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| Sometimes that alternative choice can be trouble! Do your research, check the shops credentials, and stick with your choice. In the end, you will be ahead! It's all about relationships! |
I get calls all day long from people wanting prices on repairs to vehicles. Sometimes people are not even sure what repair
is needed but still want a price. Especially today, price is very important, but quality should not be compromised. Probably
about one out of ten are calling to check if we are qualified and what type of parts we use. Most of the time it seems the
only concern is who is cheapest. I get comments all time like "I'm sitting at home and I'm calling every shop in the book to
get the cheapest price on my front brakes". My question first is what is needed to repair them correctly? Next I hear, " I'm
not sure but when I hit the brakes the car shakes and it darts to the left". I then will let them know in order to quote the job
accurately we would need to inspect the car. Then I hear, "Okay, thank you!" and the phone hangs up. Two things. First of
all, who can accurately bid a job without determining the problem, and secondly, what quality of work will you receive when
you find someone that will guarantee a price without looking and will be the cheapest of all. Below is a little story about
cheap and quality. I think you can relate it to about any service you pay for. Naturally, I relate it to the repair industry. If you
have any comments you can go to the contact page and let me know by email. Animal rights people, RELAX, not really
hurting any cats, and if you find yourself offended because you run a poor shop like in the story, don't mail me screaming.
Just fix your shop and learn your job and quit giving this helpful and needed industry a bad name.
I'm sure you have heard the saying: "There's more than one way to skin a cat". Now if there was such a thing as a cat
skinner, what do you think he would say? I think that he would say that he has found the quickest way that produces the
best possible skin and he does it the same way every time. It makes his customers happy and is at a fair price with a
reasonable profit to the skinner. This skinner has a reputation for a quality product. We can call him or her, Skinner A.
Skinner A is proud of his work. He prepares his skins the same way every time, no shortcuts. He buys the best and
sharpest knife. He uses the best chemicals and procedures to produce the softest fur. He has insurance to cover the
possibility of a mistake. He has had technical training and keeps up with new tools and procedures that come about. He
pays his taxes and donates what he can afford to different charities around the community. He treats his help well and pays
them fairly. He cares about and listens to his customers needs. He has a good warranty and stands behind it. He runs a
respectful business and seems to be doing everything the right way. Skinner A charges the market average which is based
on cost of doing business with a fair profit margin. Lets say his rate is $25.00 per hour and it takes him 3 hours to complete
one skin. Without including payroll, utilities, insurance, taxes, chemicals, workman's comp, unemployment insurance, tools
and maintenance, mortgage, charities, school donations and on and on, his cash intake per skin is $75.00.
Now let's talk about Skinner B and his business. Skinner B thinks there is more than one way to skin a cat, and he does it
differently every time. He does it very quickly but his product suffers a bit. Because he does it differently his product is also
a bit inconsistent. He finds the cheapest tools to perform with. He gets his supplies from the discount barn but promotes
them as best available. He likely skips payroll taxes and other fees by paying his employees in cash. He might have
insurance but if he does, it may only be what the law requires as a minimum. He is proud of the fact that he has not had
specialized training but has learned it all on his own. He seeks out employees that will work the cheapest, qualifications are
optional. He says he cares about his customer and the quality they deserve, but his actions do not really show that. He
seems to have a shortcut for everything. Skinner B sets his price based on appearing cheaper than Skinner A. This is
usually easy to accomplish because he has less to offer therefore his costs are lower. Skinner B gets $20.00 dollars per
hour and brags about his low rate. He also offers a warranty but may look for ways that you have voided it.
Seems like a good deal doesn't it? Now you will hear the rest of the story. You know Skinner B's product is inconsistent.
You know that you may have a battle on your hands if he makes a mistake, and you know that his help has been hired
because they are cheap. The real catch is that Skinner B's business, It costs twenty dollars for a skin. Is that a deal? Well,
let's break it down and see. We know that for Skinner A to complete a skin takes him three hours. His work is of the highest
quality and he is efficient. Even though the industry standard is 3 hours, Skinner B charges 4 hours to complete one skin
even though he usually takes about 2 hours. Of course his quality suffers a bit. This makes his skin cost $80.00.
Hmmm?...That's more than Skinner A makes, and Skinner B's product is inferior to A's. Skinner B's help also makes less
money. So in this scenario, you paid 5 dollars an hour less, and paid 5 dollars more for the product. Skinner B seems to be
the only one getting a good deal.
