Supplying own parts for service

Darragh29 · 18-01-2009 08:46PM

thetyreman wrote: »

You hardly Valet and wash the car aswell for that money do yoy,if so you are way to cheap man

Yip, that was the standard. We didn't spend all day on it, just horsed into the job and no messing around.

blackiebest · 18-01-2009 10:51PM

Darragh29 wrote: »

An online parts business model is a different thing entirely from a garage operation model. There is no messing or taking the p*ss or entertaining stupid requests. There is a price for a product on a website that is the lowest price for the product in Ireland and available immediately.

If you want to buy the product, click the purchase button and have your Laser/Visa card to hand, if not, no problem, pay more for it from your motor factor. We'll have it delivered to you that evening (open until 12PM nightly), or next business day for deliveries outside of Dublin.

Fair enough Darragh but it reads like you are playing for both sides at the same time. Until such time as there is an affordable supply source in Ireland, which you are proposing, we the punters should shut up and pay the stupid prices we are being charged by the likes of you. That stance is outrageous, especially considering that you will be singing off a totally different sheet once you start your new business. You really believe I should pay the current rip off prices because you have not yet set up your business. Its a joke and many of your mentality will have a big u turn when <the irony>you set up your new business.

You have displayed a stunning inability to see the situation from the point of view of the customer, in this case me, who wants to get their car fixed for a reasonable price. I run a company too, with multiple staff and I know how hard it is to make it all worth while, but if I had your attitude towards customers I would have been out of business much earlier than I fear I will be, due to the meltdown in my industry. It is specifically for this reason that I must try to get the best job done for the best price. I thought I would be ordering my new forester this year but in current times feel I might have it for another few years. Two years ago I would have sent my car out and paid the stupid prices i would have been charged and wondered how it could be so...

Well you demonstrate how it could be so. Head in the sand IMO and now you feel you can switch over to play both sides.

I should not have mentioned that I want to do the change with the mechanic but I have been grossly misrepresented, especially by you in my intentions. I want to pay the garage 64e per hour to install a clutch in my car and make sure I have a good job done. This has not been my experience in the past when I paid equally or more for shoddy work and now in tough times I am not prepared to take the sh1t work and the outrageous prices you seem to advocate.

I am a straight hitter and do not come on here with an agenda other than hi-light the difference in prices between what you and your colleagues think we the punter should pay and what is available on the market. Fcuk your cartel, its over and thank goodness it is. I will monitor your online prices closely and you have, before you started, employed a watchdog who will highlight any apparent rip offs in your new venture

maidhc · 18-01-2009 11:06PM

blackiebest wrote: »

I am a straight hitter and do not come on here with an agenda other than hi-light the difference in prices between what you and your colleagues think we the punter should pay and what is available on the market. Fcuk your cartel, its over and thank goodness it is. I will monitor your online prices closely and you have, before you started, employed a watchdog who will highlight any apparent rip offs in your new venture

Calm down! We live in a free market economy. If a person provides a bad/expensive/inefficient service they will fail, particularly in the current economic climate.

thetyreman · 18-01-2009 11:45PM

blackiebest wrote: »

Darragh29 wrote: »

An online parts business model is a different thing entirely from a garage operation model. There is no messing or taking the p*ss or entertaining stupid requests. There is a price for a product on a website that is the lowest price for the product in Ireland and available immediately.

If you want to buy the product, click the purchase button and have your Laser/Visa card to hand, if not, no problem, pay more for it from your motor factor. We'll have it delivered to you that evening (open until 12PM nightly), or next business day for deliveries outside of Dublin.

Fair enough Darragh but it reads like you are playing for both sides at the same time. Until such time as there is an affordable supply source in Ireland, which you are proposing, we the punters should shut up and pay the stupid prices we are being charged by the likes of you. That stance is outrageous, especially considering that you will be singing off a totally different sheet once you start your new business. You really believe I should pay the current rip off prices because you have not yet set up your business. Its a joke and many of your mentality will have a big u turn when <the irony>you set up your new business.

