It's not about just changing oil it's about being an internal combustion engine, petroleum bi-product evacuation and refill, filter replacement technician. There are no small jobs just small titles.
I am so glad I work in a small automotive repair shop.. my uncle works with me.. no service writers or other add ons to work with, just badass dudes who fix stuff.
Love this, wish more experienced techs had your attitude. You do what needs to be done, and everyone works as a team. Why not make the most out of every situation? Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose. Well said FRM.
The guys at my shop say, “I lose money doing oil changes.” I say, “you aren’t looking at the car correctly.” Prima-Donna techs are usually terrible techs.
if you can't find at least 2 or 3 things any car needs you are honestly trying not to find something. every car could use something, maybe not "need" but definitely could use
A lot of customers know what their cars need because the last lof tech told them, so they might be prepared to drop it off even though it doesn't appear so. I had a young lady bring in a car with 30k for an oil change and we recommended a 30k $900+ service and she was prepared with a 10% coupon even though it looked like she was prepared to just sit there and wait for just an oil change.
Being a one man operation, I do it all. But it also means I refuse nothing. Even when I have to take a state inspection to get done at another shop because I don't have the machine. I just don't want my customers going anywhere but here.
Never have I turned a car down, but sometimes it is wise to be picky about your customers. The ones that are never happy with any service are the ones I refuse to service a second time. Had a bmw with a master cylinder out, replaced it, new lines and a flush at the bmw dealer. The dealer checked it off as good, I picked it up and felt worlds better. The customer said brakes were squishy. Brought it back replaced good pads with new, had the dealer check to make sure it was good and left with a receipt from them. Customer still had issues and said I didn't know what I was doing on bmw's. Showed him the receipt from the dealer and he then said they were hacks too. 2 months pass by and I get another call from him about it running rough. Too bad take it somewhere else.
I always take oil changes. Some times like you said, only oil changes and sometimes it turns out to be wheel bearings and CV boot jobs or brakes. But that's what brings them back again for subsequent oil changes, batteries, wiper blades even light bulbs ( I don't charge labor, just for the bulb or wiper blades at my cost).
at my shop I've been there 12 years I do a lot of Diagnostics and repair but when I get caught up I help out the other guys I do oil changes I'll bust tires whatever needs to be done. those two basic service jobs open the door up to repair work and money , plus it gives me a chance to show the newer younger guys how I got to my position in the shop.
Use to work at a shop had a dedicated guy got paid hourly ,GOT PAID VERY WELL, And he would knock them out plus very good inspection Thinking there was keep your customer coming, it balances out in the long run
Lol that $%#@!&* oil change has turned into a $1,500 job more than once for me, and an oil change/tire rotate pays pretty decent anyway, if you're reasonably quick.
i only want the gravy no heavy line work for me im 53 and handy cap to say the least im a wtc survivior twice was there in 93 and again in 2001 . I move like im 100 years old im retired from the fire dept and ems. i do oil changes anything to do with tires brakes . state inspections . some other little stuff .some minor warrnty bs
See, people complain, but that's a great way to make a big ticket. I've had an oil change turn into brakes, filters, wiper blades, control arms and an alignment in no time. I'm not currently flat rate, though, and didn't end up doing the control arms since they came back in for it when I wasn't there. But, huge, huge way to find up sells. I'm not afraid of it.
I must be old school cuz I like doing oil changes and I do them on my own vehicles religiously every 3k miles or 6 months lol I get satisfaction out of it and it gives you a chance to check the car over and try to make extra money.
Nothing wrong with doing oil changes, depending on how they are done. I loved them when I made .3 and could find work. But... Example: At our shop, every filter, including cabin, is removed for inspection. Spare tire is checked, no matter where it is. Tires are rotated, maintenance checklist is performed on a touch pad, pass, fair or fail for about 40 items, fluids are topped off. Check engine light on, scan for codes. I can do them in 40 minutes usually. We allow 1 hour for each for the lube guy. You might ask, what do they pay for a 40 minute to 1 hour oil change? $1.70
I do oil changes all the time, and I only change my oil every 10K miles on my vehicles, but we have lots of other crap that needs oil changes also. I'd think an oil change in a shop could lead to some gravy work if you run across the right car and customer. Everyone starts out changing oil and no one ever quits changing oil until they just can't physically do it or they end up paying someone else to do it.
I didn't start doing oil changes. I started doing advanced drivability diagnostics using sensors to monitor live data and waveform pulsations using an oscilloscope. My next investment will be vibration sensors to monitor hard to diagnose vibrations in a car.
When I was working in the shops 35 plus years ago I loved to get the oil change tickets when I was not busy as I was heavy line. It was sure nice to have the occasion break and I normally found other things that were simple that added to the ticket as long as it was legit. I remember one that was dodge Aries that had a 100K on it roll in for a oil change. That ticket ended up being a 12 hour ticket. Timing belt, brakes, struts and trans service
Oil changes were how I ranked up experience in the shop over the years. Selling cabin/air filters as just about every car has at least one of those dirty. Flushes at recommended mileage, checking the front end down for play in the suspension/steering components every time the lift goes up,inspecting tire tread, taking a quick peak at brakes and testing the batteries as it only takes 3 minutes tops. 75% of the customers that come in for oil changes don't even know their vehicles need work. There was a few weeks in a row where I was selling more off of oil changes than I was with state inspections.
Oil changes are for people to come back, build customer relationships. I don't mind them. Sometimes it gets to ya. Pause a bigger job for an oil change. But helps me to remember why.
Oil change can also be well brakes or all around brakes, four tires with alignment or two tires with that, need both front struts or both rear shocks, cv Axle, inner and outer tie rod or one of each. It happens oil to big money tickets.
At the dealer I do anything that comes in the service drive. From a tire repair to something way more challenging. I much rather do an oil change than a Warranty intermittent rattle on a 2018 vehicle. Or a bluetooth concern on some new vehicle.
