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We have a write up form that the employee has to sign. Standard procedure would be first a warn, second offense suspension, third offense termination.

We have a well insulated shop and use natural gas. We have new energy efficient lighting and our January bill was about $700 for electric and gas combined for our 7 bay almost 7,000 SF. Prior to the really cold weather the combined bill is about $400.

I totally agree. We did some work on a 90's Chevy Astro Van that was a carpet installers van and was completely ragged out. I cannot remember all of the details but when we got one problem fixed we could then tell that we had an additional problem. The guy wanted us to fix it for free which we would not do. He then bad mouthed us with negatives reviews on line. He had a vehicle that needed hundreds of dollars worth of work that he wanted fixed for less than $200.

If the vehicle came in as a no run you have no idea of what other problems it may have. Customers are notorius for not providing all the information and wanting you to own all repairs after they drop a chunk of money into it. The simple answer is we don't know if you have other problems or not but this where we have to start. In your situation I would diagnose the problem. It may be something unplugged or your workmanship. If it is I fix it once I know the problem. Once I know the problem and it is not due to my workmanship I figure the cost and call the customer with a price for the repair. Were new spark plugs installed in this when the headgasket was replaced?

My shop foreman/lead tech only works every other Saturday.

At lest it us cold enough to not worry about bugs and maggots.

We rotate where the techs have a three day weekend once every 5-6 weeks.

Welcome! I have found both of those things here.

Door hangers are not commonly used where I live but we see them sometimes. More common is flyers in the newspaper box.

Our hours are 7a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday but the techs quit at 5:00p.m. The last 30 minutes is for drop offs and pickups. Saturday is 7-2:00 p.m. On Saturdays the tech do not get a lunch break but eat on the run and we provide lunch. The problem for us with later Saturday hours or Sundays is parts availability. We are not a large metropolitan area. The only parts vendors open after 2:00 p.m. are the discounters Zone, Advanced, and O'Reilly. All of the dealers are closed and Chrysler parts is not open at all on Saturdays. Most of the discounters have the least experienced people behind the counter during those hours. Delivery and getting the correct parts becomes an issue. If we stayed open later hours we would wind up using some parts that we consider less desirable. Being off at 2:00 p.m. also still gives time for our guys to do other things especially in the summer.

A few years ago we had a really crappy old Ford Explorer that the tech did not want to work. Consequently during the inspection he picked it apart and came up with a big list of needed repairs. This was his way of flushing it out of the shop. We priced it out at over $1,200 and presented it to the customer and he bought it all. Our tech wound up having to fix everything he found.

The guy with the diesel sounds like he has a lot of truck and a little money.

http://www.chonday.com/Videos/chopersteelrope2

This almost sounds like someone put something besides brake fluid into the master cylinder.

Today is as slow as we ever get. I started the day with only two appointments. One was a no show and the other canceled.

Gonzo that is really slick. Doubt if it will work today though!

I will always help if at all possible. I see it as a way to build good will. If I cannot accommodate them I will direct them to someone who can.

THE PARENTS WHO DRUGGED US... The other day I was in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and someone asked me a rhetorical question, 'Why didn't we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?' I replied that I had a drug problem when I was young: I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather. I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the priest, or if I didn't put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me. I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity. I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flower beds. I was drug to the homes of neighbors to help mow the yard, repair the clothesline, and if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, my dad would have drug me back to the woodshed. Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, or think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin: and if today's children had this kind of drug problem, America would be a better place. God bless the parents who drugged us.

There are a lot of things to think about. 1)Get someone to crunch the numbers and tell you what it is worth. Most owners want more for a business than what it is worth. 2) What kind of financing? Is it cash up front or will the owner finance? If the owner has skin in the game they are more likely to be helpful after the fact, 3)Is the building one that you want long term and is it in a desireable location? If the building is good and the location is good you want to lock it up long term either by purchase or long term lease. However, if building or location is not the most desireable you may want the flexibility to move on at a later date. However, you do not want to leave a location and have a succeeding repair shop steal some of your good will and customer base. 4)There should be some type of non-solicit, noncompete clause that the seller cannot re-enter the automotive business for a specified time period and distance from the current location.

This story rivals some that Gonzo tells!

Joe, I agree with you. However, I think there many people behind the counter at these places that may not know that it is not a true diagnosis. Some of them are in the same shoes as the general public. I am not trying to belittle the true professionals that work there but many of the employees they hire are not top tier and know very little about cars. These are the ones likely to be found working evenings and weekends. Joe, good luck on any conversations.

We have training available through our franchisor and we also have access to all of the NAPA on line training.

Locally here in Indiana our country prosecutor has a program which can be followed and collection of bounced checks can be turned over to his office. In most localities legal firms will have a collection arm. We have a local legal firm that we use for collections. This costs us any certified mail costs, legal filing fees, and credit card fees if bills are paid by credit card plus 1/3rd of any collections. They also represent us if a case goes to small claims court, and will pursue collections such as garnishments. It is nice because they don't quit. We have received a few sizable collections 3-5 years later. Because we don't do cheap oil changes and don't try to compete with cheap prices and have worked to upgrade our clientele I do not tend to get more than 6-12 returned checks each year. However, it does happen and using this firm has taken a lot of work off me. I think they are more effective than the prosecutors office but isn't free enterprises always more effective. However, the prosecutor doesn't cost.

I also have a very good processor if anyone is interested.

That is a good one Gonzo. Although unrelated thus does relate to customers ignorance. This week I received a call from a woman with a 93 Ford Probe. She ask for a price on an alternator because it had to be jumped every morning. Auto Zone had tested the battery and it was good and had told her it was probably an alternator "core" whatever that is. Based upon what she was telling me that after the jump start it would run fine all day I told her it sounded more like a bad battery and to bring it in and we would test it. When she showed up she also asked us to look at the head lights. It had the retractable kind and would bounce up and down on their own. My clue of what I was into came when I saw the car. The car was yellow with a convertible top that someone had added, bondo was cracked and coming off on the trunk, a blue right fender, and a white retractable right side headlight. She had just bought this beauty for $800. She left the car with me overnight to look at the next morning. As I was closing out for the day it was cold and dark outside and I could hear the right front headlight on the car flip up and down without any assistance. It made almost a rhythmic noise and it was still doing it when I drive off. Reckon that might have anything to do with the jump starts?