It's getting tougher to make a buck, people are always beating me up on parts prices.

[fastfredracing]

Just finished up a job tonight. I bid it a few months back. Long time customer, Guy tore me a new arse, cause I tried to make 20% on my parts. Problem, is , they hang up the phone, google it and can find it cheaper than what I can buy it for from the parts store.
I have vendors, and get good deals, but of course I pay a little more for the convenience of my vendors, warehousing it , blasting it to my door usually within the hour, or worst case , next morning, giving me a no hassle warranty, and working with me on returns and what not. It is worth every penny to me . Cores, and warranty returns suck time out of your day, when you are doing rock auto,and places like that .
Any of you running into this in your industry?

[Tervuren]

I recognize that when I bring a car to a shop, it will be their goal to use a fast network of parts instead of the lowest bidder.

I do appreciate how fast they can turn stuff around. When I do it myself, it can take a week.

I'm not sure there is an obvious solution, when you diagnose something you have likely taken things apart and may not always be in a position to move the vehicle out of work space and that bay is now "stuck" until the parts come in.

It would be interesting to have a data base programmer build a website that has what your parts prices will be, and when work involves known parts - no diagnostics, a person could choose to bring their own.

Anyway...

A lot just stems from a lack of understanding of whats it like to do, shall I say, a "real job"?

[RANDY P]

What? You dare make a buck on someone?

Shame on you. You should've shopped online for parts and given it to them at your cost, because that's good for THEM. Profit is evil.

rjp

[look 171]

Fook those guys Freddy. Their time is worth nothing and expects the same from you. They use to beat me up on stuff too, but I tell them if they buy it, and it doesn't fit, then I have charge them a days or how ever many work waiting on a part. If not, we move on to another jub and return when we are done (I haven't done that yet). That stops them really quick. That's not just one person, all people that are involve will get pay waiting. There's no warranty. That's if they want to save a few bucks. On our paper work, we spell out 10% profit and 10% overhead over the entire construction amount. Yeah, let em' go to the post office and return the part when the wrong one is shipped. They just never understand time is money until its their time.

I am on a project right now. Client wants to buy appliance themselves. I can get it cheaper them most people and if they are nice folks, I just give them the bill and just get reimburse on plumbing fixtures and appliances and make no money. Its a big amount upwards of 2000 bucks. Well, they think I am ripping them off by marking it up. Off to the net they go. The ref. doesn't fit into their spec out opening because it has a bow in the center. So I charged them for two guys labor and 20% on top of that (These people are real jerks, yell at my men, stand there and watch and continue to ask questions when they are working). They were pissed. I was jumping for joy inside. They had it coming. The internet place gave them hassle about the return. 10 days later another came but the door was scratched. We are waiting for the third one. I am going to let them deliver it into the house. If not, its on them. Oh, they learned a lesson about buying local. My vendor would have gotten me another the next day. Their kitchen would have been fully functioning 3 weeks ago. I wouldn't go back for another week or after Christmas. The old ref is sitting in the middle of the kitchen. If they were nicer, I would have bought another from my guy locally and be done with the place 3 weeks ago and have them pick up the defective one and move on with life. They remodel the kitchen and baths for a big Christmas party.

What is it that the public don't understand? Small businesses like yours and mine has to make a profit jsut like the big stores. We pay insurances, permits to operate, and all other BS fees. Why is it that we shouldn't make a profit on parts?

[RANDY P]

^^^Price nit-pickers never go away happy. Only deal with them last-resort. Better to spend time on well paying clients.

I get that crap, I have been known to turn down deals. Why bother if you can't make it worth your time?

rjp

[look 171]

Originally Posted by RANDY P

^^^Price nit-pickers never go away happy. Only deal with them last-resort. Better to spend time on well paying clients.

I get that crap, I have been known to turn down deals. Why bother if you can't make it worth your time?

rjp

This was a relative of a very dear client of mine. I did work for them 20 years ago when I was a pimple face kid and just finish their retirement home last year, so I was almost obligated to take this one. they seem very nice when I first met them. A retired engineer turned out to be a Pain in my ass. He takes apart everything out of the box during the evening and gives us the box full of pieces so we can install them. You name it, lights, faucets. He cut open a water filter to see the media then goes and bring another the following day.

[Baz]

Fook 'em....like Jeff said. I like that!

My business is a little different than you guys so i don't really run into stuff like that.

I never itemize my materials anyway - beyond a total for each phase (site prep, sod, plantings, irrigation, lighting, mulch) when it's a big enough job that we do installment payments.

Gotta say at this point I'm getting a bit burnt out anyway so I'm getting very choosy about who I work for and what jobs I take on.

My overhead is very tiny so that helps a lot.
--------

Also have to tip my hat to you Fred. 'Wrenching' is a back breaking job! Keep up the good work, bruddah!

[RANDY P]

Originally Posted by look 171

This was a relative of a very dear client of mine. I did work for them 20 years ago when I was a pimple face kid and just finish their retirement home last year, so I was almost obligated to take this one. they seem very nice when I first met them. A retired engineer turned out to be a Pain in my ass. He takes apart everything out of the box during the evening and gives us the box full of pieces so we can install them. You name it, lights, faucets. He cut open a water filter to see the media then goes and bring another the following day.

Hell scenario. Oh jeezus.

[RANDY P]

All it takes for a price nit picker to stop is a few bad experiences with defective merchandise. They'll never do it again once they factor in the headache and additional cost of bring your own parts.

rjp

[look 171]

Originally Posted by RANDY P

Hell scenario. Oh jeezus.

