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JACK: THE NIMBLE LAWN MOWER REPAIRMAN
#1
B
bill897
B
bill897
I was driving around Oxford, MI looking for a Lawn Mower Repairman and a lady told me about "Jack", 873 Glaspie,3rd house on right, off Drahner Rd at M23. I brought my lawn mower to him. It was a broken "Rotor Piece". He said it's a common part, go to "True Value" Hardware Store and see if they have it. I got it for 15 bucks along with screws. I had to go back a second time to get the right bolt. I came back and my lawn mower was done. He said he found the right bolt and was repairing loose odds and ends. I said how much will that be? Jack said, "20 bucks, that aut to be enough." I gave him 40. Talking about the best lawn mower repairman you can find. Try him! :smile:
#2
L
LandN
L
LandN
Nice story,i always like to support the 'jacks' in different fields that they're in whether its mowers, radios, electronics, etc.
#3
N
noma
N
noma
HI Bill 897
Great story glad to hear about it ,wish he was a lot closer and i would be stopping there too check him out. But to far away.:smile:
Great story glad to hear about it ,wish he was a lot closer and i would be stopping there too check him out. But to far away.:smile:
#4
B
bill897
B
bill897
It's never too far away. If you have some real problems with the mower, he'll repair everything. It's like
he has to do the best job or else. Jack's got a good conscience. It will bother him if he shortchanges you. Just give him your lawn mower for an hour. Jack'll play with it. Turn it on. Repair this. Repair that. My Cub Cadet never ran so good. He said, "You'll need to put in some more oil. It's low." I could swear he repaired my drive on the thing. It's a walk behind. It's never too far away, when you're getting the deluxe treatment at a minimum cost. He's like overqualified for the job, but he needs to work; just to work. :smile:
he has to do the best job or else. Jack's got a good conscience. It will bother him if he shortchanges you. Just give him your lawn mower for an hour. Jack'll play with it. Turn it on. Repair this. Repair that. My Cub Cadet never ran so good. He said, "You'll need to put in some more oil. It's low." I could swear he repaired my drive on the thing. It's a walk behind. It's never too far away, when you're getting the deluxe treatment at a minimum cost. He's like overqualified for the job, but he needs to work; just to work. :smile:
#6
B
benski
B
benski
With regard to post #4; yes, MI is too far away for a mower repairman if you live in WA state. That being said, it's great that you found someone who can work on the darn things and cost less money than a new mower! Our local shops go between $50.00 and $65.00 an hour, and it obviously doesn't take too long to end up totalling out your beloved mower, or other equipment.
#7
T
themowerguy
T
themowerguy
No offense to any of the fabulous people out there who do this for others, but I happen to work for a mower repair shop, and I just wanted to remind you that for every "Jack" out there, there are several dozen who don't know a carburetor from a cheesecake. I have no problem with the people who don't want to pay the high prices I charge...but I charge those prices for a reason.
We go to manufacturer update schools, have the breakdowns, have the torque specs, have the correct tools, and can make sure that repairs are done RIGHT, with the right parts. Also, we can be held accountable if there is a problem with a repair we perform. I couldn't even guess just how frequently my customers complain that their "Jack" didn't know "jack" about mowers.
We go to manufacturer update schools, have the breakdowns, have the torque specs, have the correct tools, and can make sure that repairs are done RIGHT, with the right parts. Also, we can be held accountable if there is a problem with a repair we perform. I couldn't even guess just how frequently my customers complain that their "Jack" didn't know "jack" about mowers.
#8
B
benski
Your reply is well taken. By the time you keep decent labor around, insure everything, ship the government 33% of what you take in, buy parts, pay shipping, etc. there is precious little left over.:frown: And when was the last time this particular "Jack" went to the Briggs recertification school, as you said? It is a moving target, especially in these financially challenging times.
B
benski
No offense to any of the fabulous people out there who do this for others, but I happen to work for a mower repair shop, and I just wanted to remind you that for every "Jack" out there, there are several dozen who don't know a carburetor from a cheesecake. I have no problem with the people who don't want to pay the high prices I charge...but I charge those prices for a reason.
