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FSA 07 S57

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FordMastertech

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It's about time. This will bring in a lot of work.

I looked at the vehicles involved in this recall and I noticed that 1998 f-series does not apply. Thats kind of wierd /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/scratchhead.gif

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It's about time. This will bring in a lot of work.

I looked at the vehicles involved in this recall and I noticed that 1998 f-series does not apply. Thats kind of wierd /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/scratchhead.gif

That's because '98 is a funny model year, there were no 1998 F-350's ever built. Trucks built into late '97 were titled as '97s and trucks built starting January of '98 were titled as '99s. I thought they did build '98 F-250 PSDs and but not '98 F-350s. Maybe the '98 F-250s were gassers.

 

I use this tidbit in class to emphasize the need to verify the 10th digit for ordering parts. I know we were burned several times going by the build date....

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I think the confusion stems from the choice of having two F250s around about then.... There was the LD F250 that looked like a half ton and later became the F150 7700 and then there was the F250 SD...

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I don't replace that many cmps anymore. I'm just thinking of all these trucks coming back into our shops that will also need other work. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/2cents.gif

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Gee go figure a salesman being a tight wad..NO WAY!!!

If they have to spend money on anything it would probably be their cell phones or something else to make their status look better to all of us peons. Good for him..I hope he loses a HPOP next week.

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When I drove the truck in, the sway bar sounded like it was gonna fall out. Then I was told that I can't use a lift to pick it up because the truck had a lift kit in it but the dink didn't extend the brake lines...... /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif

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I can't see a whole lot of upsales happenin either. Alot of people will be coming in just for the fact that are getting something for free. And without spending extra time scanning a 7.3L it is hard to tell if anything is wrong with them anyway. They have four inches of crankcase pressure and still run smooth. And being as busy as I am, I will be whippin under these things on a creaper and punting them out as fast as I can to get my 0.3hrs. Flat rate stupid busy vs. looking for work on a 0.3 job? Hmmm. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/scratchhead.gif

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I have noticed in my area that once she's outta warrany she's outta the dealer.

In general I think that is true for the most part but there are many people who will return to the dealer for post warranty service and repairs. I have watched quite a few of our long time regular customers fade away only to return because they cant get good work anywhere else. For many it is a money issue as they have more than one truck or even a small fleet. Performing their own work is cost effective and understandable. To be honest, we have seen many trucks that require a lot of work and have managed to either make them our customers or they come back because someone else has failed to take care of their needs.

 

 

Originally Posted By: DwayneGorniak
I can't see a whole lot of upsales happenin either. Alot of people will be coming in just for the fact that are getting something for free. And without spending extra time scanning a 7.3L it is hard to tell if anything is wrong with them anyway. They have four inches of crankcase pressure and still run smooth. And being as busy as I am, I will be whippin under these things on a creaper and punting them out as fast as I can to get my 0.3hrs. Flat rate stupid busy vs. looking for work on a 0.3 job? Hmmm. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/scratchhead.gif

 

I still look at any recall as an opportunity to provide service to anyone that comes in the door whether the service Advisors recommend/sell it or we look them over in the bays. I am lucky, my company PAYS us .3 to perform a QCRC and fill out the report. And do you know what? We sell a lot from this practice. It is all legitimate work, the customers see the results and they like getting the reminders in the mail. Yes, I see this recall as an opportunity.

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Keith, there may be upsells to be had, but, do you have the spare time? After reading your postings on the 6.4l engine taking nearly three weeks to get into your stall, you sound like upselling will only push you further back on what is already on your plate. If you do upsell the work, do you get it? Or does it go to another tech because management can't take you off your current job and the job will be lost if they ask to wait until you are freed up? Just wondering if your situation mirrors mine.

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Do you let any cash work pass you by? I would hope not and the irony of it is that up selling is part of the reason we are so backed up. It is ironic, yes, but if we let the cash work roll back out the door we would be losing a lot of money. Unfortunately, we cannot afford to lose this revenue and we teeter on a hectic balance of getting it done and sucking it up to get the warranty crap completed. The real problem my shop has right now is a shortage of truck/diesel technicians. Of course, we have days when we have to drop everything to take care of some unraveling situation or take care of a good customer. We do what we have to to survive. Fortunately, for me, I can see light at the end of the tunnel with two new hires supposedly coming my way and we can start crankin away again!

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You've touched on a thorny subject, Gary. It shouldn't really matter if the tech that found the upsell get's it or not - because the shop should be busy, anyway.... busy enough that everyone has "too much" work.

 

While we must all look out for ourselves in many fashions, it isn't just about us as individuals in this sort of circumstance. Kieth is talking about cultivating retail customers for the store.

 

Making the store successful is part of the process of making ourselves successful. The warranty period is our opportunity to win these customers over for the future, after their warranty expires.... Same thing for FSAs - another chance to show customers that we are better than the "other guys".

 

Yes, I'm big on us learning and perfecting our craft.... but that isn't going to help us if the bays are empty.

