I knew I shouldn't have clicked on it.
At some service places, staffers (service writers, techs, even managers) are paid partly on commission.
Partly? Hardly. For service writers, a minimum wage base pay is the "partly" part. Most of their salary is from commission. That's why they can look you in the eye and tell you how much you'll benefit from having your fuel injectors flushed. C.R.E.A.M.
Repair shops often treat basic services (oil changes, tire rotations, wheel alignments) as loss leaders to attract customers, so they can sell the extras, industry pros add.
The "industry pros" forgot to say that most big name places don't pay the technicians anything for doing these services, which is the real reason why your $28.95 LOF and rotation comes with a big "recommended services" list. In one franchise owners own words: "The coupons bring in the work. You (the technician) are given a vehicle and an opportunity to sell." Scumbags.
Similarly, if they replace parts, make sure they provide you with the old ones.
And make sure they are from your vehicle. I know one fraudster who showed every customer how worn "their" brake pads were, even though their brake pads (with 6mm of friction material left) were hanging out in the trash can.
For starters, a per-hour labor rate may not be an accurate measure, since you’re really shopping the overall job, including parts; plus, a more experienced tech may take less time to complete the work.
Uh, we follow the labor times that have been formulated from a
third party. That's how real technicians can be honest and still make money, by beating the established labor times using their experience and efficiency. If the customer agreed to the published 2 hour labor time, and I do it in 1.5 hours, I'm getting the 2 hours. That's how I make money, and that's why I, unlike my scumbag coworkers, can still make out ok without resorting to selling fuel injector flushes to everyone that walks in the door.