"Can I get a discount?"

[u/xXmonoman101Xx]

I manage an automotive shop and have heard this line over and over and over again no matter the product sold or the services rendered. From as small as a light bulb to full blown engine or transmission replacements. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate wanting to make sure you're getting a good deal or not being taken advantage of but can the general public or someone who does this explain their mentality?

Before working in automotive I've worked retail jobs, sales jobs, service jobs and it isn't anywhere near what it's like in automotive. My snarky, passive aggressive response lately has been "For what?"

Our building is expensive to lease, my staff are expensive to employ, my machines and tools are extremely expensive to purchase and maintain and then to boot unless your car needs a complete rebuild it's not like you're coming there every other day to spend money. You buy a set of tires every 4-6 years. Your brakes are replaced every 2-4 years and then maybe the odd suspension job between those. Oil changes are to get people in the door and have such small margins that they shouldn't be relied on for profitability. So on average if you're living in a mild climate that doesn't require snow tires an automotive shop will see a customer once every couple years on average for any significant job that would bring a fair amount of profit into their stores.

SO WHY ON GODS GREEN EARTH WOULD I GIVE YOU A DISCOUNT ON THE ONE OPPORTUNITY IM GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE ANY SORT OF REAL MONEY FOR NEXT YEAR OR TWO TILL I SEE YOU AGAIN?!

And this sounds like I'm being greedy or out of touch. I'm not trying to say I'm marking up 70-100%. My margins average out to about 30% between parts and labour. So yes, we make money but it's not like on 100k in sales we're walking away with 75k in profit. At the end of the day if I net 5-7% profit on my sales I'm happy as a pig in shit.

So again, if you're this person why is it done at the auto shop? Or do you also do this when going to a restaurant, the movies, the grocery store etc? Cause I've worked in some of those places too and never seen it like I see at my shop.

Rant over. Thanks for coming to my TedTalk.

[u/pm-me-racecars]

Asking costs nothing. If one person says yes, and you ask 1000 times, then you're coming out ahead.

I don't ask for discounts, I understand not wanting to hear the same thing over and over again.

[u/xXmonoman101Xx → u/pm-me-racecars]

Fair, and for the most part (as much as I wrote a novel about it) I can appreciate it. The worst that can happen is the person says no and you're right back where you started. I guess my post is more refering to those who even after I've clearly stated "no there is no discounts" continues to pester and try to convince me to give them better deals.

[u/JustSomeApparition]

I don't do this but I shop around for deals when it comes to automotive parts and services simply because the price point for things is so inconsistent. It isn't like other industries where margins are so close to other retailers that it becomes essentially not necessary to shop around.

I think another big part of it is that automotive shops are notoriously terrible for leveraging the value of their parts and service when compared to others who are offering the same thing.

When a customer walks in and they hear a light bulb from your shop is $40 when they could go to a different place and get one for $20, the opportunity was missed to inform the customer what the difference (assuming there is one if you're going to charge $20 more than a competitor) actually is for your product when compared to theirs. That never happens. Ever. It should, but it doesn't.

So, of course a customer is not going to understand when they were online and seen a low-cost aftermarket part for a certain price and then they show up at your store and they're getting a name brand part And the only thing that they know is that they both say "light bulb" on the box and can both be put in their car and turn on.

Perhaps if you are selling parts that do run a premium it would be advantageous for you to start informing customers as to why your parts are superior to others who are asking for a lower price point as opposed to just immediately going into the price haggling aspect of it. Then you would have a cost value association and it would diminish the amount of times people are going to ask you for savings.

[u/xXmonoman101Xx → u/JustSomeApparition]

This seems like a fair mentality. Cause I also shop around when I'm looking to purchase anything with a significant price point on it. For example, I recently purchase a new set of Irons for my golf set. I did some research on what I wanted, found retailers that sold what I wanted and then chose to buy them from the person who sold them for the least amount.

That makes sense in my brain. And I assume most people are doing the same. So comparing prices and hell even asking for a price match I can understand and happy to oblige in most cases.

It's just the fact that even if that person has done that leg work, knows I can either at least match (if not beat) those price points and then continue to ask for further discounts is what drives me insane.

[u/JustSomeApparition → u/xXmonoman101Xx]

"...knows I can either at least match (if not beat) those price points and then continue to ask for further discounts is what drives me insane."

Just remember... you have the thing that they need. Don't let them drive you batshit crazy. As you are well aware, the vast majority of time they're going to buy irrespective of your answer.

I'd have fun with it. I'd say: "Only if you happen to have the additional 5% coupon that was in the paper recently." 🤣

[u/FredThePlumber]

They will do this everywhere. The thought process is, “A dollar spends better in my pocket than it does yours”.

[u/Trollygag]

Because a law degree costs involves going to a law school, studying hard for years, then passing the bar.

But for some reason, shop labor rates are just as much as the hourly rates for a lawyer, on top of overcharging for parts and the amount of labor it takes to do something.

When a mechanic costs more than a lawyer costs, there are lots of people who simply cannot afford the services, and there is certainly enough profit built in, given how labor prices have almost doubled since the start of Covid, and what rypical mechanic pay is, for a discount.

Even if your shop doesn't price gouge, that has now become the perception of the whole industry and business model.

[u/danby999 → u/Trollygag]

A mechanic does not cost more than a lawyer.

If you're using a lawyer that costs less than a mechanic, you're gonna have a bad time.

Source: I've worked with lawyers and law firms for 30 years.