Had a customer yesterday who made me rethink how I quote brake jobs

A guy comes in with a 2015 F-150, wants new pads and rotors all around. I give him my usual quote for parts and labor, around $650. He just looks at me and says "that's more than I paid for my last car." Something about the way he said it, totally calm and not trying to be rude, just stating a fact. I got to thinking about how we mark up parts and charge flat rate labor without ever stopping to explain what goes into it. Most folks don't understand why brakes cost what they do. He ended up going somewhere else, but it got me wondering if I should start breaking down quotes line by line. Has anyone changed how they present estimates to customers and seen better results?

2 comments

2 Comments

hannahh538d ago

That's more than I paid for my last car" really got me too. I used to think people were just trying to nickel and dime you, but that line makes you stop and think. Its true most folks have no idea how much labor actually goes into brakes, or that the parts markup isnt just us being greedy. After reading this I'm starting to see that a quick breakdown could help people feel less like theyre getting ripped off. Like just a simple list of parts cost, shop supplies, and labor hours might stop them from walking out the door. Your mileage may vary, but I think it could save some jobs youd otherwise lose.

andrew_jackson8d ago

I read a study once that said like 70% of customers walk into a shop already thinking theyre about to get ripped off, which honestly explains a lot. So giving them that parts and labor breakdown upfront would probably cut way down on the accusations. I saw another shop owner post about how he does that with every estimate now, and his comeback rate went way up. Makes me wonder if we're just shooting ourselves in the foot by keeping it vague.