FROGFINDER

ALL HANDS ON DECK

or shop truck with pull strap

 

 

I love Houston Winters.

One train of thought is to loan the customer such a crummy loaner car like in the movie "The Mask" so that they will be VERY glad to get their car back..

I have offered loaner bicycles n/c for the good of our customers health.

We did on all our loaner cars, but did get some negative feedback when the customer/s had to go to business meetings. For as little negative feedback as we got, I would always put decals on loaner cars. It is free advertising, just don't get ridiculous.

I heard from my insurance agent that injury claims and lawsuits increase with a "Marked" vehicle.

I am super sad right now, we had a customer that we have done a couple winterizations for, a couple repairs, couple more auto starts for came in saying their car was overheating at -40 and she thinks the coolant froze (if so our fault for not getting it rich enough) so we take a look at it and there is no coolant in it because the water pump is leaking on a 2005 tahoe with 145k on it. what does she say? She is going to have to talk to her old tech that she used to have before moving here before doing it because she thinks it might be our fault her water pump failed.

 

Why at this point are we being questioned.

I would ask how old the water pump and see if I could replace at a deal she could not refuse. Always remind customers that a cooling system is like a chainand any weakness may reveal itself.

 

My reminder with any cooling system work is. "Now that the cooling system is under proper operating pressure, Watch on system parts for any weaknesses. Other cooling system parts, seals, gaskets that were not replaced today may fail in the future under pressure. The customer should maintain a watch on all fluid levels and dash gauges/warning lights. If in doubt bring car by and we will check all fluid levels at no charge"

Do you plaster your shops name and contact info on your loaner cars?

I saw an ad for a GM dealer promising training and all needed tools for those that apply.

Always give your customers something good to say on social media.

I've heard some shop owners/techs say that comebacks are Job Security-charge them again for something else. That always made me mad.

I always tried to personally road test the vehicles and confirm a quality job in every case. Most comebacks I have seen is due to short cuts or parts failure. When I could not fight for what was right for my customers I "retired".

Tires cost plus $35.00 each Mount and speed balance $16.00 each stems? new tpms seals? extra disposal $3.50 per tire.

FREE Brake and suspension check.

Free alignment check but will perform alignment if needed to protect new tires at customer cost.

 

ps. We check under hood fluids and exterior lights on all vehicles. It's amazing how many vehicles come in with no oil shown on stick, No coolant in jug, low brake or power steering fluid, no brake lights, etc.

When I retired in Sept 2014 the top service advisor made $1800.00 ish per 5 1/2 day work week.

We inform the customer of his/her problem and suggest that we remove all four wheels to make sure there are not any more wheel bolt problems. We drill with left handed drill bits first a small pilot hole in the center and continue upsizing the drill bit until we can extract the bolt. We may be able to chase the hub hole threads but if too far gone it gets new hub parts with new lug bolts.

Install known good component and retest. Where have I seen that?

Even when I was on vacation and I might chat with the manager at a restaurant, hotel, shop etc and the most common statement was "I CAN'T FIND ANYONE THAT WILL WORK WITHOUT BEING CONNECTED"

 

We live in a digital world where employees are in cyberspace or thinking about being in cyberspace. They would hate to miss a good sexting.

When I have a problem with a discount tire customer I call the store manager as the customer leaves my shop. They deal with problem customers as well. I also pray for the problem customer because he has other problems other that car problems.

Wow! How in the world you guys in America do such low priced oil changes?

"Fracking is how"

 

What's your costs?

"on average i calculate $50.00 parts and labor per car". That's my budjet for each customer to bring me referrals.

 

 

I think that giving something of no 'real' cost to us during an oil servicing works very well.

for my shop, I give their car a safety inspection & a clean at the end of the servicing.

Alway give them something nice to talk about. The car can be repaired but they don't see it. They see the sticker and wash.

We require a sobriety test and DNA swab.

Frog, its not so much the jaded attitude we are all annoyed over. Its more about how insulting this character is as well as literally adding nothing of value to this forum. I consider myself a very open minded person. I recognize things that work for me may not work for someone else and vice versa however I do see merit in differing philosophies. I've forged some good friends on this forum and really do consider this forum to be a valuable asset to me and the shop owner community at large. I learn a lot on here and there are a ton of very smart guys willing to share their knowledge. I can say with all honesty this Gene character as of now is a detriment to this community and to put it plainly, talks out of his ass. I think its particularly damaging to the uninitiated shop owner that might see what he is posting as a possible right point of view. It is absolutely not and I don't think its something that should be tolerated on here. I apologizing for acting as the ASO police it is certainly not my intention. I guess its the NYer in my that has to say something when something needs to be said.

