What Makes A Great Workshop?

[zebra]

I think that if you can find a mechanic/engine builder than you can work with and throw ideas around, it shows intelligence on their behalf if they can suggest alternate parts to what you request AND explain why you need them, but they have to be happy if you dont want the extra expense involved etc.

Eg My machinist/engine builder told me that I will really need to run roller rockers on my Cleveland heads, but was happy enough when I said the cost of the machine work required isnt really worth it when for not much $$$ I could buy a set of aftermarket heads already set up to run 7/16" studs for the rollers, Same again with getting real stuck into the ports.

I have found GOOD "engine builders" much easier to work with the the local performance workshop, because and Engine builder does one thing, Builds engines.

So he isnt a jack of all trades, master of none.

I had an engine built by a "performance workshop" In melbourne, and I rekon blind freddy could have done a better job.

[GTR-N1]

OK...

So some extra items I've picked up from this thread are...

Onus on the mechanic

* listening skills are paramount

* offer feedback on estimated time to complete

* develop teamship with the owner and answer the "why" and "how" questions

* throw up options with attached quotes

* improve product knowledge

* collect testimonies to justify a good reputation

Onus on the car owner

* to outline time constraints and be realistic

* ask the right questions

* go to the workshop with a plan and don't 'chop 'n change' unless parts availability is under question

* don't go there with unreal expectations

[zebra]

OK...

So some extra items I've picked up from this thread are...

Onus on the mechanic

* listening skills are paramount

* offer feedback on estimated time to complete

* develop teamship with the owner and answer the "why" and "how" questions

* throw up options with attached quotes

* improve product knowledge

* collect testimonies to justify a good reputation

Onus on the car owner

* to outline time constraints and be realistic

* ask the right questions

* go to the workshop with a plan and don't 'chop 'n change' unless parts availability is under question

* don't go there with unreal expectations

Pretty much hit the nail on the head there Terry

[Peter89]

this.

i went to a place the other night more a backyard/business type thing pretty common these days it went like this.

me: i would like xxx doing - (simple job)

him: nope

me: ...why not?

him: dont want to.

me: ummm.......

like wtf might not be a massive job i didnt even ask how much i would have had it done whatever the cost probably as i cbf doing it myself, so now i gotta drive like 1 hour to my second best option to get it done cos well.. i dunno the guy is lazy.

certainly wont invest in this blokes particular business anytime soon or bother to recommend it..

lol. what business? (pm if you don't want to shame)

i do most of the work on the car myself since i don't earn much, i don't mind doing it and i have enough free time. when something needs to be done soon or is too complex/out of my current skill set, i get a friend of mine to do it. he runs a small backyard operation for now.

[adamskill]

i have a mate who runs a pretty well known garage in brizzy. he always helps me out, always fits the car whenever i need work done, no matter how shit and petty it is. i usually leave a pretty happy customer. one major problem they have is communication. as others have stated i hate ringing up 3 or 4 times just to find out is the car is ready to pick up, or weather it will need to stay another day blah blah, and this problem is all too common at said garage. it wouldn't bother me so much other than it happens EVERY time, and although we are friends, i still pay full price, so i expect good customer service.

[hapa8u]

What's a "machanic"?

Silly statement, talk about painting with a broad brush...

The workshop I use always keeps me informed of what is going on, especially if there is going to be some sort of cost or time blowout. Doesn't happen often but it's a nice touch.

Has also passed on savings to me, when items he's ordered come in at a lower cost; could easily keep the extra and I'd be none the wiser. Integrity like that keeps customers coming back.

The other thing that frustrates me is when people expect their workshop to "do a deal" for them, then shitcan them when they won't. My mechanic has one of the higher labour rates I've come across, and I'm happy to pay it, because his workmanship is second to none.

Sometimes unrealistic expectations can destroy the relationship, I work as a fitter/machinist and some peoples' expectations are quite unbelievable! We're tradespeople, not magicians...

wel maybe u should give ur mechanics number on here if he is that good , i have freinds that are mechanics , and over my years of owning performance cars i can tell you its very easy for them to tell you that somthing major is wrong , when really it costs $50 to fix , many people that dont no anything about cars will just pay to get it fixed .. if you are freinds with a workshop its a different story . maybe you have a great relationship with the workshop you use , thats why hes good for you ..

[sriver killer]

being able to exceed expectations.

I find that 99% of my customers are prepared to pay top dollar for their job, as long as the job is out on time and the presentation and product impresses.

[GTR-N1]

...being able to exceed expectations.

I find that 99% of my customers are prepared to pay top dollar for their job, as long as the job is out on time and the presentation and product impresses.

I like! Another aptitude > Attitude!

[maclarenf1]

Communication.

Its the basis of any relationship.

+ 1

We know as owners of high performance Cars that, they don't always get it correct the first time and it can take a few tries or stuff can go wrong... but for the love of god keep the customer informed, without the customer have to call and ask and making US looking like stalkers

There is this thing called email as well, which most shops don't seem to use that much

Knowing that communication is just as a part of workshops success as knowing there "STUFF with JDM cars"

[Daleo]

wel maybe u should give ur mechanics number on here if he is that good , i have freinds that are mechanics , and over my years of owning performance cars i can tell you its very easy for them to tell you that somthing major is wrong , when really it costs $50 to fix , many people that dont no anything about cars will just pay to get it fixed .. if you are freinds with a workshop its a different story . maybe you have a great relationship with the workshop you use , thats why hes good for you ..

