labor charge-by the hour or book???

You wouldn't be interested in selling that bridge for this handful of beads
would you?

 

I'm not a professional mechanic, although I've known quite a few and have
worked in the business. Most of the top guys spend as much time, money and
effort as any other professional in keeping their skills up-to-date. The
ASE-certified guys have spent a lot of money on their trade, preparing for
their careers. Many of the dealership techs attend annual courses to bring
them up to speed with each new model year's changes. Some of these courses
are fairly involved, and are quite comparable to the boot camps that MCPs
attend.

I can't believe your post is written out of anything other than sheer
ignorance.

So in other words, you're making it a semantic argument. To-may-toe,
To-mah-toe. BFD.

Your definition of 'crook' doesn't jibe very well with your definition of
'quotes', by the way. If somebody quotes you a price, and you agree, that's
the price. Period.

Based on this post, I doubt you know the difference between a good mechanic
and a bad one.

--Geoff

 

Well holding several certifications in the PC field and having a brother and
cousin that each hold several ASE certifications (brother operates a major
repair facility (12 bays) in upstate New York, Cousin car dealership and
racing enthusiest) I have some experience in the costs involved in these
fields. Now while ASE certification courses are thorough, I can assure you
they do not compare in cost to Cisco or ATM certification or courses.
I also have sufficient information to assure you that doctors and lawyers
(professions by the way) bay considerably more that your ASE certified
mechanic to become licensed in their fields (not to mention state licensing
costs). Same goes for becoming a Master Electrician (been there done that in
my younger days).

I could particularly care about your choice to accept facts. Especially
considering that based on this statement, your post appears to be written
out of anything but shear arrogance. Obviously just a mecahnaic who felt
your field was being slighted by my statement (which it was not).

No the argument is based on rate per hour vs. flat rate.
If you quote per hour, and can not finish the job in that time frame, then
be prepared to eat it just as you would expect Mr. Customer to eat the
additional cost if you went over the quoted time. This also enters a legal
area as many states have laws stating that a signed quote is a contract to
perform "listed" services for the price quoted. If you do not provide 2.5
hours of labor, then in many states you may not charge for it (exception
being that I know of known that do not allow rounding up to next whole
hour).

And if you quote states you with provide specific goods or services (such as
2.5 hours labor) for that price, that is what you must supply...period!

Based on your response, you have yet to display much knowledge about
anything other than shooting off your mouth.

 

And few mechanics (or Service Technicians as they like to be called these
days), spend what a lawyer, plumber or other professional does on education,
training and licensing![/QUOTE]

But mechanics don't charge anywhere near what these other
professionals do for their services.

Around here, a lawyer on a per hour basis will cost over $300 per
hour. On a contingency basis, the lawyer will get 1/3 of the
total settlement regardless of what the plaintiff actually
receives. For that 1/3rd share, the lawyer may have merely
filled out some insurance claims forms and spent some minutes
negotiating on the phone with an insurance claims adjuster.
The lawyer can in some cases be making in excess of $10,000 per
hour.

A plumber is likely to cost about $50 and hour more than what the
prevailing labor rate is for auto repair and there is no way he's
got as much spent on tools as the auto mechanic does.

Doctors? heh... The ones I've been to get around $1000+ an hour,
so they're not even in the same discussion.

If he quotes 2.5 hours, it's a 99% certainty that he got that 2.5
hour number from a labor time guide such as Mitchell or Chiltons.
The time studies used in these labor time guides are based upon
the job being done using hand tools. If the mechanic has made an
investment in air tools and/or other specialty tools that speed
the process (and that usually IS the case), he's certainly
entitled to the fruits of his increased productivity.
If you believe that increased productivity shouldn't be rewarded,
by all means, enjoy having to wait 3-4 weeks for a service
appointment.

If you re-read the original post, it WAS quoted as a "job."
The labor book said the job takes 2.5 hours per side.

Ummm... that $75 would be the -shop- labor rate.
IOWs, you are being charged $75 per labor hour for the shops
facilities and services. That $75 is spread amongst the
mechanic, the service writer, the billing clerk, the janitor, the
receptionist, the lot jockey, it goes towards state, federal and
local taxes, workmans comp premiums, shop insurance, heat,
lights, water, shop supplies, the mortgage, etc., etc.,
By the end, the mechanic is lucky to get $20 an hour, and at $20
an hour, he'd damn well better be at least 150% productive.

As for how this subject originated, the OP dropped their PT
Cruiser off Wednesday afternoon, the shop did (supposed) five
hours of work which they began (supposed) on Thursday. The shop
called at 11:10am on Thursday to advise the customer that the car
was finished. The OP finds this perplexing and suspects that
they were ripped off or gouged.

Has it occurred to anyone that this shop starts work at 7am?

 

But mechanics don't charge anywhere near what these other
professionals do for their services.[/QUOTE]

That was not part of the original argument so is a moot point.

But the mechanic also does not pay the high annual fees for licensing within
his municpality.
Or for permits to do a brake job.

No, you are referring to specialists (and at the rates you quote here VERY
specialized fields like neuro surgeon, heart surgeon, etc)

the quote listed 2.5 hours labor as PART of the job, if it was not included
the charge should be adjusted.

And what actually ends up in the mechanics pocket was not the question (or
discussion).
Do you think when you pay a PC Tech, programmer, plumber, electrician,
doctor, lawyer or any other professional an hourly rate it ALL goes to their
pocket? Certainly doesn't...every business has overhead.

 

Which original argument?

Nothing I've seen here could be considered "original."

Like hell they don't.

Gee, the last time (1986) I paid a plumber to put in sewer lines
for a basement laundry, *I* had to pay for the building permits
before he would begin any work on the job.

This year, I'm having a new porch built on the front of my house,
guess who's paying for the building permit again?

Your point is?

Uhh, no. That is what my general physician gets. $100 for a
five minute visit. My cardiologist and my orthopedic surgeon
make closer to $4000 per hour. My heart surgeon made closer to
$6000 per hour and that was back in 1997.
of course, non of the above numbers include the costs for the
facilities, i.e., the roof they did it under.

Why?
We pay football players and baseball players more money because
they're faster. Seems to me that paying a competent mechanic
because he's faster is a whole lot better deal.

Really? So why did you post;
"By the way, $75 is about average for top notch mechanics in my
area?"

Do you think that when a shop quotes a labor operation that it's
to be taken literally that your vehicle will be under their roof
and someone will have their hands in contact with it for exactly
the time listed in the labor time guide?

 

Any comparison between a professional mechanic and a medical doctor is
ridiculous and surely your own.

Actually, smart guy, I'm a degreed and certified computer programmer.
Obviously you're the arrogant one. "Just a mecahnaic". Feh.

"I know of known"? Huh?

What is this "provide 2.5 hours of labor" crap? What, is this a
ditch-digging job, or skilled labor being performed on a complex piece of
machinery?

Obviously you've never worked at *anything* billed by the hour before, have
you?

That's pretty funny coming from a guy who can't even manage to do that
effectively! Learn some spelling and grammar!

--Geoff