Oh, the Joy of Being a Technician!
One recent adventure involving intermittently inoperative headlamps on a 1996 Ford Explorer had me accessing multiple resources en route to the repair. Our customer reported that both headlamps would go out now and then, often for long periods. On occasion, a bump in the road would “jar” them back to life.
Craigslist ‘Deal’
For reasons I am still unclear of, my customer purchased a non-running 1997 Subaru Impreza for $1,500, and he had it towed to my shop. First impressions confirmed my suspicion that I was not the first person to work on this car (darn it!). The “Nationwide Productions” badge on the front grille, and the cold-air intake/K&N air filter combination (Figure 1) destroyed any hope that I’d have an unmolested car (darn it!).
The Future of Transmission Specialty Shops
The economy went south, so you tried to figure out what to do. Other shops were doing general repairs. You knew you needed to generate more money so you started selling general repairs too. But was that the right decision for your shop?
It seems like the logical thing to do, but my experiences in a transmission shop tell me not to do general repairs. Too many bad things can happen. I personally do not want to open up that can of worms.
Make Money While the Snow Flies
Nobody wants to admit that the transmission business is seasonal, but we all know that to a degree it is. Winter and summer are the busiest times. Whether you’re up north where it’s cold and snowy or down south where the snowbirds go to escape, you can expect to be much busier from December to February than you are from March to May and again from June to August than from September to November.
