The Garage 360

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ONKAR CHAHAL CHEAP FOR A REASON “You are paying for my knowledge and experience” Agarage called me to see if I could diagnose a job for them so I popped round one morning & had a quick look & gave them a figure for me to repair. Their reply was as unimaginative as it was expected. “How much!” So I broke it all down for them including the diagnostic charge, labour & parts. “Yeah, that’s too much. He won’t pay that. Can you do it any cheaper?” “I could do it for free, but I won’t. It’s not my car, why should I subsidise their running costs?” I asked in return. When he asked how much I charge an hour he then asked why was I so expensive. His argument was he has rent, rates, staff etc to pay & he’s cheaper than me, so why was I so expensive when I work from home? “Because you & your staff can’t do the job, I can. You are paying for my knowledge & experience. You are paying for the problem to go away.” Then the customer gets involved & says he can buy the parts cheaper than I can. At that point I declined the job, thanked them for their time & left. This wasn’t a recoverable situation in my opinion, better to walk away than to chase a job that starts this badly. About 5 months later the customer rang me directly & asked if I could do the job for him. They’ve had the car all this time, the head has been off twice & it still doesn’t start. They’ve bought a new key, fitted a new immobiliser ecu & a fuel pump. I arrange with the garage to leave me some room to work in & the next day sure enough, the car is in the corner as requested. A few hours later & it’s running, finally! I charge the garage for my time & away I go. What was the problem with the car above? Cam timing was (significantly) out & they fitted the cam wheels the wrong way round. They also reused the stretch bolts on the cam wheels…..so it’s just as well it didn’t start! I swapped the vanos wheels over, reset the timing using new bolts, & it started. Then, to prove a point, I refitted the old fuel pump, ecu & used the original key before trying it again, it started straight away! What’s he point I’m making? Just to be clear, in order to save about £300 they lost use of their car for 5 months & paid for a fuel pump, ecu & a key. The parts alone cost just over £600! So catching lifts, borrowing cars for 5 months & paying £600 for parts not required makes the garage cheap, yet I’m expensive for fixing it in one day, at the price I quoted? In the scenario above, the garage lost out on their labour, had a dead car on site for almost 9 months & the customer paid for parts he didn’t need. And they still had to pay me. How does that work? The point I’m making? It’s cheap for a reason. Buy cheap buy twice. It’s also true that quality demands a premium for a reason. And if you do something for free, it isn’t always appreciated as it has no value. That’s why I always charge & it’s not usually cheap. In my opinion, the skill level is just too low as an average, across the trade. Too many Google mechanics! The answer? By Onkar Chahal More or better training is needed. Yes it costs money, but it’s cheaper than the above scenario! 14 THE GARAGE 14 Opinion Onkar.indd 1 29/02/2024 13:59
DUCKHAMS CELEBRATES 125 YEARS OF WINNING The original British motor oil, Duckhams, celebrates its remarkable 125th anniversary in 2024. Founded in 1899 by the visionary Alexander Duckham, his enduring legacy, marked by a relentless winning spirit, has captivated engineers and enthusiasts for 125 years. Deeply rooted in the pioneering spirit of its founder, Duckhams exemplifies British ingenuity on a global scale—a legacy that continues to guide the brand today. Duckhams has been inseparable from the very essence of engine oil throughout the 20th century. Breaking boundaries in the skies and on the ground, in 1909, Alexander Duckham achieved the first powered cross-Channel flight alongside Louis Blériot. In 1949, Duckhams powered Goldie Gardner’s MG to break the world land speed record. In 1933, Duckhams introduced the industry’s first Synchromesh Gearbox oil, and in 1951, Duckhams launched the first multi-grade oil—the iconic green Q 20W-50, which transformed lubrication technology. From conquering the British Motorcycle Championship in 1955 to recent triumphs at the OR BRIC Superbikes Championship in Thailand and the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain in 2023, Duckhams continues to earn accolades in motorsports, showcasing the pioneering spirit that defines the brand. Duckhams’ new Global CEO, Mike Bewsey, said, “As we celebrate our illustrious history, our commitment to advancing our groundbreaking legacy remains unwavering. Since the brand’s successful relaunch in 2018, Duckhams has received strong support from distributors and partners across the UK and developed its global network, with products now available in twenty-seven countries across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Together with our partners, we’ll continue to lead with innovation and victories for the next 125 years.” THE GARAGE 15 16,17, News GSF Duckhams.indd 2 29/02/2024 14:58
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Page 5 and 6: LONG FOR MORE ON THE WAY TO THE SHO
Page 7 and 8: Quality without compromise Eicher b
Page 9 and 10: signs of deterioration. There were
Page 11 and 12: UNDERTHESPOTLIGHT We aim to deliver
Page 13: NEWS For example, sales excellence
Page 17 and 18: VARTA® THE BATTERY YOU CAN TRUST.
Page 19 and 20: Vertical Stacking: Ideal for compac
Page 21 and 22: NEWS Garage Hive to support REPXPER
Page 23 and 24: As an independent trade body, VLS i
Page 25 and 26: TYRES How much do motorists know wh
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Page 31 and 32: NEWS A1 ADAS SOLUTIONS GEARS UP FOR
Page 33 and 34: Products and Services Contact Paul
Page 35 and 36: TO RECEIVE YOUR WEEKLY COPY OF GARA

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