From: santoken@bright.net
Date: Thu Sep 22 2005 - 06:37:12 PDT
How could it be anything but fair?
Look, you know when you take your vehicle in for repair, it's gonna cost this much 'time', the dealer knows exactly how much you're gonna pay as well as how much it's gonna cost him. The guy doing the work knows exactly how much he's gonna make doing the job. It's the closest thing to menu pricing you can get. You will pay the same price for water pump replacement as the guy before you and the guy after you (providing the FR time is the same such as the same vehicle, etc.).
The only varible in the situation is the tech that's doing the work, and he's the one that makes the money if he gets it done sooner, not the shop. If the job pays 1.2 and he does it in .8, he gets paid for 1.2, you get charged for 1.2. the dealer made no extra money there. Where the dealer benefits is the productivity...the speed the cars come in and out...not on a per job basis, it's a per day basis.
Look at it this way, it a guy works for 40 hours a week, and he's good, he can make upwards of 80 hours a week. My opinion is that if he works his ass off to make 80 hours (tool investments, training, it all enters into it), then he deserves to make 80 hours. He's the only varible. Yeah, the shop made 80 hours too, but not by overcharging anyone anything...it's all flat rate.
>
> From: Rick v100 <rickv100@yahoo.com>
> Date: Thu Sep 22, 9:18 AM
> To: santoken@bright.net, Military Vehicles Mailing List <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
> Subject: Re: Re: [MV] Free estimates
>
> Not to start a flame war but how is flat rate fair?
>
> Of the few mechanics I have spoekn with they are under
> pressure from management to come in under the flat
> rate those that don't are fired. This pumps the shops
> profit as they are billing for more hours then they
> are actually working.
>
> Rick
>
>
> --- santoken@bright.net wrote:
>
> > Flat rate..it's how every shop that's worth having
> > work done at does it. If a job pays/costs 4 hours
> > and the shops rate is $50, the job is gonna cost
> > $200 in labor...no matter if one guy takes 20
> > minutes to do the job or 10 hours. It's a fair way
> > of doing/quoting work.
> >
> > Kent
> >
> >
> > >
> > > From: Rick v100 <rickv100@yahoo.com>
> > > Date: Thu Sep 22, 8:49 AM
> > > To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List"
> > <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
> > > Subject: Re: [MV] Free estimates
> > >
> > > They should have clearly stated on the service
> > sheet
> > > how they calculate service time and base rate.
> > >
> > > Most shops use the book rate not man hours unless
> > > specifed on the sheet.
> > >
> > > Rick
> > >
> > >
> > > --- Sonny Heath <sonny@defuniak.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > There is no law against them putting more than
> > one
> > > > mechanic on the job,
> > > > thats probably what they will say when you tell
> > them
> > > > about the time. They
> > > > were talking "man hours" I'm sure.
> > > >
> > > > Sonny
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Ron" <rojoha@adelphia.net>
> > > > To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List"
> > > > <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
> > > > Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 10:48 PM
> > > > Subject: Re: [MV] Free estimates
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > 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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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Fri Oct 28 2005 - 23:27:10 PDT