Should I tip the Ferrari mechanic?

If you feel you want to give the mechanic a tip, try this one:

"Here's your tip, never use an imperial socket on a metric bolt!"

 

The difference is that I think most clients are tipping because the employee went above and beyond their job, they did something extra. Hence the tip. Otherwise, I agree... why tip somone for doing their job, as expected.

This, it goes for Dealerships too! < Wink >

So, you want to tip him not for the job you asked to be done, but for the extra work he did for you. This makes sense to me.

I have learned that the hard way a couple times... ouch! I've " tipped " technicans before by paying their weekly payment to the tool truck or extending a $100.00 debit account with Snap On. It pays back two fold, they are appreciated and two, they are working with a higher quality tool.

S

 

No money for service as a tip.

Gift or something special... sure I have done it. But once you start the idea of tipping just to get your car serviced, you cannot stop. Bad feelings are just waiting around the corner. How much is too much? How could he tip me only that much for this job? Slippery slope that usually ends up in some kind of negativity.

It's a business transaction. You do this.. I pay you that. Done.

NO -- never. Find another way.

 

I don't tip my mechanic.

Do you guys tip your doctor or dentist?


Kai

 

Here's the reality. New cars having warranty work at the authorized dealer. No tip. It's the dealer's job to pay his staff to do the work. It's not just the tech involved. It's the admin people, service bookers cashiers etc. On non warranty work where the tech is an employee and you believe has done more than expected, a non cash gift is perfectly fine. Cash always muddies the waters and tips eventually become expected without any commensurate over and above performance

On my older cars, not just Ferraris, the techs were usually my friends as well. It was almost insulting to tip them, but always appropriate to give them a nice Christmas gift or a coupon for a meal at a nice restaurant, but never directly as a tip, just a symbol of friendship. The best thing I could do for them, as they were all independent techs with their own shop, was to refer new business to them and promote them at every opportunity.

 

Sorry...I wasn't referring to the tech but rather the mechanic/business owner.
Mine is a ridiculous story and it would be best that I don't get wound up.

 

The failure comes when the "estimate" is given, the work is "ok'ed" and the technician begins disassemble. If a problem occurs, the technician usually "eats it". The shop quoted a price and they are going to keep to that price regardless of the problem. Ever have a car come in for a exhaust gasket leak and in the process of disassemble have ever stud break in the head?? Then instead of a simple gasket replacement, it now becomes R&R the head, drill & tap for new bolts, and reassemble. But the customer only pays for the orignal "quoted" price. Fair for the customer, a royal screwing for the tech. And yes it does happen. That is the fun of working in a dealer. You touched it, it is your problem. Not the customer's or the dealer, YOU the tech !! I am glad my days of flat rate are done. And the funny part is I get more cars because of the dealer simply because they don't care. Bottom line is all they care about.

 

^^^and...........the other side of the coin is that if the tech took LESS than "book" time to complete the job that is pure profit for him and the dealership.

You can't have it both ways. I'm not asking to be charged "book" time. I would rather pay per hour actually worked. For the consumer this is almost always a better deal. How many times have I taken my cars in for scheduled maintanence that was estimated at 4 hours of work and got a call 2 hours later that the work is already "done?" And, yet, I have to pay for 4 hours of "labor."

In most cases, I am convinced, the "book" time is far longer than what most mechanics can actually do the job in.

I don't make the rules. I just have to follow the dealerships policies for labor costs and, in almost all cases, they bill based upon book time. There is a reason for this: their profit is greater when done this way and they know it.

You can either have an hourly rate or charge by book time. But you can't have it both ways by overcharging the customer for more hours than you actually worked when it's convienent to you and then turn around and charge for actual time worked when you run into unexpected problems. Just decide exactly how you want to be paid and be consistent.

 

Book Time is the consistent way most shops operate.

When a Technician completes a job in less time, IMO, its because they have invested in the actual tools to help them do so. Money has also been spent to train them in order to complete a job correctly.

Most importantly, is to know how book time is equated. A master tech performs a job 5 times using hand tools. Those 5 times are then averaged and the result is book time.

If a technican invest in his job to be more effecient, why would you expect to pay them less? It's like hourly employees... no reason for them to work faster, they get paid the same either way... even more if they take longer to perform a job.... even though they could do it sooner, but why? You would rather pay them that way?

S

 

And for the record, most shops I have worked with, will stop working when something unexpected happens and discuss with the client how they would like to proceed.

Afterall, it's the clients car. A job is estimatated based upon no suprises. If/When a stud breaks, it's up to the client how to proceed. Sometimes, clients ask that every stud be replaced, others only want the one that broke replaced. In then end , its their choice.

IF it's something that could happen, a good advisor will let the client know before the job is started. For example, when replacing headers on a 360/430 . the client is given the option to replace the exhaust studs and nuts with new... alot of the time they break or come out of the head during the process. Extra time is allowed and the cost of the new fasteners are included in the estimate. No suprises and no one gets " screwed "


This has been my experience

S

 

Agreed!

S

 

I doubt any Fcar dealer tech will tell you that warranty time is beatable if even matchable in many cases. Consistent charges? How about my doctor visits? $150 if it's 15 minutes, $150 if it's 45 minutes..............

You find someone or some business that you are comfortable with and establish a good working understanding, respect goes both ways, a little gift card (or a $100 bill) is always graciously received. FWIW just got a 'tip' for a considerable amount from a thankful client, it wasn't expected nor required, but he recognises my passion to do good for all.

 

Exactly

If you tip Jiffy Lube for the Chevy oil change, your Ford dealer for new wiper blades etcgo ahead and tip the Ferrari dealer.

Bad service equates to finding someplace else and most of the time discussing with friends.

Good service equates to returned business.

It's been discussed but that does work both ways. If a shop pays flat rate a good efficient mechanic can easily gain hours a week on the pay check.

 

Really?
Not on these cars. Not at a dealer or at a specialist.
The labour times for many jobs on f-cars are a joke.

 

Maybe for your shop, but not for most. Most techs are closing up boxes and heading for different jobs. Truck Drivers in this area pull 23-25 hr plus overtime. No headaches and they work on cars when they want to. Overall, I am glad I am done with it and my work is all custom, fabrication or machining. I set the price and if they don't like it, they move on. Most of the time now they just say call me when it is done and tell me how much. Because I do go the extra mile to make it right, I don't have people breathing down my back or living off it. Some guys can live by it, but usually I see their work when it comes back not right. You only get one shot a keeping a customer happy. Piss him off.....and he is gone to another shop for good. I prefer it when I make it right and the customer is upset, he now knows that the so called "dealer" could care less about his car. When the run right, you got a customer for life.

 

Do not tip for any regular or routine service, it's what they get paid to do. The only time I would say it might be appropriate is if you brought them a basket case and they figured out what ever the issue was in a very timely manner.

If you're truly appreciative of the service, do something that thanks them all. The tech may be the one working on your car there are other people who are in the hands of your car before it makes it back to the shop.