Local dealership charges $15 for an oil change.....
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Originally Posted by AC1DD
I wonder how many other things they damage and set up to fail or break shortly after they do that cheap oil change?
I have free service on a few of our vehicles. They will never get those 'free' services, as hacks with an impact wrench cause damage to whatever they touch. I'll just do my own servicing.
I wonder how many other things they damage and set up to fail or break shortly after they do that cheap oil change?
I have free service on a few of our vehicles. They will never get those 'free' services, as hacks with an impact wrench cause damage to whatever they touch. I'll just do my own servicing.
In any business, if you have the volume then it's easy to subsidize the loss. My small shop does a standard oil change (up to 5 qt, with fluid top off, vacuum, window wash) for $36 OTD. I think. Maybe $34. Either way, that price barely covers parts/labor cost. Maybe $1-$2 profit per car, assuming the customer doesn't buy any add-on's. We also don't charge labor for air filters, cabin filters, or light bulbs in most circumstances.
Any shop knows that there's very little money to be made in a quick lube, but like others have said it's not about the dollar amount of the oil change itself. It's about up-selling maintenance items, flushes, brakes etc. That's where revenue comes from.
Any shop knows that there's very little money to be made in a quick lube, but like others have said it's not about the dollar amount of the oil change itself. It's about up-selling maintenance items, flushes, brakes etc. That's where revenue comes from.
Originally Posted by 02SE
Originally Posted by AC1DD
I wonder how many other things they damage and set up to fail or break shortly after they do that cheap oil change?
I have free service on a few of our vehicles. They will never get those 'free' services, as hacks with an impact wrench cause damage to whatever they touch. I'll just do my own servicing.
I used to work in the industry and I actually heard techs talking about how when they did warranty n/c work or cheap things like this they would help make more work for themselves down the road...no joking.
Originally Posted by AC1DD
I wonder how many other things they damage and set up to fail or break shortly after they do that cheap oil change?
I have free service on a few of our vehicles. They will never get those 'free' services, as hacks with an impact wrench cause damage to whatever they touch. I'll just do my own servicing.
I used to work in the industry and I actually heard techs talking about how when they did warranty n/c work or cheap things like this they would help make more work for themselves down the road...no joking.
Originally Posted by AC1DD
Originally Posted by 02SE
Originally Posted by AC1DD
I wonder how many other things they damage and set up to fail or break shortly after they do that cheap oil change?
I have free service on a few of our vehicles. They will never get those 'free' services, as hacks with an impact wrench cause damage to whatever they touch. I'll just do my own servicing.
I used to work in the industry and I actually heard techs talking about how when they did warranty n/c work or cheap things like this they would help make more work for themselves down the road...no joking.
I used to work in the industry too. I saw plenty of hacks. I still have friends in the industry, they still see plenty of hacks.
If I don't personally know the Tech who would be doing the servicing on our vehicles, I will just save the aggravation (and the good chance of stripped fasteners, etc.) and do it myself.
Originally Posted by 02SE
Originally Posted by AC1DD
I wonder how many other things they damage and set up to fail or break shortly after they do that cheap oil change?
I have free service on a few of our vehicles. They will never get those 'free' services, as hacks with an impact wrench cause damage to whatever they touch. I'll just do my own servicing.
I used to work in the industry and I actually heard techs talking about how when they did warranty n/c work or cheap things like this they would help make more work for themselves down the road...no joking.
I used to work in the industry too. I saw plenty of hacks. I still have friends in the industry, they still see plenty of hacks.
If I don't personally know the Tech who would be doing the servicing on our vehicles, I will just save the aggravation (and the good chance of stripped fasteners, etc.) and do it myself.
Transitowne Dodge?
They're trolling for warranty work and whatever else you need. I think they have some sort of sweetheart deal from Pennzoil and have been using them forever...[/quote]
Yes ðŸ‘. They have never once pressured me into services that were not needed. Once they told me I needed front brakes and they were correct. I kindly declined and I was on my way. The waiting area is outstanding.
They're trolling for warranty work and whatever else you need. I think they have some sort of sweetheart deal from Pennzoil and have been using them forever...[/quote]
Yes ðŸ‘. They have never once pressured me into services that were not needed. Once they told me I needed front brakes and they were correct. I kindly declined and I was on my way. The waiting area is outstanding.
