Keep your Car in Shape getting It to a Good Auto Repair Facility
If you see fewer auto repair shops in your area then you are witnessing a trend that is spreading throughout the auto repair industry. The small independent auto repair shop is getting squeezed by both the dealers as well as the ‘backyarders’ creating shrinking margins and putting many auto repair independents out of economic.
The global problem is the auto repair and service market has been shrinking in the last 10 or 15 years. Technology has made cars much more reliable with fewer breakdowns, repairs and scheduled maintenances.
Many manufacturers offer kind 100,000 mile warranty relating to this the independent will get little chance to work on that car for the most important 5-10 years it is owned.
As new car sales margins have gone down, VW, Chevrolet, Toyota and other manufacturers are looking to their service departments to make along the difference.
Additionally many dealers such as Porsche and Saab happen to adding other value added benefits such being a loaner car while repairs are being made. Independents are usually now being forced to give courtesy rides to customers in trying to keep plan the dealers since customers now expect this service.
Furthermore dealers with regard to Mercedes and Ford are now directly offering specials on services making their dealer prices to be able to independent repair shop prices.
But it’s but not just competitive pricing that’s the worrying the independents.
The battle for skilled labor is also being won from dealers: the dealers have always competed for skilled labor and will have become significantly more aggressive. With fewer individuals entering effect on repair profession and opting instead for careers such as health and technology, the total talent pool of the top skilled auto technicians is shrinking.
Increasingly it is becoming harder for independents to rent and retain these competent employees. A great automotive technician, would you rather improve Audi or Joe’s House?
The dealers are discovering the best ‘mechanics’ or as may well known today, ‘technicians.’ A top end dealer technician can make $100,000 twelve months with benefits while a self-employed shop owner would have to gross within a $1,000,000 every year to make that and have to afford their own benefits and social basic safety.
Because of these economic realities many independent owners are now closing their shops and going to be suitable for GM, Nissan and other dealers.
This puts the independent auto repair shop at a distinct disadvantage when diagnosing and repairing difficult drivability, fuel injection, electronic and computer related injuries.
Additionally, is not diagnosis is made and an area needs replacing the dealer will buy it in stock, not only verifying the diagnosis but greatly speeding increase the repair time and increasing customer support. Big advantage Cadillac and Rolls royce.
But it is not just a skilled employee war. Techs cannot fix cars without information and there has been a long and ongoing dispute among the dealers/manufacturers and independents over technical information access and diagnostic solutions.
The manufacturers claim that their technical facts are proprietary while the independents claim the information should be around to anybody that owns or fixes help to make of motor.
Excel Auto Repair & Sales
94 E Falmouth Hwy, East Falmouth, MA 02536
(508) 444-2777
