Won't get fooled again

[two_bit_score]

Need to blow off some steam....I took my BX25 in for its 50 hour service-change the engine oil, hyd oil, 2 filters, inspect the air and fuel filter?, grease the joints, clean the transmission strainer, test the antifreeze. $351.00
Pardon me? This is the second time this dealer has (in my opinion) handed it to me. The other time, they charged me for a service call, when a timer had to be replaced that wasn't under warranty as it was crushed by the 3 point hitch, because the timer under the seat was not in it proper secured place. (20 minute drive for them) That was at under 30 hours, and this service was at 60. Anyhow, just wondering what the prevailing hourly shop rate might be. $90 an hour for an oil change is just too much!

Now, was that $351 US or CD?

 

[Hondapro]

I work as a master technician at a car dealership,the costs to run a shop are very high.Some of what your paying goes for the overhead,the tech wages,service manager,service writer,tech training,tools,etc.

As far as making sure the job is done right, Let's face it there are some people out there that take short cuts to get done faster,it really disturbs me when I here about someone doing that. And I'm sure that it just does'nt happen in the car/tractor repair business either.

Get to know your dealership techs,talk with them and when you find one that you like request them by name when you need your car/tractor serviced.

I leave a bussiness card in every car i service.

I am sure that you will find that there are many good techs that take a lot of pride in there work.Regretfully there are a few that don't and give the rest of us a bad wrap.

 

[buck12]

I work as a master technician at a car dealership,the costs to run a shop are very high.Some of what your paying goes for the overhead,the tech wages,service manager,service writer,tech training,tools,etc.

As far as making sure the job is done right, Let's face it there are some people out there that take short cuts to get done faster,it really disturbs me when I here about someone doing that. And I'm sure that it just does'nt happen in the car/tractor repair business either.

Get to know your dealership techs,talk with them and when you find one that you like request them by name when you need your car/tractor serviced.

I leave a bussiness card in every car i service.

I am sure that you will find that there are many good techs that take a lot of pride in there work.Regretfully there are a few that don't and give the rest of us a bad wrap.

Excellent point. I have one mechanic at a local auto shop that does all my out of warranty work. In the past I had to ask for him. Now if I call the shop manager knows who want I to work on my vehicle and will tell me when he will available.

 

[Bird]

Excellent point. I have one mechanic at a local auto shop that does all my out of warranty work. In the past I had to ask for him. Now if I call the shop manager knows who want I to work on my vehicle and will tell me when he will available.

The vast majority of the auto repair shops in my area, including the dealerships, don't want customers in the shop, so the customers only deal with service writers and never see the mechanic or technician who does the work. Of course they all claim their insurance prohibits customers in the service area, but oddly enough my brother never had that problem. In fact when I worked for him customers were welcome in the shop to watch what was being done to their vehicles. And while it's been a few years, so I can't say for sure nothing has changed, but Camping World used to (and probbably still does) allow customers in the service area when their RVs are being worked on.

 

[buck12]

The vast majority of the auto repair shops in my area, including the dealerships, don't want customers in the shop, so the customers only deal with service writers and never see the mechanic or technician who does the work. Of course they all claim their insurance prohibits customers in the service area, but oddly enough my brother never had that problem. In fact when I worked for him customers were welcome in the shop to watch what was being done to their vehicles. And while it's been a few years, so I can't say for sure nothing has changed, but Camping World used to (and probbably still does) allow customers in the service area when their RVs are being worked on.

This shop will often call the mechanic to the office so you can describe the problem to the actual mechanic. There is a sign on the door that says customers are not allowed in the shop but customers do go in the shop.

 

[ovrszd]

No offense meant, but the shop my Son works in has a sign saying no customers in shop area. They use that sign to sort the customer visitors. Some customers have no business in the shop and only cost the dealership and mechanic money. The sign helps with that. An interested, curious customer has no problem getting in. A whiner has no chance of getting in. As consumers we have to decide which kind of customer we are going to be and then accept how we are handled. Deep inside we each know which we are.

 

[Bird]

No offense meant, but the shop my Son works in has a sign saying no customers in shop area. They use that sign to sort the customer visitors. Some customers have no business in the shop and only cost the dealership and mechanic money. The sign helps with that. An interested, curious customer has no problem getting in. A whiner has no chance of getting in. As consumers we have to decide which kind of customer we are going to be and then accept how we are handled. Deep inside we each know which we are.

Yep, I agree . . . but only partially. Maybe I'm in the minority, but if they put up a sign that no customers are allowed, I figure it's their property and I obey the sign without question or go elsewhere. I don't ask if I'm an exception. I figure that sign means one of two things: (1) they intend or expect to cheat you, or (2) they lack confidence in their own ability and are afraid they might make a mistake and wouldn't want the customer to see it. In my personal experience, the places that welcome customers into the shop have the best personnel, do the best work, and are the most successful.

 

[NSBound]

I agree, Bird . The auto manufacturer I used to work for required at least a way for the customer in the waiting area to view the work in progress when their car was in the shop. New building designs had to incorporate a glass window to see into the shop from the waiting area, or if the design didn;t permit that, then a cctv with the camera in the shop area. Customers like that, like you say they want to see what is going on with their car.

