thing that saved him was the hard time we had finding anyone worth hiring. What I could never figure out is how come the guy that lives an hour away shows up on time every day rain show or shine, but the guy that lives a mile away on the same street is always the late one?

this reminded me of one of my customers. I eat out pretty much every day at different diners in the area. It does get costly but with the hours I'm keeping having a bite to eat and hanging out at the counter for a bit before going home is my time where I can relax and bull shit with the waitresses and other regulars. And I get a lot of work and recommendations from the waitresses and owners of these establishments. I have one customer that I cant help but cringe when I see him coming through the door, beat up truck rusted out. Real nightmare to work on, the kind that not only do you break anything you touch but also whatever is next to that as well. The guy insists on bringing his own parts, usually from a scrap yard. I know this and know what I'm getting into but it's work and being fairly new I tackle this beast making it clear to him that it's so difficult to work on that he's got to leave it for a day or two and I'll go back and forth on it if other work comes in. So it's a good filler job and I need all the work I can get. Only thing is no matter what I quote him he always approves the work without batting an eye.... until the work is completed then the crying begins. Why is it so much, cant you do any better etc. He'll even say he doesn't have enough money and leave coming back the next day to discuss the price some more before finally giving in and paying. I easily loose an hour just in talking to him about the work and the bill. But the funny thing is, I'm told by the waitresses at the diner he always leaves a $10dollar tip. Doesn't matter if it's a dinner check coming out to $15 or merely if he stops in for a to go cup of coffee for a $1.50, the tip is always 10 bucks every time. Yeah people are funny sometimes.

I take all my scrap to the recyclers myself as well. The money I get for the scrap pays for the tire disposal fees when I take my old tires with a little left over and every penny counts

trying install a helicopter landing pad on top of a Yugo.... dang customers... always wantin' somethin' Later Gonzo

Let us know how that goes...... did you hear Yugo is coming back with a bigger better car, a minivan actually. There calling it the wego

Is it me or does AutoMD have an agenda I am not aware of? How can the price of job, any job, be the same where ever you go. AND, "why" does it have to be the same??? Do you get the same price for a steak dinner at every resturant around the country. Are there not different levels of service, parts and economic standards of living?

 

Who sets these prices? I seem to remember that we live in the USA... the land of the free, the land of free enterpirse!! We all do remember this once great country, right?

 

I think we should voice our opinions on AutoMD and tell them how we feel.

 

I have said this a million times...we are the hardest working people in any industry and we deserve to make a decent income. I am not going to be dictated by some online service that tells me what I should charge or how much I can make on a job. NEVER!

 

Sorry, this really upsets me....

I find it disturbing as well. Kind of the same way I feel about the parts stores offering free "diagnostics". I spent a good few minutes on the automd site looking up stuff at random. I found many of the quotes were not to far off but many of them were... especially in the parts category. Across the board even on the prices that weren't to far off they were all skewed on the low side and that would be using cheap parts. A shop installing quality branded parts is going to be paying as much or more for the stuff as that website is saying is the retail price to the customer.

If AutoMD estimates the repair to cost $180 and I quote them $220 does that make me somehow and unscrupulous businessmen? I don't think so but that is what they are insinuating. If only one estimate was less than AutoMd's estimate maybe AutoMD was too low. Who says AutoMD estimate is correct. They certainly don't know my pricing structure or overhead costs.

 

By the way, Ivroth it is good to hear from you!

Out of curiosity I just played around with the automd site. According to them if a consumer does a front disk brake job themselves the parts should cost $27.65... If done at a repair shop the parts cost should be $32.63

Seven days a week is not good. Your personal relationships and family life suffer. It is not good for you mentally or physically. One can do this type of thing in short spurts but eventually you will burn out and you and everyone you are connected with suffer but you didn't need me to tell you that did you?

yeah, I kind of noticed. I guess it helps that I'm single but at this pace I gonna stay single for awhile. The advantage of being open on Sunday while it isn't very busy or profitable is the visibility I get from people pulling in to get gas at the pumps in front of me and people stopping at the sandwich shop next to me(separate business in the same parking lot) and seeing my garage doors open. A lot of these people are local but work during the week so I feel I reached people that might not have otherwise given me a second glance. I always seem to get somebody that walks in asking for an estimate and have scheduled work that I might not have had if I wasn't there. The tire repairs and oil changes I typically generate on a sunday might not be much, but every penny counts when trying to keep the bills paid while trying to get established. It's kind of a fine line between necessity and burn out.

