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How many of you have a pit? ... and how many of you wish you didn't?


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How many of you folks actually find a pit useful nowadays? Do you wish you just had another lift or two in it's place?

 

We have a pit that can comfortably fit 2 cars with room to spare in between. The issue is that it was built/spec'd out in the 40's by a family member who was 5'2" (on a good day), so it was decided to not make the pit very deep.

It's sort of handy/nice for exhaust work and oil changes, but even I (5'8") need to tilt my head and really watch what I'm doing to not catch myself. We had a guy years ago that was 6'3" who absolutely hated it.

 

In the course of making some repairs to the pit .. it looks like the concrete is deteriorating in one section to the point that I may need to weld up a frame and plate to support the concrete or build a concrete block wall.

 

I'm contemplating filling the pit in if it turns out to be a safety issue... but if I ever get a quick lube going in the future I don't want to kick myself for filling it in.

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For how many years have you contemplated having a quick lube Auto74?

I suspect that if you have not done it yet, you may never will. I vote for it been a business and not the height decision :)

If you can financially justify having a pit and have it utilized at least 80%, then just fix what you have, deepen it and enjoy it.

There is a possibility that you never went with the quick lube because it is so shallow... If you can justify filling the pit (still a cost i am guessing) purchase of a new/used lift if you don't want to have just empty space, then do that.

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For how many years have you contemplated having a quick lube Auto74?

I suspect that if you have not done it yet, you may never will. I vote for it been a business and not the height decision :)

If you can financially justify having a pit and have it utilized at least 80%, then just fix what you have, deepen it and enjoy it.

There is a possibility that you never went with the quick lube because it is so shallow... If you can justify filling the pit (still a cost i am guessing) purchase of a new/used lift if you don't want to have just empty space, then do that.

 

For about the last year or two... since partial control of the business was offered to me. There are 5 bays. 1 on one side of an office w/lift. 4 on the other side or the office. 2 w/pit 1 w/lift 1 w/o lift. I've been offered the 1600 sq ft side with 4 bays.

I've been spending my free time doing repairs/improvements to the building. Last year I spent most of my time doing various exterior repairs, mostly to the roof.

 

If I choose to rent/lease that section of the building out once my other building repairs are done I'll still need to address the pit issues.

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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.
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      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.
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