I used to spend some time there. Once he started (both him and the wife), I high tailed outta there. My men has to deal with his BS. I have to give them a big bonus for putting up with him. Their answer has always been, I don't know, you have to ask Jeff. Then I get a goddamn phone call about how something is going together. I just text back with, call you later but I almost never do unless its a big deal. If its a big deal, my guys would have call already.

[Gogar]

My guy is totally fine if I bring my own parts, and then there’s not even a conversation.

But if he doesn’t like my parts he will let me know and I’m happy to buy his parts and let him make some money in the process, and he absolutely should make a little for the effort.

[cabmandone]

Here's the thing for me. You bid it... right? And they accepted the bid and had you do the work right? So why should you feel bad? And if you're itemizing the bill, I'd probably stop.

[LakeCleElum]

In defense of the customer, sometimes they just need a polite education. I learned this lesson way back in 1987 when I was the ******* customer.

I had built my cabin at Lake Cle Elum and wired it myself. I wanted an Electrician to put in the box and connect the wires. He quoted me a price on the panel and I told him I could get it cheaper. Me, not understanding his side of things; got really hurt when he blew up and started screaming at me....

If he would have just explained things to me in a calm manner, I would have lost a whole lot less sleep........I didn't know any better at the time........Now I do.

[masraum]

I understand that you guys have to make a living and I'm OK, with that. The only time that I have an issue is when I can get the part for $200 and a shop is charging me $300-400 for the part itself. Or, I had a transmission shop quote me a bizarrely low price on a trans rebuild once back in the early 90s, I think it was $165 for a TH400 for a "soft parts rebuild". It sounded low to me, but the car was a project, so I was going to deliver the trans to the guy and figured the R&R of the trans was a big part of the difference. So I deliver the trans to the guy, and he calls later and the price is now $600. I wasn't thinking, but hell, I could probably have gotten a rebuilt from summit for that price at the time. I actually worked at a retail parts place at the time. I asked the guys for the rundown on the extra parts that weren't included in the "soft parts rebuild". Apparently the bushings (not bearings, bushings) were not included, fine, those aren't soft parts, but when you quote me $10-15 each for a couple of bearings that I could pay retail for $1 or 2... The oil filter was something else that was NOT included in his soft parts rebuild, and I think he quoted something like $25 for that. My retail price was $5-6. As far as I'm concerned, the guy was a crook. And he's not the first guy that I've run into like that. Unfortunately, I think a lot of folks get screwed by those folks and have no idea.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by look 171

This was a relative of a very dear client of mine. I did work for them 20 years ago when I was a pimple face kid and just finish their retirement home last year, so I was almost obligated to take this one. they seem very nice when I first met them. A retired engineer turned out to be a Pain in my ass. He takes apart everything out of the box during the evening and gives us the box full of pieces so we can install them. You name it, lights, faucets. He cut open a water filter to see the media then goes and bring another the following day.

Dayuuuum, Jeff! I missed my chance to have some fun!

[RANDY P]

Originally Posted by masraum

I understand that you guys have to make a living and I'm OK, with that. The only time that I have an issue is when I can get the part for $200 and a shop is charging me $300-400 for the part itself. Or, I had a transmission shop quote me a bizarrely low price on a trans rebuild once back in the early 90s, I think it was $165 for a TH400 for a "soft parts rebuild". It sounded low to me, but the car was a project, so I was going to deliver the trans to the guy and figured the R&R of the trans was a big part of the difference. So I deliver the trans to the guy, and he calls later and the price is now $600. I wasn't thinking, but hell, I could probably have gotten a rebuilt from summit for that price at the time. I actually worked at a retail parts place at the time. I asked the guys for the rundown on the extra parts that weren't included in the "soft parts rebuild". Apparently the bushings (not bearings, bushings) were not included, fine, those aren't soft parts, but when you quote me $10-15 each for a couple of bearings that I could pay retail for $1 or 2... The oil filter was something else that was NOT included in his soft parts rebuild, and I think he quoted something like $25 for that. My retail price was $5-6. As far as I'm concerned, the guy was a crook. And he's not the first guy that I've run into like that. Unfortunately, I think a lot of folks get screwed by those folks and have no idea.

Yeah that's a beating. With deals like Yelp and whatnot it's easier to discover those types of joints beforehand.

rjp

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

Dayuuuum, Jeff! I missed my chance to have some fun!

Yes you did. Thankfully I only had to deal with 15-20 min of it every few days. Poor David was there all the time and he just couldn't stand being there any longer, so I understand the 1.5 hour lunch (I told them to take an hour or a bit longer just to stay from them to clear their heads). Yep, I would get a call complaining about my men are taking an hour or more for lunch. Well, when you get old, don't be like that

[look 171]

Fred,

Like Bob said, if you take a few minutes to explain to the customers, I think many of them will understand the trouble of getting the correct parts there for THEM.

[group911@aol.co]

So, let the customer bring the parts and they also get to eat the parts AND LABOR when their stuff fails.
Same applies when something they bring takes extra time to fit or your downtime when they bring the wrong part.

[VincentVega]

I bid a clutch job. Cust says they can get parts cheaper, what $50? Good $$ job for me so I hate to pass it up but if something ever goes wrong with this one.... Bad enough if I order cheap aftermarket parts, something else is it comes in and then fails. Not interested in doing 2 clutches for the price of 1.