In the otr world you can add tires to that as well. Senior techs are quick to write up tires on dot inspections unless they’re the ones that have to do them, then it’s “nah, they’re still good for another 2/32nds”
I have the same mindset as you. I'm a foreman at a dealership, I also will do a P.M most time you can find burned headlights, light bulbs or leaks and that is just up sale for the tech and dealership. So changing oil and filters are a good way on making extra hours. Great video!!
Subscribed after watching this video. I really like your attitude. I've been working at a dealership for the past year and I've been the newest guy up until just a few months ago. I've been flat rate for 9 of those months in the past year and me being the new guy still gets all the oil changes, while the 2 Master Techs next to me complain and complain about not having work but they give me all the oil changes. And anything I upscale comes right back to me. Even simple things that are recommended at the milage of the customers vehicle like throttle plate cleanings, EFI services and transfer case/diff services. It's easy and quick money that just need to be brought up. But it being a dealership we get a lot of new cars (> 30k) coming in for oil changes and the Masters annoy me with their complaining -_-
I've been in my shop for right at 30 years an I still doing oil changes and rotations to fill in the slow times. It is a break at times to clear the head from all the problems that we Master's have deal with
Try doing the mini with the n18 engine.....my goodness the oil filter is in the dumbest spot and it spills all over the block and there’s nothing you can do about it lol.
How about Fords yellow plastic quick drain plugs, I did one today can you guess what was right across from the plug so close you could get your hand in and out of the way fast enough the sway bar that oil hit that and it fans out. Smh!
@@timothybraden6611 Volkswagen has plastic twist plugs too. I love them. Idiot proof, replace after each use so no getting one you need to rip out bc the hexagon is now a circle. Oh and only one tool size to fit them all 👍
My biggest complaint is when management pulls me off a good high paying job(eg a job that is 5 or 6 or 7+ hours) just to do an oil change. Then multiply that a few times in a day really puts us as a guy on flat rate way behind schedule. And then on top of it all they expect you to stay late to finish a job that they wouldn't allow you to work on to begin with. I'm with you I don't feel an oil change is below me or that I'm better than that but when I'm actually working on a car don't pull us off to go do something else. When I have 6 cars sitting and waiting on me I could care less about an oil change. It slows us down and lowers our productivity and the productivity of the shop.
Our Master Tech refuses to do them. If we find stuff he takes that though. Personally I think people who won't help by doing the oil changes are absolute scum. If you are happy to watch another guy struggle 6 tickets deep because you "Don't do oil" you are absolute waste of skin.
I'm oil slinger at my shop, I'm also the oldest guy in there. our guys are good at not pulling crap like that, but in all seriousness, no one can make you do ALL the crap work. if they would force me, I'd just walk off and guess who'd be stuck doing all those tires and oil changes.
We don’t get commission on jobs, I’m a diagnostic tech but if I’m free and next jobs an oil change I’ll always do it as I prefer to keep busy than do nothing as we can’t stand around
Our shop just changed how tickets are distributed and if you're an a/b tech, you aren't allowed to to oil changes. If it's something like an a/c diag and oil change, you do the diag and give the oil chance to the maintenance tech or c tech if it's slow. Makes sense from the shops standpoint but sucks not being able to get gravy work all the time
I could be wrong but it seems to me that increased productivity would more than offset the cost of air conditioning the shop; especially in a place like Atlanta where temps are 90+ degrees 6 months of the year.
It’s a loosing battle, constantly opening and closing huge bay doors and bringing in hot cars with hot engines will offset almost all the cooling. I installed AC in my garage at home and it’s wonderful until I open the door and pull in a car that’s been sitting in the sun or the engine is hot. After that the ac simply can’t keep up.
Thanks for your reply. You might well be right, but in your case you might also have a BTU deficit. Using industrial-grade AC unit(s) such as would be used in a professional shop, you might be able to economically overcome at least some of the effects of hot cars and opened doors. Heat rises and cold air sinks, and you don't need to cool the air in the space above 8 or 10 feet. You just need to cool the air where humans spend most of their time; like, say, the Cowboys football stadium does. FRM's shop was 97 degrees the other day *in the evening*. At high day it had to have been over 105 degrees I would guess. That has got to be a big drag on productivity. At those temps fans just blow hot air and make people hotter. Even if AC only reduces working area temps to 80 or 85 owing to the hot cars, that is a far more favorable environment for productivity, it seems to me. I freely admit I am not an AC guy, and I have not run the numbers on so equipping a 10 bay auto shop and the cost of running those units 6 months of the year. Shops in the north are heated in their bitter cold winters, why no AC for southern shops in their roasting summer? Again I admit I am speculating here. I would be interested to hear from someone who owns a shop and who has run the numbers.
Nutz4Gunz45. Those walk in freezers at the supermarket sometimes have a plastic curtain that you walk through. That idea scaled up to the garage doors can be a possible solution for keeping the cold air in. I imagine 80°F would be delightful.
A quick search on the Google and discovered many plastic curtain products for warehouses and garages. It's not too expensive and can be self installed.
Used to work at an auto parts store. I gave my all even if it was a cheap sell. My attention and service to my customer lead to future big sells like brakes and batteries.
Semi truck technician here. You may not be making money on every oil change but as you said, the oil change is the gateway into "what else can we do for this guy today?" Also in my line of work, it establishes you a customer as they always come back just about the same time every month to six weeks. Also it establishes a relationship between the customer and you. I have lost count of my customers limping the truck from the middle of nowhere to my shop, to ME, with the blown head gasket that will turn into $25-30K worth of overhaul. That is where the oil change money comes back to you!
