Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2006 14:01:46 -0500
Reply-To: Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
Subject: Re: Meineke Brakes
In-Reply-To: <43EB7C8D.7040004@mchsi.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
on 2/9/06 12:31, Al and Sue Brase at albeeee@MCHSI.COM wrote:
> I suppose someone with an MBA could graph it. Raising % of ripoff on
> one axis and customer attacks/ vandalism on the other. Would it be
> linear or rising to the right? Libillity insurance would definitely go
> up if customers were attacking the employees.
> No MBA's on this list.?
> Al Brase
Yep, there are a few of us on the List. I, for one, chose not to
pursue/continue in that line of work because of the nearly global inability
of the business world to quantify the unseen good, the intrinsic and the
long term against the innately bad, the unnatural and the quick/short term.
Past practice and real world experiences of the on-the-ground worker bees
are discounted because of some number cruncher's inability to assign a real
number/value. It seems to me that the former almost always lose to the
latter; presenting the twin horned dilemma of quality vs. quantity (ala Zen
and the Art of Vanagon Maintenance with apologies to R Persig).
Stepping off the soap box...
Anyway, in your question, what's important are the real costs.
Realistically and nearly literally customers don't attack/vandalize.
They do spread poor word-of-mouth and bad will. Bad juju!!
I imagine that the typical Meinike/Midas business model would impute those
real losses to business in terms of repeat business and the potential to
enhance profits with escalated pricing as the two axes. To a large degree
the repeat business will also be mitigated by the street and traffic
exposure of the site (real estate). Heavier exposure allows greater
prices, because it lessens the need for repeat customers.
Just my $.002 (sic) worth.
--
Stephen
Chillicothe OH
> Robert Fisher wrote:
>
>> I would guess, if I had to guess, that what you're really paying for
>> is the
>> massive liability policy they probably have to maintain in order to
>> stay in
>> business, not to mention normal corporate overhead and that kind of
>> BS- not
>> that I would expect that to make you feel any better about it.
>>
>> What the hell is 'shop supplies' all about? I hate that crap- you roll
>> your
>> costs into the price and don't burden the customer with it. They do
>> that so
>> that they can advertise a cheaper 'price' for the job itself and you find
>> out about all the other added crap once they have you in there. It
>> oughta be
>> illegal.
>>
>> $70 bucks for resurfacing? $10 bucks a wheel down the street...
>>
>> I'm sorry you got jammed up with this, but thanks for the warning.
>> Next time
>> have her take a cab. Stories like this just prove the value of having
>> a good
>> relationship with 'your' mechanic, if you're one of those that uses one.
>>
>> Cya,
>> Robert
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Dumas Magee" <MrNegNRG@AOL.COM>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 6:50 AM
>> Subject: Meineke Brakes
>>
>>
>> How's this for a total screw job
>>
>> Shoes $176.40
>> Wheel Clyinder (2) $89.95 each
>> Hardware $63.00
>> Rear Brake Labor $187 ($85/hr)
>> Resurface $70
>> Bleed System $69.95
>> $20 Tax and $30 for shop supplies comes out to $677.82 after my big
>> "discount"
>>
>> It was Saturday night, Vanessa needed the car for work on Sunday and
>> school
>> Monday
>> Man, do I feel stupid
>>
>> Parts from VW (full retail, no discount) Shoes $62 (comes with
>> hardware)
>> Cylinders $27
>> Labor at dealer (Flynn VW) $227
>>
>> Like I said, man do I feel stupid!
>>
>> Dale Ward
>> LiMBO Club House Keeper
>>
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