From: Ron (rojoha@adelphia.net)
Date: Wed Sep 21 2005 - 20:48:31 PDT
OK.... Their labor rate is $75/hour. They opened at 0700, call me at 0740
with an estimate of $2100, I say no to the repairs, get charged $145.90. It
took them 30 minutes, plus or minus to bring the vehicle into the bay, pull
the wheels, inspect the shoes and pucks, look at the exhaust system, look at
the rusted brake lines and generate an estimate and call me. The photocopied
charge sheet they wrote the 'numbers' on had 2 time punches on it, 0711 and
0757. The itemized bill I received had two 0.5 hour charges (brake line
inspection and exhaust inspection) and one 1.0 hour charge (brake
inspection). Told me if I give the OK, I could get the truck 'around 3'
(PM). The 'estimate' was for 11.5 hours of labor + the 2 hours charged to
the 'inspection'. 0700 to 1500 looks like 8 hours to me without stopping
for lunch or counting the two roach coach stops. They were going to charge
me 13.5 hours 'book' labor for 7.x hours of actual labor. Sweeeetttt.....
This after I was told when I made the appointment that it would be
around $800 to $1K. But the service advisor who quoted me on Thursday
couldn't be found yesterday when I dropped it off at 1700 or when I got
there today.
I expect a business I deal with to make a profit. I don't expect them to
make the quarters profit off me, all by myself.
As we left, my wife remarked she thought that the Service Department of
a Volvo dealer we had bought a couple of cars from before was crooked, but
he was a pansies compared to the shake down artists we just paid to bail out
the truck.
They must be doing something right, it just won't involve me.
If this is the way you charge your customers, good luck. May the rubes
continue to fall through your door.
Off to Gilbert, will probably be off line until Sunday. You guys play
nice in the mean time.
And a sincere wish for good luck to you folks on the Texas Gulf Coast.
Rita sounds like she's gonna be a real female dog.
Regards, Ronzo
----- Original Message -----
From: <MYDEUCEANDWILLYS@aol.com>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: 21 September, 2005 22:39
Subject: [MV] Free estimates
> If you ask for an estimate that is that extensive, they are definitely
> entitled to be paid for there time, Being self employed since 1976 I find
> it hard
> to believe what people ask for and expect it to be free.
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