LynxStarAuto

Eh this is old news guys. I was actually on board with Your Mechanic during my mobile days, back when they first started (circa 2010). It is a legit business, and a good opportunity for those of us who actually want to break out of our current routines, and become independent. From what I could tell, the techs who comprised the YM roster were solid. They do a pretty extensive background check, and ask for references, and check up on them. They also check up on your tools and equipment, and verify you indeed are equipped to do the jobs you mark yes on their form. The biggest complaint from customers was that they could not reserve the same tech who serviced their vehicle the first time. It is always a new mechanic that goes to visit the customer. They don't want you to get comfortable and that is the biggest flaw with YM was that it was just too easy to steal the customer for yourself, and too hard for them to prove it. Many times I would show up, and the customer would ask for a contact number so they could maintain a relationship with me. Eventually, YM didn't do so well in my area, and they dropped the program here, but they still operate in other states. I actually copied their idea for a while, and developed an app where all a customer had to do was schedule an appointment with me via their smart phone. I would get a notification, accept, and all was set. I would show up, do my thing, and the customer could even pay me through the mobile app via paypal. Mobile service is a real thing, and a major convenience for the customer. So many times I would show up to the customer's house, and they would hand me the keys, and go back to doing their routines. I would finish up, get paid, and be on my way. That is the modern world for you. People want to be less and less involved in the process, and if you can connect with a customer via a smart device, you are set. I can't talk bad about Your Mechanic, because they really helped boost my customer count, and showed me the ins and outs of the business (Mobile service is it's own animal). I also can not bad mouth CL. I advertised a lot on Craigslist back in the day, and earned a lot of good customers via it. Are there hacks, and parts changers on CL? Sure, but their are also a ton of hacks at repair shops too. The industry is full of crap, at all levels.

I'm not big enough yet to have this problem. I'm sure I'll get there. Interesting viewpoint you gentlemen share on the phone use. Do any of you incorporate cell phones into your daily activity? Say forward direct lines to a SW cell phone in case he is away from his station. or use cell phones for things like photos, or to reach out to a customer? I'm obviously a very small operation, and communicate at times with customers via text. Many of my customers are business professionals and stuck in the poisonous web churned out by corporate America. A text or email is highly appreciated by them. I had one guy that was so grateful I emailed him an invoice (he was in the middle of a meeting when I did) that he told me to do additional services I had tried to sell to him initially, but he decided to do at a future date. He promised to bring me his car from now on. He has, and I always email and text him the invoice, and he usually will come through at the end of the day and take his vehicle.

Here in my area we have dozens of tire suppliers. They are all in fierce competition with one another, and sell wholesale even to the public.So that means very good prices for us smaller shops which allows us to pass on some of those savings to the customer. I really only sell and stock 3 different tires here. Continental ProContact - a run flat all season grand tourer which is the OEM mounted tire on many European cars. Continental ExtremeContact DW - a summer performance tire which is not a run flat and provides much better ride, and grip. I offer this to the customer who is looking to increase the performance of their vehicle, or who is looking for an improvement over stock in many cases. General Altimax or G-Max - I offer this as a cheap alternative to the factory tires on most applications. Budget conscious consumers are sold this tire. I can get this tire as cheap as 75.00 for a 19 inch wheel. This tire is cheap, but it has great thread life, provides a smooth, quiet ride, and is a decent performer. The downside is, it is not offered in a run flat which can pose an issue with applications that do not stock a spare tire. Typically what I do is if a customer is looking to replace one tire or two, I sell them either of those 3 at list price, or a mark up. If a customer is looking to replace all four, I may provide a slight discount on the price of the tire, especially if they wish to bundle services. Keep in mind that since I acquire the tires at a deep wholesale price to begin with. My "list" or mark up is still cheaper than the dealer, and on par with many tire specialty shops. I road force balance all tires no exception. I even have signage that states this in plain customer view, and my SW always explains that we do, and the reasons behind it. I added an extra 8.00 to the mount and balance charge due to the RF balance. Let me tell you that promoting the RF balance has really worked for me. I have customers that come in to buy one tire, and then ask if I can RF balance the other tires on their vehicle. Which I say of course. As far as warranty goes, unless the tire falls off the wheel, or there is vibration, then I offer none. I used to offer free tire patch services if a customer bought and mounted the tires with me, but I quickly ended that because I was getting slammed with customers and flats, and it was a huge waste of time.

