Reply To: Motor trade is “getting difficult for old ones like me”, says retiring mechanic

[GRAHAM BESTON]

Having been in this trade for over 30 years I have seen many things change. The only way to improve the bottom line if to pick your client base and then target them. The company was one of the 1st companies in the NW to start doing fleet lease work back in the late 80’s. In those day we used to achieve a 82% increase on the labour rate we were currently charging over the counter. This was well worth the development of this kind of business at the time. Today we receive the same rate from the lease companies as we do from the private clients except without all of the free items they seem to expect. The solution is to change your client base and by doing this you can provide the high standards and the most professional offering that only an independent workshop can provide.
I come into contact with a lot of main dealers and the service they provide to clients is as bad today as it was back in the 80/s and we should take full advantage of this.
Additional specialist services is also another excellent way of improving the bottom line. Things like MOT testing are a waste of time, because the independent trade are just in a race to the bottom.
The golden rule here is “if there is not profit in it we do not want the job”
Regards