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I worked parts for a GM dealership in 2018. Every month they has super Saturday. $10 oil changes. Got people in the door. The techs looked for anything and everything to quote. I hated those days. We worked alone on Saturdays and it would be super busy. A service tech would sent up a request for prices for a 98 Chevy that needed a billion dollars worth of work and it would take forever to get the request finished. The service advisor would call and I would just tell them it's at the bottom of the list. You really think someone with a beater truck and a bunch of miles on it is going to spend thousands of dollars on dealer service when they're here for a $10 oil change ? I'll get to it when I got all the other oil changes doled out
Originally Posted by Jackson_Slugger
Originally Posted by Harrington
And $25 for synthetic. They use Pennzoil straight from the bottle. They literally do hundreds a week. My question is how much work could they possibly generate to charge these prices? I've used them for many years and they do a great job. Is it a no brainer to pay the extra $10 and get synthetic?
Transitowne Dodge?
They're trolling for warranty work and whatever else you need. I think they have some sort of sweetheart deal from Pennzoil and have been using them forever...
Not quite forever, but certainly several years.
When Transitowne bought out little Clarence Dodge around 1990, they kicked Pennzoil out. They brought in Pennzoil sometime after the 2004 Shell takeover, and was probably shortly after Mopar oil became Pennzoil, which was around 2008. That's where the sweetheart deal came from.
Originally Posted by Harrington
And $25 for synthetic. They use Pennzoil straight from the bottle. They literally do hundreds a week. My question is how much work could they possibly generate to charge these prices? I've used them for many years and they do a great job. Is it a no brainer to pay the extra $10 and get synthetic?
Transitowne Dodge?
They're trolling for warranty work and whatever else you need. I think they have some sort of sweetheart deal from Pennzoil and have been using them forever...
Not quite forever, but certainly several years.
When Transitowne bought out little Clarence Dodge around 1990, they kicked Pennzoil out. They brought in Pennzoil sometime after the 2004 Shell takeover, and was probably shortly after Mopar oil became Pennzoil, which was around 2008. That's where the sweetheart deal came from.
Originally Posted by AC1DD
I wonder how many other things they damage and set up to fail or break shortly after they do that cheap oil change?
If this is happening it's rare.
However-this is something I would expect someone to say on this forum................
I wonder how many other things they damage and set up to fail or break shortly after they do that cheap oil change?
If this is happening it's rare.
However-this is something I would expect someone to say on this forum................
I had a local independent do $9.99 oil changes for years, my cars take 3 & 2.5 q respectively I would go there when it was -20F for a 3000 mile oil change when I didn't feel like it
They also mounted tires for $10
They also mounted tires for $10
Originally Posted by AC1DD
I wonder how many other things they damage and set up to fail or break shortly after they do that cheap oil change?
I've seen my fair share of hacks, But usually they just rush through the job to get it done, No "Set-Up" conspiracy for future work.
On the other hand.....I've worked with GREAT teams of mechanics & we wouldn't allow things to get hacked up, The ridicule would be so unbearable.....The offending mechanic would either quit or get his "S" together.
I wonder how many other things they damage and set up to fail or break shortly after they do that cheap oil change?
I've seen my fair share of hacks, But usually they just rush through the job to get it done, No "Set-Up" conspiracy for future work.
On the other hand.....I've worked with GREAT teams of mechanics & we wouldn't allow things to get hacked up, The ridicule would be so unbearable.....The offending mechanic would either quit or get his "S" together.
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My guess would be that there is an underlying reason for the cheap price but it isn't the underhanded high pressure up sell or trying to cause issues. They are establishing a relationship with people. Treat them more than fair on something simple like an oil change and they are more likely to bring more business to you and possible make a vehicle purchase later on.
It's nothing sinister.
A couple of truths car dealers live with are that:
1) as many people can enter the showroom from the service department as the front door, and
2) in times of slow car sales, a successful service department can contribute vital revenue.
A good price on oil changes can provide an opportunity to make these additional sales. Do some car dealers do unethical things? Certainly, but in and of itself a bargain price on an oil change isn't indicative of that.
