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Truett
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Truett Enthusiast

Truett

Posted
Posted

Has anyone tried RepairPal? What were your experiences? Cost? Did it work? I am thinking abut tiring it for my locations. Just need a little information to base a decision on.

Thanks,

Richard Rollilns

risingsunmotors Apprentice

risingsunmotors

Posted
Posted

We use, have been for about 6 months +/- it is 199. monthly plus if customer comes in via repairpal , towed or off their website they get a 10% fee of invoice amount, we have gotten a handful (one handful ) of new customers in this span of time , I don't think we will continue much longer , don't really see the value. A lot of bargain hunters ....we are not a bargain shop, we are better than that.

 

jeff

bantar Community Regular

bantar

Posted
Posted

So, what you are really saying is that the callers looked at the price range of $179-$429 and then went looking for the $179 guy?   😁   

Jay Huh Rising Star

Jay Huh

Posted
Posted

I just became "RepairPal Ceritifed" this month and haven't seen anything from it yet. $199 is really cheap to the $425 I spend on Yelp (which I'll probably cancel soon) and $2000+ on google (which is the best so far)

  • Like 2
ScottSpec Collaborator

ScottSpec

Posted
Posted

We have been with RepairPal for a little over 2 year.  It has brought us some decent work and with the towing program we get a car towed in every now and then.  About $22,000 worth of work.  Not a huge number but it helps.  They are now involved with CarMax and another warranty company.  We are listed on the Carmax website as a recommended service facility, and have had 2 new customers come in recently from there.  Plus we can add that we are RepairPal certified to our marketing,  Having said all that, if we got busy enough tomorrow, it would probably be one of the first things I would drop from our marketing.  We waste a lot of time with calls from people just wanting a price, and a lot of them are shocked that you don't know the price instantly.  Not even sure I would call them price shoppers.  I think it is more of an extension of the site.  People go there to find out what something should cost, then they call to get a price as part of further research or curiosity, not necessarily because they are going to get the work done.  If you need more work in your shop, I would say give it a try and see how it works for you.  At $199 per month, it won't break the bank to try it out.

 

Scott      

  • Like 1
Andre R Enthusiast

Andre R

Posted
Posted

We did it for a year. At the end of the year we added up what we made from all Repair Pal customers and what we paid them.

It was roughly the same amount. Very few ever returned because they were towed in and from a different area. We cancelled them and didn't see

any drop in profits the following year, didn't even miss them.

  • Like 1
  • 3 years later...
Robbie@Jewell Rookie

Robbie@Jewell

Posted
Posted

Great feedback on this thread.  We are considering RepairPal.  From what the salesperson says, it seems that have dropped the 10% discount for referrals.  I'm not sure if that makes the service more appealing, but I would be very interested to hear feedback if anyone has used them more recently than 2017.  

  • Like 1
JerryK Rookie

JerryK

Posted
Posted

We have been with RepairPal for years and honestly, their reach has really fallen in our area. The last tow-in from them was Sept 9, 2020. 5 months ago! The customer spent all of $142. Not our clientele, not our ARO, NOT worth it. I will tell you that you can negotiate the monthly fee with them. We have not paid the $199 monthly fee for about 4 years which is why we are still in their program. If it cost us the monthly fee, I would kill it today. HTH.

  • Like 2
  • 3 weeks later...
alfredauto Experienced

alfredauto

Posted
Posted

We tried it for about a year. Repair pal did a great job gathering reviews for my shop and generating calls. I'd say over 75% were calls from people who self diagnosed and wanted us to install their parts that they determined would fix the problem. Well it got old steering them into a proper repair so we dropped them. And some of the requested repairs were insane like "I want you to replace the timing chain guide on my Mercedes, the chain is still good according to the forums and you don't need to replace the coolant because it's less than 3 years old and the book time is wrong you can sneak it out in 3 hours not the 28 hours Mercedes wants and I insist on watching so I know you are doing it right and" so after a while it just got old. 

  • Like 1
Reynas1 Rookie

Reynas1

Posted
Posted

I had thought about giving Repair Pal a try and am glad it was brought up.

As it is now with the majority of customers nowadays using YouTube as their Tech School. Most want to bring in their own parts and try to tell me the procedure and time it will (not should) take.

Since starting in 1974, my best means of advertising has been HAPPY/APPRECIATIVE Customers who will spread the word of the GREAT WORK they received.

Still in BUSINESS...

  • Like 1

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    • Joe Marconi
      The Toolbox is Last to Leave, First is the Heart
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      It always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
      While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
      Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
      One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.

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