Now let's complicate the situation with a warranty problem. Lets say your skin has a one year limited warranty that protects
it against defect in production causing any problems with the color, quality and fullness of the fur. After about 7 months, you
notice that there appears to be a bald spot forming in your skin. You return the product to Skinner A's shop. You show him
the fur and explain your problem. Skinner A looks at your skin and realizes you are correct. His next statement is about how
sorry he is that his product let you down. He then informs you that he will right away prepare a new product for you and he
will make sure it is a little larger than your first one. He will do it right away and he will deliver it and he is so sorry you had
trouble. Inside he is embarrassed and hopes that his mistake will not stop you from returning in the future. He goes to bed
that night thinking about his mistake and how it affected his customer. The next day he delivers the new replacement
product and it is perfect. The replacement lasts for a long time like almost all he does do and it is still perfect today. His
customer is very happy but he once again goes to bed again hoping he did enough and that he handled it well.
Let's say now that you chose to save the five bucks and went to Skinner B. Skinner B has the same posted warranty that
Skinner A has. You show up after 7 months with the same problem. The first thing Skinner B wants is a copy of your
receipt, even thou he knows it is his skin and he remembers making it. If you don't have your receipt (even thou he likely
has his) it may be over right then. If you do have your receipt, then next come the questions. Where do you keep it? Does
the sun hit it? Have you washed it and with what. Do you use other cleaners near it? What is the temperature where you
keep it? You get the picture. As soon as he gets an answer he's looking for, your warranty is voided. Or, he takes the skin
in and instead of making a new one which is what is needed to make it right, he patches in a piece. It sort of looks okay but
a little funny. Skinner B is happy with the repair but you are not. Sorry, that's what the warranty covers. Skinner B is not
sorry, he never gives it another thought. He sleeps well that night. The next day when he completes his patch job, he
forgets to call you that it is ready. You call at the end of the day. It's ready, come and get it. After 6 more months, it falls
apart and it's out of warranty. You go buy another once again for $80.00. Skinner A's skin still looks great!
But you saved five dollars per hour! I'm sure you can relate the story above to having your vehicle repaired. Are you using
Skinner A or B? There are many of both out there. I'll tell you something that seems so obvious. The technicians that study
and are skilled, buy the correct tools and have pride in what they do work at the shops that reflect the reputation that they
want for themselves. The best technicians do not work at the economy specialty shops. The best technicians want a nice
facility to work in with newer updated equipment and some benefits. In return, they fix your car correctly. Their repairs do
not cause future failures and the repairs performed on your car were needed and no guesswork was performed. You will
also find as you build your relationship with the shop you chose that they will learn your car and be better able to advise
you if the benefit of repairs are worth the cost. When you call and go to the cheapest on the phone, they don't care what
condition your car is in. They will fix whatever even if it's about to fall apart. Quite often, we take a vehicle in for a simple
repair and while checking it discover a large problem with it that will cost a large amount of money to fix. Even thou it would
be nice to making a few hundred dollars doing brakes, the right thing to do is to tell them that their transmission is slipping
and the ball joints and tie rods are bad. The repairs easily exceed the value of the car a few times over. This could change
a persons mind about repairing their vehicle. The wrong thing to do is to repair the vehicle and then tell them or worse yet,
not saying anything or not being skilled enough to notice such a large failure. In this situation many times the work was
aborted and the vehicle replaced. In other cases we still moved forward. The customer was informed and the decision at
that point was made to move forward with the warning of future repairs needed.
So am I saying find the most expensive shop and use them no matter what? NO! What I am saying is price isn't everything
if it means you get less. Relationships are very important and familiarizing yourself and your car with a facility is usually
what gets you the best service. State law requires that each technicians license and the facility's license be displayed in
an area where the public can easily view them. If the shop you are using does not practice this, run! Technicians,
especially good ones, are very proud of their credentials and want you know they are qualified. You can also call the Better
Business Bureau, or the Michigan Bureau of Automotive Regulation. Either can tell you if the shop has violations of
practice on record. Your friends, family and co-workers can also be a source of information. Whichever shop you decide
on, go in and meet with them. Tell them your vehicle and what your needs and expectations will be and can they fulfill what
you expect. Any repair that you receive, the shop should be happy to fully explain(in a way you can understand)the repair,
why it was needed, and show you parts that were replaced in the repair. State law requires that we keep your parts for 3
days after the repair is picked up. Most shops do not put the old parts in your car, but save them inside the building. You
have the right to view them. Finally make sure your repair invoice has the repair documented. It needs to state your
complaint, what was found to be wrong, and what was done to correct the condition. Diagnostic trouble codes should be
listed. If there is a warranty issue that comes up, a fully documented invoice will make warranty issues clearer.
So good luck with who you choose. Of course I hope you pick this company. I, at least hope you enjoyed reading this
article and even possibly learned something. If you did not, or it made you mad, or you think I'm wrong, TOUGH! It's my
opinion and I'm entitled to it! If you don't like it, get your own website, publish your own opinion! Those of you that already
know the benefit of using Done-Right Auto and RV, Inc. Thank you so very much for your business!
