I don’t understand what you mean. The prices at the shop where I work are higher than most. Our quality is higher than most. Where is the problem?
Let’s say one of the electric windows in your Ford quits working. It needs a new motor. Our total price will be slightly higher than at the dealer, the labor should be within a few dollars but the price of the part will be about 20% more than at the dealer. The dealer warranties the repair for 12 months/12,000 miles. We warranty the repair for 36 months/36,000 miles. Which repair has the better value?
Well, if price is the first thing you consider then you are not a customer we are actively recruiting. Quality, Convenience, and Service are our priorities. Our prices may be high, but so are the other three things I just mentioned. If we can demonstrate to you that our quality, convenience, and service is better than the place down the street, we can charge more than they can.
I have never heard of customers leaving dealership service to choose somewhere that charges even higher prices, at least not knowingly. I am rather curious as to your typical customers. I wont debate that there is probably a place in the market upper end for non dealer service, but its not the type of place the majority of car owners will be seeking.
@Michael_Quinlan. In my area, the good independents and the dealers are competitively priced. I had been using an independent shop for most work until the management changed and the new regime started finding things “wrong” that were fine. I then switched to the Toyota dealer and found the prices quite competitive. One of the mechanics at the independent shop left that shop and now works for the dealer.
I have found that independent specialty shops may have lower prices. For instance, we have a muffler and exhaust shop that has been in business for at least sixty years. Once, I bought a muffler at NAPA and installed it myself–took half an afternoon. When that muffler needed to be replaced, I went to the independent muffler shop. The total cost for the new muffler and installation was less than what I paid for the muffler at NAPA.
I buy tires at an independent tire shop and also have them do alignments when needed.
I am more concerned about the quality of work than the price. Depending on what needs to be done, I’ll go to an independent shop or the dealer where I think I will get the best work performed.
I didn’t know an independent repair shop existed that charged more than the dealership. Maybe it’s a regional thing? Around my area, the motto is “don’t take it to the dealer if it’s out of warranty, they charge too much”.
I’m not knocking the idea, if it works. Charge as much as the market will bear.
Ehh, who said there is a problem? Lets just say You are in Kansas, then there are roughly 4300 miles between Your place and mine. And we have a different culture. That’s all.
[quote=“asemaster, post:383, topic:30728”]
We warranty the repair for 36 months/36,000 miles. Which repair has the better value?
At Your place - Yours, no doubt about it.
No good here. Min. legal limit is 2 years/forget miles. Excluded are service items/wear parts at severe service (think taxi and the like, though - say - a waterpump are still included)
Right You are and that is absolutely not meant as criticism, but, as mentioned, the culture is different. We can’t really be bothered with coffee and pick up/delivery. We want the job done with quality parts/labour for a fair price. That’s it.
Yes and - with what I have learned about You - I would happily recommend your shop to anybody who was looking for a good repair facility for their car.
I applaud You for doing a job that can carry a premium price for the work done, but there are little to no market for a business concept like that within the automotive industri here and telling somebody I meet to ship their car 4300 miles to get an oil change might be a bit too much.
Edit. Distance from Salina, close to center of Kansas to Denmark: 4600 miles. Sorry.
Why are dollars and cents always the first thing you come to? Auto service is not a commodity where you get the same thing everywhere. Let’s say your family drives an Acura TL, a Dodge 2500, and a VW Jetta. Some people find value in the ability to have all the cars serviced at the same place with the same people. That’s just one reason. There are many others, especially for those people who don’t use price as the primary reason to choose a business.
No, I get it though. I’m the same way with green beans. As far as I’m concerned, one can of green beans is as good as any other, so I will always buy the lowest priced one.
But to be specific, as in my window motor example. List price at the Ford dealer for a window motor is $112. My price to you is $132. My part is warrantied 36/36, dealer is 12/12. I’ll bet there are people who would pay the extra $20 for 2 years more of warranty coverage.
Well I’m another 1500 miles west from Salina, so it’s an even longer trip!
You would be surprised at how high a value people put on the extras like that.
Understood. My family is Dutch/Indonesian by heritage, most of my family left the Netherlands for the US to escape the culture there that didn’t really fit their needs.
My recent disappointing dealer story - went in for the airbag recall and an oil change, they came up with list of stuff. No surprise there, but one was ‘washer pump not working, replace, $150’. Well, I had just looked at that, it was fine, I told them ‘no thanks’. The REAL problem? It was out of washer fluid!
I only went to my dealer for warranty work and the 2 years free oil changes. they spend too much time trying to sell you stuff. I put in a new air filter and cabin filter the day before my last free oil change. I told the service writer there was no need to check them because I had just changed them. When I got my receipt , it had air and cabin filter filthy , owner refused to change written on it. They get $120 for the two filters that cost me $25 and they were being paid to remove, clean and re-install the cabin filter by Toyota.
While I was waiting I saw them tell a woman with a one year old car that she needed a $90 battery service because she had a little corrosion on the battery terminals.
My independent mechanic doesn’t pull any of that nonsense. He is far too busy fixing actual needed repairs.
I’m not even getting to notice it, spare irritate me anymore.
My recent example: coming for the state safety inspection, dealer is conveniently located and unlike the gas station has a waiting area. I had air filter, oil, brake fluid, coolant, etc… replaced literally days before the visit… here comes my laundry list of “sir, you have to seriously consider doing all this routine maintenance” items, listing that air filter is dirty, brake fluid needs to be replaced, etc… etc… The inspector probably did not care to do any checks at all, only marked their regular upsells.
My daughter, different shop, she calls me and asks if she needs to do any of these… essentially the same list. I’m telling her “no, I keep track of all your maintenance items, you came for tire balancing, have them do only that”.
Nowadays, I find myself blindly rejecting ALL recommended items on the spot, since it is rarely they are needed, then inspecting if attention is really needed there, mostly finding claims to be bogus.
I do most of the work on my cars myself, but there are some things I’ve sent to my local guy because I either don’t have the time to do them myself, or that I straight up don’t want to do. His hourly is a little less than the dealership (but it’s within 10 bucks, so not really that big of a cut), parts are a bit more, but like @asemaster he warranties his work longer. He’s honest and straight shooting, and admits when he screws up (like the one time he accidentally charged for me parts for a radiator he was replacing under warranty). A good, honest independent mechanic is worth paying a little more for.
I can’t really complain about the upsells from the local Toyota dealer, although I’ve only been there twice for work. Once was the converter, the other was to drain the fuel tank when my wife got bad fuel (still under warranty, didn’t want anyone else working on it). Maybe they don’t try to sell me stuff because they’re thinking, “Hey, it’s that a hole who won’t pay the markup.” And they’re right! It’s me again, boys!
