Sherman Bird
Forum Replies Created
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As an artisanal rather than a production shop, I cater to a different mindset of clientele. Although dollar cost value is a factor in my pricing structure, my customer know that the pinnacle if my mission is accurate repairs performed well the first time. I manage expectations as much as possible. Inasmuch as the high cost of automotive repair in recent times, they reflect the overall economy. My customers are made aware of this upfront, and this practice reduces angst and sticker shock!
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Pad and rotors (2 wheels) 2.0 Tech & 2.6 Charge
Caliper, pads, and rotors (2 wheels) 2.5 Tech and 3.25 Charge
If I am reading this right you are paying the tech less hours than you are billing?
Wow, that’s making money!
Your theft of labor from the tech is deplorable… and you are an example of why I won’t work for anyone!
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ABSOLUTELY NEVER! I worked for a guy at a mega Chevy dealer years ago who did that! Talk about creating hostility in the ranks, the end result being a morale killer! The idea that it creates more production by fostering friendly competition among the techs is best left to a wet dream. Truth is; the guys get into a big hurry, cut corners trying to outrun the next fellow, they point fingers and accuse management for feeding certain techs and so forth, and CSI goes into the toilet!
I always paid my people a salary and gave bonuses based upon attendance, personal hygiene, a clean, neat work space, necessary up-sells, and what total profit was for the quarter. That worked best for my operation as it was back then.
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I never give just one bid. The climate that exists is that current customers feel the need to be in control, even if they haven’t a clue the ramifications of just how important brakes are to life. I get prices on factory parts (most expensive), premium aftermarket parts (slightly cheaper, and then run-of-the mill aftermarket parts (cheapest). Per Terry Greenhut, I give radically differing warranties and let the customer decide on just how long they wish to be warranty covered. In today’s world, warranties are for sale on everything. You would be surprised how many opt for top-shelf factory parts.
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Good luck living long enough to see renumeration for labor claims. Also, some manufacturers use many dilatory tactics and pay pittance for labor a year later. Disreputable chain managers will file a claim for a part and pocket the funds and tell the shop that the manufacturer denied the claim.
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People will always devalue our profession through perpetuation of urban legends that the shops are only out there to screw customers and by seeking the services of unqualified individuals who are dangerous with tools, thinking they are beating the system, among other factors.
Keep your eye on the ball. Make your shop the best it can be and you’ll be too busy to fret over the insignificant home garage monkeys. There will always be these guys… always have been. Next.
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You’re right!
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The unfortunate occurrence of Hurricane Harvey has forced the average age of cars down in Harris County (Houston). The destruction of over a million cars has really hurt our aftermarket position. All of my network pals are crying blues over severely reduced revenues since. -
Unfortunately for your epiphany about cars and consumers seeking an alternative source to fix a very minor brand, and very expensive brand EV….. People will generally buy cars based upon what they can afford per month. They seem to fail to see the 40 year big picture, thus costing themselves into the hundreds of thousands of dollars in a working career lifetime with such myopic financial thinking. In other words, cars are generally considered in the same realm as a dishwasher or other household appliance. Spend 3000 dollars on a 10 year old, paid for car? Heavens no! They spend north of $40K in primary debt to avoid that because all they can see is how much per month a car note is and they have been bombarded by Madison Avenue Ad agencies to buy that new car/truck because it has the latest toys. In an analysis done by the late finance coach, Jonathon Pond, the difference in how much money a person can realistically put into their retirement portfolio by buying a car every 10 years as opposed to every 3 just to keep warranty is that the guy who bought 4 cars in 40 years as opposed to the one who bought 13 put $365,000 more into his portfolio. Getting consumers to see this is step one. But that new car smell? Well… -
I had an uncle many years ago that decided to do antique lamp restorations, including oil lamps. Problem was, there wasn’t enough market to sustain a full time business… and he summarily went broke. -
Wow! I do an inspection for every customer, especially new customers with older cars that I’ve never seen before. I explain that, like the first time one sees a doctor, that doctor has an obligation at the human level to check all your vitals out and report problems to you. Like that, I’m a professional that has an obligation to do the inspection, and inform the customer of problems…. and I SPECIFICALLY explain my motive! That is to inform them and give them choices to repair now, later, or if the problem is safety related, or not to do any repairs at all; to trade to vehicle off. When I communicate those parameters to new customers, the feedback is 100% positive. I upsell at a level that is astounding just by being brutally honest and communicating things with customers! Never let fear dictate your proper procedure. Customers smell this fear and it elucidates to you lacking confidence. They seek a confident, informative, authoritative director to guide them through the complex process of getting their cars accurately diagnosed and repaired. That person has to be the one who interfaces with them.
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Smoking is nasty. It is very inconsiderate around those who have respiratory distress, not to mention it having no place in such a dangerous environment as an automotive shop. Many of the smokers I’ve mentioned this to are self righteous and staunchly defensive that it is their “right”. I got rid of one employee that was a jerk about being considerate when he decided that smoking out front was good enough even when he was asked to consider customers when they approached our business, and asked to think about that public image. The tail did not wag the dog in that instance.
