Any ideas for improving business and attracting new customers at a car repair and service garage?

I have just been promoted to service manager at a car repair and service centre. The previous manager has used up all my other ideas and now the spotlight is on me I am a bit stuck wondering where to go and what to do. Thanks in advance.

What would you want if you were a customer of your business?

Sit down with a piece of paper and pen; walk yourself through the experience every step of the way. From the first thought of "I need car service" to when you drive out of the parking lot. How can you improve each step? What value can you add?

If you don’t already, start some kind of program for repeat customers that makes them feel special and offers discounts…and advertise it. Stand out. Don’t offer ‘Buy 3 tires, get 4th free’ unless no one around is doing it.

What kind of automotive service and repair fraud are there?

I need to write a 3 page research paper on automotive service, and repair fraud. any ideas?

who is targeted
frequency
common fraudulent practice etc

also i need a suggestion to make it safer for consumers.

Targets are generally frequent customers, women, and public naive in auto repair and cost.
Fraudulent practice is usually severed belts, punctured A/C systems, damaged suspension components, damaged lines holding fluids, punctured tires etc. Taking old parts and cleaning them up to look new and then selling them as new parts.
Safer for a customer, take a vehicle to a person you can trust or take an expert with you.

Where do you buy the phone amplifiers that they use in auto shops?

My grandparents are losing their hearing and we bought one from radio shack some time ago, but they still couldn’t hear it. So, we were thinking of buying the kind they use in car shops that ring over the noise of all the tools.

www.hellodirect.com/phone-buzzer

Where can a minor take auto shop classes?

I’m 15 and I was hoping to take and old car and fix it up, since I really like the style of older cars. The only problem is that my high school doesn’t offer auto shop classes and I don’t really know enough about cars to take on this project yet. I was hoping somebody could point me in the right direction.

Thanks alot for your time.

it really hard to find autoshop classes in high school.u could call around and see if any other local schools carry the class and transfer.but i would assume ur already in school and dont wont to have to go threw the hassle.try looking online for videos,books,etc u could look at or order to leanr what u want to know and more.i have been learning for the past 4 years now and i left high school real early and still no more then the teachers at the school.lol.good luck bud

What would you want from a auto repair shop?

We are opening a new auto repair shop. We are honest, and do quality work.

Looking for ideas on what we can do to be "noticed"

We want to offer some grand opening services. And even just some "activites" ( like giving out free hot dogs and drinks) to get people to come check us out.

All ideas welcomed!
I should also say that we are located in northern NJ

after almost 30 years in the biz,the best thing you can do is BE HONEST WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS!, if you can do this you will have more biz than you will be able to handle..forget the dogs etc. on your grand opening have 10 dollar oil changes..it may cost you some cash ..but its a great way to meet new customers..be careful how much you try to up sell as this will get you a bad name ast…people only want fair…fair pricing on jobs and a fair days work for the money..if you can do that you will be busy..try direct mailing , now we do our own…also i would suggest you take a garage management seminar , it will give you lots of new ideas. good luck

How Do You Become An Auto Mechanic?

I am very interested in becoming an auto mechanic but i dont have the money to go through schooling, is there any kind of like apprenticeship or something i can go through to become a mechanic???

I’m currently working as an auto mechanic…but I’m still in my apprenticeship(been working for 2 years now)
If you really want to be a good mechanic school would be better becouse you get to skip about 1 to 2 years of hard work for low pay

Can I cash a check made payable to me and the auto body shop without their endoresement?

I got into an accident and have small body damage to my car. I filed the claim and the insurance company sent the check to me made payable to me and the body shop. My dad actually tweaked the car and washed it so it doesn’t look that bad. I want to know if I can cash this check without the insurance company’s endorsement?

Geez, darn insurance companies.
I would call the insurance company and be honest with them.
Maybe they will send you the check.

What a shame that your dad is carrying car insurance policies with 0 deductible. That is obvious if you fixed the ding yourself for less than $500.