We go to manufacturer update schools, have the breakdowns, have the torque specs, have the correct tools, and can make sure that repairs are done RIGHT, with the right parts. Also, we can be held accountable if there is a problem with a repair we perform. I couldn't even guess just how frequently my customers complain that their "Jack" didn't know "jack" about mowers.
Your reply is well taken. By the time you keep decent labor around, insure everything, ship the government 33% of what you take in, buy parts, pay shipping, etc. there is precious little left over.:frown: And when was the last time this particular "Jack" went to the Briggs recertification school, as you said? It is a moving target, especially in these financially challenging times.
#9
I
ILENGINE
I
ILENGINE
As a fellow mower repair shop I came across something a few years back that goes something like this.
Tier I dealers are the dealers (sometimes single employees operations) that have a gross sales level of up to $500,000 a year. the Jack's of the trade fall into this category and are the dealers that will spend the extra time to do the job right the first time and also have the highest profit margin and the best customer service and can work with a customer as far as what work is fair.
Tier II dealers are the dealers between $500,000 and $1,000,000 are the dealers that have to hire more employees and usually have to expand there buildings and have a lot more overhead ( on average like 70% increase) and don't have the resources to be as customer friendly. profit margin drops considerably and will go belly up within 12 months if they can not get to tier III status. Owners may not even be able to cash there own pay checks.
Tier III dealers are the dealers over $1,000,000 annual sales that have enough income to cover all expenses but profit margin drops to something like 2%. That's something like $20,000 retained earnings for the business to do unforseen upgrades and repairs.
Tier I dealers are the dealers (sometimes single employees operations) that have a gross sales level of up to $500,000 a year. the Jack's of the trade fall into this category and are the dealers that will spend the extra time to do the job right the first time and also have the highest profit margin and the best customer service and can work with a customer as far as what work is fair.
Tier II dealers are the dealers between $500,000 and $1,000,000 are the dealers that have to hire more employees and usually have to expand there buildings and have a lot more overhead ( on average like 70% increase) and don't have the resources to be as customer friendly. profit margin drops considerably and will go belly up within 12 months if they can not get to tier III status. Owners may not even be able to cash there own pay checks.
Tier III dealers are the dealers over $1,000,000 annual sales that have enough income to cover all expenses but profit margin drops to something like 2%. That's something like $20,000 retained earnings for the business to do unforseen upgrades and repairs.
#10
B
benski
That's enough to make you want to get out of the business altogether! A 2% ROI isn't something that will help much.:frown: And I certainly believe the stats you brought up.
B
benski
That's enough to make you want to get out of the business altogether! A 2% ROI isn't something that will help much.:frown: And I certainly believe the stats you brought up.
#11
B
bill897
B
bill897
I'd sure like to hear from some guys who mow for a living. Just like a truck driver said to me one day at a truck stop, I was asking him about what radar detector to buy and he shows me his in his pocket which he is not suppose to carry. He said, "I speed for a living!". I am sure professional lawn mower people who mow lawn for a living, "Speed for a liviing." You ever watch those professional lawn mower people cut a lawn - el zippo fasto! And their machines I can't buy at Home Depot! They're in the thousands of dollars for just a lawn mower. Yes, they ride like the wind! And those are the guys that the professional mower shops keep them up in running. Jack said, "The guy in town charges $80 an hour." But he's got overhead like your wouldn't believe - overextended, underextended, far beyond extended. This professional repair guy baught a defunct hardware store and redid the outside of the building. Must have money! Yesterday, the True Value Hardware Store guy in Oxford, MI helped me out again. I showed him a drill I baught at Home Depot for drilling concrete. I had to pound that thing straight at lease 5 time and the time turned brown from heating up. The manager said, "Go to Lake Orion down the road, turn right at Clarkston Road, and a couple blocks down on the right is Orion Rental and get a "Hitachi Hammer Drill" with a carbide tip. I tried that and it went through this hard concrete like butter. I stuck in some 3/8 "Red Heads" for this post that was holding up an I beam in my basement. I told him problem 2: my thermostate keeps getting dimmer and dimmer. I hammered that thing last winter just to barley read the digital read out. He said the thing's got batteries in it. Wait a minute. It's hooked up electrically to my heater. Why would the thing need batteries? I'm a retired college gratuate and I was banging it with my hands in the middle of the winter last year just to control my temperature in my house. But I didn't think to check the insides. :laughing:
#12
B
benski
I'll rest my case.