Mark
is needed but still want a price. Especially today, price is very important, but quality should not be compromised. Probably
about one out of ten are calling to check if we are qualified and what type of parts we use. Most of the time it seems the
only concern is who is cheapest. I get comments all time like "I'm sitting at home and I'm calling every shop in the book to
get the cheapest price on my front brakes". My question first is what is needed to repair them correctly? Next I hear, " I'm
not sure but when I hit the brakes the car shakes and it darts to the left". I then will let them know in order to quote the job
accurately we would need to inspect the car. Then I hear, "Okay, thank you!" and the phone hangs up. Two things. First of
all, who can accurately bid a job without determining the problem, and secondly, what quality of work will you receive when
you find someone that will guarantee a price without looking and will be the cheapest of all. Below is a little story about
cheap and quality. I think you can relate it to about any service you pay for. Naturally, I relate it to the repair industry. If you
have any comments you can go to the contact page and let me know by email. Animal rights people, RELAX, not really
hurting any cats, and if you find yourself offended because you run a poor shop like in the story, don't mail me screaming.
Just fix your shop and learn your job and quit giving this helpful and needed industry a bad name.
I'm sure you have heard the saying: "There's more than one way to skin a cat". Now if there was such a thing as a cat
skinner, what do you think he would say? I think that he would say that he has found the quickest way that produces the
best possible skin and he does it the same way every time. It makes his customers happy and is at a fair price with a
reasonable profit to the skinner. This skinner has a reputation for a quality product. We can call him or her, Skinner A.
Skinner A is proud of his work. He prepares his skins the same way every time, no shortcuts. He buys the best and
sharpest knife. He uses the best chemicals and procedures to produce the softest fur. He has insurance to cover the
possibility of a mistake. He has had technical training and keeps up with new tools and procedures that come about. He
pays his taxes and donates what he can afford to different charities around the community. He treats his help well and pays
them fairly. He cares about and listens to his customers needs. He has a good warranty and stands behind it. He runs a
respectful business and seems to be doing everything the right way. Skinner A charges the market average which is based
on cost of doing business with a fair profit margin. Lets say his rate is $25.00 per hour and it takes him 3 hours to complete
one skin. Without including payroll, utilities, insurance, taxes, chemicals, workman's comp, unemployment insurance, tools
and maintenance, mortgage, charities, school donations and on and on, his cash intake per skin is $75.00.
Now let's talk about Skinner B and his business. Skinner B thinks there is more than one way to skin a cat, and he does it
differently every time. He does it very quickly but his product suffers a bit. Because he does it differently his product is also
a bit inconsistent. He finds the cheapest tools to perform with. He gets his supplies from the discount barn but promotes
them as best available. He likely skips payroll taxes and other fees by paying his employees in cash. He might have
insurance but if he does, it may only be what the law requires as a minimum. He is proud of the fact that he has not had
specialized training but has learned it all on his own. He seeks out employees that will work the cheapest, qualifications are
optional. He says he cares about his customer and the quality they deserve, but his actions do not really show that. He
seems to have a shortcut for everything. Skinner B sets his price based on appearing cheaper than Skinner A. This is
usually easy to accomplish because he has less to offer therefore his costs are lower. Skinner B gets $20.00 dollars per
hour and brags about his low rate. He also offers a warranty but may look for ways that you have voided it.
Seems like a good deal doesn't it? Now you will hear the rest of the story. You know Skinner B's product is inconsistent.
You know that you may have a battle on your hands if he makes a mistake, and you know that his help has been hired
because they are cheap. The real catch is that Skinner B's business, It costs twenty dollars for a skin. Is that a deal? Well,
let's break it down and see. We know that for Skinner A to complete a skin takes him three hours. His work is of the highest
quality and he is efficient. Even though the industry standard is 3 hours, Skinner B charges 4 hours to complete one skin
even though he usually takes about 2 hours. Of course his quality suffers a bit. This makes his skin cost $80.00.
Hmmm?...That's more than Skinner A makes, and Skinner B's product is inferior to A's. Skinner B's help also makes less
money. So in this scenario, you paid 5 dollars an hour less, and paid 5 dollars more for the product. Skinner B seems to be
the only one getting a good deal.
Now let's complicate the situation with a warranty problem. Lets say your skin has a one year limited warranty that protects
it against defect in production causing any problems with the color, quality and fullness of the fur. After about 7 months, you
notice that there appears to be a bald spot forming in your skin. You return the product to Skinner A's shop. You show him
the fur and explain your problem. Skinner A looks at your skin and realizes you are correct. His next statement is about how
sorry he is that his product let you down. He then informs you that he will right away prepare a new product for you and he
will make sure it is a little larger than your first one. He will do it right away and he will deliver it and he is so sorry you had
trouble. Inside he is embarrassed and hopes that his mistake will not stop you from returning in the future. He goes to bed
that night thinking about his mistake and how it affected his customer. The next day he delivers the new replacement
product and it is perfect. The replacement lasts for a long time like almost all he does do and it is still perfect today. His
customer is very happy but he once again goes to bed again hoping he did enough and that he handled it well.
