Shops, Barns, Varmints, and Trucks - Question for auto shop owners………..

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Question for auto shop owners………..

Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Other Topics
Forum Name: Shops, Barns, Varmints, and Trucks
Forum Description: anything you want to talk about except politics
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=209274
Printed Date: 09 Dec 2025 at 3:16am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Question for auto shop owners………..

Posted By: Lars(wi)
Subject: Question for auto shop owners………..
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2025 at 2:37pm

How do you handle ‘walk in the door’ work vs ‘appointment work’?
Background; we live in a small town with very limited auto repair facilities, of the couple that are here, they are backed up all the time. They will stop work on vehicles in the bay, to handle someone that walks in the door with something ‘urgent’. For us that scheduled a time, we not given a committed(nor a rough estimate) time for completion. What would be a 12 hour ‘book-time’ job stretches to over a week or more. Is this a common practice nowadays?

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I tried to follow the science, but it was not there. I then followed the money, and that’s where I found the science.

Replies:

Posted By: Coke-in-MN
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2025 at 3:14pm

Two fold - if someone has a breakdown that can be easily fixed - a way to have a new satisfied or prospective customer .
If a major or long repair or diagnostic then a appointment is the answer .
While traveling I had a drivers side window on my truck lower but refuse to go back up , no problem EXCEPT is was below ZERO out . Stopped at a auto dealership to see if they could help - said they were booked up but if i could wait they would see if someone would be free . 14 minutes late service writer contacted me - 3 mechanics had got window back up - said regulator was bad - just don't lower window until I got to somewhere who could fix it fully . Asked about their shop cost - said next time they would charge - this time on them .

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Life lesson: If you’re being chased by a lion, you’re on a horse, to the left of you is a giraffe and on the right is a unicorn, what do you do? You stop drinking and get off the carousel.

Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2025 at 4:20pm

A shop should NOT be taking that much "urgent" work... Most jobs dont fall in that catagoy.. They should wait just like everyone else.. Now if you SCHEDULE and leave you car so they can work on at their LEISURE as they have SPARE TIME.. and give you a discount, thats different. No 12 hour job should take a week to complete. Your going to loose business if you work like that.

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Like them all, but love the "B"s.

Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2025 at 5:25pm

Working in a shop along a Interstate we saw our share of Urgent and Needed back on the road work. Weed thru some diagnostics where if is Easy fix, work them thru, otherwise offer number to tow companies or point to a Pay Phone(Back then). Most with real problems were looking more for a Rental Car company in most cases and would get back to the car at a later date.

Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2025 at 5:57pm

A friend of mine (from out of town) had a tire blowout on his fifth wheel RV quite close to me, only to find that his spare was flat. He called me looking for help. When we went to a "mom and pop" local tire shop, where I have done business (and they know me), they told him he would have to make an appointment. I told them he was broke down on the side of the road. That didn't matter - make an appointment.

We went to a local "wholesale club". They mounted a new tire and fixed the spare.

I try to do business locally, but guess which one I will do business with, in the future.

Posted By: Hubert (Ga)engine7
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2025 at 8:53pm

Most repairs should be done on a first in, first out basis but there are other considerations that come into play. Sometimes the shop may be waiting on parts for what is in the bay and can take on a quick repair instead of starting another major job. Sometimes it may mean interrupting your normal work flow to get someone out of a bind and back on the road. Think of how you would want a family member treated if they had a problem out of town that could be quickly resolved to get them back on the road. There are no hard and fast rules, a workable balance that keeps almost everyone happy is best. JMHO.

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Just an old country boy saved by the grace of God.

Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2025 at 8:59pm

If the "urgent" is one out of 10 customers, thats one thing.. IF it is 50% of the business, your screwing your SCHEDULED customers.

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Like them all, but love the "B"s.