B
benski
I'd sure like to hear from some guys who mow for a living. Just like a truck driver said to me one day at a truck stop, I was asking him about what radar detector to buy and he shows me his in his pocket which he is not suppose to carry. He said, "I speed for a living!". I am sure professional lawn mower people who mow lawn for a living, "Speed for a liviing." You ever watch those professional lawn mower people cut a lawn - el zippo fasto! And their machines I can't buy at Home Depot! They're in the thousands of dollars for just a lawn mower. Yes, they ride like the wind! And those are the guys that the professional mower shops keep them up in running. Jack said, "The guy in town charges $80 an hour." But he's got overhead like your wouldn't believe - overextended, underextended, far beyond extended. This professional repair guy baught a defunct hardware store and redid the outside of the building. Must have money! Yesterday, the True Value Hardware Store guy in Oxford, MI helped me out again. I showed him a drill I baught at Home Depot for drilling concrete. I had to pound that thing straight at lease 5 time and the time turned brown from heating up. The manager said, "Go to Lake Orion down the road, turn right at Clarkston Road, and a couple blocks down on the right is Orion Rental and get a "Hitachi Hammer Drill" with a carbide tip. I tried that and it went through this hard concrete like butter. I stuck in some 3/8 "Red Heads" for this post that was holding up an I beam in my basement. I told him problem 2: my thermostate keeps getting dimmer and dimmer. I hammered that thing last winter just to barley read the digital read out. He said the thing's got batteries in it. Wait a minute. It's hooked up electrically to my heater. Why would the thing need batteries? I'm a retired college gratuate and I was banging it with my hands in the middle of the winter last year just to control my temperature in my house. But I didn't think to check the insides. :laughing:
I'll rest my case.
#13
Parkmower
Parkmower
I mow for a living. I do all my own repairs. I run commercial equipment. Usually get 3000 hrs out of a mower
#14
B
bill897
B
bill897
I have another problem. I have a Sciatica again. Lower back pain goes all the way down my leg and the
bottom chin is a little numb. After 65, all the body parts need repair and some I cannot replace. The first time, there was a drout around 1983 in Michigan. I was trying to take the top of my lawn off with a shovel. I didn't know I was kicking my back out of allignment. I did get the lawn off, and there is a
price to pay. We went up to my mother's cottage and I ended up sleeping in the floor. The two kids and a wife took the bed. I think there were some cousins too. All of a sudden I pinched my Sciatic Nerve. My right leg locked up high, I went in the shower; turned it as hot as it would go. My mom called EMS and all I remember was laying on the operating table, bright lights, and doctors discussing what should be done in a small town hospital. They gave me a shot in the back and the next morning my right chin was numb. It took me till now to get it almost not numb. Now, this happens. They tell me too much golf, 27 holes did it and running for 30 or more years. I lined up a PT, physical therypist, I also visited a Chiropractor. He had me in agoney on that levetating table. I had a nightmare about a mechanical robot wanting to adjust me. I also visited a doctor and he gave me plenty of meds. I think I'll stay with the PT. You guys every use Chiro or PT or have a Sciatica?
bottom chin is a little numb. After 65, all the body parts need repair and some I cannot replace. The first time, there was a drout around 1983 in Michigan. I was trying to take the top of my lawn off with a shovel. I didn't know I was kicking my back out of allignment. I did get the lawn off, and there is a
price to pay. We went up to my mother's cottage and I ended up sleeping in the floor. The two kids and a wife took the bed. I think there were some cousins too. All of a sudden I pinched my Sciatic Nerve. My right leg locked up high, I went in the shower; turned it as hot as it would go. My mom called EMS and all I remember was laying on the operating table, bright lights, and doctors discussing what should be done in a small town hospital. They gave me a shot in the back and the next morning my right chin was numb. It took me till now to get it almost not numb. Now, this happens. They tell me too much golf, 27 holes did it and running for 30 or more years. I lined up a PT, physical therypist, I also visited a Chiropractor. He had me in agoney on that levetating table. I had a nightmare about a mechanical robot wanting to adjust me. I also visited a doctor and he gave me plenty of meds. I think I'll stay with the PT. You guys every use Chiro or PT or have a Sciatica?
