When did I quit being a mechanic?
07-14-2012, 05:56 AM
#61
Nordschleife Master
My neighbor is a long time MB line mechanic, and for the last few years he hates his work and is just grinding it out until he can retire. The reason is that MB doesn't allow him to fix anything, just swap modules and install systems. How do you get any satisfaction changing oil and doing brakes?
I enjoy fixing stuff, even if it never works again, fixing something so it works better than new, priceless.
I enjoy fixing stuff, even if it never works again, fixing something so it works better than new, priceless.
07-14-2012, 07:54 AM
#62
Greg,
We seem to have reached the stage where customers simply do not expect to have to pay for diagnostic work, troubleshooting, or making crap work properly. At the same time, most customers see nothing odd about paying book rates for book hours at the dealership. Yet, in the first case, they are getting excellent value for money, while in the second case, they are getting raped.
Charge what you are worth - there will be people who agree that you are worth it.
We seem to have reached the stage where customers simply do not expect to have to pay for diagnostic work, troubleshooting, or making crap work properly. At the same time, most customers see nothing odd about paying book rates for book hours at the dealership. Yet, in the first case, they are getting excellent value for money, while in the second case, they are getting raped.
Charge what you are worth - there will be people who agree that you are worth it.
Really funny line !
06-05-2016, 10:27 AM
#64
Being a new person here on Rennlist, I have found this thread very interesting! First off, Greg Brown stuck out to me (along with a few others) here that I've found to be deliberate, smart, effective and measurable. Measurable meaning the end product he makes/fixes/builds. I respect this.
"I spend hours and hours making things work, never charging enough for the time spent....and then sitting around, at the end of the month, wondering why I make half of what I used to make, when I did brake jobs, services, and oil changes." This was here in this thread, and I have to agree!
Although I don't advertise myself as a mechanic, my work draws much meticulous thinking out of me from my youth days messing with my Dune buddy, dirt bikes, etc to my US Army days as a Metalworker, then, Intel guy who was given a unix box, system admin priviledges and a new thing we were experminenting with back in 1993 while assigned to an Echelon Above Corps MI Bde: this thing called wireless communication between computers. And, couple this all with my German classes in HS, being in Germany for 5 consecutive years and on my off time hanging with Germans who were not upper classmen but tradesman who spoke limited English and I had to learn all the German technical language for this hobby; cars I learned to think and act like a German which, serves me very well right now in my current and likely permanent status as The Doctor at drblast.com The play on letters is deliberate, my name is Donald Reed, and my daughter said just use your name as the business name, so, I started off as drbplasticmediablasting...a mouthful to say the least. So, I shortened it to drblast.com and my admiration for Valentino Rossi who also is The Doctor, I decided I will be the best in my lane, applying my German analitical ability, and all the aforementioned traits and experiences into my business.
When Greg said he filters out and establishes (was it decision points) in a particular job based on time expended and customers ability to fund the task, I can completely understand this! Thankfully, I had a good mentor named John Balow of musclecarrestorations who told me "run it as a business, charge for your time, and don't take a lot of up-front money". I've found those to be sage words! I've found out that I have a lot of 'buddies' who think I'm their hobby shop. My Dad asked me what my favorite car to work on was, I told him I don't have a favorite, as if I did then the customer would have leverage on me and conduct the 'Jew me down process' (I can say that as I'm part Jewish, lol), so, when that Maserati guy comes and swoons over me that his car is so great, hires me to come look at it and determine the best place to mount the car on a Rotisserie, and when I tell him I'd mount the car to here, and the back I'd have to make a special Jig, he then tells me No, I want you to mount it here. I tell him sorry, have a nice day, go find some other person you can order around I will do what I do to the best of my ability keeping things safe and of the highest quality. He argued, I walked, and never looked back.
I get "How much to Blast this, and then fix the rust" I usually am pretty good in nailing blasting pricing down, for all other repairs I say it's by the hour, let's get it blasted first, and find out just how nice a car your car really is! Of course, when I'm done, the car was full of Bondo, covering massive rust holes or collision damages the owner was never aware of, basically a POS car they are already in over their head in terms of costs. This is where I can then filter out the dreamer from the doer.
