this stuff makes it hard for the rest of us.we always save the old parts ,anh if possible we try to show the customer the broken or worn out part....
I believe, in most applications, that "tech" is a snow job word. It is as if shops and dealerships think that "mechanic" is a person that is unqualified, or uneducated. Do customers really feel better with a tech working on their car? I know that in this world of computer controls and electronics, the business is changing, but do they really think that changing a word makes a difference? tc
Great stuff! I have a story from a month ago. Sorry its a long read but was a short conversation. Went to get my oil changed at a Mr. CarWash on my 2500HD Chevy. They always try to sell you on air filter, p***enger cabin air filter, diff fluid change, etc... So I'm standing near the door watching them change my oil, and here comes the manager carrying an air filter. He comes in and asks "Is that your truck?" I say "Yes", he says "This is your air filter, its pretty bad you need to replace it." I look him dead in the eye, and say "Thats not my filter, and you didn't take that out of my truck." He then argues with me that it is mine and out of my truck. He is standing there with some dinky little paper element. My HD is a Duramax and has a huge filter, that I upgraded to a K&N. He finally caved and said it wasn't mine. So I went out into the bays and asked to see my oil filter as I know what it looked like. They had changed it, actually. And I pushed until I got my oil change for free. **** thats me, I can't imagine the stuff that gets pulled on women.
I managed two quick-lubes for six years (including full-service carwashes and express "detail" bays)..... I had over 100 employees under me, the company was privately owened by two gentlemen, and was not a "franchise store..." I pushed out over 2500 cars a month between the two stores........ and only lost two engines in over five years..... The words "not a franchise store" are key here.... The brand name Jiffy Lube is akin to the brand name Burger King..... a franchise with over 90 percent of the stores corparately owned. Corporations are concerned with one thing..... MONEY..... They will are only worried about making a buck TODAY, tomarrow will bring whatever it brings.... They pay their "techs" just barely a step up from minimum wage...which means in all likelihood, a hack will service your vehicle.... and the employee turnover is about nine months.... and they push those poor *******s to SELL SELL SELL... the best sellers are rewarded.... the losers get sent home early when it's slow....... Their managers are on salary and usually work 50-70 hours per week..... I have heard stories.... one manager was called in on Easter Sunday by the "owner" (read: corporate greedhead) to paint the rails........ and that is nothing..... Manager turnover, National average is two years....... Let's break down a $28.99 Full Service oil change, by cost..... 1. Oil- $6.00 a gallon, and that's bulk price, the last I checked.... Most places charge you for anything over 5 quarts. so say $7.50..... That's for Pennzoil..... avoid any oil change under $20.00..... who knows what they are putting in your crankcase...... 2. Filter- Average price, at cost, is $1.50 3. Courtesy check (top off fluids, etc) average is $2.00 a vehicle (washer fluid, antifreeze, brake fluid, etc) 4. Labor- well, the usual goal is one vehicle per man-hour, so that works out to about $10.00 per car, and that is figuring minimum wage (employer still has to pay their taxes, unemployment insurance, etc) $20.50 total so far. and we still have to pay for the overhead and general business insurance, not to mention the Franchise Cut..... In other words, a $28.99 Oil Change pretty much just breaks a Fast Lube even. And that's counting on staying busy. So they will upsell you anything they can. Light Bulbs and Belts to ****** Flushes and Fuel Filters. **** the Corporate Chains. There are a few out there that are honest, but in my opinion, they are few and far in between...... If I ever had to have any service performed at any type of these places (Sears, Car X, etc included) I always either ask to watch or spy on them...... Look for the Ma and Pop type places. They only have their reputation to keep them afloat...... The business I worked for was not like this. We correctly did whatever services were requested, and would look everything over and would let the customer know our "diagnoses..." i.e., your ****** fluid is going need to be changed soon" or "you will need a serp belt soon" or whatever..... I even kept my techs up on recall stuff, just to let the customer know, usually they were unaware of such things...... We paid our techs a bit more, and I ran a laid back shop.... my boss understood the nature of the business and let me run with my goal, and it worked.... I had great crews, we had fun, and we all made a living...... Provide an honest service for a fair price..... "treat every car as if your grandmother was going to drive it across country...." And it worked, my stores were of the only six in the State of Wisconsin that saw steady growth in the past five