If you see fewer auto repair shops in your community then you are witnessing a trend that is spreading throughout the auto repair industry. The small independent auto repair shop is getting squeezed by both the dealers and also the ‘backyarders’ creating shrinking margins and putting many auto repair independents out of business.
The global problem will be the auto repair and service market has been shrinking in the last 10 or 15 years. Technology has made cars much more reliable with fewer breakdowns, repairs and scheduled maintenances.
Many manufacturers offer kind 100,000 mile warranty so that you can the independent will get little chance to work on that car for one 5-10 years it is owned.
As new car sales margins have gone down, VW, Chevrolet, Toyota and other manufacturers are seeking to their service departments to make inside the difference.
Additionally many dealers such as Porsche and Saab already been adding other value added benefits such as a loaner car while repairs are being made. Independents think you are forced to give courtesy rides to customers in trying to keep on top of the dealers since customers now expect this service.
Furthermore dealers with regard to Mercedes and Ford are now directly offering specials on services making their dealer prices similar to independent repair shop prices.
But it’s and not just competitive pricing is actually worrying the independents.
The battle for skilled labor may also be won by the dealers: the dealers generally competed for skilled labor and already have got become a lot aggressive. With fewer conserve entering automobile repair profession and opting instead for careers regarding example health and technology, overall talent pool of the most skilled auto technicians is shrinking.
Increasingly it becoming harder for independents you ought to hire and retain these competent employees. A great automotive technician, would you rather improve Audi or Joe’s Rummage?
The dealers are selecting the best ‘mechanics’ or as yet known today, ‘technicians.’ An excellent end dealer technician may well make $100,000 twelve months with benefits while an independent shop owner would require gross over a $1,000,000 1 yr to make that and have to obtain their own benefits and social basic safety.
Because the hands down economic realities many independent owners are usually closing their shops on and on to enhance GM, Nissan and other dealers.
This puts the independent auto mechanic at a definite disadvantage when diagnosing and repairing difficult drivability, fuel injection, electronic and computer related health issues.
Additionally, in the event the diagnosis is intended and a part of needs replacing the dealer will buy it in stock, not only verifying diagnosing but greatly speeding within the repair and also increasing customer support. Big advantage Cadillac and Bmw.
But it isn’t just a skilled employee struggle. Techs cannot fix cars without information and there has been a long and ongoing dispute among the dealers/manufacturers and independents over technical information access and diagnostic applications.
The manufacturers claim their technical results are proprietary everybody is making independents claim the information should be for sale to anyone that owns or fixes build of automobile.
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Excel Auto Repair & Sales
94 E Falmouth Hwy, East Falmouth, MA 02536
(508) 444-2777