Normally I don't have a problem doing oil changes, but the ship im at now doesnt pay me anything to do them. But when I'm at a shop that does , heck ya im gonna be grabbing them, I try to do tires too but as I get older it seems tires are getting bigger and after a 4 set in wore out for the day. But ya oil change + rotate with a filter or an alignment here and there and you can run 15 hrs where as u wouldn't have... another good thing about oil changes is you get familiar with new cars coming out, if u see a new piece of technology you can research it and know about it by the time it goes bad
My best oil change upsell was a complete engine reseal on a 3 liter Ford ranger. Wasn't even a scam sale. Customer bought it from someone who did 50k mile oil changes. Everything was leaking oil wise, and he opted to have it completely resealed with the exception of the head gaskets
I’m not above doing oil changes but our shop stays far too busy for the techs to do them. We train the lube guys what to look for and inspect and take care of them for doing it so they have an incentive to keep it up. I rarely get any of that anyways since I’m always wrapped up in driveabilty. I’m really blessed that we stay as busy as we do because a lot of shops don’t. It’s probably been almost five years since the last time I can say we had a slow period. Blessing and a curse since after a while I kind of miss the random slow day here and there to rest lol
Time is money and oil change is pretty easy $$ especially if things are slow, there’s some days I’d rather change oil then deal with other bs! lol ...great video!!
Yep lead by example. when I worked vehicles I was heavy line and we had a bunch of oil change tickets, I am sitting there with another mechanic and a empty stall. I get up and am thinking of just going home and the service writer looks at me and ask if I could do a couple oil changes I said sure. He hands me one ticket, I take all three tickets he has. The first two were low mileage cars and I had those done in a half hour each. The third one was a gravy ticket. Front Struts, rear shocks, front brakes and trans service and front CV reboot. It is when the other heavy line guys on how I got a gravy ticket and they asked how I got that one. Showed them the initial ticket LOF.
I work hourly and mostly get given the hard complex jobs because of my pay scale. I jump on oil changes and replenishment of DEF and fueling the equipment when it pops up. Chasing Can-Bus, Device-Net and hybrid power system problems gets old some days. The gravy work breaks the monotony. I even go out and do heavy equipment welds and boom repairs. I love that shit!
I still do oil changes myself, but it involves a pm with it. Those jobs are not beneath me either. Sometimes when I'm doing a pm with a newbie I offer to do the dirty stuff on the pm. This breaks the ice with them and shows I can be a team player, do I still like doing the dirty work? Lol heck no but you gotta get the work done. It is not always peaches and cream.🙂
I changed oil for 2 years. And did all of the work that barely paid. I serviced 23 cars one day and only clocked like 6 hours. I never hit 8 hours, not once.
A Harley Davidson oil change is around 140-185 dollars that’s between Reg 360 oil verse Syn-3 oil maybe more with a air filter and spark plugs but I’m only hourly HD Tech and only making 12.50 a hour
From a customer's point of view, you treat them good and don't try to sell them $25 wiper blades and $60 cabin filters, they'll come back when they need the more expensive stuff.
Not sure how your channel just popped into my YT but I'm digging it. Anyway, I agree, I've always viewed a OC/rot as a way to check out someone's entire car, top to bottom. Do you upsell every time. Heck no! But an easy 25%+ on the spot, and I'd say a 50%+ return rate on suggested work. A huge, huge thing is having a good writer helping you though.
It's surprising how many cars are overdue for an oil change. I check the reminder on every car that i get into even if it came in for a bulb replacement. If i sell an oil change i do it. It's all in a days work.
I don't have issues with doing oil changes. It gets the Cust. foot in the door for up-sales. Especially when I have nothing else going on. What gets me mad is when there is plenty to do and all I am getting is oil changes and the advisor is not up-selling crap. For whatever reason like being but hurt or just in a bad mood.
Yea ... at the stealership I worked at, we'd find a bunch of things wrong with a customer's car and find out later the customer had their local repair shop fix it!
We get the same thing, as we use alot of oe parts and then the customer comesback after our diag saying xyz part didn't fix it to find a new dorman part installed
Hi Guys!!! I was trying to do an oil change on my Toyota Camry, which has a canister oil filter. I couldn't get the canister off with the Toyota tool. The tool actually cracked. So, I took it to a Toyota dealership who used an impact driver to remove it. I'm thinking the aluminum of the canister oxidized causing it to bond to the engine. If that is the cause, should I use never-seize on the canister threads on the next oil change to prevent this from happening? Thanks for any info you guys can give me. Great videos Flat Rate Master! I really enjoy your frankness and honesty about car repair. :-)
I check the fluid levels during an oil change unlike these quick oil change places.It does not take that long to check the fluid levels.Plus I know the oil reset for a GM real easy,hit the gas pedal 3 times with the key on and the engine off
As the guys in the shop say I'm a "master lube tech" I've gone back and forth from working on the line and working in Express while going through tech school. I have 6 ase and work for Chrysler. Back story over. We have techs that's will do the whole ticket including Express work ie filters rotations and will pull the car out and put the oil change for it on our board just to not do it.
I’m a new tech, last week one of the older top techs didn’t want to take an oil change ticket so I ended up taking it. It needed filters, front brakes, and an axle. All my recommended work got sold and the older tech walk past when I was doing the brakes bitching at me saying I get all the gravy work then he went to the ticket dispatcher bitching that he’s feeding the younger guys while the old techs get junk tickets. I just find it funny how the older guys in the shop feel like they are to good for oil change tickets but who knows maybe years from now I’ll be the same way lol
I’m the lube tech at my job but about 50% of the time they give my upsells like struts bearings etc to someone else. Really gets to me but I guess it doesn’t matter since I get paid hourly.
I'm A One Man Shop. " My Grandson works Some". Oil Changes are opportunity Inspections. I've Been Doing this over 30 Yrs, Master ASE Tech. I Get aggravated When I have a lot of oil changes. But For my Regulars I'm Happy They Come Here
A general goal that I use for myself and tell younger guys also, is try to make that oil change into a 1hr ticket and not take longer than a hour doing it. I know that sounds kind of simple but honestly most cars on the road legitimately need at least that in bulbs, filters, tire repairs, safety issues, ect. The other part of that theory is that you don't want to waste too much of the parts guys, service advisers and customers time, I'd say this comes more into play with a waiter or early pick up. If the car is a end of the day pick up, I usually look for more maintenance items and such. My position in the shop is similar to yours and I'm not too good for a oil change either, although I'm usually handed them when we are crazy busy or slow. Either way, like stated it's a good way to get your eyes on a car and possibly sell work in the future. We also do tires and alignments, which is a totally different subject all together but it can come in handy while doing a waiter oil change. Sell 2 tires, alignment and a few filters and that .4 turned into 2hrs.
On my internship at Hyundai the mastertech didn't want to do oil changes he had me do his because the supervisor said he shouldn't work hard...all he did was drive test and diagnostics
I grab them up if I'm available. how ever it can be annoying to be pulled off a larger job to have to do one. I'll grab a oil change and knock it out during a job that's being a pain in the arse as a way to take that break at the moment when you need to walk away from the car for a few. Depends on staffing that day on how many I'll take .My shop has 2 techs and 4 tire/lube guys
I had one today I didn’t think was going to do anything turn into into 12.5 hours and took about 3. Got another 10 hour job coming back later this week from an oil change.
Working at the dealer where we have 2 lube techs don’t get me wrong I’ve shipped oil changes to them but only if I’m behind and the ticket is something simple like a quick recall or window motor but my bays are tied up, so I’ll do the work on the service drive and let the lube kids grab it increases shop efficiency and actually makes the kid an extra couple bucks because it came out of the main shop, or if I’m doing tires on the alignment rack right next to the lube rack and they’re slow they’ll do the oil change for me, but I’ve seen other guys do head gaskets, trans r+r, heck one guy did 14 hours of gravy tires brakes ball joints all the flushes and a bunch of recalls, do the multipoint even so they can recognize any possible up sells, then ship it to the lube rack for the lof that is just pure laziness and thinking you’re too good
so at my dealership we have a tech who is 30+ yrs experience he does drive-ability and electrical diag. he will do 30k/60k service packages, he will do check engine lights but will need and oil change on it to address the check engine light , he wont do it. he only flags about 25-30hrs a week comes in 40mins late, typically leaves early, and spends alot of time on facebook.
You know that old saying all it takes is getting your foot in the door. I mean work is work it still means a pay check at the end of the week.Another great video FRM until next time PEACE.
We look at the higher mileage vehicles from actual paying customers as potential for better work. If a vehicle comes in for free oil change/rotation or free recalls, that customer didn't bring their wallet and won't buy even if it is a seriously dangerous condition. So those are immediately a waste of time. Also, service writers definitely see it that way and refuse and highly discourage upselling for nonpaying customers. So, even if u try ur best, the service writer won't.
I've had a .3 oil change turn into a 20 hour tickets. Some times you look over the car and win. Sometimes you get air or cabin filter and a rotate.Some times its just an oil change do it and move on. That's part of the industry. Can't win them all.
When the lube techs get backed up sometimes as a mainline tech you can take one and turn a 0.3 into a 3.0 hr job. Other times more. I dont mind doing them but make sure our lube techs on hourly are busy 1st.
Oil changes are the money tickets at NTB.... they come in for a 19.99 oil change.... with only 20 dollars on the initial ticket, they are much more motivated to spend another few hundred bucks, as opposed to the customer coming in for an 800 dollar set of michelins and an alignment... not much room for extra work there.
It's not about just changing oil it's about being an internal combustion engine, petroleum bi-product evacuation and refill, filter replacement technician. There are no small jobs just small titles.
DOYLECLEVERLOBE1 underrated comment
On me
Very Costanza of you.
DOYLECLEVERLOBE1 when your paid 12$ an hour to do it all day yes there are small jobs
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I am so glad I work in a small automotive repair shop.. my uncle works with me.. no service writers or other add ons to work with, just badass dudes who fix stuff.
Love this, wish more experienced techs had your attitude. You do what needs to be done, and everyone works as a team. Why not make the most out of every situation? Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose. Well said FRM.
The guys at my shop say, “I lose money doing oil changes.” I say, “you aren’t looking at the car correctly.”
Prima-Donna techs are usually terrible techs.
if you can't find at least 2 or 3 things any car needs you are honestly trying not to find something. every car could use something, maybe not "need" but definitely could use
Depends on if you have a "motivated"service advisor........
I've seen techs nit pick the hell out of a car during a oil change. It's why so many shops do cheap oil changes
@@mesanders1113 it's not nitpicking. It's called being thorough. The overselling is the problem
A good manager is willing to do anything himself he directs others to do. Good managers are extremely rare. You, FRM, are a good manager.
Basic qualities outlined in the U.S. Marine Corps NCO guide manual.
A lot of customers know what their cars need because the last lof tech told them, so they might be prepared to drop it off even though it doesn't appear so. I had a young lady bring in a car with 30k for an oil change and we recommended a 30k $900+ service and she was prepared with a 10% coupon even though it looked like she was prepared to just sit there and wait for just an oil change.
That's the reason I like them... to spot what needs spotting!
Being a one man operation, I do it all. But it also means I refuse nothing. Even when I have to take a state inspection to get done at another shop because I don't have the machine. I just don't want my customers going anywhere but here.
S & A Auto Repair guy I use is like this, in return he gets all my friends using him etc
Never have I turned a car down, but sometimes it is wise to be picky about your customers. The ones that are never happy with any service are the ones I refuse to service a second time. Had a bmw with a master cylinder out, replaced it, new lines and a flush at the bmw dealer. The dealer checked it off as good, I picked it up and felt worlds better. The customer said brakes were squishy. Brought it back replaced good pads with new, had the dealer check to make sure it was good and left with a receipt from them. Customer still had issues and said I didn't know what I was doing on bmw's. Showed him the receipt from the dealer and he then said they were hacks too. 2 months pass by and I get another call from him about it running rough. Too bad take it somewhere else.