For example, recently I had a 58 Karmann Ghia come in. After media blasting he needed a lot of work. The customer went and ordered new Pans, new lower Fender and Qtr pieces, and then hired me to do this work (I always make another contract for this) but, the 58-61 was a different style than the 62 onward Ghia, so, the pieces were incorrect. I advised the owner that I could make them work, but it was going to be custom fabricated and enhanced pieces using the new with newly added and created pieces, and it was all open ended pricing. Sadly, I never get past $1000.00 or so before I have them fund me again as I learned my lesson that I don't do a lot of work with no payments as they then stick me with it and I don't want their project! I have enough of my own projects with not enough shop floor space.
So, this thread has struck many nerves of similarity with me, thanks to all the ones who contributed here, this makes these threads here a really good read, and, it takes a lot of time to 'catch up' so to speak, meaning I don't want to ask/post things that were covered on page 502, and or some 4 yrs ago.
"I spend hours and hours making things work, never charging enough for the time spent....and then sitting around, at the end of the month, wondering why I make half of what I used to make, when I did brake jobs, services, and oil changes." This was here in this thread, and I have to agree!
Although I don't advertise myself as a mechanic, my work draws much meticulous thinking out of me from my youth days messing with my Dune buddy, dirt bikes, etc to my US Army days as a Metalworker, then, Intel guy who was given a unix box, system admin priviledges and a new thing we were experminenting with back in 1993 while assigned to an Echelon Above Corps MI Bde: this thing called wireless communication between computers. And, couple this all with my German classes in HS, being in Germany for 5 consecutive years and on my off time hanging with Germans who were not upper classmen but tradesman who spoke limited English and I had to learn all the German technical language for this hobby; cars I learned to think and act like a German which, serves me very well right now in my current and likely permanent status as The Doctor at drblast.com The play on letters is deliberate, my name is Donald Reed, and my daughter said just use your name as the business name, so, I started off as drbplasticmediablasting...a mouthful to say the least. So, I shortened it to drblast.com and my admiration for Valentino Rossi who also is The Doctor, I decided I will be the best in my lane, applying my German analitical ability, and all the aforementioned traits and experiences into my business.
When Greg said he filters out and establishes (was it decision points) in a particular job based on time expended and customers ability to fund the task, I can completely understand this! Thankfully, I had a good mentor named John Balow of musclecarrestorations who told me "run it as a business, charge for your time, and don't take a lot of up-front money". I've found those to be sage words! I've found out that I have a lot of 'buddies' who think I'm their hobby shop. My Dad asked me what my favorite car to work on was, I told him I don't have a favorite, as if I did then the customer would have leverage on me and conduct the 'Jew me down process' (I can say that as I'm part Jewish, lol), so, when that Maserati guy comes and swoons over me that his car is so great, hires me to come look at it and determine the best place to mount the car on a Rotisserie, and when I tell him I'd mount the car to here, and the back I'd have to make a special Jig, he then tells me No, I want you to mount it here. I tell him sorry, have a nice day, go find some other person you can order around I will do what I do to the best of my ability keeping things safe and of the highest quality. He argued, I walked, and never looked back.
I get "How much to Blast this, and then fix the rust" I usually am pretty good in nailing blasting pricing down, for all other repairs I say it's by the hour, let's get it blasted first, and find out just how nice a car your car really is! Of course, when I'm done, the car was full of Bondo, covering massive rust holes or collision damages the owner was never aware of, basically a POS car they are already in over their head in terms of costs. This is where I can then filter out the dreamer from the doer.
For example, recently I had a 58 Karmann Ghia come in. After media blasting he needed a lot of work. The customer went and ordered new Pans, new lower Fender and Qtr pieces, and then hired me to do this work (I always make another contract for this) but, the 58-61 was a different style than the 62 onward Ghia, so, the pieces were incorrect. I advised the owner that I could make them work, but it was going to be custom fabricated and enhanced pieces using the new with newly added and created pieces, and it was all open ended pricing. Sadly, I never get past $1000.00 or so before I have them fund me again as I learned my lesson that I don't do a lot of work with no payments as they then stick me with it and I don't want their project! I have enough of my own projects with not enough shop floor space.
So, this thread has struck many nerves of similarity with me, thanks to all the ones who contributed here, this makes these threads here a really good read, and, it takes a lot of time to 'catch up' so to speak, meaning I don't want to ask/post things that were covered on page 502, and or some 4 yrs ago.