This is a phenomena we are all dealing with I would have to believe. With things like YouTube fueling the DIY craze, and the typical mentality the public has of save every penny (they still spend a small fortune on lattes tho!) I think every shop owner will encounter it. I take these jobs on and charge my labor accordingly. As stated NO WARRANTY. I let the customer know that I cannot warranty the repair. Some are ok with it. Others get defensive, and take it elsewhere, and that is probably for the best. Another thing I get a lot is a customer will call me to inquire on how much a certain repair will cost. For example "How much do you charge to do an alternator on X vehicle. This leads to the customer showing up with the vehicle and alternator so I can install it. I have mixed feelings about this. My SW says to just install it, collect the repair, and if there is a problem with the vehicle tell the customer are you trying to fix it for real now? Let me diagnose it, and sell you the correct repair. I have mixed feelings on this.

Well, why do you have issues with capital for your parts? Do you not ask for a deposit upfront? I mean this is not a brake job here. if you are rebuilding engines, I would have the customer give you at least the cost of the parts up front. The rest when you are done. Oh, and you don't start the repair, until you have that cash or w/e in your hands. When I do a big job for a customer like say a head gasket, I will ask for the cost of parts, and machine work up front. No shame in that.

I use Wurth, and Wynns products. The Wynns induction service kit is gold. I typically try and sell the induction service at every oil change. Since, the vehicles I service call for oil changes every 10-12k. That's pretty much once a year. I also market it to customers after I do an intake runner cleaning. I use the cost of that repair, as leverage to say, "hey you can prevent this with a top engine cleaning.

Hello board. You may have already seen some of my posts around here, as I have been browsing, and have loved what I have seen. This seems like a legit community full of likeminded individuals with no spam or baiting lol. I want to officially introduce myself and send a warm hello to everyone. My name is Gabriel, and I have recently made the transition (8 months) from mobile repair to a brick and mortar shop. I work solely on Euros (MB, BMW, VAG, Fiat, and Smart). I've been in the industry for over 10 years, and it is all I know. I have a diverse background in the industry as I have done a little bit of it all. I was a tech for the majority, but I have had some stints where I worked in sales, writing service, and parts department. I have been mobile since 2011 and did fairly good for myself, but slowly grew too big for the mobile work. I found myself turning down jobs, or canceling on customers because I just could not make it to their vehicles. I also just got sick of these roads which are congested, and atrocious to commute on. I was also offered a potential contract with Car 2 Go, servicing their fleet, but it required a physical address to work out of, and that was another factor that motivated me to take the leap. Currently, I run a 2 bay facility. I purchased a tire balancer, alignment rack, and tire mounter second hand. Actually it was repo equipment. I have a Ranger brand mobile lift from my mobile days, and it resides in the second bay. Currently it is a two man operation. I'm the technician, and my associate is the SW. He worked as a SW for many years, and is good, but old school. He helps me do parts, or tire runs, or take customers home when they have a job that requires overnight stay. But he is not mechanically inclined at all. At times I get a bit overwhelmed with fixing the cars, balancing paperwork, and other aspects like paying bills, and then monitoring margins. I know I need to hire a second tech, and this has been the hardest thing for me. Just so hard to find a quality tech, and this is my name and reputation on the line you know? But I most definitely need the help. Many times I have to stop what I am doing, to diagnose, write up a R.O. and then have my guy sell it. It sets me back, and other times I have to turn customers away because I just cannot get to their vehicle. Essentially, the same issues I was running into with my mobile business, I have run into at my brick and mortar shop. Mostly because I figured customers come to me, I can work more efficiently, and I can add additional services. That part is true but it is just too much load for one individual. I really want to grow a legit business. Where I can implement a system, then stand back and watch the operation, and work out any kinks as they arise. Something that can become very profitable, and that I can even sell once I get tired of the grind. Anyway, I hope to learn a lot from those of you on here who have what I wish to attain. I feel I'm on the right path, and know there are brighter days ahead. I may even try consultant services as I see the potential in my business, I just need more experienced hands to walk me through the intricacies. Running a business, and viewing a zener dump wave form are to completely different animals LOL. But I'm up to the challenge.

