dfrisby

Every time I hear about this technology it reminds me of the horror movie about the possessed car. If I remember right, the movie was called "Car". Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

I'm half German and drink Columbian coffee and american beer and have never had any major problems. Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

If you are going to succeed in business, impossible can't be a part of your vocabulary. There's always a way. I was unemployed and broke when I started. Had less than perfect credit and most people telling me no. Started out by myself and put in countless hours just to get by. Reinvested every dime I made for the first year and a half and only pay myself the least amount I absolutely need to survive. Finally getting tools paid off and almost to the point I can start paying myself. Its a lot of work with little or no return to start. If I gave up at every road block or every time it seemed impossible, I certainly wouldn't have this business now. Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

I keep a couple cases of dex-cool, a couple cases of standard green, and a case of the universal all makes and models stuff. Very seldom uses the universal stuff mostly cause its color is different and I worry it could confuse customers. The stuff I got undiluted looks like yellow Gatorade. Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

I watch a local facebook car selling page. A few months ago a person posted requesting help to figure out their problem on the car. Can't recall exactly what the problem was now, but was amused reading all the suggestions from the "facebook techs". After watching this for a couple days, I added up my cost on each and every part that had been suggested to replace and came up with over $1,000 in parts. Not a single post about how to diagnose the problem or even to get codes pulled. It was all responses like "My car did that one. It was an O2 sensor. Try replacing all the O2 sensors?" I've often wondered why I spent so much on a scan tool and a scope and everything else when a $100 code reader is all I really needed. Oh well, once they waste their money, they probably will bring it in to get done right.

I started off paying flat rate as my previous experiences as a tech all paid flat rate. I actually would prefer to be paid flat rate vs. hourly or salary as a tech. It gave me more control over how much I made. It was never a problem if I wanted to put in 40 or 60 or 80 hours a week because there was no overtime costs to the company. If I wanted to make more, I worked more. My struggle as a shop owner paying flat rate was one week my tech would have a great pay check, the next week he might have 4 big jobs partially done and waiting for parts or machine shops or whatever, and only a few hours worth of jobs completed. He worked all week and still has a small paycheck. I went through that before as a tech, and didn't mind because that was the nature of the business and I planned for it. I knew I'd have an even bigger than normal check next week. The other problem I had especially in the summer is the actual hours they would be at the shop working. As flat rate, they figured if it was nice out and they'd rather be fishing, that should be fine. I'm not paying them to just be here. It's a valid point that I never considered when I was turning wrenches because I always have been somewhat of a workaholic. My flat rate pay was higher than local dealers are paying their top techs. So starting this week, I implemented a new pay structure. I'm going to try paying a base pay hourly with a commission on labor. My thought is this should motivate them to be here as well as produce hours. I'm down to 1 tech and myself working and so far this isn't working out well. It's Friday afternoon and he's been here 18 1/2 hours this week. Planned ahead to be gone Friday and through the weekend, but was late Monday, gone 2 more hours Monday during the middle of the day for "personal reasons". Had one full day on Tuesday, which was the only day he produced any completed jobs. Called in Wednesday morning that he couldn't come in cause a relative had to go to the hospital. Thursday morning he get's here and informs me that it wasn't anything serious with the relative and they were only at the hospital a couple hours and then informs me he has to leave at noon cause of the 4 hour drive he has to make to get to the wedding in Wisconsin that is on Saturday and the reason he requested Friday off. All in all he was here 18 hours, and only booked 3.6 hours of work all week. I had to complete the jobs he was scheduled for all week long cause of customers needs and ended up working till 11:30 last night and back to work at 5 this morning in order to get a vehicle back to a customer when they needed it. Are there any techs left with any sort of work ethics? And if so and they are working for you, please lay them off and give them my number.

Looked up your website. Looks like what I'm trying to create for my shop. We do the regular day to day work on cars and wheelers, but it's the classics and "something different" projects I really enjoy doing. Been looking at moving to a bigger shop and trying to grow, but finding top notch techs has been a challenge here. I'm on the third day this week being the only person here.

Where are you located? Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

Thanks. I've learned a lot from here already and greatly appreciate everyone's input. Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

Pengilly. Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

Through the years I've turned wrenches on everything from weed eaters and chainsaws to class 8 trucks and cat D10 dozers. I have a shop in a small northern Minnesota town that works on anything that fits through the doors, doesn't float, and isn't made in China. We are near several recreational lakes, so I constantly have people needing work on boats. I usually offer to drill holes in the boat, shove it in the lake and sink all their problems. Seriously though, if I could find a competent boat tech, I'd probably add that to the mix. Seems something I work on is always in demand, so being versatile has kept me steady even when other shops in the area were dead. Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

You make me miss Alaska. Born and raised there. Wife tricked me. Wanted to live somewhere warmer. Northern Minnesota. Never will believe her again. Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

I bought a small engine and power sport repair business a year and a half ago. We have been aggressively adding auto service to the mix and downsizing the unprofitable small engine work. Anyone have any idea how difficult it is to maintain a high average on repair orders when working on $75 weed eaters? We have an interesting mix in our shop at any given time and that keeps life interesting. Last week we did a head job on an international dt466 and a 14.5hp Briggs and Stratton on the same day. Glad I found this forum and have been getting lots of great ideas so far. Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

I have baymaster and once set up, integration with QuickBooks is great. Lots of add on features available and after adding many features I'm at $75 a month. Tech support is great and quick. Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk