and yet those same people are very quick to criticise technicians and accuse them of trying to rip people off.
I used to think that the rates charged by garages were a total rip off until I became involved with the monthly billing at our company.
We are a consultancy which employs about 60 persons at 4 offices in locations across the country. Staff are paid the going rate because if they weren't they would simply leave for more money elsewhere, as the old saying goes, "pay peanuts, get monkeys". Recruiting costs money and having a rapid turnover of staff does not look good to clients. We work out of modest premises and have a modest fleet of vans and cars. We are never short of work and most of our customers have been with us for the 15 years I have worked there so we must be doing something right.
Looking at rates for secretarial, technical and management I honestly thought we must have been the richest company in the world but in reality they are not dissimilar to those charged by the car industry and considering they need more space than us per worker (a repair bay is bigger than a desk and PC) its all seems pretty reasonable.
Garages have to train staff and we have to send staff on development courses so no difference there.
Those fancy Gin Palaces need paying for you know and in many cases the manufacturer demands that the garages have them or loose the franchise, its happened to many round these parts over the years. Most of those businesses are still there, some only sell used motors and some sell the small volume brands, one has even resorted to specialising in used Motorhomes (must be fun this time of year) instead of the Seats he used to sell.
Don't complain anymore, we all need to make a living you know.
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