If you see fewer auto repair shops in your area 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 ten or fifteen years. Technology has made cars much more reliable with fewer breakdowns, repairs and scheduled maintenances.
Many manufacturers offer the latest 100,000 mile warranty particular person yourself the independent will get little chance to handle that car for site to website 5-10 years it is owned.
As new car sales margins go down, VW, Chevrolet, Toyota and other manufacturers are in order to their service departments to make inside the difference.
Additionally many dealers such as Porsche and Saab already been adding other useful benefits such to be a loaner car while repairs are being made. Independents are usually now being forced to give courtesy rides to customers in trying to keep up with the dealers since customers now expect this service.
Furthermore dealers for example Mercedes and Ford are now directly offering specials on services making their dealer prices for you to independent repair shop prices.
But it’s but not just competitive pricing is actually not worrying the independents.
The battle for skilled labor is also being won from dealers: the dealers have been competed for skilled labor and now have become even more aggressive. With fewer individuals entering business repair profession and opting instead for careers such as health and technology, overall talent pool of the top skilled auto technicians is shrinking.
Increasingly is certainly becoming more difficult for independents to utilize and retain these competent employees. The automotive technician, would you rather improve Audi or Joe’s Shed?
The dealers are discovering the best ‘mechanics’ or as they are known today, ‘technicians.’ An increased end dealer technician earns $100,000 twelve months with benefits while wages shop owner would require gross within a $1,000,000 a year to make that and have absolutely to pay for their own benefits and social security.
Because the hands down economic realities many independent owners are usually closing their shops all night 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 problems.
Additionally, is not diagnosis is intended and an area needs replacing the dealer will achieve it in stock, not only verifying the diagnosis but greatly speeding up the repair along with increasing customer support. Big advantage Cadillac and Mercedes.
But the goal wasn’t a skilled employee conflict. Techs cannot fix cars without information and there’s a long and ongoing dispute among the dealers/manufacturers and independents over technical information access and diagnostic techniques.
The manufacturers claim that the technical results are proprietary in terms of independents claim the information should accumulate to anyone that owns or fixes create of car.
Excel Auto Repair & Sales
94 E Falmouth Hwy, East Falmouth, MA 02536
(508) 444-2777