Shop Labor - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 01-11-2005, 02:54 PM

Is shop labor more for one repair than anouther?? everytime i go to a shop for things to have them do, i get pissed and go do it myself, like 140.00 labor for to front shocks--- i fully understand JUST DIY---

Eric Eliel · #2 01-11-2005, 03:15 PM

$140 for labor on front shocks is outrageous. Where do you live Tokyo? Luckily you can perform quite a bit of your own maintanence on these cars.

aklim · #3 01-11-2005, 03:22 PM

$140 is about 1.5 hrs work so how long would it take you to do it? If you can DIY it in 10 mins, fine. However, I suspect you would end up taking 2 hrs to do it.

SYRacing · #4 01-11-2005, 03:34 PM

beleve it or not you can still perform DIY on every car. Mechanics make good money if there shop is on flat rate...going by what the book time is on front shocks it could be 3 hours, but it might only take the mechanic 1hr to do it...thats where you make your money.

But in all reality, screw it. I'll DIY and spend the money I saved on tools to DIY more things

Having friends that are MB Techs and using some of the shop equipment is nice too

I'll be testing my 300D injectors soon on the MBZ tester @ the local dealer.

KCampbell · #5 01-11-2005, 03:44 PM

From speaking to techs that work at local Audi, Jaguar and BMW authorized dealers the overwhelming response is that the book barely gives them enough time to get the job done.

Most manufacturers quote one book time for warranty, another for off warranty - the warranty time is always less. Effectively they are saying that they won't pay the full cost of a warranty repair so the tech ends up eating part of it. Almost all shops around here appear to be piece rate, where the tech is paid according to the book hours for each job they do. If they get done quicker, good for them, if they take longer, bad for them, but the shop does not make more or less money depending on how long the tech takes.

Kevin

SYRacing · #6 01-11-2005, 04:18 PM

there are several mechanics in my area that make between 50-60k a year wrenching. They are not hourly employees. You are correct that the dealer does not win or lose anything..I think it would make a tech hurry up and get the job done so they get paid.....then the dealer benefits because the same vehicle will be back later on for more repairs. For instance, I knew a guy who worked for a large dealership here in TC...2.2L 4 cylinders have a notorious problem with head gasket leaks so they would get 3-4 of them a week. He had the replacement of the head gasket down to a science. He said he could have the head off in under 30 min and back together in another 30 minutes. He said that they do not even inspect anything, dont scrape the surfaces none of that. They just lift the head up enough to slide the old one out and slide the new one in. Book time could be 4 hours and it took him 1hr. Do you think his work was "quality"? The dealer loved it because they always lasted over the 10,000 mile warrenty they warrent on the repairs...it could be back in 10,001 and they would be more than happy to stick it to you again! I'd call that bad business but hey....its how people make there living

I dont understand how it works....here a tech makes between $12-15 an hour....they provide there own tools (often tens of thousands of dollars worth) and use the dealers provided lift (4-5k for a NICE lift) How can they justify charging the customer $45 an hour? Same with mercedes, the rate is $95 an hour here!

#7 01-11-2005, 05:50 PM

I thank you all for the input,i think thay all should get a fair wage, i was an aircraft mech. in the military, and worked for very little--when thay see a MB thay see$$$$ Dennis

:

FarmerDrew · #8 01-11-2005, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DENNIS

I thank you all for the input,i think thay all should get a fair wage, i was an aircraft mech. in the military, and worked for very little--when thay see a MB thay see$$$$ Dennis

:

Then you should be able to put shocks on.

aklim · #9 01-11-2005, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SYRacing

beleve it or not you can still perform DIY on every car. Mechanics make good money if there shop is on flat rate...going by what the book time is on front shocks it could be 3 hours, but it might only take the mechanic 1hr to do it...thats where you make your money.

But in all reality, screw it. I'll DIY and spend the money I saved on tools to DIY more things

Having friends that are MB Techs and using some of the shop equipment is nice too

I'll be testing my 300D injectors soon on the MBZ tester @ the local dealer.

But if your car has other issues like stuck bolts, etc, etc, it might take them 5 hours to do it and they only get paid for 3. Works both ways tho.

Me, I can't see buying a tool to do a DIY if I don't have use for it. Why would I buy a spring compressor if I have only needed one 2 times in the last 10 years. Now, if it is a common tool that has many applications, sure, I'll get it. Once in a lifetime use, no. I'll need to build a shed to store all the unused tools.

Yes it is.

aklim · #10 01-11-2005, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SYRacing

I dont understand how it works....here a tech makes between $12-15 an hour....they provide there own tools (often tens of thousands of dollars worth) and use the dealers provided lift (4-5k for a NICE lift) How can they justify charging the customer $45 an hour? Same with mercedes, the rate is $95 an hour here!

Well, you provide the insurance, heating, sewage, building, specialized tools that the shop has that a tech doesn't have, benifits for the tech, sending the tech to school while he is being paid for no work done, etc, etc. Also the franchise is an investment. Interest paid for the building, maintaing a parts department and an inventory. The list goes on.

I often asked how my father charged his clients that much when the cost of the product is that low. At least I did till I worked for him. Then I saw all the incidentals that went into a business. Before we even made a dollar, we had expenses that we had to pay out of the loan we took. Then we had to payoff the loan with interest.

#11 01-11-2005, 08:14 PM

I instaled the bilstines in about 1.5--Dennis

aklim · #12 01-11-2005, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DENNIS

I instaled the bilstines in about 1.5--Dennis

So how is $140 for labor out of line?

#13 01-11-2005, 08:42 PM

I guess 140.00 is really not to far out of line with what a shop charges,I do most of my work anyway. could be that i am 64 years young and out touch with what cost to run a shop, however, i have seen tech's working on autos that i would not want them touching my cars---1979 450SL,1982 300td, 2001 pathfinder, 1996 honda accord- ex --- Thanks for input, Dennis

Tirebiter · #14 01-11-2005, 10:01 PM

Our shop labor rate is $100/hour for most jobs. I get half. Time for front shocks is one hour. One and half hours for rear shocks. This includes any rusted or broken parts. Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you. It all works out. We use warranty times for a standard where most shops charge double warranty time for customer pay.

Fishslayer · #15 01-11-2005, 10:25 PM

What kills me is the price of the shocks not the labor!! they are nothing special. I also came out of the Army in '81 as a spec 4 (67N) aircraft mechanic also. And went to work at the very dealer Alkim bought his car from and believe me it was more than $15 an hour back then. I bit my tongue for 5 years before I couldn't take the constant "sell more than what they came in for" pitch. It came to an end as I threw a tri-star shop stool through the service writers window, with a customer in the office, I was immediately shown the door. I have since worked for a few indy's and currently run a successful remodeling biz, I do on occasion get the urge to go back to wrenching, I just picture that service writers face and get over it