At 14:34 25-08-98 -0400, Bryan Feddish wrote:
>> Do you stop by the supermarket and pick up hamburger patties, then drop by
>> McDonalds and ask them to cook them for you?
>
>        I think all of us on the list would rather just have the
convenience of
>paying our mechanic to supply the part.  We know they have to make a living.
>It's just that some parts for our Vanagons are simply outrageous.  If my
>mechanic says I need a new AFM box for +- $800 I think it's fair I should be
>able to supply a rebuild for $125.  Or maybe an $89 muffler from Ron as
>opposed to $350 from the dealer.  If the mechanic wants, he can add a few
>dollars onto the repair bill to cover the lost revenue and I'm still saving
>money.  As a matter of fact, I'm sure most mechanics add a few dollars to
>the labor if you supply the part.

When I was fresh out of school I worked in the hotel business in the
banquet department.  Our hotel would allow anyone booking a meeting room or
ballroom to provide their own alcoholic beverages.  The hotel would provide
a bar and bartender and charge a "corkage" fee of so much per bottle of
beer/wine/liquor in addition to a labour charge for the bartender.  It was
win/win since the hotel got a piece of business that would have gone
elsewhere if this policy didn't exist and the client won since they paid
less for their alcohol than if the hotel provided it.   There is no reason
this procedure couldn't be adapted to the car repair business.

Kelly Bauman
Delta, BC
'91 Westy