$10k out of one customer this week, nice to be busy again!

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Aug 3, 2017
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WI
Given that this is our slow season (until the Uncle Sam checks come), it was a nice surprise to have a HUGE job dropped in my lap yesterday at work. 2007 Cadillac Escalade with 190k miles, new customer referral. The truck wasn't awful, but tired, so I didn't expect anything out of the checkout but low and behold the guy popped for almost everything I found during my inspection. The list was as follows:

New AC Delco (OE, not "Professional) air conditioner compressor with a new tensioner and new drive belts
New AC Delco power steering pump and pulley with new pressure hose, return hose, and cooler
New AC Delco driver's side motor mount
Calipers, pads, and rotors on all 4 corners
4 new 22's mounted and balanced
Fresh OC

I feel like I'm missing one more thing, but either way the bill came to ~$6,700 and he picked it up same day with 100 dollar bills to pay the tab. This morning, he dropped off his "beater" 2003 Cadillac DTS that's in the mid-130k mile range. It's getting:

New radiator and surge tank
New front struts
New rear shocks
4 wheel brakes with calipers
4 new 17" tires
Hood release cable and handle

That one is sitting around $2,800 so far. I'll have that one done for him tomorrow, and next week he said he'll bring the Escalade back for new front struts and rear shocks, and a new suspension compressor. That's another $5k that I'm happy to take off his hands.

I couldn't be happier to get the work this time of year. I've had enough to keep me busy, but more often than not I'm spending 15-20 minutes inspecting a vehicle just to hear "yea... I'll have to bring it back later". It gets old after a while.
 
Nice...... I guess he didnt flinch at the costs to fix up his rides.
Not even a little, the original estimate for the Escalade was $11,800 and his only question was "what can you get done today?". Unfortunately, I wasn't even able to start on it until after lunch and I was already sitting at 13.6 hours billed. I ended up getting it done around 6pm, stayed a little late. If he had been able to leave it, he'd have thrown down for the whole thing that day.
 
Excellent. I use a mechanic with a small shop for things I feel I can’t or don’t have time to do. I’ll phone ahead and drop it off first thing Monday morning. He appreciates it because it gets his guys working on billable stuff right away rather than waiting for customers to come in later in the day.

Hmmm, Escalade.... paying with Benjamins......
 
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Not even a little, the original estimate for the Escalade was $11,800 and his only question was "what can you get done today?". Unfortunately, I wasn't even able to start on it until after lunch and I was already sitting at 13.6 hours billed. I ended up getting it done around 6pm, stayed a little late. If he had been able to leave it, he'd have thrown down for the whole thing that day.
WOW !
That Escalade is not even worth that much running !!
Good for you sir !!👍
 
Nice never have been that lucky lol. Where I used to work we would recommend things then the customer states “oh my son is a mechanic he can do it cheaper” 😂😂 then we ask well why did you bring your car in today then if he can do it and their response usually was something like oh he is busy right now LOL. The place I am at now we have had a extremely hard time getting parts especially the last month or so that I have been there. I’ve talked to the owners of some other shops they have said the same thing don’t know if it’s just my area or what.
 
Every now and then you run into his kind. Occasionally in my business I will have an encounter with a new customer who is wanting to spend thousands to do some upgrades.
 
Non-taken! I don't set the prices, I just do the work. Our labor rate is $129/hr, I'm sure that has some effect.
Are you at a dealership or an indy? I thought you were at an indy so that's a pretty high labor rate but not bad for a dealership. The ones are here are in the $90-$120 range and I see ASE mechanics on Craigslist advertise at $40-$80/hour.
 
The place I am at now we have had a extremely hard time getting parts especially the last month or so that I have been there. I’ve talked to the owners of some other shops they have said the same thing don’t know if it’s just my area or what.
it's not just you... I don't wrench, I'm in retail, but we are still having trouble getting things in. they get ordered, but don't come.
toilet paper/paper towels are still a shot in the dark. a lot of the time we'll have 1 brand filling the whole aisle. might be 50 feet of angel soft, where it should be a mix of 10-15 brands and styles.

a local appliance shop JUST got in the appliances they had ordered for BLACK FRIDAY.... last week.....

My nephew works at a nearby whirlpool Freezer plant, hired in over the summer 3rd shift, 10hr shifts, 4 days a week. ended up 12-14 hr days 6 days a week right up until Christmas. (he was a Maintenance/Utility worker. basically filled in any and every where)
he's since moved to a different part of the plant( the Foam room), now 8 hrs 5days. he's handling it much better. (First real job out of HS)
 
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