Let's say now that you chose to save the five bucks and went to Skinner B. Skinner B has the same posted warranty that
Skinner A has. You show up after 7 months with the same problem. The first thing Skinner B wants is a copy of your
receipt, even thou he knows it is his skin and he remembers making it. If you don't have your receipt (even thou he likely
has his) it may be over right then. If you do have your receipt, then next come the questions. Where do you keep it? Does
the sun hit it? Have you washed it and with what. Do you use other cleaners near it? What is the temperature where you
keep it? You get the picture. As soon as he gets an answer he's looking for, your warranty is voided. Or, he takes the skin
in and instead of making a new one which is what is needed to make it right, he patches in a piece. It sort of looks okay but
a little funny. Skinner B is happy with the repair but you are not. Sorry, that's what the warranty covers. Skinner B is not
sorry, he never gives it another thought. He sleeps well that night. The next day when he completes his patch job, he
forgets to call you that it is ready. You call at the end of the day. It's ready, come and get it. After 6 more months, it falls
apart and it's out of warranty. You go buy another once again for $80.00. Skinner A's skin still looks great!
But you saved five dollars per hour! I'm sure you can relate the story above to having your vehicle repaired. Are you using
Skinner A or B? There are many of both out there. I'll tell you something that seems so obvious. The technicians that study
and are skilled, buy the correct tools and have pride in what they do work at the shops that reflect the reputation that they
want for themselves. The best technicians do not work at the economy specialty shops. The best technicians want a nice
facility to work in with newer updated equipment and some benefits. In return, they fix your car correctly. Their repairs do
not cause future failures and the repairs performed on your car were needed and no guesswork was performed. You will
also find as you build your relationship with the shop you chose that they will learn your car and be better able to advise
you if the benefit of repairs are worth the cost. When you call and go to the cheapest on the phone, they don't care what
condition your car is in. They will fix whatever even if it's about to fall apart. Quite often, we take a vehicle in for a simple
repair and while checking it discover a large problem with it that will cost a large amount of money to fix. Even thou it would
be nice to making a few hundred dollars doing brakes, the right thing to do is to tell them that their transmission is slipping
and the ball joints and tie rods are bad. The repairs easily exceed the value of the car a few times over. This could change
a persons mind about repairing their vehicle. The wrong thing to do is to repair the vehicle and then tell them or worse yet,
not saying anything or not being skilled enough to notice such a large failure. In this situation many times the work was
aborted and the vehicle replaced. In other cases we still moved forward. The customer was informed and the decision at
that point was made to move forward with the warning of future repairs needed.
So am I saying find the most expensive shop and use them no matter what? NO! What I am saying is price isn't everything
if it means you get less. Relationships are very important and familiarizing yourself and your car with a facility is usually
what gets you the best service. State law requires that each technicians license and the facility's license be displayed in
an area where the public can easily view them. If the shop you are using does not practice this, run! Technicians,
especially good ones, are very proud of their credentials and want you know they are qualified. You can also call the Better
Business Bureau, or the Michigan Bureau of Automotive Regulation. Either can tell you if the shop has violations of
practice on record. Your friends, family and co-workers can also be a source of information. Whichever shop you decide
on, go in and meet with them. Tell them your vehicle and what your needs and expectations will be and can they fulfill what
you expect. Any repair that you receive, the shop should be happy to fully explain(in a way you can understand)the repair,
why it was needed, and show you parts that were replaced in the repair. State law requires that we keep your parts for 3
days after the repair is picked up. Most shops do not put the old parts in your car, but save them inside the building. You
have the right to view them. Finally make sure your repair invoice has the repair documented. It needs to state your
complaint, what was found to be wrong, and what was done to correct the condition. Diagnostic trouble codes should be
listed. If there is a warranty issue that comes up, a fully documented invoice will make warranty issues clearer.
So good luck with who you choose. Of course I hope you pick this company. I, at least hope you enjoyed reading this
article and even possibly learned something. If you did not, or it made you mad, or you think I'm wrong, TOUGH! It's my
opinion and I'm entitled to it! If you don't like it, get your own website, publish your own opinion! Those of you that already
know the benefit of using Done-Right Auto and RV, Inc. Thank you so very much for your business!
Mark
| Sane and intelligent human beings are like all other human beings, and carefully and cautiously and diligently conceal their private real opinions from the world and give out fictitious ones in their stead for general consumption. Mark Twain (1835-1910) |