Charge out rates for cage mechanics?

[p.dath]

Oh and an IT degree is 3 years at Uni, to be a mechanic is a 3-year apprenticeship on the job. Dont even kid yourself that IT is harder. Ive tried both, and its not.

Your IT quals must be easier to maintain. So most of my network egineering certifications last 24 months (and my degree program was 4 years - granted there are shorter 3 year programs). I have to constantly keep re-training and re-sitting those exams. On average, I have to re-sit an exam about every 3 months to keep everything current.

A general mechanic is not a specialist. Specialists have a vertical focus, usually working in a single area.

But not I'm into arguing that point. Say what you want. All I wanted to know was what current cage mechanic rates were to re-establish my own expectations.

[98tls]

Quite right; you can't spell.

Nor do i wave.

[yachtie10]

What a pack of pricks
took till post 14 to get an answer to his question (which was a question not a statement)
the rest is just a lot of shit

all this thread now needs is Robert Taylor, Sidecar Bob and Katman to have a rant

My answer is I would not use a major dealer for servicing if i had a choice IMHO I think they charge too much for too little
Find a local small shop who is honest and you get better service
Like I used too with Spectrum in the old days (not saying they are not good now. I wouldn't know)

[peasea]

Have you tried being a mechanic? Its bloody hard work i tell ya. Sure, doing a service may be easy but diagnosing a strange noise the customer cant even begin to describe requires quite a bit of intelligence and experience. They are specialists in their field, regardless of how you view them, especially with the massive range of vehicles, all with different technologies which they must work on these days. It just so happens their charge out rate stays the same, so that even if its a simple time-consuming job they will charge the same as a complicated, quick job, but also they will have a consistent charge based upon time for the customer. Otherwise they could do what your company does and charge $50 an hour for servicing, and $250 an hour for any kind of diagnostic work.

That would be great, wouldnt it?

Oh and an IT degree is 3 years at Uni, to be a mechanic is a 3-year apprenticeship on the job. Dont even kid yourself that IT is harder. Ive tried both, and its not.

Bravo that man!

My apprenticeship (which involved far more accuracy than a mechanic) in Automotive Machining was four and a half years. I then got into mechanical repairs and had both ends covered. I then did specific courses; auto trans, power steer, electronic componentry, EFI, air conditioning and got into some fairly intense fault finding. I've done everything from oil changes on mundane shopping trolleys to building blown, alcohol-burning race motors. It isn't easy work; since giving it away my back has gradually got back to normal and my stress levels (from running my own shop) have tapered off to nearly nothing. I don't get covered in shit, I don't have to deal with moaning fuckwits who can't understand why the high performance engine they ordered doesn't idle smoothly and I also don't have to deal with the likes of ACC and IRD.

Try running your own shop before bagging mechanics you lot.

Cheers huff3r.

[peasea]

all this thread now needs is Robert Taylor, Sidecar Bob and Katman to have a rant

I beat them to it.

[98tls]

What a pack of pricks
took till post 14 to get an answer to his question (which was a question not a statement)
the rest is just a lot of shit

all this thread now needs is Robert Taylor, Sidecar Bob and Katman to have a rant

My answer is I would not use a major dealer for servicing if i had a choice IMHO I think they charge too much for too little
Find a local small shop who is honest and you get better service
Like I used too with Spectrum in the old days (not saying they are not good now. I wouldn't know)

Actually it was said in post 4.

[Little Miss Trouble]

Your IT quals must be easier to maintain. So most of my network egineering certifications last 24 months (and my degree program was 4 years - granted there are shorter 3 year programs). I have to constantly keep re-training and re-sitting those exams. On average, I have to re-sit an exam about every 3 months to keep everything current.

A general mechanic is not a specialist. Specialists have a vertical focus, usually working in a single area.

But not I'm into arguing that point. Say what you want. All I wanted to know was what current cage mechanic rates were to re-establish my own expectations.

Gee I'd almost forgotten what over inflated self images Cisco geeks have...

Thanks for reminding me why I got out if IT

[huff3r]

Gee I'd almost forgotten what over inflated self images Cisco geeks have...