That sounds like dedication to customers.
I love oil changes. Breaks the monotony and change of pace, plus it's easy and relaxing for me, thx flat rate master for this simple video 🔧🔧🔧🔧🔧
I always take oil changes. Some times like you said, only oil changes and sometimes it turns out to be wheel bearings and CV boot jobs or brakes. But that's what brings them back again for subsequent oil changes, batteries, wiper blades even light bulbs ( I don't charge labor, just for the bulb or wiper blades at my cost).
at my shop I've been there 12 years I do a lot of Diagnostics and repair but when I get caught up I help out the other guys I do oil changes I'll bust tires whatever needs to be done. those two basic service jobs open the door up to repair work and money , plus it gives me a chance to show the newer younger guys how I got to my position in the shop.
Use to work at a shop had a dedicated guy got paid hourly ,GOT PAID VERY WELL,
And he would knock them out plus very good inspection
Thinking there was keep your customer coming, it balances out in the long run
Oil change, thorough inspections, and honest repairs needed
I'm my shops oil change guy. I'm 35. I do them fast and right. I love them. I also do lots of other jobs. I never complain about my oc's
I did 1 oil change the other day. Rotate tires and quick inspection, rear brakes, motor mount shot. SWEEET 👍
Lol that $%#@!&* oil change has turned into a $1,500 job more than once for me, and an oil change/tire rotate pays pretty decent anyway, if you're reasonably quick.
i only want the gravy no heavy line work for me im 53 and handy cap to say the least im a wtc survivior twice was there in 93 and again in 2001 . I move like im 100 years old im retired from the fire dept and ems. i do oil changes anything to do with tires brakes .
state inspections . some other little stuff .some minor warrnty bs
U seem like a great guy to work with and learn from !
See, people complain, but that's a great way to make a big ticket. I've had an oil change turn into brakes, filters, wiper blades, control arms and an alignment in no time. I'm not currently flat rate, though, and didn't end up doing the control arms since they came back in for it when I wasn't there. But, huge, huge way to find up sells. I'm not afraid of it.
I must be old school cuz I like doing oil changes and I do them on my own vehicles religiously every 3k miles or 6 months lol I get satisfaction out of it and it gives you a chance to check the car over and try to make extra money.
Nothing wrong with doing oil changes, depending on how they are done. I loved them when I made .3 and could find work. But...
Example: At our shop, every filter, including cabin, is removed for inspection. Spare tire is checked, no matter where it is. Tires are rotated, maintenance checklist is performed on a touch pad, pass, fair or fail for about 40 items, fluids are topped off. Check engine light on, scan for codes. I can do them in 40 minutes usually. We allow 1 hour for each for the lube guy.
You might ask, what do they pay for a 40 minute to 1 hour oil change?
$1.70
That is ridiculous my man how does the lube tech eat?
I do oil changes all the time, and I only change my oil every 10K miles on my vehicles, but we have lots of other crap that needs oil changes also. I'd think an oil change in a shop could lead to some gravy work if you run across the right car and customer. Everyone starts out changing oil and no one ever quits changing oil until they just can't physically do it or they end up paying someone else to do it.
I didn't start doing oil changes. I started doing advanced drivability diagnostics using sensors to monitor live data and waveform pulsations using an oscilloscope. My next investment will be vibration sensors to monitor hard to diagnose vibrations in a car.
@@scientist100 Me too i started by ripping apart engines and transmissions
When I was working in the shops 35 plus years ago I loved to get the oil change tickets when I was not busy as I was heavy line. It was sure nice to have the occasion break and I normally found other things that were simple that added to the ticket as long as it was legit. I remember one that was dodge Aries that had a 100K on it roll in for a oil change. That ticket ended up being a 12 hour ticket. Timing belt, brakes, struts and trans service
Oil changes were how I ranked up experience in the shop over the years. Selling cabin/air filters as just about every car has at least one of those dirty. Flushes at recommended mileage, checking the front end down for play in the suspension/steering components every time the lift goes up,inspecting tire tread, taking a quick peak at brakes and testing the batteries as it only takes 3 minutes tops. 75% of the customers that come in for oil changes don't even know their vehicles need work. There was a few weeks in a row where I was selling more off of oil changes than I was with state inspections.
Oil changes are for people to come back, build customer relationships. I don't mind them. Sometimes it gets to ya. Pause a bigger job for an oil change. But helps me to remember why.
Oil change can also be well brakes or all around brakes, four tires with alignment or two tires with that, need both front struts or both rear shocks, cv Axle, inner and outer tie rod or one of each. It happens oil to big money tickets.
Big or small I do it all, MONEY is MONEY
At the dealer I do anything that comes in the service drive. From a tire repair to something way more challenging. I much rather do an oil change than a Warranty intermittent rattle on a 2018 vehicle. Or a bluetooth concern on some new vehicle.
FRM is the rant master! Love them though! In a fleet shop there are days you look forward to a simple oil change. 😁
My early job was tuneup masters. So I found its just like you said it can turn into more .your right on spot every video I’ve seen
Majority of oil changes I do turns to brakes an serpentine belts to shocks control arms to allot of service stuff. It gets me motivated everytine
looks like it was too hot over there for the frm attire.... your not alone, its been crazy hot and humid here in ny
In the otr world you can add tires to that as well. Senior techs are quick to write up tires on dot inspections unless they’re the ones that have to do them, then it’s “nah, they’re still good for another 2/32nds”
I have the same mindset as you. I'm a foreman at a dealership, I also will do a P.M most time you can find burned headlights, light bulbs or leaks and that is just up sale for the tech and dealership. So changing oil and filters are a good way on making extra hours. Great video!!
