$927 for a bushing? PICTURE!
04-18-2007, 05:14 AM
#21
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Here's an opinion pertaining to dealer service (not parts) that probably won't be too popular...
Average customers have brought this upon themselves. The majority of customers don't know and don't care to know anything about their vehicles except how to turn the key and push the pedals. The very fact that we are on this forum, takes us out of the normal realm. Most cutomers just expect their vehicles to work without having to understand what makes them tick, growl, squeak or anything else. With customers expecting their cars to work without any issue, expecting an accurate up front estimate, service writers who aren't mechanics who will have an upset cutomer if they have to call them and say it is going to cost more because we found... and customers who won't know if they got extra work done anyway, you have a perfect recipe for extra work to be done at the customer's expense. Through a lack of cutomer knowledge and interest, service writers have the power to give quick we need to do this and this and this responses without actually diagnosing a problem. If they say it with confidence to a customer that doesn't know the difference between a cam lobe and a proportioning valve, and the customer gets a car back that works, everybody comes out a winner or at least the customer thinks so. The monkey wrench lands in the spokes when a customer understands their vehicle. Once the service writer realizes that the customer knows more than them, it usually opens the door for the proper repair to be done as well as direct discussion with the mechanic. With any dealership I've ever had to deal with, I've been polite but firm that I want to see the job in process and that I expect to see the failed parts. I can usually provide them with an accurate diagnosis when I bring the car in also and I have always been able to go out in the work bay and speak with the mechanic while they are perfoming the work. If the dealership understands that the customer is reasonable, the customer accepts that there may be something additional needed that isn't known until the work is performed and the dealer knows the customer won't be fooled, the whole dynamic of the interaction changes for the better. Unfortunately, this isn't the usualy case and it benefits the dealership to write up the most work that may need to be performed up front for the following reasons:
- Mechanics paid time is not wasted waiting for parts because everything you could possibly need was ordered and on hand before the work begins.
- Customers time without the vehicle is minimized for the same reason
- No pissed off customers due to inaccurate quotes
- Increased profits through additional parts sales
- Lifts aren't wasted with cars that are waiting for parts
- Increased profits through additional labor hours
- Mechanis paid time is spent on replacing parts, not diagnosing a problem - Most dealerships charge flat rate hours from the book, not actual. Book hours usually include an allowance for diagnosis. If they are just changing parts, diagnosis time is money in the bank for the dealer (not the mechanic).
You will notice that warranty repairs are usually not handled the same way. The manufacturer paying the bill won't pay for extra repairs.
When customers becomes compitently involved in the repair of their vehicle, it will benefit the dealership to eliminate the waste. Until then, they are more efficient (finacially) and have reasonably satisfied customers doing it the way that they are.
As for those who blatantly cheat the customer, one can only hope their customers will catch on.
Average customers have brought this upon themselves. The majority of customers don't know and don't care to know anything about their vehicles except how to turn the key and push the pedals. The very fact that we are on this forum, takes us out of the normal realm. Most cutomers just expect their vehicles to work without having to understand what makes them tick, growl, squeak or anything else. With customers expecting their cars to work without any issue, expecting an accurate up front estimate, service writers who aren't mechanics who will have an upset cutomer if they have to call them and say it is going to cost more because we found... and customers who won't know if they got extra work done anyway, you have a perfect recipe for extra work to be done at the customer's expense. Through a lack of cutomer knowledge and interest, service writers have the power to give quick we need to do this and this and this responses without actually diagnosing a problem. If they say it with confidence to a customer that doesn't know the difference between a cam lobe and a proportioning valve, and the customer gets a car back that works, everybody comes out a winner or at least the customer thinks so. The monkey wrench lands in the spokes when a customer understands their vehicle. Once the service writer realizes that the customer knows more than them, it usually opens the door for the proper repair to be done as well as direct discussion with the mechanic. With any dealership I've ever had to deal with, I've been polite but firm that I want to see the job in process and that I expect to see the failed parts. I can usually provide them with an accurate diagnosis when I bring the car in also and I have always been able to go out in the work bay and speak with the mechanic while they are perfoming the work. If the dealership understands that the customer is reasonable, the customer accepts that there may be something additional needed that isn't known until the work is performed and the dealer knows the customer won't be fooled, the whole dynamic of the interaction changes for the better. Unfortunately, this isn't the usualy case and it benefits the dealership to write up the most work that may need to be performed up front for the following reasons:
- Mechanics paid time is not wasted waiting for parts because everything you could possibly need was ordered and on hand before the work begins.
- Customers time without the vehicle is minimized for the same reason
- No pissed off customers due to inaccurate quotes
- Increased profits through additional parts sales
- Lifts aren't wasted with cars that are waiting for parts
- Increased profits through additional labor hours
- Mechanis paid time is spent on replacing parts, not diagnosing a problem - Most dealerships charge flat rate hours from the book, not actual. Book hours usually include an allowance for diagnosis. If they are just changing parts, diagnosis time is money in the bank for the dealer (not the mechanic).
You will notice that warranty repairs are usually not handled the same way. The manufacturer paying the bill won't pay for extra repairs.
When customers becomes compitently involved in the repair of their vehicle, it will benefit the dealership to eliminate the waste. Until then, they are more efficient (finacially) and have reasonably satisfied customers doing it the way that they are.
As for those who blatantly cheat the customer, one can only hope their customers will catch on.
04-18-2007, 05:51 AM
#23
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
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Here's an opinion pertaining to dealer service (not parts) that probably won't be too popular...