Why not start off mobile? That is what I did for many years before I decided to get serious with a brick and mortar location. I bought a van and worked out of that thing for longer than I can remember. Ironically, you know who my main customers were? Auto repair shops. They would call me over when they had a car they couldn't fix, and their techs just couldn't get the right roll of the parts changer dice. I would charge the same 120.00 I do now, and be done in 30-40 minutes in many cases. I would pull out my scanner and scope, wiring diagrams, get to testing and say "change this" grab my 120.00 and be on to the next one. If a vehicle needed programming I would do that for 240.00. I built quite a good reputation, and got good referrals. Many shops would call me. I got business cards made. i would have them at the ready at all locations I frequented like auto parts stores, junk yards, and even people I would run into on my daily routine. I would sign up to car forums and promote my services. I even used craigslist. Once you get that ball rolling, referrals and word of mouth go a long way. Eventually it got to the point where I could not meet the demand. It was impossible for me to be at two places at the same time. Plus even if I tried, crazy Miami traffic would impede on my travelling. That's why I took the leap, but for years I did pretty good for myself as a mobile tech working out of a Ford E-Series van. Plus the risk is not as high. You don't need much capital to start up a mobile repair business. If it doesn't workout for you, the hole will not be that deep. But truthfully, it's very hard for it not to work out. You fall into a category of servicemen which are in very high demand. Once ppl see you are legit, they WILL come. Factor in that working out a van means less overhead, which means your prices will be very hard to compete with, and you got a recipe for success.

SKM, I'm new to these forums, but have done a lot of browsing. I hope to not come off as intrusive or nosy, but seeing many of your posts, I'm going to say you need to take the plunge my friend. Stop procrastinating, and over thinking things and just do it. Running a shop is not rocket science. You sound a lot like I did just 4 years ago. Stop wasting your talents, and time with a place that doesn't appreciate them. Use that negligence as fuel to drive you to make the best for yourself, and make them regret not respecting or appreciating your work ethic.

I unknowingly at times practice Harry's approach of predictive maintenance. My whole life I have used that approach with my own personal vehicles. Change it before it breaks, and I have never once experienced an uncomfortable moment with my vehicles outside of a flat on a road trip. Some jobs are harder to sell than others. For example yesterday I finished the day by selling an oil cooler on a 2008 Bluetec. Common nightmare failure for many Bluetec owners. The failure in truth is just the oil cooler seals, but due to the magnitude of the repair, I up-sold a new cooler, intake gaskets, intake cleaning, turbo inlet seal, VCV valve, and turbo feed line seals. This bundled repair is an easy sale because you have to remove the majority of those components to do the fix anyway. Now if a vehicle comes in with a dead battery, unless the terminals are toast, and the alternator is the culprit, it is very difficult to sell the customer a battery, new terminals, and the alternator because they are old and will eventually fail. Perhaps I present it incorrectly, but that seems more to me like a money grab, than preventive maintenance. With the first example I use labor as my leverage. "Hey these things go bad, and I have to do this again if they do. Let's just do it together". Easier sale for me.