A couple of truths car dealers live with are that:
1) as many people can enter the showroom from the service department as the front door, and
2) in times of slow car sales, a successful service department can contribute vital revenue.
A good price on oil changes can provide an opportunity to make these additional sales. Do some car dealers do unethical things? Certainly, but in and of itself a bargain price on an oil change isn't indicative of that.
Originally Posted by Gebo
Sort of like extended warranties. They wouldn't do it if they didn't make money.
That's one of the assumptions that lots of people make, but that doesn't mean it's true because if it were, business would never go out of business. Yes there are such things as bad business decisions and warranty companies go out of business all the time.
Sort of like extended warranties. They wouldn't do it if they didn't make money.
That's one of the assumptions that lots of people make, but that doesn't mean it's true because if it were, business would never go out of business. Yes there are such things as bad business decisions and warranty companies go out of business all the time.
Originally Posted by clinebarger
I've seen my fair share of hacks, But usually they just rush through the job to get it done, No "Set-Up" conspiracy for future work.
On the other hand.....I've worked with GREAT teams of mechanics & we wouldn't allow things to get hacked up, The ridicule would be so unbearable.....The offending mechanic would either quit or get his "S" together.
Lucky you, you won the lottery of "clean" shops.
I worked at half a dozen dealer shops over my career and most of them had plenty of "hacks" that would break things while doing other work so the customer would be back in hopeflly with cash jobs.
I've seen my fair share of hacks, But usually they just rush through the job to get it done, No "Set-Up" conspiracy for future work.
On the other hand.....I've worked with GREAT teams of mechanics & we wouldn't allow things to get hacked up, The ridicule would be so unbearable.....The offending mechanic would either quit or get his "S" together.
Lucky you, you won the lottery of "clean" shops.
I worked at half a dozen dealer shops over my career and most of them had plenty of "hacks" that would break things while doing other work so the customer would be back in hopeflly with cash jobs.
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Lots of dealerships charge crazy low prices for frequently-required services.
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Originally Posted by AC1DD
Originally Posted by 02SE
Originally Posted by AC1DD
I wonder how many other things they damage and set up to fail or break shortly after they do that cheap oil change?
I have free service on a few of our vehicles. They will never get those 'free' services, as hacks with an impact wrench cause damage to whatever they touch. I'll just do my own servicing.
I used to work in the industry and I actually heard techs talking about how when they did warranty n/c work or cheap things like this they would help make more work for themselves down the road...no joking.
It's SOO easy to damage stuff QUICKLY when you're dealing with really powerful tools, which I realize dealers do routinely because time IS money. I set my Milwaukee 2767 1/2" impact gun on max torque simply to let my teenaged daughter have the experience of undoing lug nuts (and to build her self-confidence) that she COULD do it. The wrench itself was heavy for her and with her inexperience (and hardened impact sockets) she didn't hold the wrench onto the nuts with sufficient straight on force, and she wasted two lug nuts in about .03 seconds. I had spares and quickly showed her the importance of holding the wrench to fully engage the nut, but I was awestruck at how QUICKLY damage can occur.
Originally Posted by 02SE
Originally Posted by AC1DD
I wonder how many other things they damage and set up to fail or break shortly after they do that cheap oil change?
I have free service on a few of our vehicles. They will never get those 'free' services, as hacks with an impact wrench cause damage to whatever they touch. I'll just do my own servicing.
I used to work in the industry and I actually heard techs talking about how when they did warranty n/c work or cheap things like this they would help make more work for themselves down the road...no joking.
It's SOO easy to damage stuff QUICKLY when you're dealing with really powerful tools, which I realize dealers do routinely because time IS money. I set my Milwaukee 2767 1/2" impact gun on max torque simply to let my teenaged daughter have the experience of undoing lug nuts (and to build her self-confidence) that she COULD do it. The wrench itself was heavy for her and with her inexperience (and hardened impact sockets) she didn't hold the wrench onto the nuts with sufficient straight on force, and she wasted two lug nuts in about .03 seconds. I had spares and quickly showed her the importance of holding the wrench to fully engage the nut, but I was awestruck at how QUICKLY damage can occur.
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