Technician Shortage...

[Dobalovr]

Don't you have 300 Rags?

 

[commando1]

Market and costs so basically whatever you can get away with. Each bay in the shop is expected to generate revenue each day. Using a flat rate system that means a minimum of 8 hours per bay each day. 10 Bays X 8 Hours = 80 hours a day with an average of 2.2 hours per work order that means we need to see 36 customers. door rate includes everything it takes to run the shop from tech pay to uniforms to shop rags etc. As costs increase so does door rate.

You make it sound like that if a dealer choses to charge $200.00/hr, FCA will pay 60% of $200.00, or $120.00. What keeps a dealer from inflating the rate to squeeze more out of FCA?

 

[cantflip]

I agree with this, worse yet are the states that require a safety inspection especially a state like PA pulling wheels measuring rotors and pads thickness. Anything more than lights, tires and a quick ride around the block is too much, and just another form of governmental welfare.

How do the professionals feel about a company like Pep Boys. They buy a part mark it up and sell it to you to take home and put on, or if you have them put it on they mark it up again to carry it a little further in the building, now the middle of last week while delivering coils to a coater across the street was a auto parts distribution whse Uni-something the sign man was out there changing the name to something Pep Boys, so now they are marking it up 3 times and charging you over $100/hour to put it on. I hope their techs make some good rates but I doubt it.

And here is another thought/question at a dealer doing warranty work are the parts free and clear from manufacture or can the dealer make a little on the parts? I know they are beating you down on the labor rate.

Larry, moe and curly...

they don't even sell/stock quality line parts... well at least as much as they can, they sell the cheapest of everything as close to the high line price as they can... I didn't buy much from them when I had an employee discount. Haven't been a customer since 2002... that was cheap wheels for a saturn with bent ones... used somebody else's employee discount and was offered $27 flat rate to return to them... flat out NO.

When I started in the later 90's it was a nice part time job, worked with some good guys and money flowed so nobody got greedy. Management shifted and they started to dissolve a working crew to save $$... PB always sucked... but I worked with one of the best crews ever when I started there. As the crew fell apart some of what remained got very greedy and ruined the whole thing... they don't franchise and are corporately run by folks who don't seem to have a clue or concern beyond making numbers. I hear that around here out of several stores there isn't one single master tech... all dumbass parts changers and no diagnostic skills to pick the right parts.

 

[Dobalovr]

You make it sound like that if a dealer choses to charge $200.00/hr, FCA will pay 60% of $200.00, or $120.00. What keeps a dealer from inflating the rate to squeeze more out of FCA?

Sorry about that. Let me clarify, FCA will pay 60% of the regional average door rate. For example ours is $150/hr while a remote community like Fort McMurray may be $175/hr while a small town operation may be $90/hr. You have to remain competitive with door rate so overcharging to get FCA to pay more doesn't work. Door rate usually only applies to straight time work like repair a 5.7 Hemi for a broken exhaust stud. Most regular maintenance stuff is MENU priced to compete with the aftermarket shops so Alignments are a flat $xxx Brake Relines are a flat $xxx etc. Techs hate MENU priced work as it pays less than straight time work and is usually pawned off to the apprentices or older techs who don't want to be tearing Ram 3500 front ends apart anymore or doing heavy transfer case work.

 

[300rag]

[QUOTE="Dobalovr, post: 383897, member: 4461"... Door rate usually only applies to straight time work like repair a 5.7 Hemi for a broken exhaust stud...[/QUOTE]

You would think that after all these years they would have that problem solved. I hope mine is still under warranty when it happens.

 

[1Fury1]

We have several "Price Levels" depending on who you are. Full Retail, Jobber, Wholesale, Employee, Cost etc. Wholesale rates average around 15% markup Jobber pays 20% Average Joe pays Retail (30-40%)

Thanks Doba, that would explain my recent $512 dealer oil change on my 2014 ram3500 with 28K on the clock.
Fuel filters (2) $200. Tire rotation, which must have chewed up all of 10 minutes. Oil, filter, labor. Yes $512. They also did a track bar recall while it was there and the mechanic broke a sensor. They tried to slip another $55 in to replace it which brought the total to almost $600. Luckily I caught that as I was dumbfoundedly scrutinizing my bill and it was promptly removed. On my old Cummins trucks I would pick up oil and fuel filters from UFA along with 10 qts of chevron synthetic all for $75 and do my own service.