 

[Big Bri]

i think the signs are there for insurance reasons, think of the liability that shop would have if hot oil sprayed on someone or or if something flew into someones eye. We all preach safety here, eye protection hearing protection, hard hats etc. the customer will not have these safety items.
also i think they are there to keep the guys in the shop working. think about it, if everyone who brought in their car or tractor was in the shop looking and questioning what was going on. it takes time to talk to the customer, and they would also be in the way. this slows down the repair which makes for longer waits for the next car or tractor in line and would also drive up labor prices as the mech. wouldn't be working at total efficiency.
thats just my 2 cents.
brianinsurance

 

[6sunset6]

I used to work at a very large co and interfaced at different times with both selling and buying. (I was the technical guy). What no one has mentioned here is profit margin. As buyers we wanted to see only 15% profit from the suppliers.
As sellers we wanted 40% margin . Margin is not profit but a strange formula that does something like double the price almost after all costs are added.
When you are a bean counter the costs include everything. It is amazing how much cost there is that everyone forgets about. Anyway 40% margin seems to be a magic no that will guarantee a business success. I always thought prices were outrageous until I saw costs. Inventory cost a lot of money, Insurance, marketing etc etc a lot of indirect stuff that no one thinks about. So I have some sympathy for the hourly rates. Does not mean I will pay them if I don't have to. There is no excuse for bad customer service.

 

[zzvyb6]

Meanwhile, back at the origial post, it is a high probability that the dealer used recommended parts and oils and service procedures. They also looked over the machinery for other issues. Like where you caught a hose on that tree stump you ran into when not paying attention. Or where you bent the drawbar while using your backblade to push that 6,000 lb rock. Or maybe where you twisted the pto shaft when the finish mower ran over your kid's bike. What about when you added those 'better' headlights and cris-crossed the battery terminals in the process?

A vast majority of self-servicers scrimp on oil, filters and wrenching. They mean well but think that TSC oil is the same as Mobil-1. Sure they can get cheap oil and parts. Sure they can remember righty-tighty and lefty-loosey, but there's a lot more to it than that. There is a big difference in oil contents that I have personnally measured as a Big-3 Powertrain engineer. Filters? You mean the ones that are practically empty or the ones that are full of sawdust and recycled paper? Detergent oil or high wax content?. Power steering fluid or hydraulic oil? Whaddaya mean there's a difference?

Just look through a cross section of this Forum of those who have stripped out their oil drain plugs, cross threaded or broken off head bolts, and can't find the 2nd fuel filter (the REAL one). Then they want to get the thing fixed on warranty because they used cheap 5wgt oil instead of straight 30 wgt. Or it was a "design" problem.

Taking into account all the incompetancies out there in Tractorville, I vote for the dealer. I want him around when its time to fix MY screwups.

$350 for a service deal sounds like a good one considering the cost of materials. BTW: As Johnny Carson used to say, Did you get a kiss with that?

 

[Bird]

A vast majority of self-servicers scrimp on oil, filters and wrenching.

All the things you mentioned can, and have, happened at times, but I think "vast majority" should be "small minority" instead, although I reckon neither of us has any real statistics to back up our opinion. I think most of those who do it themselves have taken the time and made the effort to do it right.

 

[Kubota 2350]

$350.00 sounds about right in my neck of the woods.

 

[TripleR]

That is about what my dealer charged for my 50 hour service. I use to do my own service, but can't anymore. While I don't think my dealer charged "too much", I will have one of my sons come up and do my next one as servicing these things really is pretty simple and I can show them what is needed.

 

[ovrszd]

That is about what my dealer charged for my 50 hour service. I use to do my own service, but can't anymore. While I don't think my dealer charged "too much", I will have one of my sons come up and do my next one as servicing these things really is pretty simple and I can show them what is needed.

Along these lines, funny thing about human nature. We'll pay a dealer $350 to service our tractor but wouldn't think of paying the neighbor boy that can build a dragster half that much to do the same service for us. Heck No!!! Not going to pay that kid that kind of money!!! Hmmmmm......

 

[pitt_md]

Along these lines, funny thing about human nature. We'll pay a dealer $350 to service our tractor but wouldn't think of paying the neighbor boy that can build a dragster half that much to do the same service for us. Heck No!!! Not going to pay that kid that kind of money!!! Hmmmmm......

If the "kid" does something wrong and breaks your tractor will he stand behind his work? Sure he may be plenty able or better than the dealers tech but when you take it to the dealer they can fix what they break on their dime.

 

[jsborn]

From the Shops point of view there should be 3 prices to every job.

$10 if I do the work

$20 if you watch me do the work

$50 if you help me do the work

$350 is about the going rate for service ihere in the south but then again most people around here either do it them selves or it just doesn't get done. (not the best option)

 

[Bird]

From the Shops point of view there should be 3 prices to every job.

$10 if I do the work

$20 if you watch me do the work

$50 if you help me do the work

$350 is about the going rate for service ihere in the south but then again most people around here either do it them selves or it just doesn't get done. (not the best option)

That's a little bit like the shops that have the sign:
WE DO THREE KINDS OF WORK
GOOD, FAST, AND CHEAP
YOU CAN HAVE YOUR CHOICE OF ANY TWO.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

$350 is a good price in my area. I posted this on another thread, got a flyer from my dealer that wants $300 for winter servicing (changing oil + grease), plus parts, plus $60 pick up/delivery charge.

 

[impdaddy]

I had the dealer do my 50 hr service and asked about it here before I did it because I was quoted about $300-350. However I had an oil leak that I wanted them to look at under warranty when it was in there. Well when I went to check it (the tractor) was in 3 pieces. It had a seal leaking in the HST. Bottom line. If I hadn't taken it in for the service I probably would have had a problem after the warranty was up. I will do all service from now on except warranty stuff.