From: Sonny Heath (sonny@defuniak.com)
Date: Thu Sep 22 2005 - 18:22:35 PDT
Are you a mechanic at a dealership or are you the dealer?
Sonny
----- Original Message -----
From: <santoken@bright.net>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2005 8:37 AM
Subject: Re: [MV] Free estimates
> 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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>> > > > >
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>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > >
>> > > >
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>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>
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>
>
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Fri Oct 28 2005 - 23:27:11 PDT