GM service department question

[venturenot]

I was wondering if anyone can tell me how the service departments at GM dealerships work. I took my 1998 Venture to a dealer for an oil change and they told me that my tie rods were loose and needed to be replaced at a cost of $455.00. I declined and took it to an independant mechanic who told me that the rods were as tight as could be -- no problems.

My question: do mechanics or serice managers work on a commission basis? Just want to know the motivation for the mechanic to be so far off base.

Thank you,

[inafogg]

hello, techs are usually hourly but a flat rate system.ser.mgrs are normally commission.unfortunately we arent all honest & or no what we are talking about.

[venturenot]

They said that it was the outer tie rod ends. I declined the service because I had not had any difficulty with the steering and was leary. I couldn't understand why a mechanic on an hourly basis would be less than honest. I don't know much about cars, but diagnosing a loose tie rod shouldn't be that difficult. Sure sounds crooked to me.

[maxwedge]

You should go back to the dealership and speak to the SM, ask him to have the tech put you van on a lift and show the two of you what is wrong with the tie rods, do not let this slide. I was a GM SM for 25 years years and if one of my tech's tried to advise work to be done unnecessarily he'd be out the door.

[venturenot]

So you would say that it may be the tech. But I don't understand, if he is on an hourly wage how is this to his advantage?

Thanks

[brcidd]

He is "hourly" only in the sense he gets paid so many hours for a given job-- - so if the tie rod ends job pays 2.2 hours and he can do it in 0.7 hrs- he just tripled his hourly rate.... Heck I knew mechanics who get paid for 18 hrs a day and only work 8-- by beating the factory times.....then multiply those hours by his "hourly rate"

Hours paid are not those on the clock- but by the rated time for the job....

[venturenot]

Ok, now I understand. Before I could not understand how it would benefit the mechanic. Is the service manager in on it as well? He makes a commission, so I guess it would be in the mechanic and the service manager's best interest to trump up charges.

[inafogg]

i agree with max let the mech so you whats wrong..i double ck my tech every now & then.

[maxwedge]

" Trumping up charges" smacks of out and out stealing, this is more of an issue of " overzealous selling"

[pastaben]

Not all service places are crooked, but unfortunately, I've had my share of "over-zealous" selling, but I think out right crooks.

I go in for oil change (either 99 or 04) and its ALWAYS something (good thing they have a computer to tell me what they tried to sell 4000 miles ago): bad struts, fuel pump leak, rear brake overhaul, tie rods, too.
(I decline all). For the fuel pump, I specifically asked if it was because the gas cap was not on right. Svc mgr insisted nope. I declined anyway. Tightened cap myself, svc light went off.

Even if mechs are on hrly wage, it benefits the whole dealership. Sales of vehicles are down, and any bit of money that comes in helps everyone.

Moral of lesson is to know your vehicle, and know what you went in to service, and avoid dealership versions of impulse purchases.

[venturenot]

I don't know what it is like in your area of the country, but I am currently in the Southeast and the rules are different from the North east. Every shop and dealership charges a diagnostic fee ranging from 37.00 to $90.00. This fee is non refundable. This means: if you go in to see why your drive belt area is making noise and the diagonsis is a bad compressor they have the right to charge you a diagnostic fee from $37.00 to $90.oo,plus labor, plus parts. Whether the problem was properly diagnosed or not the shop makes between $37.00 and $90.00 the moment you walk in the door.

This makes car repair costs ridiculous. It cost me almost $4.00 for a gallon of gas and then when the car needs to be repaired I am charged an extra fee just for the diagnosis. It will be interesting to see how this all pans out.