Topic: Going to be spending a little more time at work

[dhall57]

The VIP's at the car dealership I work at have been talking about it for a little while, but starting Monday its official. We are extending our hours once again. I feel like I live there already A year or so ago it went to 7:00, but this time it's to 9pm. And their even toying with staying open until 12:00 mid night and maybe even being open on Sunday. Greed for the almighty $dollar is a wonderful thing isn't it, ok lets stop BS around lets do 24-7 and work Thanksgiving and Christmas and have the doors open 365 days a year would that be enough for you

[dusterdude]

I understand the greed part


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[MrGardman]

Usually what happens when hours are extended at any business, is that the people that would have made the attempt to come in just wait until later. Most times sales don't increase because of extended hours. It just moves those sales to a longer time frame.

[honda_dog]

That's tough. Staying open until midnight (if it happens) will be nothing but trouble... who is going to come in and buy a car in the middle of the night? Good luck with your new schedule, maybe they will figure out it's not a good thing....

[DH]

Hang in there man

[MoMo]

We're open seven days a week and every day save Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Open 6 am till 10, as mentioned the later hours merely move the sales hours to a later time.  Foot traffic after 8 is minimal...Larry

[05c50]

I have worked for new car dealerships for more than forty years of my somewhat shortened career. There was a time when new car dealers were owned by a local family much like the drugstore, hardware, tailor, etc. Now many are owned by large corporations and have lost their family atmosphere and appreciation for their employees. Now, using the term "customer convenience" we must be open at all hours just in case someone wants to come kick some tires on a new car or get their oil changed. Remember, it's not greed, it's customer convenience.

...........Paul

[Bailgang]

My employer has been working us at 6 day weeks since the first of the year and it's really burning out a lot of us with no relief in sight until sometime in March. I've got so much to do to my 750 so I can have it ready for spring but that 1 day off doesn't give me much time to get anything done. The good part is that all this OT is making my savings account look good so my wife doesn't fuss when I order parts.

[dhall57]

In this time and day when so many people are out of jobs and are having to pinch penny's to get by, Im thankful and blessed to have a job, I just wanted to make that clear. In the first post I was a little frustrated and blowing off some steam. O5C50 is right the family owned dealership is almost extinct. The family owned anything anymore is far and few between. Back almost 30 years ago when I started at this dealer one man owned it. A lot has changed in nearly 30 years, he sold out to a large investment company at least 10 years ago(for a nice chunk of cash Im sure) that owns hundred's of dealerships across the country. Its a publicly traded company so all they care about of course is the bottom line and keeping their investors and stockholders happy. I just don't think extending ours again is the cure all. We lengthen the hours to 7pm a while back because they said percentages were down and being open another hour would bring more customers in. More customers more money right, wrong it hasn't happened. Many times from 6 to 7 I won't get a single phone call or sell anything Im just there till 7. Now their going 2 more hours till 9pm thinking that will bring in more customers for service and parts. It hasn't happened at 7 so why is it going to happen at 9. Maybe if they would make some internal changes, for one stop increasing the labor rate in the service dept so maybe more average people could afford to get there cars worked on there. Right now the base rate is $105.00 a hour. Like I said the base rate and in some cases in can be more than that, just depends on the job. Could you afford that, I know I can't.

[Bailgang]

In this time and day when so many people are out of jobs and are having to pinch penny's to get by, Im thankful and blessed to have a job, I just wanted to make that clear.

 Maybe if they would make some internal changes, for one stop increasing the labor rate in the service dept so maybe more average people could afford to get there cars worked on there. Right now the base rate is $105.00 a hour. Like I said the base rate and in some cases in can be more than that, just depends on the job. Could you afford that, I know I can't.

Agreed. One problem though is the cost of equipment needed to diagnose modern cars. When I was a mechanic in the early 80's the most sophisticated piece of equipment we had was a big old Sun oscilloscope and then a code reader because computer controlled cars were just starting to show up in the shop. $100+ an hour is pretty much the norm in larger city's or towns, around here it's about $75/hr at a privately owned shop and about $100/hr at dealerships. Another issue is some modern engines take very specialized tools just to take them apart and back together again for example Fords modular engine. A brother of mine has a later model GT Mustang and years ago he wanted to do a cam swap but due to it's design it wasn't as straight forward as swapping cams in an earlier 5.0 liter Stang and his local Ford dealership was the only shop that could do it which of course cost him a bunch of $.

[DH]

 Another issue is some modern engines take very specialized tools just to take them apart and back together again for example Fords modular engine. A brother of mine has a later model GT Mustang and years ago he wanted to do a cam swap but due to it's design it wasn't as straight forward as swapping cams in an earlier 5.0 liter Stang and his local Ford dealership was the only shop that could do it which of course cost him a bunch of $.
[/quote]





You are absolutely correct sir. The same can be said for
Mercedes Benz, Audi, Volkswagon, Porche, Volvo, Jaguar, and I'm sure there are more. And with even less work area than ever before underneath the hood.
It's not getting easier, and it's getting more expensive. Mechanics are being taught
to the electrical guys, not vice versa. If you are not educated in the rapidly changing
industry you are gonna get in trouble real quick. Imo, the independent places will
have a hard time $ wise.

[dusterdude]

I used to work for a big box auto parts store and we stayed open to 9 all year long,never could make them understand staying open after 7 in the winter was a waste


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