The Rover-Landers of BC

I need to rant. If you don't know, one of my jobs is Auto mechanic (I also work on the radio part time which is how I get so much time to post on this group.. shhhh don't tell.)

A nice young girl was in our shop yesterday for the estimate on her not so nice or young truck. It needed a lot of work. we actually suggested she not repair it as the cost of repairs just to make it safe... not fix everything...was getting close to exceeding the value of the vehicle. The Parts bill... just to make it safe, was $900. (it needed everything... a Dodge :( ) She asked if she could get her own parts to save money.

Ugh.

As a shop owner I heard it more often than I would like. Even now, turning wrenches for some one else, I still cringe because I know how this sort of thing hurts, especially when times are tough.

I know times are hard for everyone. I have a family to provide for as well, and so does my boss. When a shop repairs a car the $90 an hour (or whatever) covers a lot of things but not nearly enough. Around here a good tech averages $30/hour at a dealership. Much less in a shop like ours, but still.
Shop tools need to be upgraded often, some need updates every year. My scan tool cost $5k new and each update is another $1k....every year. the cutters to machine your rotors and drums are $60 a pack and they wear quickly because rusty rotors are very hard and dull them quickly. Other equipment breaks, needs replacement, upgrade, repair, recertification... New special tools need to be acquired, many shops cover safety gear like boots (my last pair were $150) and more. There are other costs like insurance, utilities, advertising and so on. Suddenly there's no meat left on the bone. Then try to heat a building with a 12x14 door that opens every 20 minutes

We make money selling parts. not just installing them. It helps us keep the lights on and doors open. You don't take your own steak and lobster to a restaurant to have it cooked, why would you do so at a garage?

Other considerations.

NO Warranty.
Many shops will not guarantee work if they did not buy the parts. Part of the mark up covers the cost of getting a tech to put in another wheel bearing when the one supplied turns out faulty. Suppliers sometimes provide a small re-reimbursement on warranty work but it doesn't cover the full cost... not by a long shot. and faulty parts are plentiful because we want cheap parts and you get what you pay for.

Wrong parts. I worked on a car recently that had 5 different brake options. even with the correct model and engine.wheel size.. they sent the wrong size. so the car sat apart on the hoist for another hour while I looked for something to do.

It also pads the cost of a job when you are dealing with older cars. for example, "book time" on a wheel bearing I did yesterday was just under one hour. I usually (when I hold my tongue right) get them in 30-40 minutes. This one (a 2002 model) was so rusty, corroded and neglected, it took me 2 and a half hours. Didn't make any money on that one.

Anyway, sorry I just have to rant on this. Go ahead and ask if you can bring parts. on a series Land Rover or Ferrari the service writer may appreciate it, but otherwise expect grumbling and in many cases a surcharge. We have to keep a roof over and food on the table as well.

It may help to convert or translate the problem into a value proposition the customer cannot only understand, but embrace. You listed the reasons that make it necessary for you to mark up parts. The question that pops into the mind of the uneducated is, "don't you make enough off labor to cover all those things". The truth is that fixed costs are all over the place in the competitive market due to reasons like some companies owning their buildings, and highly variable leases for those that don't. It is therefore difficult to remain competitive by covering costs with the labor rate alone. This is too much "inside baseball" for the consumer.

The approach I would take when challenged about the cost of parts is:

A) you, your colleagues and the tools in your shop, represent an facility that is uniquely suited to diagnosing and repairing the customer's vehicle in a fast and fair manner

B) the part selection, while seeming to simply represent choosing an intrinsic good of a particular design, size and application - truly represents a relationship between an item designed for fit and function and a distributor that stands behind the parts. Part of your service is selecting and maintaining this (or these) relationship(s) in your customer's best interest.

C) the combination of the competence of the labor in your shop, coupled with the quality and reliability of the parts and part suppliers you select are what form the implicit warrantee of service you provide your customers. There is no way for you to alter this and provide the superior service you and your organization represent.

Now, if you don't represent fast, fair and reliable service.....you're screwed and will have to start installing whatever dog eared part the customer brings in.

Good stuff.I appreciate your thoughts. I find the basest facts generally work though...

No warranty. and if the part is wrong or faulty, it will cost you more. Some people are fine with that. Others either go to a back-yarder or learn to appreciate what you are doing. You find in this trade that there are customers you aren't sad to lose.

Like i said There are exceptions. If you need to replace a steering rack bushing in a 1969 Mini Cooper S then yeah.. if you can find the parts bring 'em! I know Napa doesn't stock them!

Weigh this off against the fact that the motoring public as a whole had a general mistrust of the automotive repair industry thanks to a few bad egg garages and a bunch of high profile CBC / CTV Marketplace invistigations. It can be dificult convince a customer that the high repair charges are justified.

Glad you raised this, and I understand the reasons that repair shops recommend using thier parts.
But in our world, on occasion I appreciate being able to bring in a genuine or known reliable part rather than a sometimes dubious aftermarket offering, then I will forego the warrantee rather than be stuck on the road or trail somewhere.
Regards.

Just so you know. many shops will be happy to get OEM parts for you. at least 3 places I have worked do this if that is a concern.

Now bringing your own oil and filter.... no thank you :) (Unless it's a weird obscure filter for a 1967 Skoda or whatever)

I have to agree I own a small tire and automotive shop and frown on customers bringing there own parts not just for the fact I am not making any money on the part more so that I find when a customer supplies there own parts its because they are trying to save money and buying cheaper parts as in cheaper quality parts I do not buy or install lower quality parts it is not worth the headaches involved.... in todays day and age you really do get what you pay for and I prefer to buy and install higher end parts. In the long run using quality actually saves me money I have a very low warranty and come back rate and when I say low I mean almost not at all ...it also allows me to give the customer a better warranty on any work we do or on parts we supply

I work in fleet maintenance, and can confirm that there are a lot of really crappy parts out there. In most cases, I'll try to reuse the old factory part because it'll outlast a new, cheap part by a long shot. We use to have a lot of 2wd 1500 gmc's in the fleet. Original front ends, provided they were regularly serviced, lasted well over 500,000km. The second you put a aftermarket part on, you'll be luckey to make it past the 50,000 mark. Same goes for u-joints, door pins, water pumps, etc... Just because it's new, doesn't mean that it's as good as OEM. Spend the extra money, go OEM.

:shock: Discovered a few "what the h*** is that part" on the Disco - all of course failed. Thanks for the heads up.