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A Mechanic's Life - Tales From Under the Hood

2811 messages,  Last post on May 19, 2013 at 7:34 PM

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Messages Page 188 of 282

#1867 of 2811 Re: He couldn't see at night. [Mr_Shiftright] by thecardoc3

Mar 06, 2013 (1:44 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Mar 06, 2013 9:09 am)
The label "they're good but expensive" has more staying power than "they're cheap but you have to go back 3 times".
 
I've been told that we actually have that very label. Our mechanical labor rate is under $80/hr. It's a death sentence for anyone with thin skin who is less than extremely determined to make it.
 
if your shop is as good as you say it is, people will come, and people will pay
 
Oh they do, for the stuff others can't handle that is. Then we don't see them again until the next time they encounter a nightmare problem. On paper being the most capable should have earned all of their business. The reality is, it doesn't work. When our final day comes, no-one will (or should) try to fill our shoes. It's just not worth trying to do.
 
I think you're taking the wrong approach. You should raise your prices. You should raise them to be higher than any of your independent competition
 
We are the highest independent. The only thing that did was make room for the others around us to raise their prices and leave a comfortable margin below us to play cut-throat with.

#1868 of 2811 Re: He couldn't see at night. [thecardoc3] by jipster

Mar 06, 2013 (1:57 pm)

Replying to: thecardoc3 (Mar 06, 2013 1:23 pm)
The only question is, did that happen before it is deemed obsolete? My Chrysler Star Scan was obsoleted just nine months after I bought it
 
Home computers are obsolete the same way, but you can still use them. Diagnostic tool run the same way... always having to buy to keep up with the latest technology? Could you have "gotten by" with keeping the Chrysler Star Scan instead of up-grading ?
 
and somehow it does turn around to be someone trying to tell the consumers how we should run our shops, when they actually have no idea what we have to overcome these days.
 
That's what my questions and scenarios are all about.. finding out how and why you run your shop like you do. You think Steve or Shifty are sitting there thinking, " Yeah, Jip is right... cardoc should be running his shop like that." Doubtful.
 
You're wanting to teach, I like to learn. I learn by asking questions and challenging why you do thing the way you do... to learn.... not to be a wise guy. No need to be offended.

#1869 of 2811 Re: He couldn't see at night. [thecardoc3] by boomchek

Mar 06, 2013 (2:05 pm)

Replying to: thecardoc3 (Mar 06, 2013 1:23 pm)
The only question is, did that happen before it is deemed obsolete?
 
I remember when I worked at a Chrysler dealership about 5 years ago, the service manager told me they had to spend a bunch of money on specialized tools and diagnostc equipment for the Chrysler Crossfire (as it was 80% Mercedes SLK based), only for the car to have slow sales (meaning very few service customers) and for it to be discontinued less within 4 years of launch.

#1870 of 2811 Re: He couldn't see at night. [jipster] by thecardoc3

Mar 06, 2013 (3:18 pm)

Replying to: jipster (Mar 06, 2013 1:57 pm)
somehow it does turn around to be someone trying to tell the consumers how we should run our shops, when they actually have no idea what we have to overcome these days
 
You're wanting to teach, I like to learn. I learn by asking questions and challenging why you do thing the way you do... to learn.... not to be a wise guy. No need to be offended.
 
No offense at all. I think you're misreading what I am trying to write.
 
 Could you have "gotten by" with keeping the Chrysler Star Scan instead of up-grading ?
 
The Star Scan is still my most up to date Chrysler tool. It does not work on anything after 2010. I have to use an aftermarket tool, with its limitations and my J2534 for any re-flashing. That means just like the volvo mentioned, at some point I will run into a process that we won't be able to complete. More than anything that's the biggest problem, it might only be a one out of ten operations that the O.E. tool has to be used where the aftermarket tools stop short.
 
The only question is, did that happen before it is deemed obsolete? My Chrysler Star Scan was obsoleted just nine months after I bought it
  
Home computers are obsolete the same way, but you can still use them.
 
Sorry, that's not even close in comparison. It's closer to your internet access than the PC itself, only make your internet access cost about $1500 a month. Stop paying for it and it shuts down and you can't use the machine for its intended purpose. Now the Star Scan since its a stand alone tool continues to work. But the Wi-tech that superceeds it won't. It's $7000 and on each birthday another $1700. The moment you stop paying that $1700, the program is useless. Now remember, this is how each manufacturer is running today.

#1871 of 2811 Re: He couldn't see at night. [thecardoc3] by isellhondas

Mar 06, 2013 (3:59 pm)

Replying to: thecardoc3 (Mar 06, 2013 1:44 pm)
Cardoc,
 
After reading your postings I have no doubt that you are one of the best in your business and your shop is a place I would gladly take my cars to.
 
But, I really have to wonder how you can put up with it. You work long hours, invest thousands of dollars in equipment that quickly becomes worthless and you get stuck with the miserable jobs while your competition skims off the "gravy" jobs!
 
