Hypothetical Question for the mechanics out there

[hps4evr]

trevor, your arse is only worth 5 bucks dead i figure... 

[Immortal]

I hope to hell the summer is sweltering, and you ask me how much for A/C in your house.....

[SwampSinger]

I agree with regular jobs for a set price ... even if it's expensive. You ask for a service and you know ahead what the cost is. It is what it is.... I have no issue with that...

What I have a major issue are the "suprises".  I'm sure if Wsquared was not told that it would cost $20 to change a light bulb, he would have told them where to put that light bulb... I would!

May be I'm from a small town where everything does not have a cost... and people help each other. We are not talking engine swap here. It's a freakin' light bulb! That's nickle and diming a customer.

I'm sure your mom JonnyC when back where the dude helped her out... that's called thinking big picture. I'm sure she told her Friends and family members too. That's good business in my opinion.

[w squared]

Time is $$$. That said, I feel that it's not reasonable to charge additional $$$ when there wasn't any additional time spent. Can you seriously tell me that the two to three minutes (at the OUTSIDE) needed to change a bulb shouldn't be worked in when a vehicle's already in the shop?

If I make a trip out to see customer to do a specific job, will I charge him an additional manpower charge if he then asks me to "tack on" a few minutes of work doing a separate but related task for him?

In my business, the answer is no. I've been in that situation many a time, and the answer has ALWAYS been no - regardless if they're a long-standing preferred customer, or someone I've never worked with before. He's already paid to have you on site, and paid for the first task. I'll charge him for the additional costs incurred with the second task, but not tack on an aribtrary manpower charge when he's ALREADY paying for manpower. If I was in the habit of doinbg that to customers, then I wouldn't expect them to be customers for very long.

[Immortal]

Give, and take. Give a hand, take a moment.

[w squared]

Interesting...I also just did a bit of checking. That shop is also charging me 50% ABOVE retail price for motor oil. 

[dac]

This is kind of a hot topic.  I agree with the concept of the charge in that the flat rate system is how they do business (I'm assuming most shops are like this), however they should have warned you about it first and it does sound a little excessive.

At the same time being in the service industry if I'm on site and I'm asked to look at something else I'll do it no questions asked.  A fair charge will probably give you more respect than a free charge.

[TJ54]

If I charge a flat rate for a job of 2 hours and the tech does it in 1 hour and the customer complains and thinks they should only pay for an hour. I tell them sorry, next time they come in I will put a less experienced tech on it, then it will take 3 hours to do the 2 hour job.

The flat rate system is the fairest way of billing.  I have seen lots of jobs take longer than the book rate, I have never had any one complain because I only charged them the 2 hour flat rate even though the job took three hours because every nut and bolt on it was frozen with rust.
How about when a tech is having a rough day and is dogging it a little, and the job takes longer. Customer shouldn't have to pay for that.

You always have the choice, all reputable shops will give you a price before doing the work. If you don't like the price then take it somewhere else.

[ogilviexj]

I pay the 50% more for my oil too, why? because they have a pit in the shop, they dipose of the oil, I dont have to crawl under my jeep in the mud to wrench off an oil filter. Thats why I pay more.

People need to be educated consumers and stop assuming that a business has morals or feelings. A business is no different than a toaster, it was designed to do a job and can be made to do that job. I have always been against uneducated consumers, dont get me started on coffee, ITS HOT!  
Should they? Could they? Will they?
If you asked them "how much?" and they say free, and then charge you, then its a different story, but if you say "can you change my bulb?" then expect an angle. Maybe im just getting bitter

[TJ54]

Our shop will allow you to supply your own oil and filter, then we just charge you labor and disposal fees. I like doing that. Everyone wins, I make a few extra labor dollars and you save a little on the oil change.  (and yeah I would have done the bulb for free on an oil change) Especially if you were driving a jeep.
A  CJA sticker would also get you better service, but don't tell my boss

Now if you were driving a Hummer, I would have doubled the charge

[Bnine]

Unless you have a long term, and or personal reputation with a shop, expect nothing for free.

Nothing.