You have displayed a stunning inability to see the situation from the point of view of the customer, in this case me, who wants to get their car fixed for a reasonable price. I run a company too, with multiple staff and I know how hard it is to make it all worth while, but if I had your attitude towards customers I would have been out of business much earlier than I fear I will be, due to the meltdown in my industry. It is specifically for this reason that I must try to get the best job done for the best price. I thought I would be ordering my new forester this year but in current times feel I might have it for another few years. Two years ago I would have sent my car out and paid the stupid prices i would have been charged and wondered how it could be so...

Well you demonstrate how it could be so. Head in the sand IMO and now you feel you can switch over to play both sides.

I should not have mentioned that I want to do the change with the mechanic but I have been grossly misrepresented, especially by you in my intentions. I want to pay the garage 64e per hour to install a clutch in my car and make sure I have a good job done. This has not been my experience in the past when I paid equally or more for shoddy work and now in tough times I am not prepared to take the sh1t work and the outrageous prices you seem to advocate.

I am a straight hitter and do not come on here with an agenda other than hi-light the difference in prices between what you and your colleagues think we the punter should pay and what is available on the market. Fcuk your cartel, its over and thank goodness it is. I will monitor your online prices closely and you have, before you started, employed a watchdog who will highlight any apparent rip offs in your new venture

Dangerous ground there, (and a game that 2 can play at,)IMHO

blackiebest · 18-01-2009 11:52PM

thetyreman wrote: »

blackiebest wrote: »

Dangerous ground there, (and a game that 2 can play at,)IMHO

Care to make sense?

Darragh29 · 19-01-2009 12:05AM

You're main problem here is that you are judging the industry as a whole. I don't know any wealthy indy garage operators. There are costs associated with running the business and these costs are spread over the transactions that the business sucessfully completes.

It works the same in your business. You have to have rules and methods for a business and a garage is no different. When you depart from the business model and start allowing people dictate how you run your business, you start having problems. It all starts off with a little harmless request like, "can I supply my own parts?". Then next time, it's "ah you'll do it for less than that!", then the next time, it's, "Jasus I haven't the money me, I'll throw it into you next week...", and so on and so forth and next thing you know, you're chasing your own money for 3-4 months and your losing money.

Yet again I suggest to you, go into your local and ask the barman can you pull your own pint, pay a Euro less for it because after all, "you know him", and then tell him you'll throw the money in at the end of the month when you get paid. The motor industry is the only place I see these things being tried again and again and again, and the indy part of the motor industry is the only place I see this.

thetyreman · 19-01-2009 12:05AM

blackiebest wrote: »

thetyreman wrote: »

Care to make sense?

what i am saying is about your petty remark of him (employeing himself a watchdog) if you have nothing better to do with your time than going to throll his intended website looking for ways to show him up or embaress him,you are very small minded.
You say yourself that you run a business,so surely you above all people
knows how hard it is,without begrudgers and knockers going out of there way to put the kibosh on it,and makeing threats about monitoreing it from your armchair.What exactly is your plan of action if/when you see something that dosnt agree with your thinking on his intended website????

Darragh29 · 19-01-2009 12:09AM

blackiebest wrote: »

I will monitor your online prices closely and you have, before you started, employed a watchdog who will highlight any apparent rip offs in your new venture

There will be no rip-off's, but I very much welcome you offering to monitor this for me. I hope you will be as quick to comment when you see that you can save between 25%-50% on purchasing original equipment parts in Ireland.

thetyreman · 19-01-2009 12:14AM

Darragh29 wrote: »

There will be no rip-off's, but I very much welcome you offering to monitor this for me. I hope you will be as quick to comment when you see that you can save between 25%-50% on purchasing original equipment parts in Ireland.

As he said he will only monitor the Ripoffs.

His sort dont give good feedback its selective feedback,that is what he is telling you.

A independent watchdog:)

blackiebest · 19-01-2009 12:17AM

thetyreman wrote: »

blackiebest wrote: »

what i am saying is about your petty remark of him (employeing himself a watchdog) if you have nothing better to do with your time than going to throll his intended website looking for ways to show him up or embaress him,you are very small minded.
You say yourself that you run a business,so surely you above all people
knows how hard it is,without begrudgers and knockers going out of there way to put the kibosh on it,and makeing threats about monitoreing it from your armchair.What exactly is your plan of action if/when you see something that dosnt agree with your thinking on his intended website????