Maybe I'm jaded, maybe I'm extremely selfish, and narcissistic, but I do not believe in free anything. I see it like this. The moment you give a customer a freebie, they will come to expect that from you every single time. I feel this devalues your work, and starts a vicious cycle where the customer feels they are entitled, and "owed" by you. The way I see it, if you bring me your car it is because you do not pocesses the skills, ability, knowledge, and equipment required to do the job yourself. You need ME and I am going to charge you for it. Granted fairly, and I'm going to make it as easy and convenient for you to pay me. That's why I take cash, check, CC, PayPal, or a combination of those. I'm going to give you honest, guaranteed work, but I'm going to charge you for it. Somethings don't look right on an invoice, or are a hard sell. I get this. As was mentioned wiper blades. Just because I didn't list an installation charge for wiper blade R&R doesn't mean I didn't charge you. That's what list prices and markups are for. With diagnostics it's the same deal. Diagnostics are my pride and joy. I love engine and electrical diagnostics. Not only that, it's coveted in our industry. How many techs out there really know what they are doing with a scantool or a scope? Not many. No way am I giving that away for free. I charge 120.00 (nice to see some ppl charge more. I may increase my rate) for this and I get to the root of the problem, and guarantee what I call is the problem. Code reading in this industry is a waste of time and an insult in my opinion. Rarely do you fix a car simply by reading codes. The person who believes this then has no respect or appreciation for my work and abilities. It's never as simple as an AFR sensor, or MAF sensor. The customer does not see the leg work. All they see is what you charge them on the invoice, and the end result with their vehicle. As stated, a customer needs to be trained, and educated that a warning light means "take it to a professional". They also need to be informed on what it takes to call out a particular fault or part. Code reading is not going to get you there in most instances. It's why vehicles are so commonly misdiagnosed on a day to day bases. I explain all of this, and if a customer still insists, then I respectfully point them in the direction of the nearest auto parts store who does do it for free, because I won't. If a customer doesn't respect what I do for a living, then I can't expect them to properly compensate me for what I do for a living. Quite honestly, I don't want that type of customer in my bays. F'em. There will be others who do.

This is why I joined this site, because of threads like this one. Info here has been priceless. I first heard of AV from a YT video. The idea of paperless invoicing, quoting, and RO is very appealing to me.

Well the vehicles I work on require a new gasket, less you want a comeback. I charge it, and it is included in the price of the service. I do give a breakdown of the invoice with parts and labor. I've learned from my experiences it's best to keep the invoice a simple as possible, while also covering your ass. For this reason I list all parts with a total, labor with a total, services with a total, and then one grand total.

It is in my blood too, but I think we all have to be realistic with ourselves. I been working on cars since I was 8. Entered the industry at 18. I'm 32 now, and running my own shop is my dream. However, I don't want to be turning wrenches at 50! I plan with an exit strategy so that I can take that money and invest in other ventures (rental properties, land, etc). So I don't have to be busting knuckles, crawling under dashboards etc. maybe I won't bow out of the industry. Maybe I'll supplement my income so that I can then take a much more lax approach with my business. Take in only the ham and eggs job. Who knows. I know the key is to take the revenue from the business and use it wisely.

Well I'm located in Miami, Fl. I cannot vouche for TC's experience. Here in Miami competition is fierce. Ppl care not how good your are, rather where it can be done the cheapest. Most shops here are in the range of 70-80/hr. My rate is 85.00 and that is only because I specialize on Euros, and many other Euro shops fall in that range. About the only elevated fee I have is a 120.00 diagnostic fee. This is because I have OEM scan tools and have access to certain systems, and certain features some aftermarket tools do not on these vehicles. I charge my fee and guarantee that what I say the issue is, will be the fix. Outside of that, my rate is on par with every other shop in the area. A 100/hr rate won't get you too much business here.

It all comes down to budget for me. If the customer has the funding, and is willing to put it in the repair, I'll do it. Case in point I had a customer bring me an old 190 MB for a head gasket. However many bolts were rusted and stripped, and it was clear this was not your typical head gasket job. I explained this to the customer, and told them that I would likely have to pull the engine to do the job because some bolts had no access to drill and tap out. I quoted accordingly (extra 950 for engine removal & bolt removal), and the customer agreed. I ended up doing the job. Had me tied up for a week, but it was worth it in my eyes. I think what happens many times is we quote a customer a price, but run into complications and don't relay this to the customer, and we eat the labor costs. My approach has always been it's a machine, and an old one. ish happens sometimes. I'm a mechanic not a magician. Somethings are just out of my control. Now I guarantee my work when this is all finished, but right now you need to address this as well for the job to come out right. That's going to be an extra xxxx. I have had this approach with my customers, and in most cases it works out. In the end the car turns out good, that is all the customer sees. They forget what it took to get there. So no I typically do not turn away work, unless the customer just cannot afford it. I quote accordingly, and don't budge from there.