[Mike Osbourne]

LOL

I got a training course once that was advertised in the back of a car magazine. 'Drive a Porsche for free in X months'

It was all about becoming a car trader. I thought it might be a con, but actually it was spot on.

Anyway one of the things was setting up a Wedding Car business. On paper the figures looked great if you didn't mind playing Parker at the weekend.

Yus meladee

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Had a couple of business partners but when the time came to replace exhausts and tyres they disappeared 1 by 1 and also they also decided that when they got paid that they didn't need to work on the next wedding as they were loaded!!

Nicest car I have ever owned though, 12 mpg just about got from petrol station to petrol station.

Shaun

[Mike Osbourne]

Was it a Phantom V

Watch James May on top gear with one, makes me laugh.

Quite fancy a Bentley Turbo but people might think I'm Paul Daniels. LOL

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Corniche, my mate new someone who was selling it as the sellers father had just gone into a home so 4 of us put shares into it I had the biggest share but the agreement was that I would take the bookings but wouldn't drive it for work and also it had to stay at my house as I had a big garage at that house.

Shaun

[Mike Osbourne]

Partnerships  :

I love that old world gentleman's club thing, the waft of leather, walnut dash and chrome. Nearly bought and an old P5B to waft along in, but it needed new girders.

[clinton]

Mike

Partnerships the only ships not to set sail

[Mike Osbourne]

Clinton, they can work... if you're the lazy ass one who didn't put any money in, but has a cheque book and a friend who runs a bar in Ibeza. :

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

Partnerships

The easiest legal entity to get into ........and the hardest to get out of.

[murky]

Dont forget that a lot of people go and buy a new or fairly new car and take it to the local main agent for service and repairs because they know it will get done properly and in a nice workshop and with a reception area.

Coffee while you wait madam? That'll be £400 for the full service.

Or there are those who take it to 'Kerbside Motors' have to make there way back because thats what you get and pay for. 'Done your car mate that will be £120.00' .

Oh and by the way my van desperatly needs a service, oil and filters only this time, and there is some welding on my TM that needs doing, as I am quiet this week guess where its going. And its not the Ford Main Agent, its the local bloke down the road.

Simple matter of economics really.

Murky

[robert meldrum]

Absolutely correct Murky so why do so many in the c/c industry think the same rules don't apply to them when it comes to " value for money "

My Citreon dealership bill for servicing is usually around £300 but my local garage ( using Citreon parts ) is around £90 and he lives in a very nice house, drives expensive cars, goes on cruises and has lived this lifestyle for the past 15 years. So no point in suggesting he's just " getting by "or won't be around for long.

He trades on being efficient, reliable and giving excellent value for money and retaining customers once they've used his services.

[clinton]

Robert

I agree with you on that point.

I to used to go to main dealers but have not done for many years as like you do i get my vehicles serviced at a local garage much cheaper and in my opinion better service ie he picks the cars or the van up and drops it back when done

Also i would rather see him with the money than the once great and greedy main dealer

[Shaun_Ashmore]

The reason many go to big names or dealers is that they persieve it to be the best service or the safest, a little back street garage looks up to no good.

Perception is everything.

Shaun

[Robert Watson]

Very true Shaun.
They always look at you as if their saying " what the feck are you wanting?"
Saying that. I use them.
Much Cheapness.

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

So the trick is to get our clients to think that our top prices are value for money.

The hard part is working out what goes into the equation of "vfm".

Because price isn't everything.

VFM could be as simple as turning up on time; doing what you said you were going to do; at the price you said it would be; and leaving on time.

Or possibly put another way

doing it right first time.

Sounds easy but if it was there would be even more competition than there is now. Then with all other things being equal price would possibly become the distinguishing feature.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I think turning up on time with a uniform and a nice van is seen as minimum standard or should I say expected the customer is looking mainly at the clean and what they get for their money and also the price.

Shaun

[derek west]

knowing what your doing and being able to put this across in plain english to the customer, Educating them.

working hard, and being seen to be working hard.

producing excellent results beyond what you promised

that to me is VFM

derek

[Mike Osbourne]

The real key is asking them questions that tell you what they value. If that matches what you can and want to do then give them that. If it doesn't find someone who does.

[John Kelly]

The car main dealership and a back street garage are 2 completely different business models. Overheads and stock levels are huge in a main dealership, a lot of which are franchises. That servicing charge has to pay for the swish offices, forecourts, receptionists, salesmen etc etc.
The back street guy has his garage and maybe a few staff. They usually need to do little advertising. I take my van to local garage and car to main dealer.
Do you think for one minute the main dealer worries about the back street guy taking his work, not on your nelly.
Likewise with carpet cleaning the guys making the good money don't worry about the competition they just get on and run their business.

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

John

Words of wisdom. you summed it up in a nutshell.

[derek west]

bloody big nutshell
derek