Do you bring the techs or service writers  movie tickets or a bottle of whiskey at christmas?

Everything cost money, and unless you have a long standing relationship with a shop, nothing will be free, nor should it be.

Now, if you are known as a long time customer, easy to deal with, throws a bone the service guys way once in a while, then it becomes a different story. They will make an effort to take care of you, because you make the effort to take care of them.

If you are relatively unknown, or known but difficult to deal with and demanding, you will get no breaks, and be charged for everything.

My dad is a 25 year flat rate mechanic, that now runs one of the highest grossing dealership shops in calgary. We discuss this topic all the time.

The above statements are from him, to me. Shops are no different then a restaurant or local pub. Its all about establishing the relationship.

Not being negative. Just pointing out that you more then likely have nothing to be angry about.

Lastly, of course the oil is marked up. How do you think they make any money on oil changes. Even with mark up, there is no money in oil changes, and they certainly arent going to it for free, or at a cost to the shop.

[Spinalguy]

i give my garbage man about 5 cases of beer a year.
Why?
He takes everything i leave out.
i have brought dealerships and staff bottles of wine  on baby jesus day.
Why?
freebies at times.
i also supply my oil and filter to the place i go. i ask if they want me to bring coffee.
i bring coffee to National sometimes.
on and on and on...

[Pookapotamus]

the world would be such a nicer place if we all forgot about money, the smile on someones face is worth so much more than any price you could put on it.

whats better the 5 dollars labour now or the 5 hundred you get later because you were a nice guy?

that being said you have to be carefull that you do not give to much of your self that you your self need help.

just my 2 cents!

[w squared]

Unless you have a long term, and or personal reputation with a shop, expect nothing for free.

Nothing.

Do you bring the techs or service writers  movie tickets or a bottle of whiskey at christmas?

Everything cost money, and unless you have a long standing relationship with a shop, nothing will be free, nor should it be.

Now, if you are known as a long time customer, easy to deal with, throws a bone the service guys way once in a while, then it becomes a different story. They will make an effort to take care of you, because you make the effort to take care of them.

If you are relatively unknown, or known but difficult to deal with and demanding, you will get no breaks, and be charged for everything.

My dad is a 25 year flat rate mechanic, that now runs one of the highest grossing dealership shops in calgary. We discuss this topic all the time.

The above statements are from him, to me. Shops are no different then a restaurant or local pub. Its all about establishing the relationship.

Not being negative. Just pointing out that you more then likely have nothing to be angry about.

Lastly, of course the oil is marked up. How do you think they make any money on oil changes. Even with mark up, there is no money in oil changes, and they certainly arent going to it for free, or at a cost to the shop.

I take your point - and I don't expect a freebie. I'm not asking for free parts, nor am I asking for the shop to "eat" the cost associated with doing work. What I object to is tacking on a "minmum shop charge" ofr something that isn't going to incur extra costs for the shop.

As far as marking up the oil, what I object to is paying an "upgrade" fee to go to full synthetic that is 150% of the listed retail price for the same brand, same weight, same container size full retail price of that oil. This is in addition to the charge for the oil change, the filter, the environmental fee, you name it.

You can't seriously expect me to believe that 6 liters of Mobil 1 costs a shop $70 more than 6 liters of dino oil. That's not a markup, that's highway robbery.

[Bnine]

Be carefull with that.

I know that dealers pay more for castrol syntec then we pay retail at walmart. Walmart is right at around 10$/litre over the counter, and my dad is paying almost a dollar more then that directly from castrol.

I doubt he pays more then then 2$ a litre for bulk dino.

I would not be suprised if your dealer is in a similar situation with their mobil 1.

There is actually less of a margin on the synthetics, then there is on the dino. The dino at a dealer is where the highway robbery comes in

As for minimum shop charge, it does incur cost for them. The flatrate guy in the back will be writing it into his hours. The shop will pay him that .25 hour. So rather then making 10$, buy charging you 20, and paying the tech 10, they would simply end up giving away 10$ for the tech to do it.

Not a big deal, and not a big amount, but also not something they will do unless you have that long standing relationship with them.