years....... In other words, most of the fast-lube/fast-maintainence industry is horrible, but there ARE several of these places that are indeed VERY good at what they do, if you need one, or knows someone that does, take the time to find the "real deal" and stay away from the corporate chains..... I have heard so many horror stories, it's not funny..... When I quit (for band reasons), and found my new job, quite a few of my old "regulars" followed me to my new shop...... just beacuse they know I am honest.... I may charge a bit more now, but they know I am looking out for the main thing here...... THEIR CAR...... and they pay for two things..... my HONESTY and my KNOWLEDGE...... just my two cents worth.... now I am going to go port the new heads for the Caddy I picked up today for 50 bucks.... and drink alot of beer
Back in college, Mel took her '59 Dodge to Wal-mart for new tires. They told her they couldn't get the wheels off because the drivers side was REVERSE THREAD. She had to take the wheels off at home and bring them in to get the tires put on them. Then, she had recurring valve stem leaks because they used the WRONG SIZE valve stamd for her wheels. On teh plus side, the tires were only $30 each
"Most of all I think that in our field, we have owners who don't demand the best from the people working for them. The bar needs to be raised. I guess it's a reflection of our society in general." I think that sums it up, HighSpeed LowDrag
im sure most of you heard about my recent horrer story! (if your on the jockey journal or OSR) if not.... they didnt tighten the ****ing trans pan and my fluid leaked out... burnt up my ****ing drive clutches and i got stuck in bubble**** IL for a week, and had to sell my truck for parts(cost more to fix it then it was worth) oh ps. i only took it there because i thought it would be cheaper then doing it myself.... never again.
JIFFY LUBE AUSTIN TEXAS RECRUITS FROM HALFWAY HOUSES thats between jail and free, one guy had spent 25 years for murderand was hired.
One of my good friends was a Jiffy Lube manager in the early 90's. They pulled the same **** then, thats why he quit. I'm amazed they or any other like businesses are still around. Then again, it shows that these TV bust stories dont accomplish much.
What a story - Jiffy Lube - new name - JIPPY LUBE It would be fun to call some of these places and say is this Jippy Lube? Gary 4T950 Chevy Guy
They can do all the TV reports they want. The average fellow has either a short-memory is to lazy to do it himself or look into a lube center/garage with a better rep. Many elected officials bet their future on this premise every few years.
The local TV station ran a series on "techs" at Jiffy Lube and others here gawking up woman customers' skirts from the pit. One of the guys would show the customer "something on the engine" while the rest of the crew ran down into the pit.... real cl***y...
thats funny that you say that!! because they kept telling me to go there for a belt! because i didnt wanna pay them 59 dollers for something i can do myself in 5 minutes.
When I worked at the " Salvage Yard " ... ( junk yard ) ... we sold Jiffy Lube 3 or 4 engines a year ... a couple of rear ends and a transmission or two ... All because of their " TECHS " not doing what they were paid to do . I take my new Silverado to the GM dealer ... for service ... because IF you ever have trouble ... they do not honor the warranty unless you can prove it has been serviced properly. I keep the receipts ... same on my wifes Cadillac DeVille ... It has the 7 year/70,000 mile warranty from Cadillac ... Saved our buns ... a few times and at $29.95 ... it is worth it Lost a transmission on my other Silverado in Arizona a few years back ... Warranty fixed it ... And repairs on the Caddy are expensive without the warrany ... especially on her FWD Caddy ...
The wife and I always buy Mopars Bumper to Bumper 7/70 no deductable for our dailies, and take them to the Dealer for the Lube and maintenance. Sometimes I have to call them on a few things but they know me by now and keep it straight to keep me happy. We do all the work on the 47 ourselves.
I work at a dealership and called one of the techs a "mechanic" back when I first started here. I didn't mean it disrepectfully - I didn't realize technichian was the preferred term, but by the look on his face I think he was going to kick me in the nuts.
I worked in the parts department in downtown Nashville for a while, we averaged selling about two engines a month to the local Jiffy lube where they'd ****ed up and either not put any oil back in the car, or cross threaded the filter/drain plug, or you name it. We called'em "Iffy lube"
In all honesty, I'd rather they not do the work on my car than do it as I've seen em do it lots of times on other peoples. I still remember my old man's company car having the drainplug drilled out and replaced with a larger one due to their cross-threading. I remember wondering at the time where all the metal shavings from them drilling it out went. I'm far too cheap to pay someone to change my oil before we even get into the pride thing, though...
The Jalopy Journal