#15
JDgreen
In my 11 years of belonging to online forums, this is the furthest I have EVER seen a thread get off topic.
From mower repairs to Chiropractic....:confused2:
JDgreen
I have another problem. I have a Sciatica again. Lower back pain goes all the way down my leg and the
bottom chin is a little numb. After 65, all the body parts need repair and some I cannot replace. The first time, there was a drout around 1983 in Michigan. I was trying to take the top of my lawn off with a shovel. I didn't know I was kicking my back out of allignment. I did get the lawn off, and there is a
price to pay. We went up to my mother's cottage and I ended up sleeping in the floor. The two kids and a wife took the bed. I think there were some cousins too. All of a sudden I pinched my Sciatic Nerve. My right leg locked up high, I went in the shower; turned it as hot as it would go. My mom called EMS and all I remember was laying on the operating table, bright lights, and doctors discussing what should be done in a small town hospital. They gave me a shot in the back and the next morning my right chin was numb. It took me till now to get it almost not numb. Now, this happens. They tell me too much golf, 27 holes did it and running for 30 or more years. I lined up a PT, physical therypist, I also visited a Chiropractor. He had me in agoney on that levetating table. I had a nightmare about a mechanical robot wanting to adjust me. I also visited a doctor and he gave me plenty of meds. I think I'll stay with the PT. You guys every use Chiro or PT or have a Sciatica?
In my 11 years of belonging to online forums, this is the furthest I have EVER seen a thread get off topic.
From mower repairs to Chiropractic....:confused2:
#16
wjjones
Yep an honest job for an honest $$ and not rip anyone off... and sleep better at night because of it...:thumbsup:
wjjones
Nice story,i always like to support the 'jacks' in different fields that they're in whether its mowers, radios, electronics, etc.
Yep an honest job for an honest $$ and not rip anyone off... and sleep better at night because of it...:thumbsup:
#17
wjjones
Same here on the repair part the shoppe here is $65 per hr with a 2 hr minimum. They say those new Kawi engines are pushing 5000 hrs now.. I cut a few yards for parents of friends that are elderly but nothing major. I gave up the commercial gig operated it for 10 years, and got out....
wjjones
I mow for a living. I do all my own repairs. I run commercial equipment. Usually get 3000 hrs out of a mower
Same here on the repair part the shoppe here is $65 per hr with a 2 hr minimum. They say those new Kawi engines are pushing 5000 hrs now.. I cut a few yards for parents of friends that are elderly but nothing major. I gave up the commercial gig operated it for 10 years, and got out....
#18
D
Duffer72
D
Duffer72
Not all the dealers end up the way you say, was the service mgr for a shop with 2 locations, one sales only with very minor repairs and machine drop off and our site with sales and service, store overall did avg 3-4 mill a year. I was paid salary and percentage of shop profits after all expenses were included such as payroll, electric, gas, insurance building costs etc etc, it was far and few between weeks when I did not make any commission, I had 8 -10 mechanics along with a asst service mgr at both locations. We kept very close tabs on hours billed, non billable hours , combacks, and each mechanic was given a written report of thier effective billing % during a service dept staff meeting on tuesday mornings. They were expected to be no less than 80% and would rcv a bonus any week they reached 92.5% or better. That business is still going today after over 30+ years. The owner knows nothing about mowers or repairs, he knows business mgt, customer service and sales promotion and techniques. He is very well off financially now.
