You know, I tried to feel sorry for you guys that work for dealers, but it's not working. Both of your attitudes towards customers could really use some improvement. Thats all I'm gonna say on this topic.
You know, I tried to feel sorry for you guys that work for dealers, but it's not working. Both of your attitudes towards customers could really use some improvement. Thats all I'm gonna say on this topic.
Maybe I missed it, but isn't the hours quote really a man-hours quote? Meaning that if the book said it would take one man 4 hours to do the job and they billed at that rate, but knowing the guy was waiting maybe they had three techs working on it to get it out the door faster or because it was a slow day? Seems to me that plenty of opportunity for that sort of thing exists at any good shop, and we all know how things go better with a hand.
The blame lies soley with the guy at the counter. As a good gov't worker I've learned that if the car had sat for the 3.5 hours the book said, everyone woukd be happy. If you took a few of those extra minute to run it through the car wash, you'd be heros.
Front 50800-S0X-A04 $133.60
Side 50820-S0X-A01 $66.33
Front Mount B 1.7 2.4
Side Mount B 0.5 0.8
I used to work as a flat-rate tech, no more. I got tired of the bullE36 M3. Flat rate is plain and simple the most fair way to bill out car repairs. If you took the odyssey to a independent it probably would have taken closer to the book time.
I've worked with guys who could do the seemingly impossible. A Honda tech who could change the trans on and Odyssey in less than an hour (9.2 book), a Nissan tech that I watched replace a clutch (5.2), fuel injector (6.6), and timing belt (6.7) on a TT 300zx in just under 3 hours. Would he still be a tech if he only got payed 3 hours for all that work? No, well, maybe, but it probably would have taken him more than the 18.5hr sum.
How can they do this? Practice. You have every perfect tool out and ready, you never grab the wrong tool, you never stop to think, 'gee, what should I do next?', you use air tools where ever possible, and never make a mistake.
Oldopelguy made the point I was about to make. 3.4 man hours means 2 guys at 1.7. Now, that's not really counting all the times it takes more than 3.5. It's gotta come to some average that makes the techs a profit.
That being said, I really think the techs that are arguing so vehemently on their own behalf are missing the point of the other side: It's great that your words are short and to the point. That doesn't mean you have to be rude/obnoxious. A smile and a handshake will always make you more friends than enemies.
"Sir, your car is ready." (and yes, EVERY customer is Sir/Ma'am-even if they're 16)
"Only 1.25 hrs? I thought it was a 3.4 hr job?"
"We had our best guys on it and they busted their hump because you look like you're a busy man."
Lie to them, whatever, christ, the entitlement attitude that you should be happy to come into an automotive repair shop and be treated like a jerk is wrongheaded, and one of the reasons I don't take my car to a shop. I don't think the service manager should have quoted the hour rate, rather said, we quote repairs out per job. The hourly rate is only a guideline to cover our costs.
I sense a little of the "you think you're better than me?" thing going on.
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