So, now I understand the cost of Porsche ownership :-O Options

[Amphicar770]

Although I have had my 914 for several years, I have done all work on my own so have not had to use any dealers or specialists. Following the removal / reinstall of my engine along with new clutch, rebuilt trailing arms, brakes, fuel lines, etc. I brought it to a respected shop to have them do the wheel alignment, set the timing, and give the car a general going over.

The good news is that they just called and it is at last ready for pick up (has been about 3 weeks). I'll admit that I was glad to be sitting down when I asked for the total damages .... wait for it ... $2,200 and change.

In fairness I can not yet say if I got a great deal, a fair deal, or got hosed. The person who called said there is a pretty long list of things they attended to. So, until I see the list and see how everything came out I can neither praise or criticize the shop. I am however going, OK how do I split the payment so that the spouse does not know what I just spent. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif)

Will be picking her up tomorrow.

[iankarr]

Glad they got your car running well...but wow. A bunch of those charges are egregious! 80 bucks for a 5 minute thermo cable adjustment?? Looks like they charged for every fix a la carte, rather than just billing for the total of hours. Not illegal, but certainly not as fair as they could or should be. I'd call them and ask why they didn't just charge for time spent. Maybe they'll cut you a break and do the right thing.

[Amphicar770]

Glad they got your car running well...but wow. A bunch of those charges are egregious! 80 bucks for a 5 minute thermo cable adjustment?? Looks like they charged for every fix a la carte, rather than just billing for the total of hours. Not illegal, but certainly not as fair as they could or should be. I'd call them and ask why they didn't just charge for time spent. Maybe they'll cut you a break and do the right thing.

Well, I imagine the response would be that they did a lot of other "stuff" that they did not charge for. What that might be, who knows. No point stressing over it at this point, enjoy the car and lessons learned. I am certainly glad I did a lot of the "heavy lifting work" before hand or the bill may have exceeded the car's value.

I think one thing all service providers need to keep in mind these days is the power of social media. Customers can and do share their experiences both good and bad. In the long term, that will have a big impact on your reputation and your business prospects. You do not have to be the cheapest game in town but you do need to have high quality and be fair in your dealings with customers. Certainly charge a premium for quality work and skill but do not charge 3 hours if it really takes 1 hour. If you are backed up and do not get to the vehicle for a week after it was dropped off for a scheduled appointment then mark that thermostat adjustment (or something) as no charge.

Shops like Tangerine are extremely well respected for both the quality of their work and products but also for treating their customers fairly. Someone recently posted about their great experience at Tangerine and how their car was finished the same day they brought it in. I thought of that recently as I had scheduled an appointment with the shop I used 3 weeks prior yet it took a week before they even looked at the car and was a total of nearly three weeks by the time it was ready. While Tangerine is a good 3-4 hours from me, if I knew I had major work to do I would not hesitate, in the future, to load the 914 on the trailer and haul it up there. Would I use the shop I went to again? While they did good work, probably not.