Re: What does the Mechanic get
 

Roughly 1/13/04 18:13, Jerry Newton's monkeys randomly typed:

>
> Refrigerant recovery machines are about $5000. A brake lathe that is
> capable of turning out rotors with less that .001 lateral runout while
> turning 50 rotors per day is about $10,000. A handheld scan tool with which
> to diagnose and reprogram your car is about $3000. These are just three
> examples of shop equipment. We need two recovery machines, four brake
> lathes, and five scan tools. You do the math. This is just the tip of the
> iceberg.

Hah, try picking up one of the new California enhanced smog law
test stations that can handle dealer grade volume.

>
> Seems there was a thread on this topic just a month or so ago. Perhaps Lon
> can refresh our memories.

Well, everyones but yours, where you kept insisting I said something
that I never would... >:-) I happen to get along with my dealers
quite nicely. Helps in difficult situations, helps in trading in
the old car, etc. etc. Plus my cousin was a huge dealer [which
says not much].

Only had one dealer I'd never go back to. Something about having
your wheel fall off at 50 mph on a California freeway just sorta
grinds your knickers into a knot a bit more than an independent
shop just busting a head bolt.

Re: What does the Mechanic get
 

Roughly 1/13/04 19:35, Will Honea's monkeys randomly typed:


> Having run my father-in-law's service station while he
> was sick, that sounds about right since our TBA sales represented most
> of the profit. Even in the 60s gas sales barely kept the lights on
> and overhead ate the profit on the service bays. With current
> workmans comp rates the way they are i would expect that that alone
> eats close to as much as the wrench bender clears.
>

I'm not sure how highly I'd rate gas station service mechs.
Granted some may be good, but what the heck, I've been one
of those myself at a station out in the middle of Utah.
We did service mainly because the other shop in town was
a well known ripoff place, and did our best to limit our
involvement to getting the customer from Green River to
their normal mechanic in one piece.

Re: What does the Mechanic get
 

Roughly 1/13/04 19:35, Will Honea's monkeys randomly typed:


> Having run my father-in-law's service station while he
> was sick, that sounds about right since our TBA sales represented most
> of the profit. Even in the 60s gas sales barely kept the lights on
> and overhead ate the profit on the service bays. With current
> workmans comp rates the way they are i would expect that that alone
> eats close to as much as the wrench bender clears.
>

I'm not sure how highly I'd rate gas station service mechs.
Granted some may be good, but what the heck, I've been one
of those myself at a station out in the middle of Utah.
We did service mainly because the other shop in town was
a well known ripoff place, and did our best to limit our
involvement to getting the customer from Green River to
their normal mechanic in one piece.

Re: What does the Mechanic get
 

Roughly 1/13/04 19:35, Will Honea's monkeys randomly typed:


> Having run my father-in-law's service station while he
> was sick, that sounds about right since our TBA sales represented most
> of the profit. Even in the 60s gas sales barely kept the lights on
> and overhead ate the profit on the service bays. With current
> workmans comp rates the way they are i would expect that that alone
> eats close to as much as the wrench bender clears.
>

I'm not sure how highly I'd rate gas station service mechs.
Granted some may be good, but what the heck, I've been one
of those myself at a station out in the middle of Utah.
We did service mainly because the other shop in town was
a well known ripoff place, and did our best to limit our
involvement to getting the customer from Green River to
their normal mechanic in one piece.

Re: What does the Mechanic get
 

I have found the opposite to be true. A dealer can afford to loose
customers, but an independant's survival relies upon satified customers.