Maybe so, and I see your point. He managed to demonstrate such arrogance to an honest post from me that frankly I will be looking and will not be shy to highlight obvious price difference in his new business. Maybe a bit OTT with watchdog bit and I do hope all Irish business work if they deliver value, especially in the current climate but Darragh, IMO, has an attitude that sucks. You would not like being mis-quoted any more than I do, and none of my original post was "macho talk". IMO he is probably a good mechanic with his head up his arse who thinks we the paying public should pay up or f**k off

blackiebest · 19-01-2009 12:18AM

Darragh29 wrote: »

There will be no rip-off's, but I very much welcome you offering to monitor this for me. I hope you will be as quick to comment when you see that you can save between 25%-50% on purchasing original equipment parts in Ireland.

Than what you expect me to pay now, before your mark up?

Darragh29 · 19-01-2009 12:32AM

blackiebest wrote: »

Than what you expect me to pay now, before your mark up?

The market price for whatever it is that you need! You don't seem to have a grasp on the basic economics of what is happening here.

You need go get your head around the fact that I've been arguing here more than anyone for an end to the crazy situation that compels me to buy something from my competitor (main dealer) in order to do business. This is a statement of fact that can be verified by looking up a previous thead on the subject on this very forum.

You as a retailer feel that you are being screwed for parts. I feel like I'm being screwed, but until recently, there was nothing I could do about it in the short term except accept that the market price was the market price. The internet now changes all that, so I can be a part of the change, or I can sit back in my armchair and bitch and moan about it as you are doing.

I will also be running an indy garage operation from his website as you will see in due course, and the rule will remain, if you want something fitted, we supply it. If you want to supply your own parts, you'll need to find somewhere else to fit it.

blackiebest · 19-01-2009 12:34AM

Darragh29 wrote: »

It works the same in your business. You have to have rules and methods for a business and a garage is no different. When you depart from the business model and start allowing people dictate how you run your business, you start having problems. It all starts off with a little harmless request like, "can I supply my own parts?". Then next time, it's "ah you'll do it for less than that!", then the next time, it's, "Jasus I haven't the money me, I'll throw it into you next week...", and so on and so forth and next thing you know, you're chasing your own money for 3-4 months and your losing money.

This is Horsesh1t and you know it. I want to get the part my car needs and pay a fair price for it. YOU KNOW how much people like me are getting ripped off and that is why you are setting up an online business. if I thought i could go to my Indy and get the parts and job done without paying up to 200% more for the parts then I would not be using my time looking on the net, you know it because you are setting up a business to capititalise on this farce. Why the fcuk can you not see it from a punters point of view?????

I will demonstrate and have already the price differences. Your business is stuck in a culture of inefficiencies and price hikes without really giving a damn about the results to the people who pay for it.

I have NEVER disputed the rate a tradesman/mechanic will charge if they are worth the money, but you advocate and expect me to accept a mechanic paying up to 200% more for the same part and then marking it up? And the laugh is that you are then saying that you, from the 1st Feb will reduce parts by 50%.

How do you think you look to those readers who are not mechanics in the Status Quo?

Darragh29 · 19-01-2009 12:46AM

blackiebest wrote: »

This is Horsesh1t and you know it. I want to get the part my car needs and pay a fair price for it. YOU KNOW how much people like me are getting ripped off and that is why you are setting up an online business. if I thought i could go to my Indy and get the parts and job done without paying up to 200% more for the parts then I would not be using my time looking on the net, you know it because you are setting up a business to capititalise on this farce. Why the fcuk can you not see it from a punters point of view?????

I will demonstrate and have already the price differences. Your business is stuck in a culture of inefficiencies and price hikes without really giving a damn about the results to the people who pay for it.

I have NEVER disputed the rate a tradesman/mechanic will charge if they are worth the money, but you advocate and expect me to accept a mechanic paying up to 200% more for the same part and then marking it up? And the laugh is that you are then saying that you, from the 1st Feb will reduce parts by 50%.

How do you think you look to those readers who are not mechanics in the Status Quo?

