Price Considerations: An Actual Example

A customer called our shop for a price estimate to replace a timing belt on an Audi. We quoted him our standard price for parts and labor. He then contacted an Audi dealer and was quoted $500 less. Naturally, he chose the Audi dealership. After the repair, he again telephoned us and apologized. What the dealer neglected to tell him was that their price quote was for labor only. The repair turned out to be $400 more than what it would have been had he come to us.

It is typical for dealer repair shops to quote labor only. Service reps for dealers usually do so because they do not deal with parts. When getting a quote from a dealer, always request a breakdown of all costs… labor, parts and tax.

The truth is our labor is usually $20 to $30 less an hour than dealers’ rates. We use identical parts and usually charge customers less for them. This is partially due to our overhead being lower.

What You Can Expect

You may be surprised to learn that service representatives at dealerships usually receive a bonus or commission for “up-selling” you. In other words, if you take your car in for a general service and they can sell you a brake job also, they will be paid extra

extra for their efforts. So, their motivation becomes selling you more repair work rather than providing you with long-term advice. This does not necessarily mean they will be dishonest or provide poor recommendations. However, it does mean there is a temptation to focus on selling you more services.

Another Advantage Over Dealerships

Another advantage with SCV German Car Service is you will speak directly with the person who did your repairs. He will tell you exactly what was done and provide recommendations that are in your best interest. We think this is important for our customers.

Judge for Yourself

Compare SCV German Car Service with your local dealership and judge for yourself whether what we say is true. Get a quote from the dealer’s service department and ask if it is for labor only. If you receive service there, notice if their rep tries to “up-sell’ you and if he shows signs of disappointment if you say no.

We invite you to try SCV German Car Service. If you do, we know that as long as you own a German-made car, you will be our customer.