Average customers have brought this upon themselves. The majority of customers don't know and don't care to know anything about their vehicles except how to turn the key and push the pedals. The very fact that we are on this forum, takes us out of the normal realm. Most cutomers just expect their vehicles to work without having to understand what makes them tick, growl, squeak or anything else. With customers expecting their cars to work without any issue, expecting an accurate up front estimate, service writers who aren't mechanics who will have an upset cutomer if they have to call them and say it is going to cost more because we found... and customers who won't know if they got extra work done anyway, you have a perfect recipe for extra work to be done at the customer's expense. Through a lack of cutomer knowledge and interest, service writers have the power to give quick we need to do this and this and this responses without actually diagnosing a problem. If they say it with confidence to a customer that doesn't know the difference between a cam lobe and a proportioning valve, and the customer gets a car back that works, everybody comes out a winner or at least the customer thinks so. The monkey wrench lands in the spokes when a customer understands their vehicle. Once the service writer realizes that the customer knows more than them, it usually opens the door for the proper repair to be done as well as direct discussion with the mechanic. With any dealership I've ever had to deal with, I've been polite but firm that I want to see the job in process and that I expect to see the failed parts. I can usually provide them with an accurate diagnosis when I bring the car in also and I have always been able to go out in the work bay and speak with the mechanic while they are perfoming the work. If the dealership understands that the customer is reasonable, the customer accepts that there may be something additional needed that isn't known until the work is performed and the dealer knows the customer won't be fooled, the whole dynamic of the interaction changes for the better. Unfortunately, this isn't the usualy case and it benefits the dealership to write up the most work that may need to be performed up front for the following reasons:
- Mechanics paid time is not wasted waiting for parts because everything you could possibly need was ordered and on hand before the work begins.
- Customers time without the vehicle is minimized for the same reason
- No pissed off customers due to inaccurate quotes
- Increased profits through additional parts sales
- Lifts aren't wasted with cars that are waiting for parts
- Increased profits through additional labor hours
- Mechanis paid time is spent on replacing parts, not diagnosing a problem - Most dealerships charge flat rate hours from the book, not actual. Book hours usually include an allowance for diagnosis. If they are just changing parts, diagnosis time is money in the bank for the dealer (not the mechanic).
You will notice that warranty repairs are usually not handled the same way. The manufacturer paying the bill won't pay for extra repairs.
When customers becomes compitently involved in the repair of their vehicle, it will benefit the dealership to eliminate the waste. Until then, they are more efficient (finacially) and have reasonably satisfied customers doing it the way that they are.
As for those who blatantly cheat the customer, one can only hope their customers will catch on.
Average customers have brought this upon themselves. The majority of customers don't know and don't care to know anything about their vehicles except how to turn the key and push the pedals. The very fact that we are on this forum, takes us out of the normal realm. Most cutomers just expect their vehicles to work without having to understand what makes them tick, growl, squeak or anything else. With customers expecting their cars to work without any issue, expecting an accurate up front estimate, service writers who aren't mechanics who will have an upset cutomer if they have to call them and say it is going to cost more because we found... and customers who won't know if they got extra work done anyway, you have a perfect recipe for extra work to be done at the customer's expense. Through a lack of cutomer knowledge and interest, service writers have the power to give quick we need to do this and this and this responses without actually diagnosing a problem. If they say it with confidence to a customer that doesn't know the difference between a cam lobe and a proportioning valve, and the customer gets a car back that works, everybody comes out a winner or at least the customer thinks so. The monkey wrench lands in the spokes when a customer understands their vehicle. Once the service writer realizes that the customer knows more than them, it usually opens the door for the proper repair to be done as well as direct discussion with the mechanic. With any dealership I've ever had to deal with, I've been polite but firm that I want to see the job in process and that I expect to see the failed parts. I can usually provide them with an accurate diagnosis when I bring the car in also and I have always been able to go out in the work bay and speak with the mechanic while they are perfoming the work. If the dealership understands that the customer is reasonable, the customer accepts that there may be something additional needed that isn't known until the work is performed and the dealer knows the customer won't be fooled, the whole dynamic of the interaction changes for the better. Unfortunately, this isn't the usualy case and it benefits the dealership to write up the most work that may need to be performed up front for the following reasons:
- Mechanics paid time is not wasted waiting for parts because everything you could possibly need was ordered and on hand before the work begins.
- Customers time without the vehicle is minimized for the same reason
- No pissed off customers due to inaccurate quotes
- Increased profits through additional parts sales
- Lifts aren't wasted with cars that are waiting for parts
- Increased profits through additional labor hours
- Mechanis paid time is spent on replacing parts, not diagnosing a problem - Most dealerships charge flat rate hours from the book, not actual. Book hours usually include an allowance for diagnosis. If they are just changing parts, diagnosis time is money in the bank for the dealer (not the mechanic).
You will notice that warranty repairs are usually not handled the same way. The manufacturer paying the bill won't pay for extra repairs.
When customers becomes compitently involved in the repair of their vehicle, it will benefit the dealership to eliminate the waste. Until then, they are more efficient (finacially) and have reasonably satisfied customers doing it the way that they are.
As for those who blatantly cheat the customer, one can only hope their customers will catch on.
Well said, thank you
04-18-2007, 10:54 AM
#24
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04-18-2007, 11:05 AM
#25
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which post did you not read? this part is not available to the dealership from Toyota. And is only available aftermarket. and most dealerships choose not to use any aftermarket parts.
I'm done with this topic
mike
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