I,m in wrong repairs buiness

[reynoldston]

And remember he was the FACTORY repair man, nt a general repair man as most of us are.
Call out John Deere , Ferris or Kabota for a factory repair man ans seww what the bill looks like.

A friends son had a demolotion business .
dad is fairly handy & willing to tackle any repair job, any place, any time.
However they were all on holidays when one of the excavators split a hydraulic line so the partner just rang Komathsu.
They bill for a replaced hose $ 3,500.
$ 400 for the hose. The other $ 3,100 was the service & call out fee @ $ 250/hr plus a $ 225 courier to bring the factory part from the warehouse plus a $ 75.00 priority pick fee and for most of the time the technician was sitting in his van , on his computer waiting for the hose to arrive.

For a refference , any one of the franchise hydraulic hose technicians would come out for a flat $ 90 to $ 150 and charge around $ 50 per fitting to remove a blown end & fit a new one.

Things are a little different in the USA. I have been in the repair business all my working life so I know how it works. I have worked for dealers and factory's. The factory repair man will only work on special warranty jobs or the factory's jobs. What the factory's do in this country is train the dealer's mechanic's and in no way will a factory send out a mechanic for a repair. This factory man you are talking about would be a trained engineer and would never get his hands in the oil to change a hose in this country but tell someone how to do it.

 

[grumpygrizzly]

He fixed the problem, but when I said 5min. most of that time was making out the bill. I have been in the repair business all my working life so know what things cost. Like I said I'm not complaining about the cost because he has the know how and I didn't. I also have to think on this. On top of the bill he had about a 40 mile drive, had to find my house. He is doing this work as a living, I do it retired as a hobby. He has big taxes to pay I don't. His business must run out of a building with secretary's, more taxes, and heat. I am sure this all has to go into the cost of this repair. So when someone is throwing around small prices on this forum and I don't agree with them I hope you see where I am coming from. What ever your living was or is I am sure you got paid well for it.

I agree with everything you said Reynoldston. The 'brick and mortar' part of a business is what really hurts small businesses. But, the bix boxies are hurting them just as much because they're open longer hours than the small shops..

There's a small engine shop about 2 miles from me and when I'm working an 8-5 job, there's no way I can even get in there to order or pickup a part I need as they close the doors at 5:00pm. I have to go online and fine it and pay shipping or go to the big boxie down the street and see if they have something I need.

The one trip I was able to make it into the small engine shop, I needed to pick up some fuel line and the grouchy old bastard would have lost my business right there if I didn't have 3 weed eaters and a chainsaw on my bench that needed the hose. Now, when I'm at a hardware store and find fuel line or filters, I grab what I can. My local discount auto parts store has spark plugs for small engines (Champions) for $1.99 or $2.99.

I'm mainly working out of the shop in my yard (14'x60') and the small engines are taking over and I've been pondering getting a business license mainly so I can get parts a LOT cheaper from suppliers but, with a license comes the need for insurance, bond, LLC and all that..

I'm all for it, it's just getting the wife to buy off on it. She still wants me making those engineering checks of which I've been doing for over 30 years now with no end in sight. Ugghh..

Back to the local small engine shop.. I think the only way they're going to bring customers back is to start overlapping shifts so they can be open until 7:00 or so and let their customers KNOW that fact. Going mobile would be a great idea as well so the client doesn't have to borrow a truck of mess up the trunk of their cars to haul in a lawn mower with a broken pull cord. An easy fix for a mobile van..

 

[ILENGINE]

I agree on the later hours for small engine repair shops. Maybe they should start opening later and closing later. I have times during the summer where I do more business after 8 pm then I do all day.

 

[grumpygrizzly]

I agree on the later hours for small engine repair shops. Maybe they should start opening later and closing later. I have times during the summer where I do more business after 8 pm then I do all day.

The problem with opening later would be that you'd miss out on the landscapers heading off to work and needing to drop something off for a tuneup or repair..

I'd think having mechanic on the job early would be a great idea but, then again, if your wrench turners are standing at the front counter giving estimates and explaining problems, that's money lost on the repair side of things. Same goes if your mechanic is working a later shift. He's handing out finished equipment or making sales and not getting to turn those wrenches.