You need to think about what you are saying before just replying with the first stupid thought that comes into your head. I mark parts up 25% on what they cost me. My supplier, who I know well, marks the same parts up 100% and gives me a 25% discount on them, which is my 25% profit on these parts and this is how all motor factors operate. This is why they are called motor FACTORS, because they buy parts, put a FACTOR on those parts and sell them to you or me! This factor has always been 2.

Now, if I get a 25% discount on parts, which I need to be able to pay my overheads at the end of the month, on a part that costs 300 Euro, and it is available in 1 or 2 weeks time through the internet but that option is no use to my customer because they want their car back on the road tomorrow, for 100 Euro, it's not my fu*king fault that I have to pay 300 Euro for it, IS IT???

Go down to your motor factor and ask him what the fu*k he is doing marking parts up 100%???

Go down to your buddy in the main dealer who is dealing with a distributor who is literally R*PING people. Ask your buddy in the main dealer to ask his distributor why there is a 40% price difference between the cost of a lambda sensor in the UK and in Ireland, same part, same part number, same box, only difference is a price difference of 40%.

Darragh29 · 19-01-2009 12:51AM

The problem here isn't me and my 25% mark up/discount on parts. The problem here is the number of middlemen and price gougers who want their slice before the parts even see the outside of the car they are being fitted to.

blackiebest · 19-01-2009 01:21AM

Darragh29 wrote: »

The problem here isn't me and my 25% mark up/discount on parts. The problem here is the number of middlemen and price gougers who want their slice before the parts even see the outside of the car they are being fitted to.

Correct but you feel that punters like me should pay these stupid prices until such time as you set up your new business or else do the job ourselves. I suspect you might change your tune with the drop off in business you will experience. Its a classic example of the reasons we are in the position we are in today. You are unable to accept why your industry sucks like most builders are in theirs. Its us, the punters who are the problem

. The difference, and you know it, between fixing a car here using a mechanic and getting the same job in lets say Germany, is often not only massive costs but also quality of work.

The parts companies, dealers and automotive suppliers in this country are robbers, a large % of so called mechanics are in the same league and we the punters pay for it all. You deduce, from your statements that the likes of me will, because I refuse to be raped by the parts prices, that I will leave you waiting 3 or 4 months to be paid. Reflect on that, there is a very long mile between wanting to pay a fair price for a part and being a scumbag who avoids paying fair price for good work. You choose to band the two together? How arrogant is that?

I note you have not disputed the price differences I have quoted nor commented on the 60% difference between what I paid for my clutch and what you thought I would have paid (before your mark-up). This is good for you because I will enjoy posting the ref's/links.

I also note you are unable to withdraw the misrepresentation of my original comments. Its small-minded and arrogant to try to dismiss me as a buffoon who does not understand the business. I understand it all too well, I have being overpaying into it for years, to the likes of you. Good luck competing with the uk and Euro companies, I suspect you will need luck.

-Chris- · 19-01-2009 01:37AM

blackiebest wrote: »

Fcuk your cartel, its over and thank goodness it is. I will monitor your online prices closely and you have, before you started, employed a watchdog who will highlight any apparent rip offs in your new venture

I don't believe you. I think you're being very aggressive here and I don't think the majority of your argument stands up.
I don't believe you'll invest the time to monitor Darragh's new venture beyond generalising and b*tching about it on an internet forum.
From his posts to date, I believe that even if you do monitor Darragh you'll not find profiteering of any sort. I believe you'll find a business that tries to draw a fair profit (necessary for any business to survive) while benefiting the consumer at the same time.

Just for clarity, I work in a main dealer. I am (I guess) part of the machine that Darragh so often rallies against. I don't believe in everything he says on boards.ie, but I firmly believe that he's working far harder than you are to give a fair deal to Irish motorists.

Darragh29 · 19-01-2009 01:38AM

blackiebest wrote: »

Correct but you feel that punters like me should pay these stupid prices until such time as you set up your new business or else do the job ourselves. I suspect you might change your tune with the drop off in business you will experience. Its a classic example of the reasons we are in the position we are in today. You are unable to accept why your industry sucks like most builders are in theirs. Its us, the punters who are the problem. The difference, and you know it, between fixing a car here using a mechanic and getting the same job in lets say Germany, is often not only massive costs but also quality of work.