Subscribed after watching this video. I really like your attitude. I've been working at a dealership for the past year and I've been the newest guy up until just a few months ago. I've been flat rate for 9 of those months in the past year and me being the new guy still gets all the oil changes, while the 2 Master Techs next to me complain and complain about not having work but they give me all the oil changes. And anything I upscale comes right back to me. Even simple things that are recommended at the milage of the customers vehicle like throttle plate cleanings, EFI services and transfer case/diff services. It's easy and quick money that just need to be brought up. But it being a dealership we get a lot of new cars (> 30k) coming in for oil changes and the Masters annoy me with their complaining -_-
I've gotten tickets that were oil changes and ended up selling brakes, fluid exchanges, tires, alignment, battery, air and cabin filter.
I've been in my shop for right at 30 years an I still doing oil changes and rotations to fill in the slow times. It is a break at times to clear the head from all the problems that we Master's have deal with
Try doing the mini with the n18 engine.....my goodness the oil filter is in the dumbest spot and it spills all over the block and there’s nothing you can do about it lol.
My favorite is when they put the filter right above the starter its judt retarded to me.
How about Fords yellow plastic quick drain plugs, I did one today can you guess what was right across from the plug so close you could get your hand in and out of the way fast enough the sway bar that oil hit that and it fans out. Smh!
@@timothybraden6611 Volkswagen has plastic twist plugs too. I love them. Idiot proof, replace after each use so no getting one you need to rip out bc the hexagon is now a circle. Oh and only one tool size to fit them all 👍
My biggest complaint is when management pulls me off a good high paying job(eg a job that is 5 or 6 or 7+ hours) just to do an oil change. Then multiply that a few times in a day really puts us as a guy on flat rate way behind schedule. And then on top of it all they expect you to stay late to finish a job that they wouldn't allow you to work on to begin with. I'm with you I don't feel an oil change is below me or that I'm better than that but when I'm actually working on a car don't pull us off to go do something else. When I have 6 cars sitting and waiting on me I could care less about an oil change. It slows us down and lowers our productivity and the productivity of the shop.
Hey sir, back in the day at Firestone it was all about up sales
Our Master Tech refuses to do them. If we find stuff he takes that though. Personally I think people who won't help by doing the oil changes are absolute scum. If you are happy to watch another guy struggle 6 tickets deep because you "Don't do oil" you are absolute waste of skin.
I'm oil slinger at my shop, I'm also the oldest guy in there. our guys are good at not pulling crap like that, but in all seriousness, no one can make you do ALL the crap work. if they would force me, I'd just walk off and guess who'd be stuck doing all those tires and oil changes.
We don’t get commission on jobs, I’m a diagnostic tech but if I’m free and next jobs an oil change I’ll always do it as I prefer to keep busy than do nothing as we can’t stand around
Our shop just changed how tickets are distributed and if you're an a/b tech, you aren't allowed to to oil changes. If it's something like an a/c diag and oil change, you do the diag and give the oil chance to the maintenance tech or c tech if it's slow. Makes sense from the shops standpoint but sucks not being able to get gravy work all the time
I could be wrong but it seems to me that increased productivity would more than offset the cost of air conditioning the shop; especially in a place like Atlanta where temps are 90+ degrees 6 months of the year.
Ron Tiemens. They can also get solar panels to help offset the cost of electricity.
It’s a loosing battle, constantly opening and closing huge bay doors and bringing in hot cars with hot engines will offset almost all the cooling. I installed AC in my garage at home and it’s wonderful until I open the door and pull in a car that’s been sitting in the sun or the engine is hot. After that the ac simply can’t keep up.
Thanks for your reply. You might well be right, but in your case you might also have a BTU deficit. Using industrial-grade AC unit(s) such as would be used in a professional shop, you might be able to economically overcome at least some of the effects of hot cars and opened doors. Heat rises and cold air sinks, and you don't need to cool the air in the space above 8 or 10 feet. You just need to cool the air where humans spend most of their time; like, say, the Cowboys football stadium does. FRM's shop was 97 degrees the other day *in the evening*. At high day it had to have been over 105 degrees I would guess. That has got to be a big drag on productivity. At those temps fans just blow hot air and make people hotter. Even if AC only reduces working area temps to 80 or 85 owing to the hot cars, that is a far more favorable environment for productivity, it seems to me. I freely admit I am not an AC guy, and I have not run the numbers on so equipping a 10 bay auto shop and the cost of running those units 6 months of the year. Shops in the north are heated in their bitter cold winters, why no AC for southern shops in their roasting summer? Again I admit I am speculating here. I would be interested to hear from someone who owns a shop and who has run the numbers.
Nutz4Gunz45. Those walk in freezers at the supermarket sometimes have a plastic curtain that you walk through. That idea scaled up to the garage doors can be a possible solution for keeping the cold air in. I imagine 80°F would be delightful.
A quick search on the Google and discovered many plastic curtain products for warehouses and garages. It's not too expensive and can be self installed.
Used to work at an auto parts store. I gave my all even if it was a cheap sell. My attention and service to my customer lead to future big sells like brakes and batteries.
Semi truck technician here. You may not be making money on every oil change but as you said, the oil change is the gateway into "what else can we do for this guy today?" Also in my line of work, it establishes you a customer as they always come back just about the same time every month to six weeks. Also it establishes a relationship between the customer and you. I have lost count of my customers limping the truck from the middle of nowhere to my shop, to ME, with the blown head gasket that will turn into $25-30K worth of overhaul. That is where the oil change money comes back to you!
I miss working on cars, yes I did oil changed too. I now do fleet service major repair on trash trucks for the city.
