Repair Jobs Mechanics Love And Why

Very Interesting!

Found on www.thecarconnection.com and brought to you by Car Repair Salinas

By John DeCostanza Contributing Writer April 20th, 2011

In every industry there are jobs that you have to do and others that you love to do.

The auto repair business is not any different. 

The motivation for the enthusiasm can be as simple as profit or an anticipated benefit down the road. So here are four jobs that mechanics love to see drive through the overhead doors.

Brakes: A brake job can be profitable for an auto repair shop for a number of reasons. For the most part brakes are pretty straight forward even across manufacturers. An understanding of brake systems can serve a technician well because as he is exposed to more brake systems, he or she becomes more proficient and therefore more productive personally and for his employer. Depending on the thoroughness and philosophy of the repair facility, brake jobs offer the possibility of replacing more than just the disc brake pads and therefore boosting profitability. On a scale of 1 to 10 that measures the chance of a problem necessitating a comeback (1 being the lowest possibility), brake jobs are a 3.

Batteries: This is one part that your garage will always have time to replace, there is a decent mark up on the battery and always room to charge for installation. Not all batteries are under the hood anymore, so don’t be surprised if the labor charge approaches an hour’s time. Sometimes a wheel or rear seat must be removed to install a battery. All this contributes to the service facility’s interest in replacing your battery. It isn’t a coincidence that AAA has a fleet of trucks that don’t do anything but replace batteries--you have heard the expression “Follow the money”? Its comeback quotient is a 1.

Oil Changes: Ok, it’s not the technicians who like oil changes, it is the service writers aka salesmen who love to see overdue oil change stickers. It is not the profit potential in the lube, oil and filter but the chance to evaluate your car that has them smiling. With that review will come suggestions for future work and a chance for future revenue. Don’t be surprised by the availability of extremely low priced oil changes, when your repairer’s goal is to generate future sales it becomes just a numbers game. Rate this job a 3 as far as its ability to bring on a migraine.

AC Recharge: Everyone wants to ride comfortably. Restoring the refrigerant to its proper concentration is accomplished with specialized equipment and when well equipped it can be a profitable maintenance procedure for the shop. Also the fact that the unit is not cooling is a sign that there may be a need for additional work. A system with a very small leak may be able to cool the vehicle for the summer on just one recharge. If the system has major leak recharging is a waste of time and money. This operation has a built in excuse for failure (the leak) and for that reason it is rated a 1 for problem potential.

These jobs also serve as a gauge for how much a facility wants your business. Even the busiest shop should be able to make time to accommodate your request for these repairs within reason. So, you might want to reconsider a service operation that can’t.