Psychos in the Auto-Repair Business

[GasoLane]

It's quite obvious that some people know what they're talking about from experience and others don't, so can we put an end to the personal sniping now.

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by Ross 1

So being your own boss didn't work for you, nothing wrong with that, not everyone can make it work, there is a lot of effort involved and yes you do spend time outside of the 9-5 occasionally doing paperwork. To me the rewards out weigh this, I get the flexibility to work when I need to and let my guys do the rest, I still really enjoy being on the tools but I have employed the right people and know the job will get done in my absence if we decide to have a weekend away. No ego involved, if you were doing it to impress someone else and look successful that was probably why you failed at it.
With regards to what you can charge people it all depends on how much you think you are worth. I charge more because I know we give some of the best results around, people will only pay you what you think of yourself. I value mine and my guys time highly and you have to pay for our experience, knowledge and quality. I'm not going to drop my prices to the average market rate as I have seen the standard of average.

No man with a toolbox is worth $90 an hour, that's a fact, and I never failed at anything I put my hand to, but I knew when to pull the pin, not drag everyone around me down!
Work is just work, you don't have to put a value on your time, its when you think that you do, that's when you have problems, ego problems, this is where depression starts, when folk get wise to being played for mugs!


Cheers King Billy

[slowsnake]

This has been fun, thanks fellows!


Cheers Notorious King Billy

[Beastie]

Originally Posted by slowsnake

No man with a toolbox is worth $90 an hour, that's a fact, and I never failed at anything I put my hand to, but I knew when to pull the pin, not drag everyone around me down!
Work is just work, you don't have to put a value on your time, its when you think that you do, that's when you have problems, ego problems, this is where depression starts, when folk get wise to being played for mugs!


Cheers King Billy

Sorry Billy, I don't think you do...

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Falcon SXR8

Welcome to running your own business, that's why you have to work smarter not harder or you just go backwards. You have to take everything into account when it comes to pricing, including time wasted chasing people up, paperwork, downtime for repairs/servicing, wasted time doing quotes, insurance costs, time spent doing " induction courses " for every different job site, license costs, price of consumables skyrocketing due to covid supply issues or not being able to get them at all ect. Next thing you know to make it all worth while you have to charge $100 an hour for the 3 hours of actual physical work on the job site and put up with the uninformed complaining about your prices and how they could do it for half the price. All the while they have talked your ear off the whole time about how many investment properties they have and how successful they are.

I had a long term client last year tell me how expensive I was as we stood next to his brand new mansion, with another worker applying gold leaf to his newly installed Greek goddess statues. Told me that what I do was not rocket science and that I had to reduce my prices. And guess who is on the phone when his roses have bugs on them and wants them diagnosed and treated? And guess who is now having trouble finding someone to work for him?

One of the golden rules of life is to NEVER question what someone earns or what their time is worth until you know the facts. Just because a plumber, for example, charges $100 a hour, does not mean he actually earns $100 an hour.

[Falcon SXR8]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I had a long term client last year tell me how expensive I was as we stood next to his brand new mansion, with another worker applying gold leaf to his newly installed Greek goddess statues. Told me that what I do was not rocket science and that I had to reduce my prices. And guess who is on the phone when his roses have bugs on them and wants them diagnosed and treated? And guess who is now having trouble finding someone to work for him?

One of the golden rules of life is to NEVER question what someone earns or what their time is worth until you know the facts. Just because a plumber, for example, charges $100 a hour, does not mean he actually earns $100 an hour.

Best thing about running your own buisness is you can add the "idiot tax" to your bill

[ratter]

jstanovic

You are doing nothing incorrect, you are doing it right.

Every cost associated with operating your business has to be accounted for to make your business viable, that includes the cost to do paperwork whether it's you or a bookkeeper doing it.
You recover this cost in your labour rate.

Good luck with it all.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I had a long term client last year tell me how expensive I was as we stood next to his brand new mansion, with another worker applying gold leaf to his newly installed Greek goddess statues. Told me that what I do was not rocket science and that I had to reduce my prices. And guess who is on the phone when his roses have bugs on them and wants them diagnosed and treated? And guess who is now having trouble finding someone to work for him?