The parts companies, dealers and automotive suppliers in this country are robbers, a large % of so called mechanics are in the same league and we the punters pay for it all. You deduce, from your statements that the likes of me will, because I refuse to be raped by the parts prices, that I will leave you waiting 3 or 4 months to be paid. Reflect on that, there is a very long mile between wanting to pay a fair price for a part and being a scumbag who avoids paying fair price for good work. You choose to band the two together? How arrogant is that?

I note you have not disputed the price differences I have quoted nor commented on the 60% difference between what I paid for my clutch and what you thought I would have paid (before your mark-up). This is good for you because I will enjoy posting the ref's/links.

I also note you are unable to withdraw the misrepresentation of my original comments. Its small-minded and arrogant to try to dismiss me as a buffoon who does not understand the business. I understand it all too well, I have being overpaying into it for years, to the likes of you. Good luck competing with the uk and Euro companies, I suspect you will need luck.

Every business has rules. Your business has rules.

Can I walk into your "struggling construction business" as you've described it, and start banging on the table and making a fu*king edgit out of myself, demanding that I've sourced materials of equal quality to what you can supply but costing less, from some place I've found on the internet, and then start demanding that you change how you run your business and order parts from where I demand they are ordered from???

Can I walk into your business and say that I don't trust you to order the materials on your own from where you are saying you are ordering them from and demand that I supervise you doing your job???

If any industry was robbing people blind in recent years, it's the c*nts operating in the construction industry that you are operating in. When you were all paying yourselves 2-3K a week, who do you think was ultimately paying for that???

You are a buffoon who doesn't understand how the motor industry operates. For the 4th time now, go into your local and try telling the barman that you'll pull your own pint, that you'll go down to the cellar and check that the kegs are hooked up to your satisfaction and that you'll supply your own Heineken and throw him 2 Euro for the service.

Darragh29 · 19-01-2009 01:41AM

AudiChris wrote: »

I don't believe you. I think you're being very aggressive here and I don't think the majority of your argument stands up.
I don't believe you'll invest the time to monitor Darragh's new venture beyond generalising and b*tching about it on an internet forum.
From his posts to date, I believe that even if you do monitor Darragh you'll not find profiteering of any sort. I believe you'll find a business that tries to draw a fair profit (necessary for any business to survive) while benefiting the consumer at the same time.

Just for clarity, I work in a main dealer. I am (I guess) part of the machine that Darragh so often rallies against. I don't believe in everything he says on boards.ie, but I firmly believe that he's working far harder than you are to give a fair deal to Irish motorists.

+1.

mickdw · 19-01-2009 02:07AM

Darragh29 wrote: »

Every business has rules. Your business has rules.

Can I walk into your "struggling construction business" as you've described it, and start banging on the table and making a fu*king edgit out of myself, demanding that I've sourced materials of equal quality to what you can supply but costing less, from some place I've found on the internet, and then start demanding that you change how you run your business and order parts from where I demand they are ordered from???

Can I walk into your business and say that I don't trust you to order the materials on your own from where you are saying you are ordering them from and demand that I supervise you doing your job???

If any industry was robbing people blind in recent years, it's the c*nts operating in the construction industry that you are operating in. When you were all paying yourselves 2-3K a week, who do you think was ultimately paying for that???

You are a buffoon who doesn't understand how the motor industry operates. For the 4th time now, go into your local and try telling the barman that you'll pull your own pint, that you'll go down to the cellar and check that the kegs are hooked up to your satisfaction and that you'll supply your own Heineken and throw him 2 Euro for the service.

Well yes in fact if you had a builder building a new house for you for example, you could come along at any stage of the build with your own insulation for example and request that this be fitted instead of a basic insulation that would have been specified. This would apply throughout the build process without the builder telling you to f*ck off
On your second point, it is standard practice to have building work supervised by someone acting on your behalf. No builder will take exception to this and often construction details will be discussed & decided on site due to unforeseen circumstances etc. Afterall the person spending the money is entitled to ensure they get a good standard of work.
So really you need to compare your motor trade practices with some other industry that behaves like you do as the builder comparison could not be more wrong.
And yes I agree that builders prices were through the roof but that has suddenly stopped and I guess garage labour rates will hit the floor any day now too.

