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Repair Shops


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Repair Shop TOS

     If you visit our shop you’ll notice that on the north wall of the reception area, right next to the service counter, we have mounted a poster. The post is designed to inform you as to your rights are under the current consumer legislation, plus the conditions under which we will accept your work.
     Part One: You are entitled to and estimate. The cost of a written estimate is $50.00. If you choose not to proceed with the estimate you owe $50 plus taxes. We will honour this estimate for 30days. If you decide to proceed with the estimated work, we will refund the total cost. Why do we charge? It takes time to diagnose the car, look up the parts, price the parts and produce the estimate. We also avoid doing free diagnostics for what can be best described as back yard mechanics.
     Part Two: We will warrant our labour for 3 months or 5000 kms (whichever occurs first). We warrant or new parts for 12months or 20000kms, (whichever occurs first). Some manufactures supply separate warrantees and we will advise you of same.
     Part Three: We will not proceed with any work without your approval, although we are allowed to exceed the estimate by 10% without asking.
     Part Four: You are entitled to your old parts unless they are required as cores. Core? Some parts are returned to the manufacturer for rebuilding. Starters, Alternators, Injectors, etc., these are complicated and expensive components and many of the parts that make them up can be salvaged.
     Part Five: Stay in touch with us. If we can’t reach you for authorizations we will stop work immediately. That’s basically it. The idea is that we communicate and understand the repair. No surprises and no upset.


Repair Shop Business Model

     In the last two years we have seen more changes in the repair industry than at any other time in our history. Changes that threaten the very livelihood of the folks involved in repairing your car. I have witnessed a lot of change over the last 40 plus years. The introduction of new technologies such as, disc brakes, the electronic engine controls, computerized brake systems. Fly by wire, yaw control etc. Any good tech will tell you it doesn’t take long to get up to speed on new technologies. No the real change is in the way we do business.
     My shop had operated as a breakdown shop for over 2 decades. A breakdown shop in simple terms, wait for cars to break and repairs them. Usually they arrive on the hook. Having a good reputation and charging fair prices kept us busy. Then a funny thing happened. All that technology started to kick in. The cars on the hook started to disappear. Cars still wore out, but, they drove in. We needed a new business model.
     Being trained in the new car franchise environment, I realised that as an independent shop we were doomed. Not large enough to do it all, we needed help. So after much research and discussion with my peers, we decided to join the NAPA Group.
     Through a series of lectures and self help sessions they call “NAPA Proshop”, we were taught how to better serve our customers. Utilizing this new found information I was able to convert our business model from a breakdown shop to a maintenance shop. The new model is really based closely to that of a dentist. We do a complete audit of your vehicle while it’s in for regular maintenance. Along with the customers input, we develop a maintenance regiment that will keep the vehicle maintained and safe. We follow up with the customer to assure that schedule is maintained.
     Results, outstanding. There are no 5 o’clock surprises at the service door. People can budget for their car maintenance. We are prepared for the vehicle arrival. The work is completed faster and more efficient and when repairs are conducted they are usually cost less than if done as a break down. So if you’re not hearing from your shop on a regular basis it might be time to move on. Just a thought.