Stalling, dying, FIXED

Brad.... I'm sure you are referring to a charge for diagnostics rather than "inspection". Time for a little lesson in economics....

Y'see, my wife and kid really seem to like it when I bring home a paycheck. Now, I could do diagnostics for free and watch half the time I spend at work disappear over the horizon as motorists either do the work themselves or find some cheap-ass shop (that couldn't diagnose their way ou of the bathroom) fix it with antiquated equipment and, often, questionable techniques.

Diagnosis is a service... this service is NOT included in the flat rate times quoted in any manual. Without the diagnostic process, I might be left throwing money at your car needlessly.

Since the diagnostic process is a very real service, I am left to ponder why we leave a tip for the waitress to do her job but we refuse to pay a mechanic to do his.

Shop supplies has always been that hazy area. Bear in mind, though, that if I have to spend extra time to itemize each rag, each wrap tie and each squirt of this or that, that time will be added to the work order. Without the shop supply charge, instead of having me spread a coat of gasket shellac or a bead of silicon or a squirt of weasel-piss.... you would likely be charged for a whole container of gasket shellac, a whole tube of silicone or a whole spray bomb of weasel-piss. Granted, some shops get carried away with shop supply charges. But, if it's a good shop that gives the desired result, it's because the bill is bigger than "ElCheapo Auto Repair" (you know, the guys that fix your car 8 times and it comes back worse each time?). I am well recompensed - I have a very high customer satisfaction index, a very low repeat repair index, and a very high fixed right the first time status... this is tempered with an eye to customer running costs AND the need to ensure that I haven't missed something that will turn the repair into a disappointment.

An exchange from long ago..... "How much to perform this repair to my car?" - "About $150." - "The man down the street only wants $95." - "Well, make sure he uses good quality parts and stands behind his warranty." - "Oh, you misunderstand...... I want YOU to do the job." - "Oh... I understand..... and I want $150.". The good guys are worth more than the bad guys - ain't gonna get much simpler than that.

It's all very simple.... back when I had my own shop, there were many instances that a stranded motorist would get all out of shape because I had the balls to ask for money for a piece of wire..... like...... I'm supposed to buy this stuff by the roll so I can give it away by the foot????

Anyway, I'm glad that your truck " runs fantastic with a lot more power"...... too bad that doesn't seem to mean much when I know of a lot of shops that might not be able to give you that.

Jim Warman snipped-for-privacy@telusplanet.net A tech who can give customer references - and proud of it.

Brad... Jim is right, you are wrong.... you pay the Doc 100/hr and if his diagnosis is wrong, you come back in and pay another 100.. but the mechanic is going to cut you a break because the original problem wasnt fixed (yes , I know that some try not to, but that's incidental)

The "diagnosis" charge is the one element that you have a leg to stand on... I would think that they would waive it if you had the work done there, but there was PROBABLY a decision reached on shop income/profit analysis and they decided to keep the charge in there to make the bottom-line difference rather that raising labor rates.

And your anecdote about the belt and alternator points to the need for an enthusiast to learn to do the simple stuff himself.

In fact you had the resources to actually replace the carb with help from this group and you opted to take the "satisfaction guaranteed" route.. all well and good; because the dealer service needs these simple jobs to keep techs from burning out. I guarantee that if your income was "job/charged" you would understand this.

Kwicherbitchin!

Brad and Mia opined in news:_1Svd.514950$nl.367832@pd7tw3no:

Incidently, I purchased my used SUV from Fairly Reliable Bob's

here in Boise which has their own shop and only charges $45 hour labor plus all parts at their cost which is a helluva deal there. They only service vehicles purchased from their dealership. IOW, they won't service my wife's car as she didn't buy it from them. Other dealers want $65-75 hr.

Since I'm also a motorcyclist, the labor rates here in Boise for Carl's Cycles, a multi-brand Japanese dealer is $54 or $56 hr, Cycle Nuts, the HD dealer, is $59.95 hr, and Big Twin Cycles, a multi-brand European dealer, is $50 hr.

-=Grumbler

Damn... be glad you aren't in the STATES !... I can barely get an ASPRIN for $27.50

Little silly things like a building to work in, electricity to power the tools, lifts, water, phone, insurance

and then there's that pesky little thing that *most* business owners have the gall to want...

PROFIT!

Honestly, I'm a little surprised that the diagnostic charge wasn't waived when you had the work done. That's a pretty standard practice

Also, I have to say that a $30.00 shop supply charge seems high. $30.00 buys a lot of shop towels / adhesive / cleaner / etc.. $4.00 - 5.00 would probably be more appropriate.

That's great, but, let's say Joe Shadetree inadvertantly does something wrong, and ...you wind up burning a valve, or burning a hole in a piston. will he eat the cost of an entire engine rebuild ? Even if he wants to, can he afford to ?

Sure, it's extreme, but these are some of the "costs" that shops have to deal with, and eat. Sometimes mistakes are made, and they can be costly, but a good shop will stand behind their work, and make it right. That costs money and adds to overhead (part of that $60.00 you're looking for )

True enough... and maybe a nice chat over a cup of coffee with the service manager may just get you that.

Grumbler opined in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

I LIKE it... good double-meaning, humorous name!