Darragh29 · 19-01-2009 02:22AM

mickdw wrote: »

Well yes in fact if you had a builder building a new house for you for example, you could come along at any stage of the build with your own insulation for example and request that this be fitted instead of a basic insulation that would have been specified. This would apply throughout the build process without the builder telling you to f*ck off
On your second point, it is standard practice to have building work supervised by someone acting on your behalf. No builder will take exception to this and often construction details will be discussed & decided on site due to unforeseen circumstances etc. Afterall the person spending the money is entitled to ensure they get a good standard of work.
So really you need to compare your motor trade practices with some other industry that behaves like you do as the builder comparison could not be more wrong.
And yes I agree that builders prices were through the roof but that has suddenly stopped and I guess garage labour rates will hit the floor any day now too.

If this previous poster wants to start a debate on value for money, he ought have a serious look at his own back yard before coming on here spitting & hissing at people.

If the builder prices blocks in Ireland and the property owner turns up and says, "look, I can save 10,000 Euro by sending a truck to the UK to bring over these cheaper but better quality blocks, but they'll take a week to come over", are you telling me the builder will turn around and be grand with that???

LoveDucati2 · 19-01-2009 02:24AM

Darragh,

That sounds like the most indepth service I have ever heard of, and including a valet for 200 quid from what you have described.

Wish you would pass on them details to other garages with their 120 point check, (most of which is ridiculous) and comes nowhere near yours.

My car is due a major service next week, and could do with a valet, is 200 inc Vat parts and Labour?

Darragh29 · 19-01-2009 02:31AM

199.99 Euro inclusive.

Terrontress · 19-01-2009 09:27AM

By the way, "trade discount" is not available only to trade. Any time I have made a purchase from the motor factors in Swords, I've asked for a discount for bank officials and got 15% knocked off.

Darragh feels justified in loading parts prices with 25% as he feels that the customer would have been charged this any way but that isn't the case.

Darragh29 · 19-01-2009 10:46AM

Terrontress wrote: »

By the way, "trade discount" is not available only to trade. Any time I have made a purchase from the motor factors in Swords, I've asked for a discount for bank officials and got 15% knocked off.

Darragh feels justified in loading parts prices with 25% as he feels that the customer would have been charged this any way but that isn't the case.

That's common enough. I don't get hung up on whether folks get discounts elsewhere or not. If you can get it take it.

At the end of the day folks, you pretty much get what you pay for, if you want to have 20 minute oil changes and ten minute brake replacements, fine. But the problem is that these guys will not want to know you when you have an NCT emissions fail or an engine problem that needs to be hooked up to a diagnostc system, because they won't have the equipment and they won't have the training to meet your requirements.

And the reason they won't have these vital recources is because you screwed him so hard with a 20 minute oil change and 10 minute brake replacement, that he can't afford any of this equipment...

Pay peanuts and you can expect to see monkeys working on your car. This is the problem with the industry, the vast majority of mechanics are on peanuts, and there is a major problem getting genuinely skilled folks into the trade because there is no proper career struture within the industry that promotes continuous lerning and professional development.

These guys in recent years have seen their bosses flying to the Galway Races in helicopters and buying shares in fu*king racehorses!

LoveDucati2 · 19-01-2009 12:32PM

Darragh29 wrote: »

I don't know how to break this down in a manner that you will be able to grasp, but I'll try...

(1) If your caliper is seized, this means that your brake pads on that wheel have been permanently engaged for as long as the caliper has been seized.

Agree, but what if caliper was seized 1 or 2 days

(2) If this has happened, the brake pad attached to the caliper piston has worn down completely and has no friction material left on it.

Only if has been seized for longer than a week, and then you will end up with a triangle shaped pad

(3) Due to what is happening at (2) above, the brake disc is now badly scored and suffering from extreme heat damage.

Only if has been seized for longer than a week

(4) To PROPERLY remedy all this, you need to replace brake pads, discs and resolve/replace the root cause of the problem, the seized brake caliper.

Only if has been seized for longer than a week

These are the facts of the task.

