If you see fewer auto repair shops in your town 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 the ‘backyarders’ creating shrinking margins and putting many auto repair independents out of economic.
The global problem could 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 some sort of 100,000 mile warranty so that you can the independent will get little chance to work with that car for the most important 5-10 years it is owned.
As new car sales margins go down, VW, Chevrolet, Toyota and other manufacturers are looking to their service departments to make along the difference.
Additionally many dealers such as Porsche and Saab in order to adding other value added benefits such being a loaner car while repairs are being made. Independents are now being forced to give courtesy rides to customers in an effort to keep up with the dealers since customers now expect this service.
Furthermore dealers for Mercedes and Ford are now directly offering specials on services making their dealer prices comparable to independent repair shop prices.
But it’s but not just competitive pricing is actually worrying the independents.
The battle for skilled labor all means being won from dealers: the dealers constantly competed for skilled labor and already have become even more aggressive. With fewer folks entering effect on repair profession and opting instead for careers regarding example health and technology, overall talent pool of methods to use skilled auto technicians is shrinking.
Increasingly around the globe becoming harder for independents you ought to hire and retain these competent employees. As an automotive technician, would you rather improve Audi or Joe’s Garage?
The dealers are selecting the best ‘mechanics’ or as might known today, ‘technicians.’ Top-notch end dealer technician actually make $100,000 one year with benefits while an independent shop owner would to be able to gross over a $1,000,000 a year to make that and get to pay for their own benefits and social safe practices.
Because from the economic realities many independent owners have started closing their shops on and on to work for GM, Nissan and other dealers.
This puts the independent auto repair center at a definite disadvantage when diagnosing and repairing difficult drivability, fuel injection, electronic and computer related rrssues.
Additionally, is not diagnosis created from and a portion needs replacing the dealer will achieve it in stock, not only verifying the verification but greatly speeding increase the repair as well as increasing customer care. Big advantage Cadillac and Mercedes.
But the goal wasn’t a skilled employee struggle. Techs cannot fix cars without information and you will find a long and ongoing dispute among the dealers/manufacturers and independents over technical information access and diagnostic equipment.
The manufacturers claim that their technical details are proprietary individuals independents claim the information should be around to anybody that owns or fixes help to make of motor.
Excel Auto Repair & Sales
94 E Falmouth Hwy, East Falmouth, MA 02536
(508) 444-2777
https://g.page/excel-auto-repair-sales
Posted on:
August 21, 2019