Should I tip the Ferrari mechanic?

Tips are fine. Just make sure you put it in his hand or it might be forgotten Who DID THE WORK that warranted the tip . We Techs could tell you stories... we are supposed to NOT ACCEPT in or job agreement .... reason for dismissal . but You can make him take it , it is OK

 

Just like everything else, if you feel like your assigned tech went above and beyond, like those little things that you didn't mention to your service adviser but you found fixed, please take care of them. Even though it is expensive, it is a very low-paying but specialized service to take care of these cars. Believe me. The majority of your bill DOES NOT go to the hands who worked on your car.

 

i would wait until you find the little things they f' ed up

 

+1000

I have learned that sometimes it doesn't matter if you do a little more than the average customer. Whether you're giving a tip or a xmas gift......keep in mind some mechanics are profiting more than you think.

 

I can tell you that it is not expected, nor required. I also know that alot of our clients know the technican that work on their vehicles on a personal level. ( Visit with them when they drop off the car, visit with them during the visit, or visit with them to go over what was done during the visit. )

Do some get cash tips, I am sure of it, and it's ok. Other clients buy lunch, leave a cake or cookies, etc.

An acknowledgement of a job well done, even a week later, goes along ways.

But a hand shake and a sincere " Thank You " works well too!

S

 

Ouch, time to find a new tech to work on your car(s)?

S

 

I'm curious how?

All technicians I know make an hourly rate paid based upon book time for said job.

That rate may range from as little as $18.00 per hour to $40.00 per hour. Depending on personal skill/exp level.

I'm not sure where else they " profit " , I'm curious and await your insight.

S

 

Curious as well. Sounds sinister.

 

I always tip my F-Wrench - Carlo Durante of Alfa of Tacoma. He's SUPERB and takes
wonderful care of my car. His brother Lino runs the office. They both ALWAYS get a
tip - and after a Major, a fine Chianti and $100 gift card to a nice restaurant for each.

You'd be surprised all the "little things" they do for me when my car is in for service,
all at no charge, since I started doing this in 2008

Just my way - your mileage may vary.

Jedi

 

I always tip them too. $100 + for a big job like a major. $50 for a full day type of job. $10-$20 for those little thing that are 2 hrs or less. I like to tip before hand and tell them that I would appreciate it if they can be as careful as possible with the car. I am very anal about the finish and don't want it marked up.

 

I tip the mechanic personally, min $20, max $100

Smart idea tipping before.

 

you mean "find a new dealership or independent"

 

No. Never.

Slippery slope. It's a job. They get paid based on the job.

Would you tip a mechanic to change the timing belts in a Camry? If not, no tip for Fcars either.

Now, you want to give them something for Christmas or an occasion or just because you want to be nice or appreciative, no problem. But no tip per job.

Next someone's going to put on the estimate an automatic 18% gratuity on top of the labor. How would that make you feel?

And, let's say you tip and the job wasn't done properly and needs to come back. It's like adding insult to injury. If you got bad service at a restaurant, you don't tip them and come back the next day complaining.

Your car has a problem. You hire someone to fix it. When they fix it you get it back and they get paid based on an agreed upon price. End of story.

You wanna know the best tip you can give them? Bring the car back the next time you need service because you like the service you get there.

 

You don't have a personal relationship with the toyota mechanic. I have known the guys at FOA for years, like 16. Yes, I have tipped. A long time ago when they had the old shop down by the concrete plant I handed all the guys at least a $20 for helping me off load my car and putting it in the shop. It didn't take long and they were so helpful. They also put my car trailer behind the shop and I drove the tow car back to Nashville. When I went back to get my car same drill but in reverse. Those were my best times of ownership. Everything was new to me and I was all excited about the cars that they had in the shop. Plain fun. Things are still fun but now a notch or two lower. I must be getting old to talk like this?

 

More like "flat rate". That is why sometimes the work comes back poorly done. You don't get paid by the hour. You get paid by the job. If the job only pays .3 hours, then you get paid .3 hours times the rate the dealer pays you.

 

Correct:

Flat rate is a pricing scheme whereby the customer pays a fixed price for a service regardless of how long the worker takes to carry out the service. Flat rate manuals are based on timed studies of the typical time taken for each type of service. Flat rate helps provide a uniform pricing menu for service work and helps establish the worth of the performance of a particular job.

The benefit to the customer is that if a worker takes longer than this, the cost does not rise.

The benefit to the worker is that it incentivises the worker to learn how to do the work more efficiently.


I am only speaking from the perspective of our shop, but regardless of what the job pays, it gets back to the client , done correctly.

In other conversations, I have come to realize that not all shops are like this,,, so I have an open mind to your perspective.

S

 

While I agree with your post somewhat, to say " never " is a strong statement don't you think?

If you know they went above and beyond for something, why wouldn't you?

A standard tip will never be... doh, I said never.

S

 

If a client is not getting the services they expect, they should find a shop that can meet their expectations... Dealership or Independent.

IMO

S

 

I have a personal relationship with the dealer vs. the mechanic. I've bought several cars from them and have also taken my lumps when trading them back in. If the car isn't serviced properly I go back to the dealer and get it straightned out. if i'm going to get compensated for my time or sloppy work. Its the service manager and GM that are going to make that happen and not the mechanic. I also don't want to be in a position of having to bad rap the mechanic. If I have a personal relationship with him and who I gave a generous tip to the last time I brought my F car in. Life is complicated enough. Why make things harder on yourself than they need to be. Plus, just on principe the idea of tipping someome to do their job doesn't sit well with me.
However, the other side of the coin is. That there have been several times when I've had my cars transported by my dealer to different events. It's always the same driver and it is his reponsibility to pick up, deliver, transport and return them to the dealer unharmed. Over time, I have developed a personal relationship with him and do tip him generously above and beyond what the dealer is paying him and charging me for his services. In the end, it's really what you feel comfortable with.

 

The best tip, especially for an independent shop, is the referrarl of a new client.
Ed

 

When I was a tech, I did not expect tips, but when I got them it certainly made me feel more appreciated, especially since I was making crap money, a $20 tip would enable me to eat a lunch for two days. Some may scoff at that but truth is, techs at dealerships are usually not that well paid. I did not eat lunch at least 50% of the time I was working at this dealership. Had to take what work I could get to pay my mortgage. Most customers just think I was out to F them. And as it always goes, I remembered who tipped me and would always go the extra mile for them next time when they had an issue. I would also fix things off the books when it came in and I had discovered something, I let them know and despite being at a GM dealership, I had a group of customers that requested that only I work on their vehicles. It was nice.

So in short, not required or expected, but they certainly appreciate it.

 

Thanking the guy and a little note to the GM etc. will go a long ways. Let the next money bags dumb @ss give his money away JK. Where do you draw the line though, the mechanic, the service manager that got you in fast and gave you a killer deal, the guy that washed the car and threw in some extra cleaning, the guy that gave you a ride home and picked you up, the parts guy that found the last F-hat in that particular color you wanted etc.? Isn't patronizing a place and them doing a good job, enough these days?