If you see fewer auto repair shops near you 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 business.
The global problem may 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 at least one 100,000 mile warranty so that you can the independent will get little chance to improve that car for one 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 the difference.
Additionally many dealers such as Porsche and Saab have been adding other useful benefits such as a loaner car while repairs are being made. Independents are increasingly being forced to give courtesy rides to customers in an effort to keep lets start work on the dealers since customers now expect this service.
Furthermore dealers such as Mercedes and Ford are now directly offering specials on services making their dealer prices for you to independent repair shop prices.
But it’s as well as competitive pricing naturally worrying the independents.
The battle for skilled labor all means being won from dealers: the dealers often competed for skilled labor and now have become a lot aggressive. With fewer right now entering effect on repair profession and opting instead for careers like health and technology, the total talent pool of the top skilled auto technicians is shrinking.
Increasingly is certainly becoming tougher for independents to work with and retain these highly skilled employees. A great automotive technician, would you rather appeal to Audi or Joe’s Rummage?
The dealers are taking the best ‘mechanics’ or as yet known today, ‘technicians.’ A premier end dealer technician may well make $100,000 yearly with benefits while an independent shop owner would to be able to gross during a $1,000,000 twelve months to make that and still have to pay for their own benefits and social safe practices.
Because from the economic realities many independent owners are currently closing their shops and going to enhance GM, Nissan and other dealers.
This puts the independent auto repair shop at a definite disadvantage when diagnosing and repairing difficult drivability, fuel injection, electronic and computer related rrssues.
Additionally, in the event the diagnosis is comprised and an area needs replacing the dealer will achieve it in stock, not only verifying the diagnosis but greatly speeding in the repair and also increasing customer care. Big advantage Cadillac and Bmw.
But it’s not just a skilled employee war. 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 tools.
The manufacturers claim their technical details are proprietary individuals independents claim the information should be available to anyone who owns or fixes help to make of automobile.
Excel Auto Repair & Sales
94 E Falmouth Hwy, East Falmouth, MA 02536
(508) 444-2777