All of us work hard, maybe too hard at times. But we all need to stop and smell the roses once and while. Let me tell you the best remedy for burnout: Plan a day off for absolutely no reason. And if you feel guilty being away from the shop, I say Great! Slow down and take care of yourself, everyone around you will benefit.

What is this thing you speak off called "a day off"? I'm not sure I understand this concept

Actually I agree. Having been working 7days a week most of the time I can see the difference in my productivity and motivation throughout the week even if it's just getting out a couple hours early on a Saturday and Sunday. Now that the weather is getting nice I'm gonna try to work in staying closed every other Sunday and going for a bike ride.

Good to have you! How about filling us in a little on what lead you to start your business.

It was either ambition or insanity. I guess there was a lot of factors that made me leave a good job with benefits making good money for a great boss who even offered me a lot more money and vacation time to stay. To open a shop, making just barely almost enough money to get by working 7 days, 70+ hours a week. I wanted to be in control of my own destiny, succeed or fail I wanted to be able to say I at least tried instead of reaching a day where I found myself asking what if? It was rough in the beginning, the money I was planning to use as my start up capitol was in the stock market.. in a company that lost $8 a share a couple days before I was planning on selling some to keep in the bank. I decided to hold on to see if it went up just a little while getting by on what I had, that was just before the bank collapse when it lost all value. I held on and it'll be 2 years in June. At this point I don't regret a thing, and am now in a process of reevaluating a lot of things that I have been doing this far and making some changes going from a get the job even if I don't get what the job is really worth mentality to feeling that now I'm established enough with enough steady business to let some of the nightmare jobs go to someone else.

I had one, a 2005 Subaru Legacy. Customer came in stating the lights wouldn't turn off. Walking out to the car sure enough the parking lights were on, I try the switch and go from off to on and off again a couple times to confirm they weren't turning off. Open up the hood check the relay, not the problem. At this point it was late in the day so I pull the fuse and leave it for the next day. Customer finds a ride and goes home. The next day I pull up the wiring diagram to get a better idea where to start diagnosing this thing just to be sure before saying it's a bad switch. As I'm sitting in the car looking at the diagram with tools in hand ready to start pulling the cover off the steering column to gain access to the wires I notice the lights are off. Now I'm puzzled because it's all working normal... but in the back of my mind I sorta remembered bumping into a rocker switch on top of the steering column where you would usually find the hazard button. Turns out Subaru puts a switch there that operates the parking lights. My customer who has owned the car for a few years now never knew what it did or that it was even there.

That is more expensive than what I pay for Mobil One. By taking advantage of part store promotions and by picking it up by the gallon at Wal-Mart occasionally I keep my cost per quart on Mobile 1 at somewhere between $4.80 to $5.75 per quart. When we use synthetic we tend to price it around $7.50 per quart. What makes Amsoil attractive to you?

I also go to Wal-Mart to buy Mobil One. If I order it direct from the parts supplier it's $8.99 a quart. I buy the 5quart containers at Wal-Mart and it's under $5. I'm selling it for $8.75 a quart. I won't say I promote Mobil One but it's the synthetic I stock because it's the only brand synthetic oil I have had customers request by name. If a customer wants something else I'll probably keep some on hand for them.

Stumbled on this site a couple days ago and have been browsing the forum since then. This looks to be an excellent resource for ideas in the crazy world of running a repair shop. I opened up a 3 bay 2 lift garage in June of 2008. So far I am still a one man show, business has been slowly growing through word of mouth and I'm just now starting to get a little more consistent. Opening up on a shoe string budget I have not been able to do any real advertising, but have kept my expenses to a minimum. I feel my customer retention has been very good and am confident that my business will survive and grow. I look forward to posting here and will do my best to offer whatever input I can in the discussions while I take advantage of the experience and knowledge from those that have already been there done that in there businesses.