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Hi guys just  a short one this! As garage owners present or past how do or did you cope with the "can you just" brigade. This is the customer male or female (or otherwise) who just asks if "you could pop a light bulb in for me please". I no it could be a slow day, then this would not be problem, but does it annoy you. We had one in the other Saturday. A guy pulled in and wanted us to check  knocking on the rear end. The car was road tested and on the ramp for two hours on a busy Saturday morning.

Eventually we found a broken coil spring on the front of the car! I am sure there are much worse stories than this but it really gets me mad sometimes?

Posted

We take the approach that "looking at it" is free and done by one of our service advisors and/or a quick under-car look by a GS tech.   The only determination that we will make is whether or not it needs to come into the shop.   If we hear a weird noise, it needs to come in.   Now, we will use the data gathered to write a good steps to reproduce.    Most of the time, if they have something that's clearly unusual, then the conversation gravitates immediately towards "it needs to come in".   We do quite a bit of looking to confirm that there is a problem.  We let them know if we think it is safe to drive for a few days or if it needs to come in immediately.    This is not a diagnostic test, but rather helping someone plan their visit, if needed.   We build trust with the free looks.

We charge for most everything, including light bulb and wiper installs.   For "emergencies", such as changing a spare tire, in our lot, I'll often say "tip the guy doing it.  We won't charge you".  We also don't charge for minor skid plate corrections.  For some reason, I feel like flats are "taking advantage", when it is no different than a random light bulb burning out.    (We don't fix or sell tires).

You'd be surprised at how many people will suddenly want to install their own wipers when a fee is attached.   I call these folks "takers" or "consumers".   Not so much with light bulbs as they gave up on their self-install before arrival with a new bulb in hand. 

It sounds as if you have a lot more of the "I feel guilty for charging for... " than I do, but we're both guilty of being nice too much and should be hardened businessmen charging for all work done...  😉  or somewhere in-between.

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Posted

Hi we are becoming more stricter with our charges going forward. Our competition which is a multi nationals charge their customers a lobor charge for fitting  battery or a light bulb plus the part. Customer do pay for these things ! Most of it is in our own heads. We should be stronger and tell the customer how it is up front. Thanks 

 

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

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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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