#19
wjjones
Oh i know not all shoppes are bad its just the bad ones that ruin it for the rest. I know they are in that line of work to make money but some take it to the extreme. The shoppe i mentioned shut down because his bad business dealings caught up with him. Word of mouth will catch up with you fast..
wjjones
Not all the dealers end up the way you say, was the service mgr for a shop with 2 locations, one sales only with very minor repairs and machine drop off and our site with sales and service, store overall did avg 3-4 mill a year. I was paid salary and percentage of shop profits after all expenses were included such as payroll, electric, gas, insurance building costs etc etc, it was far and few between weeks when I did not make any commission, I had 8 -10 mechanics along with a asst service mgr at both locations. We kept very close tabs on hours billed, non billable hours , combacks, and each mechanic was given a written report of thier effective billing % during a service dept staff meeting on tuesday mornings. They were expected to be no less than 80% and would rcv a bonus any week they reached 92.5% or better. That business is still going today after over 30+ years. The owner knows nothing about mowers or repairs, he knows business mgt, customer service and sales promotion and techniques. He is very well off financially now.
Oh i know not all shoppes are bad its just the bad ones that ruin it for the rest. I know they are in that line of work to make money but some take it to the extreme. The shoppe i mentioned shut down because his bad business dealings caught up with him. Word of mouth will catch up with you fast..
#20
D
Duffer72
D
Duffer72
We charged for estimates and I still do unless it is a freind of mine, estimates take time, writing up service order, have mechanic find and pull out machine, check it over write up est look up parts and prices, return the mower to the pile, someone calling customer to explain est, customer comes and picks up machine, someone has to find it and get it out and load it for the customer, etc etc, who is supposed to pay for all that time, I would tell the customer if over 100.00 for walk mower or 150 for rider we will call first and if not repaired then there would be an est fee, if they asked for an est up front they paid upfront, I also charge if the unit doesn't look like it is worth repairing I did and will charge for est. we had to do it due to the number of cheap units and big box units that people brought in, if it isn't worth them paying an est fee then it ain't worth me looking at it for them. If customer had work completed then the est fee applied to the repair. I am mobile service and charge min 25.00 for road call. if repaired or not. Just because they buy a cheap unit doesn't mean I have to work for less $ to repair it. We had an old jacobson snow blower come in 5 times in one winter by different people, each one found it by the side of the road out for the garbage man, I did an est the first time, the next four people insisted that I give them an est, I told all of them that I had already looked at it and the engine was shot and couldn't get parts for the rest of the unit, 2 told me they didn't believe me and gave me an est fee for it, the last two I told my guy just to load it back in thier car and walk away.
#21
B
bill897
B
bill897
I used to own a Jacobson snow blower. It literally shook itself to death. I was loosing bolts and screws
and had a hard time keeping it together. I don't know how I got rid of it. Recently, talking about repair
bills; I received a group lawsuit against Toyota. I used to own a RAV4. I called it a Ravenious 4. When I realized the ECM was sending bad signals to the transmission, I had to replace the transmission with a used transmission and get a new ECM car brain and sent the old ECM and bills to Toyota Tokyo and the nutbrains gave me a, you're past your warranty on the car, etc, etc. Now, with this lawsuit; I have to retrieve those bills back in time 5 years in order to fill out a claim to the court. At Mitches Auto Parts, they made me calf up $50.00 for a bill I paid 5 years ago. Mitch says sheepishly, "That'll be $100
dollars, oh; I'm sorry, That'll be $50.00." - just to go back in time on their computer. I gave him alot of business in the past and they still ask for money for just about anything. I even gave him a copy of the lawsuit so he could inform other Toyota customers. I still have to get one more bill from Bill's Transmission and this is from Bill Junior. He said call me in a couple weeks. I think Dec 30 is the cutoff date. Did you guys ever hear about them putting an ECM in a high end lawn mower. I saw one guy cutting around a school. He had a big orange job with about 6 cutting blades trailing. I said these lawn mowers are getting like farm implements, etc, etc. :smile:
and had a hard time keeping it together. I don't know how I got rid of it. Recently, talking about repair
bills; I received a group lawsuit against Toyota. I used to own a RAV4. I called it a Ravenious 4. When I realized the ECM was sending bad signals to the transmission, I had to replace the transmission with a used transmission and get a new ECM car brain and sent the old ECM and bills to Toyota Tokyo and the nutbrains gave me a, you're past your warranty on the car, etc, etc. Now, with this lawsuit; I have to retrieve those bills back in time 5 years in order to fill out a claim to the court. At Mitches Auto Parts, they made me calf up $50.00 for a bill I paid 5 years ago. Mitch says sheepishly, "That'll be $100
dollars, oh; I'm sorry, That'll be $50.00." - just to go back in time on their computer. I gave him alot of business in the past and they still ask for money for just about anything. I even gave him a copy of the lawsuit so he could inform other Toyota customers. I still have to get one more bill from Bill's Transmission and this is from Bill Junior. He said call me in a couple weeks. I think Dec 30 is the cutoff date. Did you guys ever hear about them putting an ECM in a high end lawn mower. I saw one guy cutting around a school. He had a big orange job with about 6 cutting blades trailing. I said these lawn mowers are getting like farm implements, etc, etc. :smile:
#22
wjjones
Its good you call them if its going to run over an X amount, and you would be crazy not to charge a minimum for a road call.. I know what you mean if you have to poke around to find the problem thats time unless the problem is obvious, and you dont have to search for it. I dont blame you dont get your hands dirty for nothing..
