DUFRESNES

I have heard of a master tech turning down a 6 dollar raise because the shop was not air conditioned. Do you think it is coming to this? I need a master tech. We have 1, but we always have 2 and 1 left. Please let me know thoughts and info.

I have heard of your way. Another is on gp. I am a lazy and want it good for both of us, but the easiest way

What was total sales, if you don't mind me asking

How much does your SW gross?

Since all of the above. Current to keep our technicians, we are paying 38-41 per flat hour plus benefits. Our B techs are 20-25 per hourly + comm.. Our service writer since writing this will make 131K this year if the next 6 months follow as the last 6 months. I think this is the only way to keep good employees. How are you paying Service Writers.?

It is very expensive to lose an employee, especially a master tech. We just hired a new person. We have to pay top wages and top benefits to keep the best. Weather you pay flat rate, salary or combo. Make sure the tech knows what he will be capable of making. He is looking out for himself and his family. Maybe we should do a forum on benefits.

I am so excited, this is an update to Air conditioning. We purchased our 1234 YF in December. Robinair. Then tech tells me we need a gas tester for leaks. We just got it, then we find out you need a tank with 95% Nitrogen and 5% Hydrogen. Yeah it works on R134A and 1234YF This vehicle had a very small leak and it showed right up. I was told this is what the professional HVAC people use. So as I see it, we won't have to be doing R134A over as warranty. We should be able to do it right the first time Master tech said it would not have found the small leak the way we had been doing it. We charge $225 for R134A and $550. for 123YF. Hope this helps anybody thinking of jumping in the Air Condition field.

We just hired new technician for the position of flat rate master tech. So glad. Thank the Lord, prayers answered along with top money. This is in answer to my COMPLACENT FORUM ABOVE.

You brought up a lot of questions and thoughts. 1st you are right, if they don't see it in their accounts, it isn't there. I have one employee, I showed him what he was making with benefits and commissions from last year and this year is better. He opted to take a straight hourly of $25.00 with no commission. Couldn't get through to him, it was a cut. What benefits we have broken down are: vacation 2 weeks after 5 years with one exception on Service Writer, started with 2 weeks. Paid holidays even if it falls on their day off. 401K we match up to 3%. All but 2 contribute at least 3% up to 10%. Coffee espresso and car parts for their selves and their immediate family parts at cost. Health Insurance is 50% off, dental is up to them and Aflac is theirs except I contribute $15.00 monthly to each employee that has Aflac On our bonus it is a sheet that we hang daily with their hours, sales either for commission or flat rate. The bonus part is they have to meet certain sales to get bonus. 50% goes on their check and 50% goes into their 401K all paid by employer. I was having a hard time getting them to work on time. So if they are even 1 minute late it counts as a late time. For every late time, they loose $10 off their bonus with 1 free time each 2 weeks. Service writer makes 8% of all sales. We pay more than most around here and are busy all the time. We have to, our place is not beautiful like some. I Wish it was, but county wouldn't let us do more than we did. Plus they are making a turn lane, bike lane which takes 3 parking spots from us. We put in 1 stackable lift behind the fence and probably will add 3 more. Not cheap

Don't get complacent! 1st of all we are having a great best year, with that said, things change. Our employees have all been here from 6 years to 20 years. Well, One of our Technicians is leaving for another shop with a salary of $100,000.00 He would be making this or almost this by flat rate of $41. He is fast, but has to pick up kids at different times, etc, life. We left the door open for him coming back. The shop he is going to does about 1/2 of our total sales. They have 2 Service writers. This doesn't compute to me. Oh, it is a partnership with a silent partner. Now my question. What are you paying flat or salary or combo for top diag tech ASE cert with electric and hybrid. What are your benefits. Ours are matching 401K, bonus shared by all employees, gloves, insurance (50%) espresso, vacation, Aflac Our lube techs with B qualifications 20-25 hourly plus 5% commission and master tech 38-41 flat with a possible 500 bonus each employee with 1/2 on pay check and 1/2 to 401k. SW makes 8% of all sales.

My belief is keep doing what works and look for new ways to wow your customers. It works. Track all marketing. This is our best year ever. I believe, when new cars become available, we will see a change again. As a small business, we can be ready to adjust and adjust to what ever is thrown at us.

The grumble right now is we haven't had a raise for a long time and everything costs more and myself as the owner never made so much. No clue how to run a business. This is how employees think I am going to have a meeting with each one. So the 1st one is a B tech. He is a good tech, but has some bad habits late for work by a few minutes, sick alot for just 1 day at a time and the biggest won't try again to get ASE certified. With that said his pay is $16.00 an hour Plus 5% on sales labor and parts he does and 5 % With just sales and commission for 1st quarter 2022 is 23.40 per hour or with aflac, bonus, 401K match and holidays is $25.53. This doesn't include parts at cost, vacation and bonus How do I convince him this is better than just a flat dollars raise. I would really like to raise his commission instead. We are a busy shop with very few slow days.

My flat rate technicians make 35-38 per flagged hour. We also have a bonus plan ( which I see may be wrong) Everybody in the shop gets the bonus if met. It is up to $500.00 with 250 on their check and 250 goes into their 401k. There is a dealer offering $55 flag hour but they also do warranty work at a lower rate. My question to them is what is their labor rate, what is the average hour after warranty work and how does it work for them if they need to leave early 3 times a week for kids.

Spot on. Thanks to QB comparison. For 1st 3 months we were up 33.3%. February last year was a downer. This year Feb was an upper. If you take the 1st 4 months compare. April was as good as last year but still up 21.6%. I agree, people still can't buy new cars and are fixing up the older ones.

Today we got a google 1 star review. As owner, I answer all Google reviews. We have 386. This person said this place (our shop) doesn't even know how to change oil in a Prius. I looked him up. He hasn't been in since 2009 with a Subaru never his Prius. How to stop Bad reviews that aren't ours? I wrote this on the review, plus we have on file 130 Toyota Prius.

I have been in Auto Repair Business going on 54 years. There are always ups and downs with employees. Right now I have 4 technicians, 2 are hourly with commission (B Techs) and 1 fully certified in everything and the other one is a diag technician very good with no certs. All employees have been here 5 years or more. I am interested in what are you paying per labor hour. They are asking for 45-60. We now pay 35 for the diag tech (with no certs) and 38 for the ASE cert Tech. I feel this is a good wage, but they feel that the Service writer makes a lot more due to labor rate changes. We did a million and half last year in our small location.

You are right. If and when you raise prices, make sure you believe in them and the why for. We have found when quoting every single time the cost of a check engine light, if we ourselves believe in it, then the customer knows that and realizes the value.

Last year we had 5-6 people that had yf1234. We purchased a robinair in December, thinking we would need it this year. We have our 1st job tomorrow. The best price we could get on freon was $675.00 for 10 lbs The job takes 1 lb. Question is how much are people charging for labor.

Our problem is we have been paying for broken plastic or rock chips then from lifting the car now the rock chip grows. parts on cars that are 20 + years . Someone had the solution. If the part breaks coming off, then the customer pays. If the part breaks going on then we pay. Wonder how this effects SW pay? As owner I get to pay for all of it

Does anybody have a sign stating if parts coming off to make a repair are broken, the customer is responsible. I don't want to make a new sign if someone already has one. Such as bolts, plastic pieces and windshields that have rock chips and split. I am not talking about abuse, just warn parts.

Let me think about it. Is there a way to pm you

Thanks Joe, We are in a total residential area other than the day care behind us. We tried to buy it, to no avail. Yes it would have been good to buy a much larger shop, not going to happen at my age. We have a thriving business as is. I just wanted info on how they work for other people. Only Challenger will warranty them for commercial outside use. We figure we will have to put in 3 doubles or 4. They can be moved around.

The County is taking part of our property for bike lanes, turn lane, side walks and a signal. We have a very small lot as it is. We need to put in commercial stackable lifts, probably 4, giving us 8 parking spots. Has anybody used them or have any experience with them. They vary in price. Someone told us that most of them are for the home enthusiasts used only once in a while. Ours would be used daily. We have seen the 2 doubles giving a 4 stack or 4 double stacks.