DUFRESNES

The grumble right now is we haven't had a raise for a long time and everything costs more and myself as the owner never made so much. No clue how to run a business. This is how employees think I am going to have a meeting with each one. So the 1st one is a B tech. He is a good tech, but has some bad habits late for work by a few minutes, sick alot for just 1 day at a time and the biggest won't try again to get ASE certified. With that said his pay is $16.00 an hour Plus 5% on sales labor and parts he does and 5 % With just sales and commission for 1st quarter 2022 is 23.40 per hour or with aflac, bonus, 401K match and holidays is $25.53. This doesn't include parts at cost, vacation and bonus How do I convince him this is better than just a flat dollars raise. I would really like to raise his commission instead. We are a busy shop with very few slow days.

My flat rate technicians make 35-38 per flagged hour. We also have a bonus plan ( which I see may be wrong) Everybody in the shop gets the bonus if met. It is up to $500.00 with 250 on their check and 250 goes into their 401k. There is a dealer offering $55 flag hour but they also do warranty work at a lower rate. My question to them is what is their labor rate, what is the average hour after warranty work and how does it work for them if they need to leave early 3 times a week for kids.

Spot on. Thanks to QB comparison. For 1st 3 months we were up 33.3%. February last year was a downer. This year Feb was an upper. If you take the 1st 4 months compare. April was as good as last year but still up 21.6%. I agree, people still can't buy new cars and are fixing up the older ones.

Today we got a google 1 star review. As owner, I answer all Google reviews. We have 386. This person said this place (our shop) doesn't even know how to change oil in a Prius. I looked him up. He hasn't been in since 2009 with a Subaru never his Prius. How to stop Bad reviews that aren't ours? I wrote this on the review, plus we have on file 130 Toyota Prius.

I have been in Auto Repair Business going on 54 years. There are always ups and downs with employees. Right now I have 4 technicians, 2 are hourly with commission (B Techs) and 1 fully certified in everything and the other one is a diag technician very good with no certs. All employees have been here 5 years or more. I am interested in what are you paying per labor hour. They are asking for 45-60. We now pay 35 for the diag tech (with no certs) and 38 for the ASE cert Tech. I feel this is a good wage, but they feel that the Service writer makes a lot more due to labor rate changes. We did a million and half last year in our small location.

You are right. If and when you raise prices, make sure you believe in them and the why for. We have found when quoting every single time the cost of a check engine light, if we ourselves believe in it, then the customer knows that and realizes the value.

Last year we had 5-6 people that had yf1234. We purchased a robinair in December, thinking we would need it this year. We have our 1st job tomorrow. The best price we could get on freon was $675.00 for 10 lbs The job takes 1 lb. Question is how much are people charging for labor.

Our problem is we have been paying for broken plastic or rock chips then from lifting the car now the rock chip grows. parts on cars that are 20 + years . Someone had the solution. If the part breaks coming off, then the customer pays. If the part breaks going on then we pay. Wonder how this effects SW pay? As owner I get to pay for all of it

Does anybody have a sign stating if parts coming off to make a repair are broken, the customer is responsible. I don't want to make a new sign if someone already has one. Such as bolts, plastic pieces and windshields that have rock chips and split. I am not talking about abuse, just warn parts.

Let me think about it. Is there a way to pm you

Thanks Joe, We are in a total residential area other than the day care behind us. We tried to buy it, to no avail. Yes it would have been good to buy a much larger shop, not going to happen at my age. We have a thriving business as is. I just wanted info on how they work for other people. Only Challenger will warranty them for commercial outside use. We figure we will have to put in 3 doubles or 4. They can be moved around.

The County is taking part of our property for bike lanes, turn lane, side walks and a signal. We have a very small lot as it is. We need to put in commercial stackable lifts, probably 4, giving us 8 parking spots. Has anybody used them or have any experience with them. They vary in price. Someone told us that most of them are for the home enthusiasts used only once in a while. Ours would be used daily. We have seen the 2 doubles giving a 4 stack or 4 double stacks.

Do you use the Nitrogen checker. Amazon has one for $299

What has been your return leak rate? Are you using Nitrogen checker? Any word for us just starting with the new freon. We have been doing the R134A for ever and R12 before. Our price here is $674.99 for 10 lb

Great answer from Scotty. One step further, after being in business 53 years, I have found weather it is quoting a job or diagnosis, you have to believe 1st that this is the right answer. We are AAA shop and Napa shop. We must warranty our parts and labor. 1st there is the liability issue. The insurance company doesn't care who bought or installed, the shop was the one that put the part on if there is an accident.

I think it is everywhere. Our lot is small, so we try to finish each job the day it is scheduled or 2 days for a large job. We have one care here since September for rear diff . Customer called Friday and decided to trade it in as is.

We just purchased a Robinaire model 1234-4. Haven't used it yet. Last year we turned away 10 because of no new machine. Have you use the nitrogen to check for leaks. I see Amazon has one for $229. Talked to our techs and they were going to do some more investigating. I would also like to know if there is a online class for this.

We do A/C work. We have not invested in the new machine for 1234YF. I understand some cars have been using it since 2015. We have turned down a few and sent elsewhere. What are everybody thoughts as when it should be purchased. We charge $225.00 for evac and recharge with dye, checking for leaks etc. Customers are informed ahead of time, if they don't do the required fix, it will still cost them the $225.00. Our shop is in Portland Oregon city of riots.

Joe, We have been open all during covid as we are essential. We went to 5 days a week instead of six days. Last year was a good year, but February this year 2021 was the worst. Then came March 2021 and it was our best month ever. Go figure. April came in as gang busters. We kept up with all our marketing during covid, nothing stopped. New customers, newsletters, old customers, e-mails, thank you and rebates. LOANERS (4) were the best thing of all. Without them, we would have been dead. Our office is so small, that we have it locked and do all through the Espresso window. For people that wanted to wait, we put a chair and heater out under cover. Have to always be thinking ahead.

UPDATE TO TEXTING: We did our 1st mass text blast ever. WOW! We did it to our regular customer base. The phone started ringing right away.

Questions to everybody. Who is mass texting their customers? What company are you using? Cost? Complaints.? We do use e-mailing with over 50% opening. With the covid-19 we want to let all our customers know we are open, we are essential company and how we are doing business now? Keeping them informed. weekly.

We charge up front 60-260 for a check engine light. If you believe in your techs and they know how to diag this will come across to customers. Lots of times we can diag for less, but you don't want to keep calling your customer and asking for more diag time. Our Service writer explains this is how our techs get paid and that is the hardest part of any job is the diag. If asked if that goes in our the repair, our answer is no. Customers can tell when you are sure of what you are doing or if you are really scared to ask for the diag. We do between 7 and 10 per week. Based on your labor hour, it would work out 1/2 hour to 2 hours for diag or so. We rarely ever have somebody say that is too much or I'll check around. Also, a lot of times they will call and say I know the code what will it cost. You then explain that the code is a system and you don't want to just replace parts and still not fix the problem.

I believe in taking care of my employees. I was gone most of last month and they took care of business. They have to make at least on dealer parts ranges from 35 -54%. Parts houses from from 45-65% My ase master techs make flat 35-38% flat hour, Lube techs 15-20 hourly with 5% commission. I have always wanted a beautiful building with lots of parking. We have a remodelled old 2 bay shop. We have no lunch room, but the employees have been with me a long time. We have a running bonus from 50 - 500 per month per employee. We all work together. Not to say that it can change at any time as you must know. We make well over 1 million in sales and our net profit shows well in our small building. What part of the country is your shop. If you have any questions, private message me.