I'll happily give you his name & contact details if that's what you want, he does quite a bit of GTR work & is an ex-Nissan technician. Just send me a PM, but you seem to have a bit of an axe to grind .

The WHOLE REASON I posted in this topic was to illustrate what I thought constituted a great workshop; if I had a shit relationship with them, I would've said so.

Edited November 21, 2010 by Daleo

[GTS4WD]

You can tell within 10 seconds of speaking to someone and being in a workshop if its a quality place or not.

Here is a tip. A place that doesn't care about how dirty it is, doesn't care about how their work turns out.

They should always state pro's and con's, and let you decide on course of action

.. its all about presentation

Edited November 22, 2010 by GTS4WD

[Birds]

That's a silly assumption IMO. I've seen tons of good and dirty workshops. They're usually the hardest working mechanics. By alternative logic, a place that is dirty is usually too busy working on cars for time to keep the place absolutely spotless. You can't expect a boat to be dry on deck at all times. And any dodgy prick can keep their workshop looking clean, if their only knowledge is with a mop and bucket. As long as none of it ends up on your vehicle what should it matter?

If you're going to judge a workshop on appearance (which I don't think should be done anyway), then maybe take a look at what they use - brands of oil/parts etc. You'll be able to work out if they spend thrift when it comes to servicing your vehicle. Other customers and their cars are a good indication, e.g. panelbeaters usually have a good lineup of vehicles waiting to be picked up or repaired.

[Cowboy1600]

That's a silly assumption IMO. I've seen tons of good and dirty workshops. They're usually the hardest working mechanics. By alternative logic, a place that is dirty is usually too busy working on cars for time to keep the place absolutely spotless. You can't expect a boat to be dry on deck at all times. And any dodgy prick can keep their workshop looking clean, if their only knowledge is with a mop and bucket. As long as none of it ends up on your vehicle what should it matter?

If you're going to judge a workshop on appearance (which I don't think should be done anyway), then maybe take a look at what they use - brands of oil/parts etc. You'll be able to work out if they spend thrift when it comes to servicing your vehicle. Other customers and their cars are a good indication, e.g. panelbeaters usually have a good lineup of vehicles waiting to be picked up or repaired.

I agree. While a clean workshop is nice, I find the only ones which are spotless are your "by the book" chargers like Midas and Kmart, or ones who work on exotics and huge dollar stuff.

There's nothing wrong with a grubby workshop as long as your car comes out the other side as you want and expect it, for a reasonable price and in a fair time frame.

Doing good work, at a decent price, and letting you know what's happening if things aren't going to plan is all I ask. I understand that shit happens, but if you tell me that you'll have a my car/bike finished by a certain time, don't wait until I ring up 2 hours past that time to tell me that there's been a delay and it's not going to be ready. Nothing shits me more. Once you realise that the time frame won't be kept, call me and let me know. It's pure common courtesy and I won't get angry but it will give me more time to work out an alternative if I was relying on you to be finished on time.

[Birds]

Yes, well, at one of the workshops that I work at, we never promise timeframes ever...even if we suspect something will be finished by a certain time. Because the moment you do, shit happens. I'd rather surprise a customer by calling them and having it done earlier than they expected. One single rusty old part breaking on you can throw out your whole day working on the car. Or if you have a warranty issue, then sometimes you have to prioritise that over customers cars that are currently being worked on. Mechanical repairs aren't textbook or exact science, and that's the issue with being able to give time frames or keep the customer in the loop about what is happening...because the mechanic will basically be calling the customer to say it's not ready without being able to give a timeframe...which is a safe assumption you can make yourself without the mechanic calling you.

But like I said earlier, alot of customers have silly expectations too...like planning family vacations based around your car being done, because you left it until the last week to get the thing repaired, is just stupid. It's asking for trouble. And it happens ALOT because the logic of the customer is "I should get that fixed before we go away". I've seen all this through the eyes of both a customer and a workshop...and IMO the customers get the relationship wrong much more often than the mechanic. It's like how working in an industry that has to deal with frontline customers (e.g. hospitality, retail) gives you an idea of how stupid and unreasonable they can be.

[The Bogan]

And remember that if something can go wrong it will, most places out source for some fabrication and build processes, its how most places work so dont forget that its not just the shop thats working on your pride and joy, its the people they use as well, people get sick/go on holidays/equipment breaks.

One time I was getting a new exhaust manifold made and it was behind time to which I thought "why so bloody long", turned out the guy cut himself up pretty bad on a job and had some serious damage done to his hand, in the end I got my manifold made and it exceeded my expectations.

Patience is a virtue.

Modified good-Standard bad

[Cowboy1600]

Yes, well, at one of the workshops that I work at, we never promise timeframes ever...even if we suspect something will be finished by a certain time. Because the moment you do, shit happens.

I'm more talking the whole "drop it in thursday and i'll do it then" and then I call up at 5 to 5 and they tell me they haven't got around to it and it'll be done tomorrow.

I would never expect a "It'll be done by 11:30". But if I book it in 3 weeks in advance, am waiting out the front when your garage door rolls up the morning of the booked day, give you the keys and get out of your hair, how about letting me know that you haven't had the chance to do what you said you would ASAP so I can make alternative arrangements?

It's not too much to ask. I know how workshops run, I've spent a great deal of time in and around them. It's not hard to figure out something isn't going to get finished on time so how about a simple phone call?

And I agree that customers have a responsibility as well. They generally want everything done for nothing and they want it done yesterday. But that's pretty normal in just about every industry.

[Kinkstaah]

Anything under a year would be epic response time for me. /troll