I was looking at the Foley-Belsaw course and tried contacting one of the 'testimonial' people they had on the website as he has a mobile small engine service like what I'm trying to build. I never got him to call me back but, I did notice that his hours are from 7am - 8pm. I think that would be easier with a mobile business than a brick and mortar store as you're going to the clients house and not having to watch the front door of your shop for walk-ins. Maybe parking your rig somewhere for a couple of hours each day would make it so your 'walk-ins' could drop things off? I'd think alternating your location a few times a week would bring even more 'walk-in' business.

At my mobile 'pop-up' locations, I'd set out some of the equipment I'm selling and have a sign out by the street as well as the logo on my van that should work to bring in some traffic.

 

[reynoldston]

First of all its just something to do in my retirement years and I can afford to be very picky. I have a trailer that go's on the back of my car with a loading ramp. If its anymore then a two minute job that takes very few tools it go's into my shop. If it doesn't run or move I load it with a come along. My shop has all the tools for my trade and that is where I feel comfortable doing the work with a good rock station on the radio and heat in the cold weather. My biggest problem is finding parts. This pass summer I have been buying my parts from Jack's small engine, Quality OEM parts and very fast shipping.

 

[Polaraco]

Hindsight is always 20/20. Service man was probably half our age and grew up on video games. I normally get my nieghbors grandson to fix my electronic problems and he's only 15. I don't mind paying extra for problems I can't fix, but hate it when the "pros" charge a steep price and don't get the problem solved.

I'll drink to that! When I dispatched a service tech, we charged his normal hour rate plus transportation. Sometimes they had to fly to the west coast. The customer was charged for the day, not any night travel + air and Taxi. Guess why we stayed in business so long.

Still seems high with no part replacement.

Agreed

 

[bertsmobile1]

I agree with everything you said Reynoldston. The 'brick and mortar' part of a business is what really hurts small businesses. But, the bix boxies are hurting them just as much because they're open longer hours than the small shops..

There's a small engine shop about 2 miles from me and when I'm working an 8-5 job, there's no way I can even get in there to order or pickup a part I need as they close the doors at 5:00pm. I have to go online and fine it and pay shipping or go to the big boxie down the street and see if they have something I need.

The one trip I was able to make it into the small engine shop, I needed to pick up some fuel line and the grouchy old bastard would have lost my business right there if I didn't have 3 weed eaters and a chainsaw on my bench that needed the hose. Now, when I'm at a hardware store and find fuel line or filters, I grab what I can. My local discount auto parts store has spark plugs for small engines (Champions) for $1.99 or $2.99.

I'm mainly working out of the shop in my yard (14'x60') and the small engines are taking over and I've been pondering getting a business license mainly so I can get parts a LOT cheaper from suppliers but, with a license comes the need for insurance, bond, LLC and all that..

I'm all for it, it's just getting the wife to buy off on it. She still wants me making those engineering checks of which I've been doing for over 30 years now with no end in sight. Ugghh..

Back to the local small engine shop.. I think the only way they're going to bring customers back is to start overlapping shifts so they can be open until 7:00 or so and let their customers KNOW that fact. Going mobile would be a great idea as well so the client doesn't have to borrow a truck of mess up the trunk of their cars to haul in a lawn mower with a broken pull cord. An easy fix for a mobile van..

If you are taking payments from Joe Public for doing repairs to their mowers and do not have Public Liability insurance and Workers Compensation insurance you are crazy.
I would not even think of doing it down here and Aussies are far less litigious than Americans ( although we are fast catching up ).

As for trading hours, you will most likely find that the local authorities dictate the hours that the store is allowed to open, the earliest opening & lattest closing.
That is one big reason why internet traders are making a killing.
Most small business down here will move heaven & earth to accommodate their customers, get in early or stay back late so they can serve you within reason.
With franchise stores things are a bit different and as for big box stores, well lots of little brown envelopes full of folding makes sure that they can have uncompetative opening advantages over the local shop.
There is a good reason why when I used to go the Westfield Holdings HO ( the biggest shopping center owners in the world ) they have 4 security guards armed better than 1/2 the soilders in Iraque, every package is x-rayed , explosive scanned, I have to go through a metal detector and my van passes over a set of cameras that check the underside against factory information & if I have any modification ( even a non stock muffler ) I have to park outside the building on the other side of the street and then there are the random sniffer dog searches.