 

[Dobalovr]

Thanks Doba, that would explain my recent $512 dealer oil change on my 2014 ram3500 with 28K on the clock.
Fuel filters (2) $200. Tire rotation, which must have chewed up all of 10 minutes. Oil, filter, labor. Yes $512. They also did a track bar recall while it was there and the mechanic broke a sensor. They tried to slip another $55 in to replace it which brought the total to almost $600. Luckily I caught that as I was dumbfoundedly scrutinizing my bill and it was promptly removed. On my old Cummins trucks I would pick up oil and fuel filters from UFA along with 10 qts of chevron synthetic all for $75 and do my own service.

Well I'd rather not go into disparaging another Dealer but that sounds excessive. You do get the FCBO discount at my store. Typical Cummins change with rotation should be $275-$350. Oil filter and fuel filters are best supplied when you come in from your favorite auto parts store. I priced our change out against crappy tire and we were $10 cheaper. 11litres of synthetic at $15/litre $75 for oil filter and some labour. Your bill sounds high IMHO. Peter can give you my contact info for next time if you like.

 

[Dobalovr]

[QUOTE="Dobalovr, post: 383897, member: 4461"... Door rate usually only applies to straight time work like repair a 5.7 Hemi for a broken exhaust stud...

You would think that after all these years they would have that problem solved. I hope mine is still under warranty when it happens.

Umm Red trucks are immune so don't worry.

 

[66Newyorker]

When you explain the cost of your repairs you are talking Canadian dollars not US dollars. I understand that prices are still high regardless of where you get your vehicle repaired. How much of your total is before taxes and after taxes? GST, Provential and maybe local.

 

[Dobalovr]

When you explain the cost of your repairs you are talking Canadian dollars not US dollars. I understand that prices are still high regardless of where you get your vehicle repaired. How much of your total is before taxes and after taxes? GST, Provential and maybe local.

Tax extra on all quoted prices (5% GST in Alberta's case plus enviro charges)

 

[Big_John]

Wow... I pay $85 for the Ford diesel oil change at my local Ford dealer. That's for 15 quarts of oil and a filter.

 

[66Newyorker]

1Fury1 explained his bill was $512.00. From what you are telling me he only paid 5% total taxes. I was wondering what the total the total tax% is. Where I live the total tax rate is 10.5% that includes State and local taxes.

 

[300rag]

1Fury1 explained his bill was $512.00. From what you are telling me he only paid 5% total taxes. I was wondering what the total the total tax% is. Where I live the total tax rate is 10.5% that includes State and local taxes.

At this time we pay only the 5% GST in Alberta, no provincial or local taxes. I'm not holding my breath though, with the new provincial government we have.

 

[66Newyorker]

Ok with the current exchange rate of Canadian dollar to US dollar. A $512.00 repair bill in Alberta would be around $420.00 US dollars, give or take for taxes.

 

[CanCritter]

Umm Red trucks are immune so don't worry.

phew....



quote 1Fury1
Thanks Doba, that would explain my recent $512 dealer oil change on my 2014 ram3500 with 28K on the clock.
Fuel filters (2) $200. Tire rotation, which must have chewed up all of 10 minutes. Oil, filter, labor. Yes $512. They also did a track bar recall while it was there and the mechanic broke a sensor. They tried to slip another $55 in to replace it which brought the total to almost $600. Luckily I caught that as I was dumbfoundedly scrutinizing my bill and it was promptly removed. On my old Cummins trucks I would pick up oil and fuel filters from UFA along with 10 qts of chevron synthetic all for $75 and do my own service.
unquote

need to look into my oil changes which are about double that price....do all my own oil changes on the diesel and it takes me about 30-60 mins with clean up and putting everything away...first oil change on new truck they left a filter wrench sitting on top of the battery....glad l caught it...woulda been ugly had it fallen into fan...it probally woulda sent it through rad ect or shorted out battery ...another reason to do what l can where l can...is also good exercise crawlin around under the truck...

 

[1Fury1]

Well I'd rather not go into disparaging another Dealer but that sounds excessive. You do get the FCBO discount at my store. Typical Cummins change with rotation should be $275-$350. Oil filter and fuel filters are best supplied when you come in from your favorite auto parts store. I priced our change out against crappy tire and we were $10 cheaper. 11litres of synthetic at $15/litre $75 for oil filter and some labour. Your bill sounds high IMHO. Peter can give you my contact info for next time if you like.

Thanks will do. And to add insult to injury they put in conventional oil when the previous time was synthetic. Done ranting now.

 

[Dobalovr]

Thanks will do. And to add insult to injury they put in conventional oil when the previous time was synthetic. Done ranting now.