MarGar

I had an old worn out Devilbiss I used for the first 3 years of biz. Cost me a couple hundred and I got my use out of it. Napa had a sale on their Napa Industrial model made by Atlas Copco this fall, so we ordered a 7.5HP 24 CFM upright with the auto drain and it has awesome to have all the air we need for a change! Well worth the 2500 beans it cost us. We do a fair bit of tire work, and we never have to wait on air. My power bill went down since I did this.

Most of us already know what's wrong with our car, and have the replacement parts in the trunk!!! Thanks, Gonzo, great story.

I wish you the best, I've been open for nearly 2 years and there's been good and bad days, mostly good! I don't know your community, but if you go the extra mile for your customers, you will likely be busy for years to come!

Gonzo, What a refreshing view of the trade! I've been at this since a young boy in my dad's general auto repair shop. It's a daily battle, and fortunately most of them we win. -Jon

Kevo, Yes a one-man shop can make it. I've been doing it for nearly two years. But, there is a catch; I have part-time help. More and more I'm going with 5-day weeks, and even closing my doors for a day's vacation. As others mentioned, you need to be aware of your own limits on how much stress you can take. Screen the jobs, at least when you are busy. When you are slow you can afford to do the less desirable jobs. My experience has been that customers feel safer dealing directly with the owner/technician. It's a real handful to do most everything yourself but very rewarding! After all, we didn't choose this occupation to just loaf around, but to meet the challenges of the automotive repair world! So I give you my best wishes and if I can help you out anytime, let me know. Looks like we are geographically not too far apart. Regards, Jon

I've always been partial to Rotary, as they are not made overseas... Bendpak is ok, but Rotary is far superior, in my honest opinion. Stick with Rotary, the extra cost will give extra years of service life! I can't help it, my parents taught me to buy good stuff that outlasts the cheaper alternative! -Jonny

Thanks Joe for writing on this subject. It's really about ethics, conscience and good sound honesty. I spent several years in construction and I always loved to see a company who was in business for 50 or 75 or 100 years. Because that tells me they were an ethical and honest outfit. Bottom line is that if you operate above board, with nothing shady going on, customers will be back to support your business. Return business, that is a nice reward that we hopefully all enjoy on a regular basis. About Identifix, I agree that they are a great resource, I've been using them for at least 6 months already. I highly recommend to anyone who does diagnostics.

As they say, that's the million dollar question: How to tactfully educate the customer regarding the financial dangers of ignoring their car's plea for help? And, how to do this with regard to their benefit, not so much ours? Later, -Jonny

It's fine to sell used tires, but we live in a world where liability is the magic word! Insurance companies hate the used tire industry, I've learned. We repair professional love the word practicality, tho, but we can't let the desire to be practical carry us into a problem situation. We have to come to grips with the way the general public thinks about things like this. Just because you helped them out in a pinch doesn't say they can't sue you for something that is perceived to be your fault! In my shop, we sell a few new tires. Also tire repairs and mounting and balancing the customer's used tires that they roll in. It's a service that we use to connect with existing and future customers. My theory is that if I can keep busy and make a living doing mechanical repairs and servicing without the exposure of a used tire depot, why bother with it? Regards, Jonny