[/q

 

 

Our enemy is not of flesh but is a spirit. Some of my best customers over 40 plus years started out as a detriment to my community and cursed me to my face over the costs of auto service. I kept listening and answering with a soft voice. I encouraged them, visited them in the hospital, held them as they were dying and went to their funerals. People that talk out of their ass tought me more than a college degree and pay my salary.

You know , I find it very funny how you all can't find a good tech.

When I was looking for a job. I could not find a shop that did't want a slave.

Even working for Mercedes, it was the same story. You must give and maybe we will pay you what we think is right but still less than what you deserve..

In the end and with having no other choice I opened my own shop just a block away from the same Mercedes dealer I worked for.

Never looked back on that decision.

 

So maybe you all should look at your selfs first and then maybe you will realize why no one wants to work for you.

 

Gene.

As much as it hurts i know were Gene is coming from. Many of us were mechanics before we became shop owners/managers and we know what the public thinks of us. In the working world there is You, Me ,Us and THEM!

I dont know why you all guys all cry like little babys.

I would have done that job for $211 and be very happy.

The labor is $180 and it takes what? a half hour to do it?

If I could I would be doing that kind of work all day long .

Gene.

 

The customer and i both cry when i get to see the car and the wheel has stripped/broken off lug nuts, spun hub bearing and frozen caliper. But they did not tell repairpal or me that when asking for a price.

Just lost a brake pad job to because the customer looked up on repair what the national average on what brake pads would cost. All around national average was less than what I was charging for just the rear. LMAO. Hack shops and garbage like repairpal ruin this industry. Once a customer sees stuff like that no matter what you tell them about warranty, quality in parts, workmanship will sway them otherwise. I'll be sure to tell off the next RepairPal rep that calls.

 

 

 

UPDATE: I searched via my zip code and apparently the average for the are is not what the customer said. It would have landed us just outside of the highest range which is fine by me. I guess I should scale back some anger toward RepairPal lol

 

Does the customer also want the national average of problems that come with a cheap brake job?

 

 

This has been my fear from the start. How can a website take the place of what we do when we engage customers. And what in the world is "national average?" This sends the wrong message to the consumer. A business that promotes price only will die by price.

 

What separates one business from an other is more than price. Just look at Starbucks or Nordstroms or Ruth Chris Steak House. I will bet a year's salary their customers do not choose them for any "national average"

 

I am sorry to hear, we have enough issues to overcome.

 

Question: Will RepairPal and others like them paint us all with same brush and make us compete on a level that unsustainable?

 

 

When cars drive themselves Homeland Security will dictate the repair prices for our safety.

I'll give any customer free oil changes and a hand car wash if they refer me to people. At this time the cars don't drive themselves in. I keep track of where customers come from.I often have to remind my co workers and owners that a customer with an average ro of $79.00 can refer people that have an aro of $475.00. One fellow of many was really pressed for time at lunch for an oil change. In 45 minutes we changed his oil, noted his service needs and hand washed the car. At payment time with straight face i verbally went over what we did and said the total was $1.99. The customer asked me why so little. I asked him HAVE YOU BEEN PAYING MORE FOR LESS ELSWHERE? I thanked him for his business and future referrels. He referred Thousands of dollars of work within the next 30 days! Even my biggest pain in the *** customer referred $50k work of work to us in 2 years. I wash his car personally.

Gonzo, one day a customer came to pick up their car and we were billing them out when we looked out to see the car that drove in, not the car we worked on on fire. One of my guys grabbed an extinguisher, opened the hood, and put the fire out. The car was totaled and the insurance company tried to blame us. We never touched the car. They later called to see if there were storage fees which we didn't charge but I told them we would like to get reimbursed for having the fire extinguisher recharged. They didn't want to pay the $30 bucks. I told them if they didn't want to pay for the extinguisher they could pay two weeks storage fees. They sent me $30.

 

I worked for a man that wanted the deposit paid before the fire extinguisher was to be used while the car was on fire.

I always say that they can go for the cheap job and then they can bring the car back and we will look over the brake job the other shop did together. I will show you problems seen so that you can ask them for a discount or your money back. A cheap brake price is not worth it if you got to allow an extra 10 feet to stop is it? Let me get you a courtesy ride to where you need to go and we will pick you back up when we are done with your car.

 

Some walk, most stay, some walk and come back with brake problems the other shop can't seem to solve.