One of the golden rules of life is to NEVER question what someone earns or what their time is worth until you know the facts. Just because a plumber, for example, charges $100 a hour, does not mean he actually earns $100 an hour.

The gall of some people, though I can't say I'm surprised dealing with other humans for most of my career

It's the best and simultaneously worst part of any job, when you have an appreciative customer it's the best feeling for job satisfaction.

The thing is you're under no obligation to help or even do business with someone, people get salty when you point to the door.

Every customer is right - but not every customer is right for you.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I had a long term client last year tell me how expensive I was as we stood next to his brand new mansion, with another worker applying gold leaf to his newly installed Greek goddess statues. Told me that what I do was not rocket science and that I had to reduce my prices. And guess who is on the phone when his roses have bugs on them and wants them diagnosed and treated? And guess who is now having trouble finding someone to work for him?

One of the golden rules of life is to NEVER question what someone earns or what their time is worth until you know the facts. Just because a plumber, for example, charges $100 a hour, does not mean he actually earns $100 an hour.

Completely off topic, but I used to manage a number of contracts at the power station I work at. One of those contracts was the cleaning contract. It was amazing as to how poorly the cleaners would get treated at times. A number of times I got called up asking if I could get the cleaners to go and clean up a mess left behind by other tradies after doing office renos or other work in the office space. I flatly refused. The folks managing those tradies couldn't understand why. I explained that, from my own personal experience, it was part of the tradies job to clean up after themselves. Properly. As an apprentice, I was taught that you left the place cleaner than when you arrived. Clealry that work ethic hadn't continued through to the tradies working for us. I also explained, that it was not the cleaners job to go around and clean up after lazy tradies. That was not the purpose for why we employed them. I also felt like it was dismissive of what they were there for. The tradies soon got the message, and began cleaning up after themselves.

On occasion, I also had our operators (the guys who are THE most highly paid people in the place) complain about how poor a job the cleaners did of cleaning up after them. I pointed out to them, that the place could not operate without operators, nor could the operators operate without clean toilets, clean showers, clean brew room facilities, having their precious supplies of tea, coffee, drinking chocolate and milk topped up such that they always had a hot drink available to them whenever they needed it, and if these jobs weren't done, the place would shut down in a heartbeat. I hope i helped create new respect for our cleaning crew.

No matter what job you do, it exists for a reason and is invariably important in some way to the success of the business you operate in. Respect everyone equally.

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

The gall of some people, though I can't say I'm surprised dealing with other humans for most of my career

It's the best and simultaneously worst part of any job, when you have an appreciative customer it's the best feeling for job satisfaction.

The thing is you're under no obligation to help or even do business with someone, people get salty when you point to the door.

Every customer is right - but not every customer is right for you.

You remind me of Tony Packard!..remember him?

"JUST UP THE WINDSOR ROAD FROM BAULKAM HILLS AND LET ME DO IT RIGHT FOR YOU"

You're a funny bloke Franco!..lol...


Cheers King Billy

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0

Completely off topic, but I used to manage a number of contracts at the power station I work at. One of those contracts was the cleaning contract. It was amazing as to how poorly the cleaners would get treated at times. A number of times I got called up asking if I could get the cleaners to go and clean up a mess left behind by other tradies after doing office renos or other work in the office space. I flatly refused. The folks managing those tradies couldn't understand why. I explained that, from my own personal experience, it was part of the tradies job to clean up after themselves. Properly. As an apprentice, I was taught that you left the place cleaner than when you arrived. Clealry that work ethic hadn't continued through to the tradies working for us. I also explained, that it was not the cleaners job to go around and clean up after lazy tradies. That was not the purpose for why we employed them. I also felt like it was dismissive of what they were there for. The tradies soon got the message, and began cleaning up after themselves.