--
Paul Calman, Hathaway Pines, California
"L0nD0t.$t0we11" <"L0nD0t.$t0we11"@ComcastDot.Net> wrote in message
news:ePfNb.67045$na.39727@attbi_s04...
> Roughly 1/14/04 08:24, Barry Bean's monkeys randomly typed:
>
> >
> > The mechanic's take home salary is only a small portion of what you're
> > paying for when you go to the shop.
>
> Yeah, one of the things is the generally deeper pockets of a large
> shop or dealer. A small shop may be nice, but the owner may not
> have the financial flexibility to go the extra mile when something
> inevitably gets screwed up. A dealer will usually have those deeper
> pockets, plus a reputation to worry about, and more likely to
> take or partially take the loss in a marginal situation. At least
> it seems to work that way for me, but then I try not to be rude
> to folks who get near my brakes on a regular basis. But then
> am not bashful about asking the service manager for a referral
> positive or negative] to an independent for oddball or unusual
> stuff.
>
> But then the local dealer offers coupons such that oil and filter
> changes as well as lubes are cheaper than the Oil Ape places...
> so why risk some doofus damaging the vehicle that won't have the
> skills or finances to fix it.
>

Re: What does the Mechanic get
 

I have found the opposite to be true. A dealer can afford to loose
customers, but an independant's survival relies upon satified customers.

--
Paul Calman, Hathaway Pines, California
"L0nD0t.$t0we11" <"L0nD0t.$t0we11"@ComcastDot.Net> wrote in message
news:ePfNb.67045$na.39727@attbi_s04...
> Roughly 1/14/04 08:24, Barry Bean's monkeys randomly typed:
>
> >
> > The mechanic's take home salary is only a small portion of what you're
> > paying for when you go to the shop.
>
> Yeah, one of the things is the generally deeper pockets of a large
> shop or dealer. A small shop may be nice, but the owner may not
> have the financial flexibility to go the extra mile when something
> inevitably gets screwed up. A dealer will usually have those deeper
> pockets, plus a reputation to worry about, and more likely to
> take or partially take the loss in a marginal situation. At least
> it seems to work that way for me, but then I try not to be rude
> to folks who get near my brakes on a regular basis. But then
> am not bashful about asking the service manager for a referral
> positive or negative] to an independent for oddball or unusual
> stuff.
>
> But then the local dealer offers coupons such that oil and filter
> changes as well as lubes are cheaper than the Oil Ape places...
> so why risk some doofus damaging the vehicle that won't have the
> skills or finances to fix it.
>

Re: What does the Mechanic get
 

I have found the opposite to be true. A dealer can afford to loose
customers, but an independant's survival relies upon satified customers.

--
Paul Calman, Hathaway Pines, California
"L0nD0t.$t0we11" <"L0nD0t.$t0we11"@ComcastDot.Net> wrote in message
news:ePfNb.67045$na.39727@attbi_s04...
> Roughly 1/14/04 08:24, Barry Bean's monkeys randomly typed:
>
> >
> > The mechanic's take home salary is only a small portion of what you're
> > paying for when you go to the shop.
>
> Yeah, one of the things is the generally deeper pockets of a large
> shop or dealer. A small shop may be nice, but the owner may not
> have the financial flexibility to go the extra mile when something
> inevitably gets screwed up. A dealer will usually have those deeper
> pockets, plus a reputation to worry about, and more likely to
> take or partially take the loss in a marginal situation. At least
> it seems to work that way for me, but then I try not to be rude
> to folks who get near my brakes on a regular basis. But then
> am not bashful about asking the service manager for a referral
> positive or negative] to an independent for oddball or unusual
> stuff.
>
> But then the local dealer offers coupons such that oil and filter
> changes as well as lubes are cheaper than the Oil Ape places...
> so why risk some doofus damaging the vehicle that won't have the
> skills or finances to fix it.
>

Re: What does the Mechanic get
 

> a well known ripoff place, and did our best to limit our
> involvement to getting the customer from Green River to
> their normal mechanic in one piece.

Green River? Nice town, interesting cemetary. I spent 2 days there last
August
--
Paul Calman, Hathaway Pines, California

Re: What does the Mechanic get
 

> a well known ripoff place, and did our best to limit our
> involvement to getting the customer from Green River to
> their normal mechanic in one piece.

Green River? Nice town, interesting cemetary. I spent 2 days there last
August
--
Paul Calman, Hathaway Pines, California

Re: What does the Mechanic get
 

> a well known ripoff place, and did our best to limit our
> involvement to getting the customer from Green River to
> their normal mechanic in one piece.

Green River? Nice town, interesting cemetary. I spent 2 days there last
August
--
Paul Calman, Hathaway Pines, California