Normally I don't have a problem doing oil changes, but the ship im at now doesnt pay me anything to do them. But when I'm at a shop that does , heck ya im gonna be grabbing them, I try to do tires too but as I get older it seems tires are getting bigger and after a 4 set in wore out for the day. But ya oil change + rotate with a filter or an alignment here and there and you can run 15 hrs where as u wouldn't have... another good thing about oil changes is you get familiar with new cars coming out, if u see a new piece of technology you can research it and know about it by the time it goes bad
My best oil change upsell was a complete engine reseal on a 3 liter Ford ranger. Wasn't even a scam sale. Customer bought it from someone who did 50k mile oil changes. Everything was leaking oil wise, and he opted to have it completely resealed with the exception of the head gaskets
I’m not above doing oil changes but our shop stays far too busy for the techs to do them. We train the lube guys what to look for and inspect and take care of them for doing it so they have an incentive to keep it up. I rarely get any of that anyways since I’m always wrapped up in driveabilty. I’m really blessed that we stay as busy as we do because a lot of shops don’t. It’s probably been almost five years since the last time I can say we had a slow period. Blessing and a curse since after a while I kind of miss the random slow day here and there to rest lol
that's most of my shop... they sit there and wait till they get the gravy call... 🤣
Time is money and oil change is pretty easy $$ especially if things are slow, there’s some days I’d rather change oil then deal with other bs! lol ...great video!!
Yep lead by example. when I worked vehicles I was heavy line and we had a bunch of oil change tickets, I am sitting there with another mechanic and a empty stall. I get up and am thinking of just going home and the service writer looks at me and ask if I could do a couple oil changes I said sure. He hands me one ticket, I take all three tickets he has. The first two were low mileage cars and I had those done in a half hour each. The third one was a gravy ticket. Front Struts, rear shocks, front brakes and trans service and front CV reboot. It is when the other heavy line guys on how I got a gravy ticket and they asked how I got that one. Showed them the initial ticket LOF.
I work hourly and mostly get given the hard complex jobs because of my pay scale. I jump on oil changes and replenishment of DEF and fueling the equipment when it pops up. Chasing Can-Bus, Device-Net and hybrid power system problems gets old some days. The gravy work breaks the monotony. I even go out and do heavy equipment welds and boom repairs. I love that shit!
I still do oil changes myself, but it involves a pm with it. Those jobs are not beneath me either. Sometimes when I'm doing a pm with a newbie I offer to do the dirty stuff on the pm. This breaks the ice with them and shows I can be a team player, do I still like doing the dirty work? Lol heck no but you gotta get the work done. It is not always peaches and cream.🙂
I changed oil for 2 years. And did all of the work that barely paid. I serviced 23 cars one day and only clocked like 6 hours. I never hit 8 hours, not once.
A Harley Davidson oil change is around 140-185 dollars that’s between Reg 360 oil verse Syn-3 oil maybe more with a air filter and spark plugs but I’m only hourly HD Tech and only making 12.50 a hour
From a customer's point of view, you treat them good and don't try to sell them $25 wiper blades and $60 cabin filters, they'll come back when they need the more expensive stuff.
I dont care what i do in the shop... am getting paid no matter what job i do
Not sure how your channel just popped into my YT but I'm digging it.
Anyway, I agree, I've always viewed a OC/rot as a way to check out someone's entire car, top to bottom. Do you upsell every time. Heck no! But an easy 25%+ on the spot, and I'd say a 50%+ return rate on suggested work. A huge, huge thing is having a good writer helping you though.
It's surprising how many cars are overdue for an oil change. I check the reminder on every car that i get into even if it came in for a bulb replacement. If i sell an oil change i do it. It's all in a days work.
I don't have issues with doing oil changes. It gets the Cust. foot in the door for up-sales. Especially when I have nothing else going on. What gets me mad is when there is plenty to do and all I am getting is oil changes and the advisor is not up-selling crap. For whatever reason like being but hurt or just in a bad mood.
The number one thing I find doing oil changes are bad tires plus bad or broken sway bar links.
I've seen a $4,000 before. Not everytime but sometimes you can do smaller side things you see if you do an inspection.
I really like your way of seeing things. Keep it up.
Yea ... at the stealership I worked at, we'd find a bunch of things wrong with a customer's car and find out later the customer had their local repair shop fix it!
We get the same thing, as we use alot of oe parts and then the customer comesback after our diag saying xyz part didn't fix it to find a new dorman part installed
@@flatratemaster Tier III customer. ...eh? How about a new tier called "Low Life"?
Hi Guys!!! I was trying to do an oil change on my Toyota Camry, which has a canister oil filter. I couldn't get the canister off with the Toyota tool. The tool actually cracked. So, I took it to a Toyota dealership who used an impact driver to remove it. I'm thinking the aluminum of the canister oxidized causing it to bond to the engine. If that is the cause, should I use never-seize on the canister threads on the next oil change to prevent this from happening? Thanks for any info you guys can give me. Great videos Flat Rate Master! I really enjoy your frankness and honesty about car repair. :-)
I assume you've decided one way or another, but just out of curiosity, did you have the plastic sheild under the car?
@@mxpants4884 Hi! Yep, I have the plastic skid plate under the car.
been in the trade for 36 years, I still do oil changes, doing menial jobs keeps me grounded
I’ve had a oil change turn into a 10 hour ticket
I check the fluid levels during an oil change unlike these quick oil change places.It does not take that long to check the fluid levels.Plus I know the oil reset for a GM real easy,hit the gas pedal 3 times with the key on and the engine off
I dont even change my underpants, never mind oil in a car.
If you keep turning your underwear inside out you'll always have a side that's cleaner than the other.
That's good advice Hard Knocks, thanks.
You can also change them front to back, giving you four sides to muck up. :D
That is pure genius 76Star!