And yes some times you can have a bad day & keeping on smiling when you have just spent 20 minutes to earn a $ 2.50 retail mark up while there is $ 300 of repairs out back running late.
Then you get the clowns who tell me what they will pay for a part because that is the price they found on ebay / amazon / craigslist etc,etc,etc

I used to argue but now I simply tell them to order the parts and I will fit them for my standard fitting fee of $ 20 each part if they can not do it themselves, turn around and walk away without complaint or further comment.
They usually ring back in a week or two , grass 2' tall with parts that did not fit or broke the first time they tried to use them or they could not fit .
Customers are good but PIA's I can do without . It also earns you some respect when they realize it is not as simple as it looks. Or some one takes 2 hours & skins both of their knuckles trying to replace swing back blades while the blade plate is attached to the mower they then spen another 1/2 hour looking for the drain plug and end up tiping the mower upside down to change the oil because they saw some one on Y Tube do it like that.

 

[reynoldston]

If you are taking payments from Joe Public for doing repairs to their mowers and do not have Public Liability insurance and Workers Compensation insurance you are crazy.
I would not even think of doing it down here and Aussies are far less litigious than Americans ( although we are fast catching up ).

As for trading hours, you will most likely find that the local authorities dictate the hours that the store is allowed to open, the earliest opening & lattest closing.
That is one big reason why internet traders are making a killing.
Most small business down here will move heaven & earth to accommodate their customers, get in early or stay back late so they can serve you within reason.
With franchise stores things are a bit different and as for big box stores, well lots of little brown envelopes full of folding makes sure that they can have uncompetative opening advantages over the local shop.
There is a good reason why when I used to go the Westfield Holdings HO ( the biggest shopping center owners in the world ) they have 4 security guards armed better than 1/2 the soilders in Iraque, every package is x-rayed , explosive scanned, I have to go through a metal detector and my van passes over a set of cameras that check the underside against factory information & if I have any modification ( even a non stock muffler ) I have to park outside the building on the other side of the street and then there are the random sniffer dog searches.

And yes some times you can have a bad day & keeping on smiling when you have just spent 20 minutes to earn a $ 2.50 retail mark up while there is $ 300 of repairs out back running late.
Then you get the clowns who tell me what they will pay for a part because that is the price they found on ebay / amazon / craigslist etc,etc,etc

I used to argue but now I simply tell them to order the parts and I will fit them for my standard fitting fee of $ 20 each part if they can not do it themselves, turn around and walk away without complaint or further comment.
They usually ring back in a week or two , grass 2' tall with parts that did not fit or broke the first time they tried to use them or they could not fit .
Customers are good but PIA's I can do without . It also earns you some respect when they realize it is not as simple as it looks. Or some one takes 2 hours & skins both of their knuckles trying to replace swing back blades while the blade plate is attached to the mower they then spen another 1/2 hour looking for the drain plug and end up tiping the mower upside down to change the oil because they saw some one on Y Tube do it like that.

This is why we had the revolutionary war against England in 1775. And we won.

 

[grumpygrizzly]

I'm fully aware of the 'sue happy' society out there these days that's why I pretty much buy all my equipment at yard sales or take them in for partial trade on one that I've got working and have for sale on Craigslist.

Very rarely (and I DO mean rarely) will I do a repair for someone. I did have one guy give me an edger for free and he said he'd like to know if/when I get it running again. I got it running after some cleaning and carb work. I called him and told him I was going to sell it on Craigslist for $80 but, I'd give him first try at it for $60 since he liked it so much. He said no, he'd pay me the full $80 and buy it back.

I know it only takes one and I'm working on convincing the wife that I need to get coverage but, she doesn't really want me doing this as a business. She likes those engineering checks that I bring home..

I'll keep buying and selling on CL and avoiding doing repairs for clients. I KNOW I can make a good bit of money running a mobile shop and don't mind being out and about. Get's you better business with the customers and word of mouth spreads the services you provide..

I DO need to start looking at Jacks Small Engines and get some carb rebuild kits. and primer bulbs, spark plugs, fuel filters..... I saw the pricing in the Foley Belsaw catalog and they were around $5.00. That'd sure get a few more pieces back in the yards..