I can't imagine opening up a shop in this day and age!
 
If I did, I think I would specialize in one or two makes of cars and not open my doors to everything that comes in.
 
We have an excellent indy shop here that is picky about what they take in yet they are always booked. They will NOT work on older cars because of parts availability and the fear of getting stuck.
 
I listened once as they "fired" a semi nasty customer who was trying to blame an oil leak on something they had done. They fixed the leak and nicely asked him never to return.
 
I just don't know how and why you keep at this but for the sake of your customers, it's a good thing you do.

#1872 of 2811 Re: He couldn't see at night. [thecardoc3] by explorerx4

Mar 06, 2013 (4:07 pm)

Replying to: thecardoc3 (Mar 06, 2013 3:44 am)
Doc,
 When you go to your physician and they find a problem, but they can't fix it, they send you to a specialist and still charge you.
It seems pretty normal.

#1873 of 2811 Cost of tools by srs_49

Mar 06, 2013 (7:31 pm)

Cardoc-
Can't you deduct the cost of your tools against your income? 3 years depreciation for capital assets? So that $10K scan tool you can deduct $3,333/year against your income? Or more if you show it only has a useful life of one year?

#1874 of 2811 Re: Cost of tools [srs_49] by busiris

Mar 06, 2013 (8:30 pm)

Replying to: srs_49 (Mar 06, 2013 7:31 pm)

Can't you deduct the cost of your tools against your income? 3 years depreciation for capital assets? So that $10K scan tool you can deduct $3,333/year against your income? Or more if you show it only has a useful life of one year?
 
Not trying to be cute, but that's what I call confusing income with cash flow, which are 2 entirely different things.
 
A $10,000 tool still cost $10,000, and that costs usually comes as a lump sump, up front payment. Yes, you might be able to amortize it over a 1, 2, 3 or more year period,but its the income the tool produces that makes the profit/cash flow. One can't make money on an expenditure by depreciating it. The best one can do is recoup some of the costs of the tools via tax savings due to amortization/depreciation.
 
Of course, if one has seriously deep pockets, the difference doesn't matter, but few independent shops have that kind of cash lying around.

#1875 of 2811 Re: He couldn't see at night. [explorerx4] by jipster

Mar 06, 2013 (9:15 pm)

Replying to: explorerx4 (Mar 06, 2013 4:07 pm)
When you go to your physician and they find a problem, but they can't fix it, they send you to a specialist and still charge you
 
I took my 2007 Kia Optima to a small father/son shop about 7 months ago. Felt like I was getting some increase in rpms without pushing down on gas pedal. Felt like a throttle position sensor problem. They took it out on a couple test drives, checked a few other things. SAID they couldn't find anything wrong. Ok, how much
do I owe you for looking at it? Nothing they say. GREAT! Thanks. Definitely not something you would get at a dealership.

#1876 of 2811 Re: He couldn't see at night. [isellhondas] by thecardoc3

Mar 06, 2013 (9:39 pm)

Replying to: isellhondas (Mar 06, 2013 3:59 pm)
I can't imagine opening up a shop in this day and age
 
I'll start my response with this statement that you made, because I totally agree with it.
 
If I did, I think I would specialize in one or two makes of cars and not open my doors to everything that comes in.
 
That would work if you live in a big enough area and have enough cars of those brands. You could run into a problem though of someone else tries to do the exact same ones.
 
After reading your postings I have no doubt that you are one of the best in your business and your shop is a place I would gladly take my cars to.
 
I'd like to think that we would live up to that, its the fact that I'm always afraid that we might come up short someday that I work so hard to stay ahead of things.
  
But, I really have to wonder how you can put up with it. You work long hours, invest thousands of dollars in equipment that quickly becomes worthless and you get stuck with the miserable jobs while your competition skims off the "gravy" jobs!
 
At this point there simply is no where else to go. In fact I'll point back to the recession in the late seventies and early eighties that trapped me in the trade just long enough to turn the corner and start to become good enough as a technician that I couldn't justify quitting inspite of all of the reasons that I should have left it.
 
I just don't know how and why you keep at this but for the sake of your customers, it's a good thing you do.
 
Thanks.
 
But the days are numbered for me, you can't be a tech forever because its just not possible because of the physical side of the job. Meanwhile the technical side of it just gets more intense every year and yet the majority of the trade still tries to run like its still the 70's.
 
The last thing that I can try to do before I'm gone is to tell the story about what its really been like. At least then when the trade finally collapses and there aren't enough techs to fix the cars, people will get to see at least one more "I told you so". If you look you can see the shops talking to themselves right now about how they can't find qualified people, and then they turn right around and don't do what they need to in order to keep and train the ones that they do have. The part that they are overlooking is even if they all changed tomorrow, it still takes some twenty years to grow a mastertech and they have been chasing most of the talent away for at least that long.

Messages Page 188 of 282

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