 

We are the crew and the store is our "ship". It's important for us to look after ourselves - but just as important for us to make sure our ship isn't going to sink.

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It's a little different here. We a have a dedicated clientel of 7.3L customers that bring their trucks in for regular service and repairs. But then we also have the ones that just phone here and say that they had their truck scanned at an independent shop and what they were told to replace didn't work. So they want free information and a price on scanning their truck. I tell them we don't scan trucks, we deiagnose them. And they usually don't show up anyway untill it's on a hook and they have been around the ringer so many times that they have no other options.

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I certainly do not pass up any customer pay work, that's for sure. But if those owners that have warranty repairs keep getting brushed to the back of the line, will we continue to cultivate retail customers of them? We have a couple fleets that have gone to other makes, not because of our failing to repair, but the down time. They gave us glowing report cards then and bring us the other brands for their maintenance now. I am not bashing, because in a way we play the hand we are dealt. I only worry that some moves we make in order to survive in the short term will have repercussions further down the line.

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they can claim to Ford about previous failures? We had one service writer that sold the job for hour diag, 1.5 to replace it. then parts sold the goddamn thing for $250

 

I felt bad but kinda didnt because i didnt make the labor times.

 

 

He sold 3 of those for me i remember.

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Man $250.00 for a cmp sensor, I'm sorry for that being a parts guy and all. Even when I was at the dealer I never sold them for more than about $130.00-$135.00 over the counter. Now mind you that this where dealers get the bad reputation for jamming it up the pooper to customers. It seems that a lot of lt truck and car dealers feel the need to make all the money off of a few customers that come in the front door. I do have to say that my DP/Owner did a great job of setting the standard for pricing. Everybody that came in got fleet pricing whether it be a end users personal truck or a guy that had a fleet. We did sell on average about a $500k almost every month, and kicked the crap out of most all of the Metro Detroit dealers. And the best thing about it was that I felt good when I left every day.

 

Somebody needs to clue in the DP's out there not to try to screw over the customers. The NCD/NTD sells the first vehicle we all have the job of selling the next 3. It's just getting tougher to do anymore.

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Gary.... it's a little more like starting a popularity contest than brushing off warranty work.

 

For many years, I have held firm to the notion that it is OK to "fire a customer". Customers that you can rarely please - no matter how far you bend over for them..... Customers that only come to you when they are out of money from going to "cheap shops"... and get pissed because you want to be sure of what the other guys have done before you commit to anything..... and get even pisseder (is that a word?) when you, as a better store, want a better store price for the process.

 

You're not going to turn a warranty customer in to a retail customer by shoving him to the back of the line.... If your store is busy, you begin to prioritize customers.... "this guy is going to be a good customer, that guy is going to be a difficult customer". We aren't supposed to do that, but all of our guys need our store to be successful... and they can help the process....

 

At the same time, in various places, it can be "boohoo... we have nothing in the shop....". Ain't nobody going to be sent to the back of a line that doesn't exist, right? Unless...... a tech doesn't want to quote an estimate because "he" might not be the one to get it.....

 

And this goes back to another thread on another forum..... about costing out the labour on an estimate. Some techs guard this "right" jealously..... Part of my job is to help our guys write a comprehensive estimate that will indicate the labour ops to our SAs - the people that cost out our labour. And to help our SAs prepare a cost estimate that doesn't screw the tech or the customer.... I put my "mark" on all estimates that I feel I need to review and, if I have any doubts, I approach the JOURNEYMAN that wrote it to be sure that he is comfortable with the quote.... even though he may be too busy to get the job in the end....

 

If your shop isn't too busy or if your shop doesn't get enough of the "right" work, it will be difficult to see the forest with all those trees in the way....

 

Like Kieths shop, we are booked well in advance... a week and a half.... but only when it is slow. We have had many periods where we are booked 3 weeks...

 

Almost any dealer shop can be like that if we cultivate the customers. Yes... it can be hard work.... yes, it has it's rewards....

 

FWIW.... we are looking for two licenced techs and will consider 4th year apprentices. And we'll be able to keep them busy - real busy. Since Nov 19 there are only two days I haven't been in the store.... both of them were Sundays and this Saturday coming is my Saturday.... When I get to work in the morning, I hit the ground running and I get home when I get home. Our flat rate guys never fail to book over 200 hours/month... There is always the opportunity to work a long day... and that work will either be gravy.... or put you in a position where your next job will be gravy (oops... make that GRAVY).

 

It should never be about "us" and "them". We are all in this together.... for "us" to do well, the store needs to do well.... and, if the boss isn't willing to share the rewards, it is time to find one that will. Those kinds of bosses are out there.... they're just looking for people to help find the rewards.

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/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbup.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbup.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbup.gifWELL SAID /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbup.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbup.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbup.gif

 

 

 

/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shrug.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shrug.gifCAN I COME WORK WITH YOU??? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shrug.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shrug.gif

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