Finding obsolete Parts

[TTP]

Do you charge for your time researching and finding obsolete part for the job? 

The reason I ask is we come across this issue working on older vehicles. That needs an OEM that is made anymore. It takes time sometimes hours to find that particular part. Should the shop absorb this cost for research or pass it on to the customer? 

[Transmission Repair]

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[bantar]

16 hours ago, TTP said:

Do you charge for your time researching and finding obsolete part for the job? 

The reason I ask is we come across this issue working on older vehicles. That needs an OEM that is made anymore. It takes time sometimes hours to find that particular part. Should the shop absorb this cost for research or pass it on to the customer? 

Yes, but it depends.   If you set the expectation that it will be a T&M's job, then you just add in the time.    Otherwise, you have to ask for more time, add it into the part estimate or eat it.   I struggle with getting paid for all of my time and we're doing our best to not let this happen.   As someone said last week, in another forum, don't let their problems become your problems.   Offer to solve their problems for this many $'s or move on.  

A lot of shops refuse to work on anything older than 20 years for this reason alone.   Heck, we're working on a < 20 yr old, 07 4Runner, and were having a hard tracking down a suspension bolt.   I had to make a 20 mile drive for another purpose and decided to do that today to pick up a bolt at a dealer along the route.  I get there an it was not in stock.   Now, it showed in stock there by my normal Toyota dealer, so we went for it.  Shame on me for not calling ahead.  Finally found one at a Lexus dealer.    I didn't charge for this trip, but we doubled his bill due after finding multiple cross threaded bolts such as this one.   Even still, we should have billed more.     

But, we have a beautiful '70 Chevelle SS that we're working on and for this one, we're charging Time and Materials, but also at $30/hr more.   We have a higher labor rate for Classic cars.   I also have a 68 Chevelle here too.  Sigh.  Love them and hate them.  If we work on these, we "try" to limit them to 1 at a time.    For these types of cars, you have to charge more because they nibble minutes daily until their gone.