On occasion, I also had our operators (the guys who are THE most highly paid people in the place) complain about how poor a job the cleaners did of cleaning up after them. I pointed out to them, that the place could not operate without operators, nor could the operators operate without clean toilets, clean showers, clean brew room facilities, having their precious supplies of tea, coffee, drinking chocolate and milk topped up such that they always had a hot drink available to them whenever they needed it, and if these jobs weren't done, the place would shut down in a heartbeat. I hope i helped create new respect for our cleaning crew.

No matter what job you do, it exists for a reason and is invariably important in some way to the success of the business you operate in. Respect everyone equally.

Yep, though do that to someones car when they bring it to you and watch them squeal, you give it back the way you got it (or in auto tradies case, usually washed and vacuumed for mechanical shops).

We had a mains electrician do some work for us and I had to clean up after him after he trashed my office, I'm sure if I did that to his car and left offcuts everywhere he'd be a bit salty over it.

The milk, coffee, tea supplies are fun, every time the guys used to leave it out in a prior workplace I tipped it down the sink for them to send the message - I've done other things to it in the past

Some people think that they don't need to clean up after themselves, its just a lack of respect for their colleagues, I don't tolerate it - clean the ****ter after yourself, wash your own dishes or hell put em in the dish washer. If you struggle urinating in the toilet, thats fine just clean it up from the floor post usage of toilet

How people treat cleaning/hospitality staff is a good indicator of them as a person I reckon.

We had a row in another place between the corporates and the cleaning staff with some corporates being nasty and looking down upon the cleaners which got nipped in the bud pretty quick when it caught wind across the business.

[Ross 1]

Originally Posted by slowsnake

No man with a toolbox is worth $90 an hour, that's a fact, and I never failed at anything I put my hand to, but I knew when to pull the pin, not drag everyone around me down!
Work is just work, you don't have to put a value on your time, its when you think that you do, that's when you have problems, ego problems, this is where depression starts, when folk get wise to being played for mugs!


Cheers King Billy

My sincere condolences to you, that you have never tried anything outside of your comfort zone and failed at anything in life. Failure only makes you stronger the next time you try something new. Also a bit sad that you don't value your time, it's not ego but self worth to know how much you can bring to something. Never sell yourself short.

[shedcoupe]

[QUOTE=Ross 1;6594938 .... it's not ego but self worth to know how much you can bring to something. Never sell yourself short.[/QUOTE]

I’m an ABN subby on contract.
A few years ago the contract was up for renegotiation and the boss’s preamble was ‘times are tough and clients want a reduced rate - we’re looking at a ten percent cut for you’.
So we had a little chat and settled on a twenty percent increase instead.

Regarding the cleanup stuff, many years ago I did an install for a colleague at mate’s rates and she moaned about the mess left behind.
As if I’m doing work for cheap and cleaning up as well. Yeah right. Pay the full rate, get full service.

[T3rminator]

After reading some of these posts, I'm gonna go ask for a 50% pay rise on Monday. My hourly rate seems a bit low going by some of the figures thrown around. Wish me luck.

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by shedcoupe

we’re looking at a ten percent cut for you’.
So we had a little chat and settled on a twenty percent increase instead.

I've had a Few of those conversations over the Years Too...

A lot of People Don't understand that,if;
You're not getting Paid Properly the More Work you Do (At the Cheap Rate) the More Money you Lose...

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Falcon SXR8

Best thing about running your own buisness is you can add the "idiot tax" to your bill

This was a man who would ring me at 6pm on a Sunday. He thought he owned me and had no issue with calling me outside of business hours. He and his family were my number one priority in my business, I turned up every week without fail even if it was raining. I NEVER ripped him off or charged him "idiot tax". I did charge accordingly for the work I would do and I expected that to be respected, not belittled for it. Often my charge for "mowing the lawn" would include various other cleaning jobs, done through courtesy because I wanted to leave having done my best. He couldn't see past the dollar value and must not have noticed the extra effort I was putting in. And not only was I "just mowing the grass", I was responsible for the garden care of five properties. Again, he didn't see the hours of weeding, trimming, pest control, cleaning ect.

This is one of the richest men in Australia we are talking about. I know he has treated countless other the same, but it's never nice to be looked down upon and belittled. What made the decision to quit hard was leaving the rest of the family, his wife always knew what I did and would often tip me lunch. In the end the stress of this man was keeping me awake at night and I would more often than not be severely anxious the night before I was due to arrive.