wjjones
We charged for estimates and I still do unless it is a freind of mine, estimates take time, writing up service order, have mechanic find and pull out machine, check it over write up est look up parts and prices, return the mower to the pile, someone calling customer to explain est, customer comes and picks up machine, someone has to find it and get it out and load it for the customer, etc etc, who is supposed to pay for all that time, I would tell the customer if over 100.00 for walk mower or 150 for rider we will call first and if not repaired then there would be an est fee, if they asked for an est up front they paid upfront, I also charge if the unit doesn't look like it is worth repairing I did and will charge for est. we had to do it due to the number of cheap units and big box units that people brought in, if it isn't worth them paying an est fee then it ain't worth me looking at it for them. If customer had work completed then the est fee applied to the repair. I am mobile service and charge min 25.00 for road call. if repaired or not. Just because they buy a cheap unit doesn't mean I have to work for less $ to repair it. We had an old jacobson snow blower come in 5 times in one winter by different people, each one found it by the side of the road out for the garbage man, I did an est the first time, the next four people insisted that I give them an est, I told all of them that I had already looked at it and the engine was shot and couldn't get parts for the rest of the unit, 2 told me they didn't believe me and gave me an est fee for it, the last two I told my guy just to load it back in thier car and walk away.
Its good you call them if its going to run over an X amount, and you would be crazy not to charge a minimum for a road call.. I know what you mean if you have to poke around to find the problem thats time unless the problem is obvious, and you dont have to search for it. I dont blame you dont get your hands dirty for nothing..
#23
B
bill897
B
bill897
I've got a problem you guys can help me with. I believe I've been black listed by the lawn mower companys in my area which is Lakeville, Michigan. The guy at SunRise Lawn Care is responsible. When
I first moved to Lakeville I got a local phone number. It just so happened to be SunRise's old phone number. I was getting calls day after day from SunRise's customers. I talked with them, but I did not go out once to mow anyone's lawn. I've called a couple of lawn companys, e.g., Stony Creek Landscaping, 248-628-8886, to give me a quote. Not a sound out of those guys. I sent a letter and called and left several messages to Unique Lawn Care, 586-709-2312. Not a peep out of those guys. I pinched a syiatic nerve and I can hardly walk. I'm handicapped. I can't mow my lawn. I didn't think about that SunRise Guy black listing me until now. Isn't there a disabilities law for handicapped people. My name is William Staton,PO BOX 81, 1704 Rochester Road, Lakeville, MI 48366. Any help with this would be appreciated.:smile:
I first moved to Lakeville I got a local phone number. It just so happened to be SunRise's old phone number. I was getting calls day after day from SunRise's customers. I talked with them, but I did not go out once to mow anyone's lawn. I've called a couple of lawn companys, e.g., Stony Creek Landscaping, 248-628-8886, to give me a quote. Not a sound out of those guys. I sent a letter and called and left several messages to Unique Lawn Care, 586-709-2312. Not a peep out of those guys. I pinched a syiatic nerve and I can hardly walk. I'm handicapped. I can't mow my lawn. I didn't think about that SunRise Guy black listing me until now. Isn't there a disabilities law for handicapped people. My name is William Staton,PO BOX 81, 1704 Rochester Road, Lakeville, MI 48366. Any help with this would be appreciated.:smile: