Question for auto shop owners………..
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Other Topics
Forum Name: Shops, Barns, Varmints, and Trucks
Forum Description: anything you want to talk about except politics
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=209274
Printed Date: 10 Dec 2025 at 1:54am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Question for auto shop owners………..
Posted By: Lars(wi)
Subject: Question for auto shop owners………..
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2025 at 2:37pm
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How do you handle ‘walk in the door’ work vs ‘appointment work’? Background; we live in a small town with very limited auto repair facilities, of the couple that are here, they are backed up all the time. They will stop work on vehicles in the bay, to handle someone that walks in the door with something ‘urgent’. For us that scheduled a time, we not given a committed(nor a rough estimate) time for completion. What would be a 12 hour ‘book-time’ job stretches to over a week or more. Is this a common practice nowadays? ------------- I tried to follow the science, but it was not there. I then followed the money, and that’s where I found the science. |
Replies:
Posted By: Coke-in-MN
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2025 at 3:14pm
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Two fold - if someone has a breakdown that can be easily fixed - a way to have a new satisfied or prospective customer . If a major or long repair or diagnostic then a appointment is the answer . While traveling I had a drivers side window on my truck lower but refuse to go back up , no problem EXCEPT is was below ZERO out . Stopped at a auto dealership to see if they could help - said they were booked up but if i could wait they would see if someone would be free . 14 minutes late service writer contacted me - 3 mechanics had got window back up - said regulator was bad - just don't lower window until I got to somewhere who could fix it fully . Asked about their shop cost - said next time they would charge - this time on them . ------------- Life lesson: If you’re being chased by a lion, you’re on a horse, to the left of you is a giraffe and on the right is a unicorn, what do you do? You stop drinking and get off the carousel. |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2025 at 4:20pm
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A shop should NOT be taking that much "urgent" work... Most jobs dont fall in that catagoy.. They should wait just like everyone else.. Now if you SCHEDULE and leave you car so they can work on at their LEISURE as they have SPARE TIME.. and give you a discount, thats different. No 12 hour job should take a week to complete. Your going to loose business if you work like that.
------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2025 at 5:25pm
| Working in a shop along a Interstate we saw our share of Urgent and Needed back on the road work. Weed thru some diagnostics where if is Easy fix, work them thru, otherwise offer number to tow companies or point to a Pay Phone(Back then). Most with real problems were looking more for a Rental Car company in most cases and would get back to the car at a later date. |
Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2025 at 5:57pm
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A friend of mine (from out of town) had a tire blowout on his fifth wheel RV quite close to me, only to find that his spare was flat. He called me looking for help. When we went to a "mom and pop" local tire shop, where I have done business (and they know me), they told him he would have to make an appointment. I told them he was broke down on the side of the road. That didn't matter - make an appointment. We went to a local "wholesale club". They mounted a new tire and fixed the spare. I try to do business locally, but guess which one I will do business with, in the future.
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Posted By: Hubert (Ga)engine7
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2025 at 8:53pm
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Most repairs should be done on a first in, first out basis but there are other considerations that come into play. Sometimes the shop may be waiting on parts for what is in the bay and can take on a quick repair instead of starting another major job. Sometimes it may mean interrupting your normal work flow to get someone out of a bind and back on the road. Think of how you would want a family member treated if they had a problem out of town that could be quickly resolved to get them back on the road. There are no hard and fast rules, a workable balance that keeps almost everyone happy is best. JMHO. ------------- Just an old country boy saved by the grace of God. |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2025 at 8:59pm
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If the "urgent" is one out of 10 customers, thats one thing.. IF it is 50% of the business, your screwing your SCHEDULED customers. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2025 at 6:06am
| Not necessarily screwing regulars, possibly attempting to earn faster money, or too short handed and still attempting to maintain service levels. Some shops intentionally cater to transient business as reaps higher referrals in the long run but destroys local credibility as noted. |
Posted By: PaulB
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2025 at 7:08am
Go to a shop to get a vehicle fixed??? I've never contemplated such a concept Even 99% of my on highway breakdowns I've been able to at least fix enough to limp home. If a vehicle has computer controls or other things requiring fancy diagnostics, it's not for me.------------- If it was fun to pull in LOW gear, I could have a John Deere. Real pullers don't have speed limits. If you can't make it GO... make it SHINY |
Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2025 at 11:26am
| Paul, some of us have progressed beyond the '80's. |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2025 at 1:11pm
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Lars... i dont know what maintenance you needed.. But if this was the TRUCK you just bought with the 5.4 motor and VCT that was worn out... the mechanic probably disassembled the timing cover / chains / idlers / tensioners and examined the cams , etc... Probably made a list and had to order the parts... That might take a few days.. So the 12 hour job was 5 hours to disassemble and inspect... and will be 7 hours to reassemble a week later , after all the parts arrive. ?? ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: DanWi
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2025 at 1:16pm
| On the phone this morning trying to make an appointment to get hearing checked. Lady put me on hold to deal with a customer checking out. So, who's time was more important the customer checking out or me becoming a new customer? Eventually a different lady came on and made an appointment, the other lady calls me back 2 hours later to get the rest of my info. I hate these callbacks from the dr. office, like I'm sitting here with nothing to do when I'm working on the farm. As far as repair shops like tire guys and tow trucks and even mechanics if you want to take the emergency jobs because you like the challenge, the people, or the money you need to schedule your work to cover it all. The guys who are good at it seem to get it all done. Some of the guys that enjoy it will work on the big projects after hours when they don't get disturbed by customers. If you don't want to be a slave to your shop then work accordingly. |
Posted By: Lars(wi)
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2025 at 2:40pm
Yes, Steve this is the vehicle, but the kicker is, he ordered all the parts ahead of time, when the parts arrived we scheduled the service. Dropped the truck off a week ago yesterday, it should have been done before Friday nite. Texted him Friday morning for status update, said should be all buttoned up later Saturday, but wanted to ‘use the truck for a couple days, make it runs right before letting back to me’. Texted Monday am, to see if ready, reply; “he didn’t feel good Saturday, and was too tired Sunday but, it won’t be long my friend”. So this where I’m at, wife is pissed at me, beyond belief(this is gonna be her sled). However this turns out, this is the last project this mechanic will do for me, which is unfortunate as he is very knowledgeable and through, but his timelines, I can’t work with any longer. ------------- I tried to follow the science, but it was not there. I then followed the money, and that’s where I found the science. |
steve(ill) wrote:Posted By: Coke-in-MN
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2025 at 4:44pm
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Brother was a line mechanic for a dealership but did work at home in his spare time like tune ups and brake jobs and a clutch or such repair at his OWN timing . One neighbor he did work for sent his brother in law over to have some work done . Guy comes into garage and tells my brother he is dropping his car off and wants it back the following day in early afternoon. So they start off a little far apart on side work - Brother says he can schedule it in later some time next week - the guy gets all upset and says he needs it now and wants a actual time and day he wants it done by - So brother grabs the wall calendar - looks at it and say - have a opening 4 months from now at 8 AM Saturday - car will be done by midnight and expect you to pick it up at 12:30 AM that night . Last he heard from the guy ------------- Life lesson: If you’re being chased by a lion, you’re on a horse, to the left of you is a giraffe and on the right is a unicorn, what do you do? You stop drinking and get off the carousel. |
Posted By: AC7060IL
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2025 at 6:34pm
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Questions / considerations for the vehicle customer(s); 1. how should an auto mechanic charge for a heated/lighted occupied work bay along with its lift during delayed new parts order(s) wait time?? 2. How should an auto mechanic charge for installing a new “bad” part(s) only to test them & realize they’re bad. So then need to remove them again, order another hopefully “good new part. Then get to install 2nd or 3rd same new part(s)?? That’s the sad truth/reality todays mechanics face day after day. Customers with Vehicle being repaired/serviced probably don’t realize that or may not believe it even if mechanic tried to communicate about it. Crazy times!! |
Posted By: jvin248
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2025 at 6:58pm
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. It's triage like a hospital emergency center. Assess the sick car and if it's having a heart attack it gets pulled ahead of the hangnail patient. Buy a beater backup vehicle, like an old pickup because you can use it to haul sod, and you can get by a week of your regular car at the shop. I'm a little too impatient and I just go buy parts and do the repair myself instead of sitting in the waiting room at the shop. The backup vehicle is the parts chaser if I run into unexpected issues and need more parts. . |
Posted By: Kenny L.
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2025 at 7:17pm
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Where I take my to get repaired they'll give you a loaner to use and all you have to do is have the same amount of gas in it when you bring it back or they'll bill for the gas, I'm sure I'm paying for that loaner one way or other but it's nice to have that loaner and I don't care about I time line for getting it back. |