Re: Word of mouth... the listserve msg that I am still receiving says there
are 836 recipients as of today... Maybe that's 836 potential lost customers,
times however many people to whom these emails get forwarded or
cross-posted, plus however many people hear by word-of-mouth from an email
recipient....
It used to be that one person would tell ten people, etc... Ain't the
internet wonderful?

Cya,
Robert

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Steele" <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 11:01 AM
Subject: Re: Meineke Brakes

> on 2/9/06 12:31, Al and Sue Brase at albeeee@MCHSI.COM wrote:
>
>> I suppose someone with an MBA could graph it.  Raising % of ripoff on
>> one axis and customer attacks/ vandalism on the other. Would it be
>> linear or rising to the right? Libillity insurance would definitely go
>> up if customers were attacking the employees.
>> No MBA's on this list.?
>> Al Brase
>
>
> Yep, there are a few of us on the List. I, for one, chose not to
> pursue/continue in that line of work because of the nearly global
> inability
> of the business world to quantify the unseen good, the intrinsic and the
> long term against the innately bad, the unnatural and the quick/short
> term.
> Past practice and real world experiences of the on-the-ground worker bees
> are discounted because of some number cruncher's inability to assign a
> real
> number/value.  It seems to me that the former almost always lose to the
> latter; presenting  the twin horned dilemma of quality vs. quantity (ala
> Zen
> and the Art of Vanagon Maintenance with apologies to R Persig).
> Stepping off the soap box...
> Anyway, in your question, what's important are the real costs.
> Realistically and nearly literally customers don't attack/vandalize.
> They do spread poor word-of-mouth and bad will. Bad juju!!
> I imagine that the typical Meinike/Midas business model would impute those
> real losses to business in terms of repeat business and the potential to
> enhance profits with escalated pricing as the two axes.  To a large degree
> the repeat business will also be mitigated by the street and traffic
> exposure of the site (real estate).   Heavier exposure allows greater
> prices, because it lessens the need for repeat customers.
>  Just my $.002 (sic) worth.
> --
> Stephen
> Chillicothe OH
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>> Robert Fisher wrote:
>>
>>> I would guess, if I had to guess, that what you're really paying for
>>> is the
>>> massive liability policy they probably have to maintain in order to
>>> stay in
>>> business, not to mention normal corporate overhead and that kind of
>>> BS- not
>>> that I would expect that to make you feel any better about it.
>>>
>>> What the hell is 'shop supplies' all about? I hate that crap- you roll
>>> your
>>> costs into the price and don't burden the customer with it. They do
>>> that so
>>> that they can advertise a cheaper 'price' for the job itself and you
>>> find
>>> out about all the other added crap once they have you in there. It
>>> oughta be
>>> illegal.
>>>
>>> $70 bucks for resurfacing? $10 bucks a wheel down the street...
>>>
>>> I'm sorry you got jammed up with this, but thanks for the warning.
>>> Next time
>>> have her take a cab. Stories like this just prove the value of having
>>> a good
>>> relationship with 'your' mechanic, if you're one of those that uses one.
>>>
>>> Cya,
>>> Robert
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Dumas Magee" <MrNegNRG@AOL.COM>
>>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>>> Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 6:50 AM
>>> Subject: Meineke Brakes
>>>
>>>
>>> How's this for a total screw job
>>>
>>> Shoes $176.40
>>> Wheel Clyinder (2) $89.95 each
>>> Hardware $63.00
>>> Rear Brake Labor $187 ($85/hr)
>>> Resurface $70
>>> Bleed System $69.95
>>> $20 Tax and $30 for shop supplies comes out to $677.82 after my big
>>> "discount"
>>>
>>> It was Saturday night, Vanessa needed the car for work on Sunday and
>>> school
>>> Monday
>>> Man, do I feel stupid
>>>
>>> Parts from VW (full retail, no discount) Shoes $62 (comes with
>>> hardware)
>>> Cylinders $27
>>> Labor at dealer (Flynn VW) $227
>>>
>>> Like I said, man do I feel stupid!
>>>
>>> Dale Ward
>>> LiMBO Club House Keeper
>>>