Darragh29 wrote: »

At the end of the day folks, you pretty much get what you pay for, if you want to have 20 minute oil changes and ten minute brake replacements

FFS stop going on about this, a minor service CAN be done in 20 minutes, a caliper can be changed in 10 mins, get over it, a lot of the unregulated, independents and main dealers do this already. That is why your lot have a bad name.

Terrontress wrote: »

Darragh feels justified in loading parts prices with 25% as he feels that the customer would have been charged this any way but that isn't the case.

You are not doing yourself and justice by admitting that you make the customer pay full price for parts and keep a cut for yourself, thats a scam, you are already charging a fee for the work you are doing.

Darragh29 wrote: »

This is the problem with the industry, the vast majority of mechanics are on peanuts, and there is a major problem getting genuinely skilled folks into the trade because there is no proper career struture within the industry that promotes continuous lerning and professional development.

Agree completely with you, and you sound like a guy who can instigate a movement for change. Why not contact muppet Government with your ideas on this

Darragh29 wrote: »

199.99 Euro inclusive.

Darragh29 wrote: »

Service valet car, which means wet vac internally seats & carpet, dash clean, door sill clean, clean windows...

Wash car externally, gloss tyre walls, glass polish, alloy clean, for return to customer...

Compile & print out vehicle report for all of the above showing what needs to be done and what does not need to be done and any future work including timing belt, brake pad and tyre replacements.

Ok, so thats for 6 litres 10w oil, fuel, air, oil filter. Complete car inspection NCT level and Valet.

How much extra to change brake fluid or would that be included?

Car is chain driven diesel

-Chris- · 19-01-2009 12:58PM

LoveDucati2 wrote: »

FFS stop going on about this, a minor service CAN be done in 20 minutes, a caliper can be changed in 10 mins, get over it, a lot of the unregulated, independents and main dealers do this already. That is why your lot have a bad name.

I think you're mis-representing these figures.

Just the time involved in moving the car into the workshop and onto the ramp, removing the wheels, replacing the wheels and test driving the car will take you 5 minutes.
Does your 10 minute caliper change include getting the car in and out of the workshop and test-driving the car (i.e. 5-ish mins for the job itself), or is it 10 minutes for the actual caliper and you're counting all the set-up, tear-down and testing time separately?

Same question regarding the service.

Darragh29 · 19-01-2009 01:03PM

LoveDucati2 wrote: »

You are not doing yourself and justice by admitting that you make the customer pay full price for parts and keep a cut for yourself, thats a scam, you are already charging a fee for the work you are doing.

Rubbish. Every business that supplies parts, motor industry or any other industry, buys them for price A, and sells them for price B. This is what businesses do.

I could understand all this hype about profiteering if there was any evidence whatsoever that it was going on in the independent end of the industry. There simply is no evidence of this, the only people I know making excessive profits in aftersales are authorised dealerships and parts distributors. All the indy mechanics I know are not wealthy, if anything, they're the exact opposite!

As I said before, I'm all for listening to grievances, once they are grounded in some sort of logic and rationality. How anyone could argue that independent garage operators are wealthy or rip off mechants is just beyond me, most of them if not all of them struggle to buy the bare minimum of equipment to do the tasks that they get.

From my own experience, this is because many of them do not run their businesses along a profitable business model, and the whole operation is somewhere between a hobby and a part-time activity for them.

Terrontress · 19-01-2009 01:39PM

Darragh29 wrote: »

That's common enough. I don't get hung up on whether folks get discounts elsewhere or not. If you can get it take it.

What would you say if, upon quoting someone a price, they told you that you would get the same parts, delivered by the same supplier in the same time frame with a 25% reduction as he knows the man selling them if you mentioned his name?

Terrontress · 19-01-2009 01:57PM

Darragh29 wrote: »

Rubbish. Every business that supplies parts, motor industry or any other industry, buys them for price A, and sells them for price B. This is what businesses do.

But they usually add value to the product. O'Briens off license buys one million bottles of beer. Stores it. Chills it and sells it on to a consumer. A consumer cannot buy it at the same price as them.

You are charging 25% more than a customer could get it at and you don't have to go and buy something, you don't have to store it and you are charging separately for the fitting of it. I don't see where the value is added.

I hope your new venture will be a success as it should, at the very least, make things more transparent for customers.

Supplying own parts for service

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