I have kicked these guys into touch now.

To be fair, they have been very sensible to deal with & they seem to appreciate that they need "good guys" working on their behalf. The two services that we did for them, were both less than three years old & therefore, not likely to give us much trouble. They are expected to be washed, collected & delivered too.

We already wash all of our "Full service" jobs anyway & a local collection/delivery service isn't unreasonable. My problem came when the interim service costing was questioned. Our charge is approximately £120 (all inc) for an interim service. They needed a price nearer £80 (all inc) so that they could stick their mark-up on top. Quite simply there is not enough "meat on the job", to run to a wash as well as collect & deliver for just £80.

We will routinely remove all road wheels & brake drums, & the brake pads come out, on every service regardless of age & mileage. Some cars that come through the door, after three years of "dealer servicing", have never had the brake drums off! This is a standard that I have decided, suits the standard that I believe my customers should expect. So in order to fall into the costings of Service4service, I would be compromising my standards. Errm No Thanks!

I also had a call one day, asking for a quote on a 307 HDI clutch, Oh & it needs to be done today!. I asked "what am I up against" & they were honest enough to tell me.... "Mr Clutch has quoted £275". I was struggling to get anywhere near that price & decided "enough is enough"! I don't need to compete on that level!

I asked the question... "What happens in the event of any "interesting" diagnostic work?" The answer was.... "Hmmm in that even, we will normally refer them to the dealer!" OUCH!!! What a kick in the nutts!

Service4Service might suit some garages, but if you like to be in control of your own standards & costings & you are busy enough, then it probably won't be for you. On the other hand, if work is a little "thin on the ground", they might be worth a look.

I should mention, that both customers said that they would be calling us directly, as they liked the service. So that is something to consider perhaps.


Take a look at the Website (If Peter doesn't mind)

http://www.service4service.co.uk/

They are offering cheep this & cheep that. Do we really need to be associated with a sales pitch like this.....

"""Whether its service, parts or labour, at Service4Service we can save customers up to 65% off the price of a main dealer, with service prices starting at just £85"""

Sod that I think!

Cheers all

Dave