danc46

When dealerships wants $350 for the 150,000 mile valve adjustment and the Cummins shop charges $150, then YES, dealers do overcharge!

Hounddog

The FEW techs that I ever saw hired on a hourly or weekly salary were the poorest producers I ever came across.A few of them did turn out quailty work but took FOREVER to the point of real hacked off customers to get a vehicle back to them.As far as mad service adivisors or not keeping track of jobs and employees dragging their feet its because of poor managers.I've worked in both scenes.One store I was in the employees that were constantly unhappy and drug their feet were talked to,then written up and then let go.Service advisors not tracking jobs or informing customers didn't last long.Period.From front office to the clean up bays.One bad apple rots the the rest.Shops that don't run it like any other well run business has issues like any other poorly run shop.Shops that DON"T follow labor guidelines and competitive maintance pricing,like $350 to adjust valves on a Cummings(D.C. store I was in it paid like 1.7 for a valve adjust) give others a bad rep.Then again POOR MANAGEMENT whom is suckered in and letting TECHS or service writers price their own jobs is something I see conmmonly done.The RECOMENDED times allowed for most ANY operation is in print with a STATEMENT that this is only a GUIDE and certain vehicle conditions can will vary.POOR MANAGERS! Its starts from the TOP.I priced a auto tranny R&R on a bare bones Maza fwd 4 banger R&R and was quoted 8 hours for a friend.I asked for the SERVICE MANAGER and politly asked him where in the world THEY came up with 8 HOURS! Not a over haul but just a R&R.He said that what the TECHS tell me.I said GAWD man do you or THEM run the shop.He looked it up and Chiltons and it was less then 4.0 including FLUSH cooler tank and lines.Poor Management or no management.Sometimes it would help if custmers ASKED where the pricing and recomended labor hours come from and or tell them your off your rocker.I've had a number of spine issues last few years.I question EVER doctor and have priced differant doctors about differant tests and pricing and why etc.A smart consumer ought to.This FUEL FILTER R&R and see a lot of questions about ought to be .3 at a MAINTANCE RATE not a REPAIR rate.Thats the D.C.store I was in charged for 12 and 24 valve engines much less these 3rd generations that are even easier.Poor managers come up with this .5 at $90.00 per hour crap and kill off their own business.

Mark Hodowanec

Where I can talk to the mechanic I do. Unfortunately, there are not many that will let you do that. Some do not let you request a particular mechanic even if you are will to wait, much less talk to him. I did not mean to stereotype all dealers, as I know that there are some good ones out there. Unfortunately, there are far more bad ones than good ones.

If I was in an area where there was a good dealership, had a service manager that knew what a truck was AND let me talk to the mechanic, schedule that mechanic for the work, then without question I would go to that dealer for service.

danc46

Houndog, what you are saying is that dealerships will steal you blind if you are dumb enough to let them. From purchasing the vehicle, for maintenance of the vehicle, to repair of the vehicle.
I promise you, even on warranty work, I question everything they do. If I have to leave the vehicle, they call and say it needs this and that, I'm up there to see it first hand before I authorize it.
You have to when you deal with thieves.

Luke S

Well, I am not going to get into this too much as it won't do any good. But I know yesterday afternoon for the first time in my life I was considering going to see a psychiatrist as I think I am losing my mind. Trying to run a car dealership in todays economy and make a profit and keep your customers and employees happy is impossible. I spent yesterday morning back in the shop helping out and I worked on a 300C for a couple hours as the shop has worked backed up for two weeks out. Between customers coming in with old clunckers and wanting free loaner cars and my technicians complaining cause they don't want to work in this bay, or do this job, or work this day, and they won't make their time this week cause they had to do a job they didn't want ot do, even though my service manager pads their pay. Pulled our hair out in January working to try and make everybody happy and make a profiit, ended up wirh about $4,000 profit. $4,000 profit in a month for a $2,000,000 investment. We must be crazy.

bry@n

It's tough running a business. You can't please everyone. As far as employees complaining, I would get new employees. I wouldn't tolerate it.
And lastly, a profit, no matter how big or small, is better than a loss!

J BODY

....get new employees. That is waaaaayyyy easier said than done. In the 14 years I've been doing this the path to the dealerships have NEVER been beaten down with guys wanting to work in the shop. Alot try....and many fail. Honestly you can really take a beating pay wise for 3-5 years before you hone your skills, and most dealers will only keep a new guy on hourly for less than a year before they throw em to the wolves.

Hounddog

I've only worked ONE shop that padded pay and it had the biggest whiners.Two stores I was in,one 14 years would not even consider the thought.That store also would not tolerate picking and choosing jobs and demanded fair disptaching.We had almost 50 techs.The one I took over as Service manager that had been padding techs pay I changed that withen the first month.Those techs were floored and eaither quit or I let them go.With the amount of work thats in your shop it should not be needed if they'd stop edited by admin and a get to working.Just my 02 worth.

bry@n

I agree. There is plenty of people that will take that job. I have trained young guys out of school with no prior knowledge of my field how to get things done. In a years time, they were more than ready to handle things without me. Right people in the right places makes all the difference.

Hounddog

I have had the experience of breaking down on the road in two differant states.One I was at the D.C. dealer at 6 a.m. and had to wait for repaires.Burnt head light wiring and a main bulk head connector melted.They had parts,tech and service writer explained and showed what happened and why.Had me on the road by 10 A.M. Very busy store with a line of folks behind me when they opened.Next break down I had with a broken flex plate.Had me and on the road in 24 hours,showed me what broke(I already knew) and a late forty year old tech that had been at that store(they also had a ton of work coming and going) That tech was quick and efficent.I looked it all over and not even a washer misplaced etc.He did leave some nasty foot prints and hand prints on door panal and center console(4x4 shifter area) Told service writer and in 10 minutes with a SORRY all was cleaned etc.Good service.labor times on that were by the book.The elect.wotk I had done was like a 2 hour charge with a lot of cutting out melted wires and solder/heat shrink and that tech about had to stand on his head under and in the left dash area.All in all great/quick repairs etc.

Mark Hodowanec

There are some great service shops out there. If I offended any of the good services shops, I appologize. Luke S & Hounddog, it sounds like both of you are very competant & reat people fair. Unfortunately, the two of you are very much the exception, not the rule. I get tired geing held 'hostage' because of warranty & feeling that I first have to educate the dealer. I've had to argue with a five star dealer that "all trucks do not get the same oil". They actually tried to charge me for two oil changes because I did not tell them that I wanted 'special oil' (i.e. 15W-40). There are other stories I could tell, but you get the point.

Again, from all of their prior postings, I have no doubt that Luke S & Hounddog run great service shops. It's just that 90% of teh other five star boneheads are giving you guys a black eye.