Do you tip your mechanic?
- Thread starter The Critic
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My local guy is really cheap and a good friend. He normally works on redneck beaters, my cars a lil nicer and require extra care and are not even models he normally works on. Yeah, when he asks for like $40-$50 for a whole brake job, I hit him with an extra $20.
I work at a winery as Assoc. Winemaker. Every time they bottle they bring me up a bottle of what was just bottled. So, I have plenty of bottles, as they often bottle 2 times a week. I give them away to folks to try our wines at Fenn Valley. When I go to get my car from being worked on, I drop by those folks a bottle or 2 of wine. It's kind of a personable thing with them. More like they are friends and neighbors, than just a mechanic. ALWAYS have reasonable rates.
With most shops the service writer is the person you deal with, you may never see the mechanic.If you like the work the shop does, then bring FOOD next time you come back. Fruit pies and chocolat croissants are high on a mechanic's wish list of morning pick me ups. On other occasions, with advance notice, customers bought us pizza for Friday lunch
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I always give my mechanic tips:
"You should use snap ring pliers for that."
"Better check those torque specs again!"
"Don't touch that!"
... and so on.
"You should use snap ring pliers for that."
"Better check those torque specs again!"
"Don't touch that!"
... and so on.
Wait-staff pay is designed around them recieving 15% tips on the checks. If they are real good, I give them 20%. Otherwise, I don't tip. I pay my mechanic somewhere in the range of $65+ an hour when I don't wanna do the job. I know he dosen't keep all of that, but it's still a good wage that dosen't require gratuity.
I've have picked-up lunch, or dropped off a 12-pack of beer, to my mechanics if they've saved me a bundle of money or gone above and beyond.
Lately however, this hasn't been necessary since they nickle and dime for everything and keep my car for over a week.
Lately however, this hasn't been necessary since they nickle and dime for everything and keep my car for over a week.
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Yes. If he's having a bad day ...he may charge me $30/hr. I always add lunch money to the tab when I pay it. Now I frequently play "Mr. Hold-it" for him when time affords since he's a one man show ..so the barter system is in place on a casual basis.
This tipping does get confusing. Should one tip a traffic cop before or after he writes your ticket?
The professional mechanic(s) that fix my cars are also my friends & co-workers. They usually only ask for a fraction of what a regular repair shop would charge and I always give `em a little $extra$.
Getting a traffic ticket is kind of like getting "serviced".quote:
Originally posted by bretfraz:
Only if you consider a ticket "services rendered".
Back in Nebraska the bull "serviced" the cows!quote:
Originally posted by XS650:
Getting a traffic ticket is kind of like getting "serviced".quote:
Originally posted by bretfraz:
Only if you consider a ticket "services rendered".
i am a technician. i honestly would rather get food than money. i get paid plenty doing my job, im 22 right now, and i get paid more as a mechanic than other people from my high school class that have graduated universities and have jobs that required a degree.
the food thing is great, especially donuts, or pizza, or something for a pick me up in the morning. we have a guy that will drop his car off in the morning, and ask how many techs we have working. then he goes adn asks what we all want from Starbucks. its great cause we dont get to go out and get food when we want it.
a really huge hit at my shop is Gatorade, or Rockstar energy drink. i actually have a drawer of my toolbox where i just keep drinks, and snacks.
the food thing is great, especially donuts, or pizza, or something for a pick me up in the morning. we have a guy that will drop his car off in the morning, and ask how many techs we have working. then he goes adn asks what we all want from Starbucks. its great cause we dont get to go out and get food when we want it.
a really huge hit at my shop is Gatorade, or Rockstar energy drink. i actually have a drawer of my toolbox where i just keep drinks, and snacks.
You're catching on.quote:
Originally posted by Nebraskan:
Back in Nebraska the bull "serviced" the cows!quote:
Originally posted by XS650:
Getting a traffic ticket is kind of like getting "serviced".quote:
Originally posted by bretfraz:
Only if you consider a ticket "services rendered".
My BOSCH Mechanic is one of my best friends. Usually, when I buy cool car T-shirts I get him an XX-L as a gift. The guys at my local Audi dealer get a $10-er for UNDER charging me by a lot (they think I'm cool and know my sh1t). Now, I have to visit the local Acura dealer at the notorious Mega-dealer. I'm pretty good at breaking the ice...I won't lay money of them for theis warranty work, cash is inappropriate in this ~professional~ setting. Best I can do is be polite and curteous.
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Get your grubby hands out of my glove box.
I tip myself with a nice cool beverage after the job is done!
I avoid anything where a tip is expected. Like I need to donate money to a waitress making $300 a night in tax-free tips! Sure, they don't all get that much, but I know of some that do, and that's exactly the problem with the whole archaic practice of tipping.
I avoid anything where a tip is expected. Like I need to donate money to a waitress making $300 a night in tax-free tips! Sure, they don't all get that much, but I know of some that do, and that's exactly the problem with the whole archaic practice of tipping.
I tip good wait staff only, as mentioned before they aren't paid well. mechanics make a good living, at one time it was going to be my carrer. IF the guy wen't out of his way to do something for me I might give him something extra.
maybe we should tip everybody who does their job? have you tipped your janitor lately? how about your IT guy? maybe HR would appreciate an extra $5 every once in awhile?
the latest is the tip jar next to a cashier. "wow you really rang that up fast, here is an extra buck!" yeah right.
maybe we should tip everybody who does their job? have you tipped your janitor lately? how about your IT guy? maybe HR would appreciate an extra $5 every once in awhile?
the latest is the tip jar next to a cashier. "wow you really rang that up fast, here is an extra buck!" yeah right.
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