Gripe with HD dealer service...
#21
07-03-2016, 06:08 AM
Club Member
Years ago I worked for a GM dealer in the service department. We got paid flat rate. Everything was paid at book time which means, you're wrenching on a vehicle or you're not getting paid. Some jobs you made out on, others not so much. Warranty work had a lower allotted book time for the same job in a customer paid job.
Some days you are the dog, some days you are the hydrant.
Some days you are the dog, some days you are the hydrant.
#22
07-03-2016, 06:42 AM
Road Warrior
Trust me, every honest shop uses the flat rate manual. It's best for you, and it's best for them.
Do you really want to pay noob tech to stumble through a 2 hour job in 5 hours? Do you want to pay a crooked tech..."Well, we won't know how much until we're done..."?
If an honest shop uses the flat rate manual and charges you for two hours, and the new tech takes 5 hours, you pay for two hours.
If the honest shop pays its techs well, and they stay around long enough to get really good at their job, and the shop charges you the two hours according the flat rate manual, and their best tech does it in one hour, then they make a better profit because their techs stay with the shop.
Like everybody already said, the honest shop will tell you up front how much. If you don't want to pay it, don't. If you want to take it to the local grease monkey, do that. If you don't want to do either of those things, then do the work yourself.
You've got every choice you could have. Do what you want.
And, yeah, when the techs aren't working on a bike, they're on "standby", which might be minimum wage.
Do you really want to pay noob tech to stumble through a 2 hour job in 5 hours? Do you want to pay a crooked tech..."Well, we won't know how much until we're done..."?
If an honest shop uses the flat rate manual and charges you for two hours, and the new tech takes 5 hours, you pay for two hours.
If the honest shop pays its techs well, and they stay around long enough to get really good at their job, and the shop charges you the two hours according the flat rate manual, and their best tech does it in one hour, then they make a better profit because their techs stay with the shop.
Like everybody already said, the honest shop will tell you up front how much. If you don't want to pay it, don't. If you want to take it to the local grease monkey, do that. If you don't want to do either of those things, then do the work yourself.
You've got every choice you could have. Do what you want.
And, yeah, when the techs aren't working on a bike, they're on "standby", which might be minimum wage.
That's how it works around here. The problem is, the dealer doesn't pay much of an houry rate to begin with, so there is a lot of turnover with the employees. Its pretty sad that someone pays to go to technical school and then be offered $10-$12 an hour at a dealership that charges $100+ per hour.
Trust me, in the Daytona area, if a tech could knock out 60 hours of flat rate time a week @ $20/hour and make $1200/week, he or she would be a happy camper. We're not talking a San Francisco or Boston cost of living index down here. $60k/year, doing a job you like, for 40 hours a week, will have a lot of people "living the dream" in Daytona.
#23
07-03-2016, 08:06 AM
Seasoned HDF Member
Harley techs get paid crap, I couldn't live on what the master techs make. 20-24 dollars per flat rate hour. You got to hustle to make any real money. Auto industry around here is $35-37 per flat rate hr. Even at home I charge 50 per hour, and thats all mine. If people want to complain, I simply remind them, the next time, that I'm cutting back on my customers....and they didn't make the cut.
Not only that, but if the vehicle comes back for any reason, I will be fixing it for free. (unless its a non repair related problem) So I have to do it right the first time, in the allotted time, to make minimum pay scale. It works both ways for the customer
Not only that, but if the vehicle comes back for any reason, I will be fixing it for free. (unless its a non repair related problem) So I have to do it right the first time, in the allotted time, to make minimum pay scale. It works both ways for the customer
It's when they quote 2 hrs to install a rack on a toupak that makes people wonder.
Long time Indy's are out there, because they do quality work, at a fair rate, don't put up with shop politics, and have some freedom of scheduling.
I think I could make it as an Indy long before I could make it at the dealership.
(NOT claiming to be a tech or Master Tech, just referring to the work environment and pay.)
Last edited by TSheff; 07-03-2016 at 08:09 AM.
#24
07-04-2016, 05:14 AM
That is the part that is unfair, as a tech I get paid 5 hours for a job if a customer pays and only 2 if its warranty. How in the hell is it fair to do the same job for different amounts? That is why I stopped being a tech years ago.
#25
07-04-2016, 09:02 PM
Unofficial HDF Chaplain
warr. work sucks!! But if you have a good shop, they will feed you a little bit after to make up for the warr. job.
#26
07-05-2016, 06:11 AM
When I hear about the flat rate excuse that 'what if it takes longer?' I think it's bullshite. If a stealer has a tech that consistently is taking longer than the book estimate, that tech gets fired. Period end of sentence. Don't pee on my shoes and tell me it's raining. The truth is, if a tech consistently takes as long as the book states, that tech will not likely be there long. Techs are expected to work much faster than book. Then, to top it off, the guys working hard and can work fast get penalized buy only getting paid for the time they're working even though the stealer might be charging by book.
That being said, I am free to use any shop I choose. I also have the option to do it myself. I have a guy that charges a better than fair rate and does good work. When I need his services I know I'm getting a fair shake. I will only use an HD stealer if I'm traveling and have no choice. Although I would do a quick search for an indie before I was forced to use the OD.
That being said, I am free to use any shop I choose. I also have the option to do it myself. I have a guy that charges a better than fair rate and does good work. When I need his services I know I'm getting a fair shake. I will only use an HD stealer if I'm traveling and have no choice. Although I would do a quick search for an indie before I was forced to use the OD.
#27
07-05-2016, 06:40 AM
#29
07-05-2016, 11:04 AM
Grand HDF Member
Harley's, Ford's, Chevy's - they all use flat rate, it covers the situations where they run into problems.
As stated, if you don't like it, find a good indy or do your own.
The part I hate is even the Tech/Mechanic only gets paid for the time he is actually working on the bike.
Also those that said they were only charged for the 15 - minutes got a steal of a deal. Remember a good tech can do in 30 minutes what it may take you 1-2 hours to do, if you have all the proper tools.
You always have a choice.
As stated, if you don't like it, find a good indy or do your own.
The part I hate is even the Tech/Mechanic only gets paid for the time he is actually working on the bike.
Also those that said they were only charged for the 15 - minutes got a steal of a deal. Remember a good tech can do in 30 minutes what it may take you 1-2 hours to do, if you have all the proper tools.
You always have a choice.
#30
07-05-2016, 01:36 PM
Seasoned HDF Member