How to choose a shop (This is long)

[jimzdat]

I'm probably one level above DIY, in that I have a small shop where I do car repair for the general public. Because it's a sideline business, I have limited hours (evenings and weekends) that I work for customers. However, I still have to pay for my business insurance, tools, training (actually working on building upon my ASE certification) - all of which adds up. Since I'm not trying to make this a major income stream, I also don't charge the rates that a normal shop does; labor is $25 per hour (some jobs flat rate at slightly higher), and my markup on parts averages around 35%. I'm not the least bit delusional in thinking I could sustain a business at those rates - my shop is at my home, so I don't have rent on it or anything like that.

All that said, I agree wholeheartedly with the original post - there are too many people that either expect something for free, or refuse to listen to the mechanic when he (or she) is trying to educate the customer. I've had people cuss me out for marking up parts - saying I should only charge what it costs me! My response to that is usually along the lines of "show me any business model that provides the customer with materials at cost, and let me know how long they will stay open". They don't factor in the cost and time of me going to get said parts (I have a commercial account at O'Reilly, and they deliver - but may not always have parts in stock). I've also run into the "I got my parts on the interweb, can you install them?" - sure, I can; but I will not warranty the parts, and if they fail a week later - you'll be buying more parts (unless I screw it up on install).

At least in my experience, one of the biggest struggles a mechanic faces is a general lack of trust - thanks to the number of unscrupulous jerks out there that try and milk customers for every penny they can. We actually had a shop here that was charging people on every job for $5 to check the air in their tires!
I have personally turned down work, if I don't feel that I can do the job in the timeframe the customer needs, or if I feel that the customer may be making a poor judgment call - just a week ago, I had a potential customer call and ask if I thought it would be a good idea to rebuild the engine in his 99 Dodge Dakota. 3.7L, engine ate at least 2 valves due to broken springs. I asked him about the condition of the rest of the vehicle - he stated that it had new tires, but the body and frame were very badly rusted (salt used widely around here). He also stated he had a line on a newer truck as a replacement, but Sears had told him it needed $800 in repairs, so he wasn't sure what route to take. I spent about 20 minutes reviewing options, and told him I didn't honestly think the Dodge was worth saving. He thanked me and hung up - he called me back yesterday to thank me for the honest opinion, and get a price quote for brakes on his new truck...

I always dread the customers that have attempted to diagnose or repair their own issues with a lack of knowledge - I just had to fix the backup lights on a 98 Subaru - the problem was the switch on the transaxle, but the prior owner had decided to cut the wires at the rear of the car, and used speaker wire to hook up a toggle switch on the dash for the lights. They had actually run power to the switch by running the wire out the driver's door, over the fender, and directly to the battery! How this thing never caught fire is a mystery to me.....

If I were looking for a shop to perform work for me; I can say I'd certainly appreciate the sort of work ethic that TR seems to display - much more so than some of the yahoos I've seen in the business.

[thankful_ragamuffin]

Thank you jimzdat. I understand your problems and would encourage you to continue on the way you are going.