The high prices will get worse- It is the cost of all the "hope and change"
being passed down to consumers.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Ewald" <richard.ewald@gmail.com>
To: <Editorgary@aol.com>
Cc: <healeys@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 1:44 AM
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Prices today
> I'm not a small shop owner, but rather the service manager for a good
> sized
> (18 technicians) foreign car dealership in Southern California. The costs
> of doing business on this scale are staggering.
> Some of the expenses that have crossed my desk in recent days:
> Car maker just changed the link tool that allows the technician's PC to
> talk
> to and reprogram the cars. The new ones are $1600 each. I just bought
> two,
> I need about 8 more. My diagnostic subscription (shop manuals, electronic
> diagnostics, wiring diagrams, parts listing etc) is $7200/ year. I need
> to
> replace about 8 or 9 computers in the shop, on order haven't seen the bill
> on that one yet.
> I just invested in a "green" system for brake cleaner and parts washing
> spray. Refillable aerosol cans instead of disposable cans. That was
> about
> $1800.
> Certifying my hoists just cost me about $7200, and I need to replace
> three
> of them next year at about $2600 each. Updated program for the alignment
> machine was $530.
> All of the above are just the out of the ordinary expenses. Rent,
> electric
> and the rest I won't go into, but the numbers are rather large. I don't
> even want to think what my workmans comp premiums are.
> Get the picture?
> My labor rate is $125 and it is a struggle every month to get into the
> black. I don't want to, but I may have to bump my driveway rate next
> year.
>
> It is a tough business out there and it is not getting any easier.
> Depending on the area, $140 is not out of line, and the shop owner is
> probably not driving a Rolls Royce home at the end of the day.
> Rick
>
> On Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 9:26 PM, <Editorgary@aol.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> Ask a small shop owner how much he/she is paying for liability insurance,
>> shop insurance, and health insurance especially, compared to what was
>> being
>> charged only five years ago. Health insurance for employees has, in
>> particular, gone through the roof, and any kind of liability isn't far
>> behind. And
>> folks wonder why we need health reform and tort reform.
>> Gary
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