👍 WOW
As the guys in the shop say I'm a "master lube tech" I've gone back and forth from working on the line and working in Express while going through tech school. I have 6 ase and work for Chrysler. Back story over. We have techs that's will do the whole ticket including Express work ie filters rotations and will pull the car out and put the oil change for it on our board just to not do it.
We make great money on oil changes, using Liqui Moly oil and additives !
I use to crank out oil changes and didn't mind, and more often then not I use to get those upsales.
I’m a new tech, last week one of the older top techs didn’t want to take an oil change ticket so I ended up taking it. It needed filters, front brakes, and an axle. All my recommended work got sold and the older tech walk past when I was doing the brakes bitching at me saying I get all the gravy work then he went to the ticket dispatcher bitching that he’s feeding the younger guys while the old techs get junk tickets. I just find it funny how the older guys in the shop feel like they are to good for oil change tickets but who knows maybe years from now I’ll be the same way lol
I prefer oil changes because they are the safest bet repair to do. You can't screw them up (normally). I could happily do them all day long
I’m the lube tech at my job but about 50% of the time they give my upsells like struts bearings etc to someone else. Really gets to me but I guess it doesn’t matter since I get paid hourly.
I'm A One Man Shop. " My Grandson works Some". Oil Changes are opportunity Inspections. I've Been Doing this over 30 Yrs, Master ASE Tech. I Get aggravated When I have a lot of oil changes. But For my Regulars I'm Happy They Come Here
You nailed it. You can still make recomendations on an oil change.
A general goal that I use for myself and tell younger guys also, is try to make that oil change into a 1hr ticket and not take longer than a hour doing it. I know that sounds kind of simple but honestly most cars on the road legitimately need at least that in bulbs, filters, tire repairs, safety issues, ect. The other part of that theory is that you don't want to waste too much of the parts guys, service advisers and customers time, I'd say this comes more into play with a waiter or early pick up. If the car is a end of the day pick up, I usually look for more maintenance items and such. My position in the shop is similar to yours and I'm not too good for a oil change either, although I'm usually handed them when we are crazy busy or slow. Either way, like stated it's a good way to get your eyes on a car and possibly sell work in the future. We also do tires and alignments, which is a totally different subject all together but it can come in handy while doing a waiter oil change. Sell 2 tires, alignment and a few filters and that .4 turned into 2hrs.
I'm a Diesel tech that is how you get work because it is like an inspection
On my internship at Hyundai the mastertech didn't want to do oil changes he had me do his because the supervisor said he shouldn't work hard...all he did was drive test and diagnostics
Those are the gravy jobs normally when my friends call me up it's blown head gaskets transmissions I crapped out.
Brother, you need to get air conditioning or large commercial fans in your shop. A cool worker is a happy worker.
We have fans at every bay, cannot run them filming due to noise
work is work, besides all good leaders "lead" by example...
I grab them up if I'm available. how ever it can be annoying to be pulled off a larger job to have to do one. I'll grab a oil change and knock it out during a job that's being a pain in the arse as a way to take that break at the moment when you need to walk away from the car for a few. Depends on staffing that day on how many I'll take .My shop has 2 techs and 4 tire/lube guys
I had one today I didn’t think was going to do anything turn into into 12.5 hours and took about 3. Got another 10 hour job coming back later this week from an oil change.
Working at the dealer where we have 2 lube techs don’t get me wrong I’ve shipped oil changes to them but only if I’m behind and the ticket is something simple like a quick recall or window motor but my bays are tied up, so I’ll do the work on the service drive and let the lube kids grab it increases shop efficiency and actually makes the kid an extra couple bucks because it came out of the main shop, or if I’m doing tires on the alignment rack right next to the lube rack and they’re slow they’ll do the oil change for me, but I’ve seen other guys do head gaskets, trans r+r, heck one guy did 14 hours of gravy tires brakes ball joints all the flushes and a bunch of recalls, do the multipoint even so they can recognize any possible up sells, then ship it to the lube rack for the lof that is just pure laziness and thinking you’re too good
I don't pick and choose, I do whatever is on the ticket.
so at my dealership we have a tech who is 30+ yrs experience he does drive-ability and electrical diag. he will do 30k/60k service packages, he will do check engine lights but will need and oil change on it to address the check engine light , he wont do it. he only flags about 25-30hrs a week comes in 40mins late, typically leaves early, and spends alot of time on facebook.
Let him love it til he hates it lol!
I will do oil changes. I just won't mount and balance tires anymore. I'm getting to old for that crap.
You know that old saying all it takes is getting your foot in the door. I mean work is work it still means a pay check at the end of the week.Another great video FRM until next time PEACE.
We look at the higher mileage vehicles from actual paying customers as potential for better work.
If a vehicle comes in for free oil change/rotation or free recalls, that customer didn't bring their wallet and won't buy even if it is a seriously dangerous condition. So those are immediately a waste of time. Also, service writers definitely see it that way and refuse and highly discourage upselling for nonpaying customers. So, even if u try ur best, the service writer won't.
I've had a .3 oil change turn into a 20 hour tickets. Some times you look over the car and win. Sometimes you get air or cabin filter and a rotate.Some times its just an oil change do it and move on. That's part of the industry. Can't win them all.
Rather do an oil change then a free damn flat repair 🙄
I’m a Forman too and I don’t mind doing oil changes!!!!
When the lube techs get backed up sometimes as a mainline tech you can take one and turn a 0.3 into a 3.0 hr job. Other times more. I dont mind doing them but make sure our lube techs on hourly are busy 1st.
I have to add that after this video i got 2 up sales today.
Oil changes are the money tickets at NTB.... they come in for a 19.99 oil change.... with only 20 dollars on the initial ticket, they are much more motivated to spend another few hundred bucks, as opposed to the customer coming in for an 800 dollar set of michelins and an alignment... not much room for extra work there.
I don't take my vehicle to a shop to get an oil change I break out the floor jack and get busy