Hypothetical Question for the mechanics out there

[w squared]

So...someone brings their vehicle in for Lube/Oil/Filter and a tire rotation. They're  a regular customer. They ask you if you could swap out a fog lamp bulb while you're at it.

Do you ding them for an additional labour charge for changing a light bulb? Or do you just bill them for the price of the bulb and see it as a normal maintenance that is done "while you're at it".

[Vinman]

Charge them for the supply of the light and tell them to have nice day.

You'll get back it repeat business and word of mouth.

Vince

[Spinalguy]

Charge them for the supply of the light and tell them to have nice day.

You'll get back it repeat business and word of mouth.

Vince

x2

[TJ54]

How hard was the bulb to change? If it was a 2 or 3 minute job, it would be nice to do it at no charge. If it was a pain in the butt 15 min or longer job having to deal with corroded wires,stripped out screws, caked in mud etc.  then you should expect to pay a bill.

There are so many variables in a question like this. what kind of shop were you in? a quickie lube or a dealership? who did the job an hourly lube guy or a flat rate mechanic.

Do you expect to get paid for the job you do when you are at work? So does a mechanic.

How much free stuff do you do for your customers?  How much did that "free" job actually cost the customer ? Did you add a little to their next bill. Sometimes it is a lot cheaper to pay for the job now.

You should always expect to pay for someone's time, sometimes you will get a nice surprise when they do it at no charge. But I am finding so many people now expect to get it for free because "it's just a 2 second job and I just paid you $50 for an oil change I could done myself at home"

[ogilviexj]

a franchise shop should charge. the shop guy (doesn't sound like it was done by a mechanic), has to justify the bulb charge, they get 11 bucks an hour so getting in Sh#t for "free" labour isn't worth it for them.

An owner or true mechanic at his/her shop, would not charge. I used to for a shop I worked at in Edmonton, and was just a garage hand. The owner just said check it and replace them at no charge for labour or bulb. Although the shop I was at specialized in Rolls, Porsche, Audi etc. So labour was 180/hour min.

[w squared]

No corrosion, caked on mud, or difficult angles, or even tools required.  It MIGHT have been a three minute job. Something that I would have done earlier myself if I'd had the time to pick up the bulb. I asked them to do it simply because I happened to be in for the lube/oil/filter. This is something that would have been done while the oil was draining.

I expected to pay for the bulb...but not to have an additional charge tacked on, justified as "minimum shop rate" when my Jeep is already on the hoist for another service that I'm paying for.

I do expect to get paid for the work I do...but I also understand that my customers are the ones who make that pay possible. I don't expect them to keep giving me thier money if I start squeezing them every single time I see them.

[Spinalguy]

So, how much did it cost to change the bulb?

[w squared]

$20, plus the cost of the bulb.

Not the end of the world by any means...but enough to annoy me.

[esi]

In my opinion, you get charged for more time than it takes to actually change your oil, so the 5 min job of changing the bulb couldd have been included. I've heard of lots of people who have dropped their vehicle off to have something done at a dealership, got a call that its finished 4 hours later, then look at the bill and they've been charged for 5-6 hours at a shop rate of $100+/hour. Some dealerships are billing out 12 hour days when they're only open 9 hours. Yeah they bill by the book time but for what you pay I think its BullZh!t.

[SwampSinger]

$20, plus the cost of the bulb.

Not the end of the world by any means...but enough to annoy me.

Welcome to Calgary... where changing a light bulb cost $20... that is ridiculous!

Just because of principals, I would tell these guys a thing or 2.

Come to my house next time.. we'll have a beer, change your oil, rotate your tires and change any lightbulbs you would like.

Cheers,Dom

[RckyMtnTJ]

When my Jeep was still under warrenty, I had my underhood light go.  Actually I didn't know if it had ever worked.  When I had it in the shop for work I asked them to look into it.  They changed out the light and charged me $15.  A 3 minute job and a $2 light.  I made the incorrect assumption that it was covered under warranty.  Have you seen how much the dealer charges for a diff fluid change? 

[w squared]

Welcome to Calgary... where changing a light bulb cost $20... that is ridiculous!

Just because of principals, I would tell these guys a thing or 2.

Come to my house next time.. we'll have a beer, change your oil, rotate your tires and change any lightbulbs you would like.

Cheers,Dom

I did tell them a thing or two. I also gave them a few choice words about how their service manager told me that the E-brake cannot be adjusted to hold better than it currently does, even though Chrysler has sent out a TSB indicating that E-brake adjustments are required at 30,000km, and in two minutes of searching on-line I can find step-by-step illustrated instructions on how to make the adjustment with nothing more that a brake spoon and a philips screwdriver.

I'm going to give the general manager of the place an opportunity to fix the issue tomorrow, but I don't expect much.

[hps4evr]

im a licensed auto tech working in a dealership. i make flat rate. yes. i have had 12 hour days. yes i was only there for 8 of them, or less. yes i busted my arse for all 8 of those hours so i could get ahead. who pays for the 30G worth of tools in my tool box? who pays for the 10 years of school/college/apprenticeship? who pays me when we are slow and i only get 2 hours in a full day?
i dont mean to come off as an bunghole tech. ive been ripped off before by my own employer who wouldnt charge the customer the full amount if i did the job faster then the proper time quote. cant discount parts but they can discount the techs labor.
i apologize sir that i got it done quick and properly. i can take 4 hours to do a front brake job. i can do it in 30 minutes too. i can let the shop helper do it too. he may take 5 hours and i cant gaurantee its done right.
so, some shops will charge for the bulb install. some wont. if its a shop with flat rate techs then i hope they do

[JackstandJohnny]

pretty much the perfect example of why you just do everything yourself. why pay someone to hit your jeep with a hammer when you can do it yourself.

Dom has it right; welcome to Calgary; you will you pay 20$ for a lightbulb. it can go along with your right to pay for parking to take public transit......   pfft, i'm just waiting for the toll both to go up on Deerfoot.   (sorry different rant lol)

just as an fyi, mom had to replace a tail light on her TJ in BC, a guy at the parts store did it for her in the parking lot.....
she was also charged 50$ to do a headlight in Calgary before she moved out...........

sorry random rants haha..... but ya i guess bottom line, if u want it done, kind of expect to pay for it..... i grew sick of paying for labour a long time ago so i just do it myself. now i can get better parts cause i don't have to pay for install!

[Immortal]

Time is $$$....
Gotta ask yourself.... what rate would I bill myself out at?