Don’t grow up like him. That’s what the epression "think outside the box" comes from. And thats why the rich get richer and the poor become slaves to paying other peoples bills.

Why does auto body repair cost so much?

I have a simple dent on my Civic – paint isn’t scratched – and the local shop wants to charge $600 to repair, match paint, etc… Is this normal?

If you know where autobody techs get $80 per labor hour, please let me know so that I can move my shop there. $600.00 seems a bit high for one small dent. The price should probably be about half of that if paint can be kept on one panel. Prices vary depending on the area that you live in. For instance, my shop is in southwest Texas, about 60 miles from Mexico. My labor rates are $40 per labor hour, but Insurance companies will only pay $36 per labor hour. Often times I have to succumb to their price. 160 miles north east of me in Austin, labor rates are at $48 per labor hour and that is what the insurance companies pay. So, labor price depends on your area.

The other factor that goes into this is the price of materials for paint. Though most paints cost the same (with the exception of pearl color paints and tri-stage paints) some shops charge more for red than they do for white. My cost on materials in the last 6 months has jumped up 30%. It would not suprise me if the shop in question jumped their materials price up as well.

If a shop really wants your job, there are things that they can do and that insurance companies insist on. They can only charge you for partial panel paint and only clearcoat the entire panel. That brings materials and labor price down considerably.

If it is a quality shop, they may just be a little bit higher than people in your area. I know that we are.

Good luck.

Would auto body paint be a good coating for a stripper pole?

I want a stripper pole of my very own, but I am kinda tight on money. Could I take a aluminum, or steel conduit pipe to an auto body shop and have it painted so it was nice and smooth like the expensive stripper poles? About how much do you think it would cost?

Just buy you some primer and Krylon paint in the color you like then spray it with a clearcoat when you are done. The clearcoat will give it the wet look you are seeking.

Is it rude to question a car repair estimate?

When a car repair shop calls and gives me an estimate to fix my car, is it rude to question the charges, e.g. "Gee, you want HOW MUCH for that part?, I can get it for much less at the local auto parts store".

Does that just piss them off, and affect the quality of work?

Yes, you can almost always get a part from the local parts store than I’ll charge you for it, but… Ask yourself this. What exactly is the warranty that the parts store will give me, and will they pay for the labor to replace it if it’s defective? When I give my customers a 15 month/15,000 mile no hassle warranty on all parts and labor it means just that, parts and labor. Something else you need to keep in mind is that time is money, and it takes time to locate and procure parts. Some take a lot of time.

I’ll be happy to install your parts that you carry in, but if they crap before you get out the parking lot, well, I hope saving a few dollars on the parts will be enough to pay for me (or someone else) to remove the defective item so you can go get your warranty at the parts store. Oh yeah, and don’t forget about re-installing it too.

Allow me to give you a couple of examples. In the recent past I had a customer that needed a repair based around a difficult to find, used main wiring harness. He though my price of $250 for the part was outrageous because he found it online for only $175. To save $75 he drove 200+ miles round trip. If he was getting paid minimum wage for his time, that was worth $30 so now he’s only saved $45. Now subtract the price of gas and his savings is down to about $20. Now when he pulls into my shop and he has the wrong part that is non-returnable, how much has he saved? You know the answer and so did he. This time he let me supply the harness.

I also in the last year or so replaced a water pump and timing belt on an ’05 Amanti. It’s a fairly involved job. The customer told me her husband could get a water pump cheaper than I wanted. He saved about $20 (on a several hundred dollar job) by having me install his remanufactured pump as opposed to my new pump. A few days after picking up her car, she walked out to drive home and there was a huge puddle of coolant under it. The remanufactured pump was leaking. It cost them an additional 4.5 hours labor to save $20. Good job.

I know this isn’t the answer you want to hear, but these two occasions illustrate my point, and I hope it helps you to see the error of your ways. Most independent repair shops are already selling you parts and labor as cheaply as they can and still stay in business. Most of us just want to do you a professional job at a price that still lets us feed our family.

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me. Have a nice day.