Can you tell this person hurt me?

I have since learned they are having trouble finding someone to replace me. Wonder why?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

The gall of some people, though I can't say I'm surprised dealing with other humans for most of my career

It's the best and simultaneously worst part of any job, when you have an appreciative customer it's the best feeling for job satisfaction.

The thing is you're under no obligation to help or even do business with someone, people get salty when you point to the door.

Every customer is right - but not every customer is right for you.

When a customer shows their appreciation for a job well done, there is nothing better. Now of course, there is a monetary reason for the job to be well done, but the human nature responds well to gratitude. A smile, a thank you and well done will get you further in life than rudeness and belittlement.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0

Completely off topic, but I used to manage a number of contracts at the power station I work at. One of those contracts was the cleaning contract. It was amazing as to how poorly the cleaners would get treated at times. A number of times I got called up asking if I could get the cleaners to go and clean up a mess left behind by other tradies after doing office renos or other work in the office space. I flatly refused. The folks managing those tradies couldn't understand why. I explained that, from my own personal experience, it was part of the tradies job to clean up after themselves. Properly. As an apprentice, I was taught that you left the place cleaner than when you arrived. Clealry that work ethic hadn't continued through to the tradies working for us. I also explained, that it was not the cleaners job to go around and clean up after lazy tradies. That was not the purpose for why we employed them. I also felt like it was dismissive of what they were there for. The tradies soon got the message, and began cleaning up after themselves.

On occasion, I also had our operators (the guys who are THE most highly paid people in the place) complain about how poor a job the cleaners did of cleaning up after them. I pointed out to them, that the place could not operate without operators, nor could the operators operate without clean toilets, clean showers, clean brew room facilities, having their precious supplies of tea, coffee, drinking chocolate and milk topped up such that they always had a hot drink available to them whenever they needed it, and if these jobs weren't done, the place would shut down in a heartbeat. I hope i helped create new respect for our cleaning crew.

No matter what job you do, it exists for a reason and is invariably important in some way to the success of the business you operate in. Respect everyone equally.

That last paragraph is very well put. We all do what we do, we should never disrespect others peoples place in the workplace.

I'm now have a cleaner to help with things at home. I always make sure I greet her with a smile and thank her for her work at the end. The work she does to me is important and I appreciate the help. No way I would ever look down upon someone for just doing their job.

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by Ross 1

My sincere condolences to you, that you have never tried anything outside of your comfort zone and failed at anything in life. Failure only makes you stronger the next time you try something new. Also a bit sad that you don't value your time, it's not ego but self worth to know how much you can bring to something. Never sell yourself short.

Hope you didn't spend too much time thinking this stuff up!
And its PRIDE not self worth that propels folk to "legendary status in their own minds"
There is nothing more mentally stimulating than working for free, in that respect time has no value, it may have to some folk, but not in my case!
Time is the greatest gift we are given at birth, how we use it is entirely up to us, my time does not and never has had a monetary value!

I offer you my condolences, and I do feel sorry for you, your logic is flawed and you can't see past your own nose.


Cheers Billy.

[zilo]

90 bucks an hour?

I can't get any car serviced for that, particularly when they are all packaged service products now....

I did point out once to the customer service adviser at Mercedes Kings Way once that there hadn't been enough hours in the day to match the invoice.

He corrected me by saying they had three men on the job at one stage.

Three men under the bonnet?....Hmmmmmm

Just pay and ride into the sunset with a jerking motion...

[slowsnake]

Maybe they were in a line, one behind the other!.lol,..the one in the middle was lucky!.lol,hahaha



Cheers King Billy

[Crazy Dazz]

Had one guys who started making excuses beforehe'd even taken the job

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by zilo

90 bucks an hour?

I can't get any car serviced for that, particularly when they are all packaged service products now....

I did point out once to the customer service adviser at Mercedes Kings Way once that there hadn't been enough hours in the day to match the invoice.

