Integrity Auto Toyota – Lexus – Subaru – Honda Repair Shop Transaction Fees

Explanation of aggregate environmental/shop supply/equipment/consultation/transaction fee:

Having evaluated our costs of doing business versus the charges made to customers, we have decided to implement a blanket transaction fee in order to cover some of the hidden costs of doing business (see below) that usually do not end up being passed on to customers as line-item parts and labor charges.

It will serve both to cover ongoing everyday costs of doing business and act as a capital investment toward our future ability to serve you by funding training and the purchase of new equipment as required by new technologies. This fee will be calculated at 8% of the total transaction, rounded to the nearest dollar.

Fee will be quoted up front as a component part of each job. Currently we will cap the fee at $45 for transactions of $900 or more. We project that the average charge for this will be $16. One advantage (for the customer) of this approach over simply increasing our labor rate is that the fee is capped whereas the labor on large jobs isn’t.

Information/intellectual supplies:

• Consultation time spent with customers (often extensive)
• Technical web-site information access (bought by subscription from Toyota and from International Automotive Technicians Network, and Identifix.)

Ongoing employee training:

• Shop manuals (often from $300-$400 per model per year, or nearly $7000 to purchase the entire set of books for a given year)
• Environmental fees/proper disposal of hazardous materials and industrial wastes
• Oil filters & Waste oil
• Waste antifreeze
• Acid/lead batteries
• Parts cleaner wastes
• Dumpster disposal

Shop supplies:

• Abrasive cleaning pads and cutting discs
• Various chemicals, carburetor cleaner, brake cleaner, glass cleaner, hand cleaner, sealants, bearing grease, spray lubricants, etc
• When topping off small amounts: brake fluid, oil, transmission fluid, and antifreeze.
• Nuts, bolts, screws, washers, wires, electrical connectors, solder, electrical tie straps & tape

Delivery fees:

• Parts vendor’s delivery fees & courier costs

Laundry & janitorial (helps enable us keep customer’s cars clean):

• Uniforms
• Protective nitrile gloves
• Fender covers
• Wiping cloths & shop rags
• Floor mats
• Laundry company’s environmental fees to us
• Janitorial supplies and cleaning charges

Security:

• Security agency monitors premises in order to secure your property and the business’s during non-working hours.
• Insurance

Equipment purchase & maintenance in support of effective customer service:

• Shop diagnostic scope and 4-gas exhaust emissions analyzer
• Scan tool (Hand held computer interacts with vehicle’s onboard computer. Requires software updates purchased annually.)
• Multi system automotive lab scope
• Parts washers, air compressor, and hydraulic press
• Computers, software, printers, and office supplies
• Floor cleaning machine & related supplies
• Vehicle hoists, engine hoists and transmission jacks
• Brake lathes, flywheel grinders, combination grinder/wire wheel, drills,
• Wire feed welder & welding supplies, propane, oxygen & acetylene along with tank/torch set-up & rented tanks.
• Too many hand held special tools to list. (Pullers, drivers, meters, gauges, etc)

Utilities:

• Standard utilities: electricity, phone, garbage, water, sewer, and city storm water runoff costs.