CTC

Very good insight, not many of us would include the prepayment penalty. That is rough!

Be careful unless you list yourself! Ask around on the value, based on loan values.

Well said!!! Can’t understand why people are scared to raise prices in tight labor market, everything on average right now is up between 7.5-16% on average, that’s everything! Go up marginally if you like but go up! If not you better realize your fixed expenses are increasing all around you! Recognize the vacuum! It will suck your profits up! Also your employees costs are rising, they may not be asking for a raise, but I can guarantee you they see fast food paying $15-18 per hour! Why get dirty & buy tools plus all the headache, if they can make close to mechanics pay & flip burgers! Pay attention folks!

Base these numbers on the math not on what everyone else is doing. Each marked is different

Easiest thing to do is use a multiplier & see if there is any blowback, example—each hour multiply by 1.25. Try for month or so, then go to that. Then you can give your guys cost of living raise. Don’t go slowly broke, it’s pointless, sell or quit prior to. Make business decisions based on needs not on what community says. We are ultimately like the coroner, no one comes to see you because they are having a good day! Stop worrying about the internet, they aren’t growing mechanics/technicians on trees. These schemes are short lived, it’s someone trying to make a quick buck. At the end of the day, be a business owner, know what it takes, get some training if needed! There are some free resources available, all you have to do is READ! We all are concerned with the future but, all we can control is today, tomorrow will be enough trouble on its own without anyone worrying about it.

Have tried both with no success.

On a side note….don’t trust the attorneys, just ask the labor board. Seems scary enough to call but they will steer you in the right direction whereas a labor attorney will offer advise, but will balk when fines are issued & leave you holding the bag!

Paying flat rate & hourly you must punch clock & pay overtime, otherwise you are setting your self up for fines & backpay. Just a word to the wise, be careful!

I understand everyone has a different pay plan, I also understand bonuses, I am saying that federal labor laws are easily violated by pay plans. Flat rate is cut & dry & shouldn’t be a problem, however I was specifically told that bonus plans are a problem & I paid heavily for having one. The easiest way to explain it is to say that if you are paying flat rate, don’t deviate without speaking with someone with the federal labor board. They will answer your questions if you ask. If you pay hourly, or any thing close, you better make sure your people punch a clock & you better pay them for every hour they punch including time & a half over 40. Bonuses change the overtime rate you owe, that’s why if you have a specific plan, you have to account for it while factoring overtime.

Be careful with bonuses….had my hand slapped by federal labor board! She said we should never have a bonus plan that says if you do this you get this. Only applies to bonus, not flat rate, they consider that piece meal pay, which is entirely different. Take or leave the advice, will just tell you that it cost me a lot of money! My suggestion is to ask your local labor board, if you have questions prior to them checking in on you.

Use Mitchell & Bolt on currently, works ok. We are primarily HD, no one has anything other than Mitchell. Have tried autovitals in the past, it’s a good system, feature wise, just very unstable, crashes a lot. Always looking for a better alternative, maybe someone will eventually develop a better alternative!