He corrected me by saying they had three men on the job at one stage.

Three men under the bonnet?....Hmmmmmm

Just pay and ride into the sunset with a jerking motion...

Local independent workshop across the road from work is $165/hour with minimum 1 hour diagnostic charge the moment they look at the car - which is fair enough.

I still reckon they're too cheap.

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Local independent workshop across the road from work is $165/hour with minimum 1 hour diagnostic charge the moment they look at the car - which is fair enough.

I still reckon they're too cheap.

Holly bejeepers..... i thought mine was charging me a melbourne tax, $110 + GST, I don't complain because they are meticulous with detail, and they do it once and do it right. Oh, and they let me bring my own parts, which is a rarity.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Holly bejeepers..... i thought mine was charging me a melbourne tax, $110 + GST, I don't complain because they are meticulous with detail, and they do it once and do it right. Oh, and they let me bring my own parts, which is a rarity.

Also does tyres/balancing and wheel alignments though as a one stop shop for everything so I reckon thats not too bad given they're carrying lots of tyres on hand as well.

[oldel]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Holly bejeepers..... i thought mine was charging me a melbourne tax, $110 + GST, I don't complain because they are meticulous with detail, and they do it once and do it right. Oh, and they let me bring my own parts, which is a rarity.

$110 is fairly average, maybe even cheap as I'm used to hearing about $120+. That being said if they aren't very good - ie if they are slow, dumb and throw the parts catalogue at problems because they're useless at diagnostics because they're thick or haven't spend the money on equipment and software, know nothing about electronics, and slow or inefficient at grunt work on the driveline then anything above $100 is a rip off.
I'm happy to pay more for smart and efficient workers, but not with rewarding the f'wits, hanger-ons etc with similar market rates that get greedy or are useless and use 'parts cannons', can't do the job right, strip threads, ignore things or break things etc.
IE being a mech is hard and the good ones are worth paying more for.

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Also does tyres/balancing and wheel alignments though as a one stop shop for everything so I reckon thats not too bad given they're carrying lots of tyres on hand as well.

I'm not sure carrying lots of tyres is a smart move, or one worth paying extra for. Doesn't take too long to get tyres couriered anyway and I'd rather not buy maybe really old tyres in their stock anyway. Give me fresher ones delivered from the main warehouse in a couple of hours thanks.

[Citroënbender]

Parking is increasingly an issue in running a Sydney workshop. Industrial strata usually has insufficient available space and street parking can be fraught. If you’re in an area with actual rangers, it’s possible to build a rapport - but if you’re in a suburb with parking “camera cars” that’s not an option.

[Top_Ghia]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Parking is increasingly an issue in running a Sydney workshop. Industrial strata usually has insufficient available space and street parking can be fraught. If you’re in an area with actual rangers, it’s possible to build a rapport - but if you’re in a suburb with parking “camera cars” that’s not an option.

I worked in a Melbourne inner city workshop and parking was a drama. Luckily the council Ranger was corrupt and wouldn’t book our cars in exchange for free services.

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Holly bejeepers..... i thought mine was charging me a melbourne tax, $110 + GST, I don't complain because they are meticulous with detail, and they do it once and do it right. Oh, and they let me bring my own parts, which is a rarity.

What car?
Everytime i bought parts for my Saab the price tripled, the 85 Corvette Coupe was worse, but $110 IN today's market, bring your own parts, that's worth it, and the bonus....meticulous work!
You lucky, most make their "beer" money from a 50% write up on the parts, so your deal is a beauty!...



Cheers King Billy

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Parking is increasingly an issue in running a Sydney workshop. Industrial strata usually has insufficient available space and street parking can be fraught. If you’re in an area with actual rangers, it’s possible to build a rapport - but if you’re in a suburb with parking “camera cars” that’s not an option.

You in Balmain?...the parking there is atrocious, that place would drive any tradesman crazy, and the rangers are not "pliant", in fact all near and inner city parking is non existent.
Petersham, Annandale, Lewisham and Paddo and forget parking at the RPA!
But I love Sydney, sh.ts all over Perth 10x.


Cheers King Billy