How much $ is too much?

[THALL10326]

ive always charged 52.00 hourly on my jobs . havent got any complaints because i always point to my sign that says MASTER SERVICE TECHNICIAN then they understand . not like some little hillbilly garage that is run out of there garage

Very few do complain to be honest about it. Can you imagine what these complainers say about doctors and people that really make some big bucks. Wonder what they would think of a doctor visit that takes the doctor 5 minutes to say you got a cold, that will be 120.00. Bet that makes em cough,LOL

 

[manual]

Four year old saw and got it replaced for free.:jawdrop:
Ok Now I call your bluff.
No way did you get a free replacement on a four year old saw.

 

[manual]

ive always charged 52.00 hourly on my jobs . havent got any complaints because i always point to my sign that says MASTER SERVICE TECHNICIAN then they understand . not like some little hillbilly garage that is run out of there garage

Hey where can I get one of those Signs for my garage?
The one I have hanging in my Hillbilly garage Says,

Genuine U.S Government Licensed
Airplane Mechanic on Duty


Take your shoes off, ya all come back now ya hear.

 

[Cam501]

Very few do complain to be honest about it. Can you imagine what these complainers say about doctors and people that really make some big bucks. Wonder what they would think of a doctor visit that takes the doctor 5 minutes to say you got a cold, that will be 120.00. Bet that makes em cough,LOL

I think shop labor rates are very much a product of the area you live in. I won't get into our labor rate on here but with the low margins on equipment, you have to make it up in parts and service to be reasonably profitable. You won't find a shop in our area for under $60 an hr. We're not the cheapest by any means but I do think our techs are some of the best and to be able to afford to pay them a decent enough wage to keep them around (cost of living is high compared to wages here) we have to be a bit higher on the labor rate. I'm not sure about most other shops but we also handle trimmers, residential and commercial mowers, water pumps, blowers, and tillers,and a few other things in addition to saws. We charge $8 for chain sharpenings off the saw (more for on saw)and we sharpen tuesday and thursday. As for the Lowe's 359. Good for you for getting a free saw out it. I will gladly help out a customer as much as I cant but I won't bend over and take it in the rear either, and certainly will not sign the agreement with Lowe's to be their servicing dealer. Once you sign that you pretty much have to give priority to repairing their units, which is a crock. I have no problem with our techs working on a unit from Lowe's, but our customers get first priority. Period. Lowe's will likely get some kind of credit back from Husqvarna on that saw anyways, whereas the servicing dealer would get nothing from them if they gave a new saw. And as Lakeside said previously i will agree with him about pro customers. We generally give them rush priority because they are making a living with their equipment. Though at this time of year we're always backlogged severely. Regarding parts, such as the orings mentioned in another post, if it's a stock item I won't charge any freight on it if they can wait till my parts guy places our next stock order (which is at least once a week sometimes twice a week) If they need it rush ordered we will gladly do that but you'll have to pay whatever the freight is. There is a fair balance between making a decent profit and giving the customer a good buy at most dealerships. There's always some bad apples, but it seems like people assume 1 bad dealer means all are. And on a final side note, regarding the post saying that huskys are cheaper than stihl. That's interesting because customers have different expectations when looking at the two brands as far as price goes. I am often expected by customers to discount my Husqvarna's(primarily with saws, but also on other equip), yet only rarely even asked to discount Stihl's. Basically it's ok to make X dollars on a stihl, but god forbid if i make the same amount on a husky that I paid the same price for, cause then I'm ripping them off (or so I've been told by several customers). Anyhow, enough of my semi random ranting.

 

[rreidnauer]

. . . . . . . But would it not have been reasonable, and more realistic, for the Lowes manager to say, "Ok Mr. Vapnut, I'll see that we get the rest of your parts back when the dealer returns next week. I'll call you as soon as they are here."

But some of you guys grabbed onto the missing parts like it was a senate hearing in Washington. How DARE they forget all of the parts for a dead saw. Why not just get him back his parts?

Sure. Absolutely. The manager could have done that, but didn't. He would have been in the right all the way. Do you believe Vapnut put the manager in an armlock and threaten to take his first born if he didn't hand over a new saw?

You call it "dead", I call it "affordably repairable if done by myself." I'd want all of my saw back.

Earlier, you mentioned his ongoing threads of complaints with this saw. I admit I haven't been following them. Now I'll have to go back and see what this is all about now. Great, more time obsessing on AS. :biggrinbounce2:

 

[RiverRat2]

You would not believe how many people never come back to pick up their sharpened chain. I pitched a boat load last year after sitting on the shelf for over a year. My boss has been on my azz to make people pre pay for chain sharpening. I've yet to do it but if people keep leaving them I'll soon have no choice in the matter.

Im gonna try to get a pic of the chains and bars that have been sharpened or tips replaced,,, just sitting at the shop it is freaking unbelievable,,, prepay is the wave of the future,,,, I saw some with dates well over a year old,,,,:monkey: but they dont pitchem they sellem at a much reduced price!!!!