Thanks for reminding me why I got out if IT

I almost ended up in IT. Glad i quit before i started. I personally dont feel im worth more per hour than any mechanic, i respect them for the work they do, and I only use them when its a matter of convenience (when im too lazy to do it myself), so i expect to pay for it.

But knowing a good local helps, especially since they quite often will ring around for prices on parts, as opposed to dealers who use dealer parts at dealer prices. Oh and $75 worth of oil if they happen to use Fuchs. Grrr

[Gubb]

Your IT quals must be easier to maintain. So most of my network egineering certifications last 24 months (and my degree program was 4 years - granted there are shorter 3 year programs). I have to constantly keep re-training and re-sitting those exams. On average, I have to re-sit an exam about every 3 months to keep everything current.

A general mechanic is not a specialist. Specialists have a vertical focus, usually working in a single area.

But not I'm into arguing that point. Say what you want. All I wanted to know was what current cage mechanic rates were to re-establish my own expectations.

As long as your cock is bigger than theirs, you've got nothing to worry about.

Right?

[Little Miss Trouble]

When I lived in Auckland I had my local mechanics who I used religiously (bikes were under warranty) but now that I live elsewhere & have a bike I'm allowed to work on myself I shall be trading beer/bourbon for the time it takes a mate to show me how to do the basics myself.

[JimO]

My hilux gets serviced at the local toyota dealer and my hondas get serviced at the honda dealership, never had a over the top bill, what i like about them is that the guy working on your car is working on your car...not answering the phone or talking to walk ins about whatever their problems are which used to happen at the small garage i used to go to

[Woodman]

I work in IT, and we are specislist network engineers. We charge $150+GST per hour for the work I do, and $100+GST per work for simpler jobs. This was a standard vehicle service - nothing particularly specislalised about it. I would hope an apprentice with 3 months of experience could do it.

So you think $108 per hour may be a bit high when the guys are fixing your brakes. If they don't work you could die, but if $150 per hour for an IT service goes pear shaped someone may miss analysing a spreadsheet.
Cars are getting bloody complex nowadays, and yea you may get a cheaper rate at a smaller place, but do they have the expensive analysis gear to actually fix it properly. If not their is a lot of guesswork that takes up a chunk of time.
So yeah $108 is about normal, you haven't been ripped

[Ooky]

Your IT quals must be easier to maintain. So most of my network egineering certifications last 24 months (and my degree program was 4 years - granted there are shorter 3 year programs). I have to constantly keep re-training and re-sitting those exams. On average, I have to re-sit an exam about every 3 months to keep everything current.

A general mechanic is not a specialist. Specialists have a vertical focus, usually working in a single area.

But not I'm into arguing that point. Say what you want. All I wanted to know was what current cage mechanic rates were to re-establish my own expectations.

so cars never change you are saying? once we have out ticket we don't need to constantly re train on new engine management systems, syspention systems, sterio systems, abs systems, traction control systems, emision control systems, gearboxs and drive trains, body construction, electric seat motors, airbag systems and all the other things on the car that a evolving with every model released or updated constantly.
and if your car is in for a service at a dealer it isnt just a oil and filter change, the mechanic does go over the whole car i wish our job was as easy as most people think but it isn't just throw on a filter and put in some oil.

[Filterer]

So you think $108 per hour may be a bit high when the guys are fixing your brakes. If they don't work you could die, but if $150 per hour for an IT service goes pear shaped someone may miss analysing a spreadsheet.

That is a ridiculous argument - equally why doesn't a bus mechanic get paid more as he could kill a whole bus load of people.... not to mention the consequences of something going wrong in IT can be much more dire than a spreadsheet not working - one of those IT guys is writing the software to control the abs software in your car....

To me the more interesting thing is the convergence of the mechanic, auto electricians and software developer - soon your IT geek will be the one changing the oil with the click of a button....

[peasea]

Cars are getting bloody complex nowadays,

....and a lot of it is because the IT freaks make it so, they don't need to be. There are way too many gubbins and geegaws that aren't necessary in today's cars, many of them a complete waste of copper.