 

[Lakeside53]

We just sell them if they don't get picked up. Not hard to get $10 for any sharp chain, often much more.

 

[glenn31792]

$68.50 and hour - Thats high. I can see 45-50 an hour.

Unlike car/motorcycle dealers I doubt the saw shop has to buy expensive
diagnostic equipment.
How many specialty tools does the shop need to buy to service the units?
How hard are the things to work on?
What does the shop have to dispose of? anti freeze , used oil tires batteries?

Unlike the car/motorcycle shop people are not spending many thousands
of dollars on the unit.


I would to look at it this way. I am going to spend 2 hours labor + parts
to get a $400 saw (3 hours labor is more than 1/2 the cost of a new $400 saw)
worked on? Nope just sell me a new one and I will keep this one for parts.

 

[manual]

$68.50 and hour - Thats high. I can see 45-50 an hour.

I would to look at it this way. I am going to spend 2 hours labor + parts
to get a $400 saw (3 hours labor is more than 1/2 the cost of a new $400 saw)
worked on? Nope just sell me a new one and I will keep this one for parts.

This is why people shop at Lowes, ect. Most don't keep there old equipment for parts, they just throw them away.

Now take Jonny logger,

his saw wears out in a year, the replacement cost is say $700.00- $1,200.00. Rebuild cost is $300.00-$500.00. what would you do? Keep in mind Jonny has a chickie chickie

Same goes for the other professions. Remember not everybody is a mechanic

 

[04ultra]

This is why people shop at Lowes, ect. Most don't keep there old equipment for parts, they just throw them away.

Now take Jonny logger,

his saw wears out in a year, the replacement cost is say $700.00- $1,200.00. Rebuild cost is $300.00-$500.00. what would you do?

Throw it away and Buy a Stihl..............:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:




.

 

[manual]

Throw it away and Buy a Stihl..............:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:
.

Chicks dig Jonny and his Jonsered, why change?

 

[04ultra]

Chicks dig Jonny and his Jonsered, why change?

Chic's feel sorry for Jred.......... Something about his mom being a Poulan and his dad a Husqvarna.......:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

.

 

[oneadam12]

Chic's feel sorry for Jred.......... Something about his mom being a Poulan and his dad a Husqvarna.......:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

.

You know your just not right.

 

[manual]

Chic's feel sorry for Jred.......... Something about his mom being a Poulan and his dad a Husqvarna.......:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

.

Mixed blood makes for a healthy family tree.

Stihl's Family tree looks more like a twig. LOL

 

[THALL10326]

Chic's feel sorry for Jred.......... Something about his mom being a Poulan and his dad a Husqvarna.......:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

.

Folks have been hung for way less in the south for years,

 

[manual]

Chic's feel sorry for Jred.......... Something about his mom being a Poulan and his dad a Husqvarna.......:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

.

Thats ok when baby Jonny asked baby Stihl "whos you mom and Dad"?

Baby Stihl said " My Dad is my Mom's brother and I'm my own Grandpa".

 

[livewire]

Thats ok when baby Jonny asked baby Stihl "whos you mom and Dad"?

Baby Stihl said " My Dad is my Mom's brother and I'm my own Grandpa".

....and baby Jonny said, "that's okay, I have TWO daddy's!!!"

 

[PES+]

Price has everything to do with quality
greed has everything to do with poor quality! I don't want best price I
want best service price will effect that. For example I tip a waitress
that keeps my glass full and has my check ready when I am! When I
come back she will spot me and service will be as good or better.
Greed is just a tool to enslave the working class by keeping price of
labor too low. Thing is, service was jeopardized, a good example was the
feller I heard that started a small biz, and told his employees if company
did well after a few years there would be bonus. Well this biz had record
profits after ten years and for every employee he gave them 1000.00
per year of service plus twenty thousand for employees that had been
with him at start up. All the local business executives thought the man
was loco and snickered. Well next year rolled around found profits were
thirty percent better than year before! The thing is the people that
were givin them bonus checks made the company and the boss was
twice as smart as any greedy ceo. Those people loved working for
their boss never had a bad word about their company and did not stand
around the water fountain.

+1000 right on the money I have seen the same and witness it daily.

I thought the 80s was the ME decade but I get people whining about how much tax they have to pay on their extra profit while they complain about the work they get from "technicians" they pay "good money" 10 bucks an hour and on an as needed basis.

I always suggest they run a want ad.....they will get more small engine "techs" than they can shake a stick at.

It does make it a little harder on me when I have to here the sob stories from the customers when I eventually get the piece to be fixed right after it has made the rounds to some of the dealers around. It can be hard to explain to people that I can't cut them a break because they paid several times for parts and repair and I tell them how much it costs to get it back to running correctly and so it will last. I do not any longer do anyone a "favor" and jury rig things on customer units as they seem to have short memories of any word "temporary" and have heard back about temp repairs being bad mouthed years after they were supposed to be brought back for the true correct repair.