Toyota FREE Alignment Check

[my92t4r]

Anyone interested, your Toyota dealer is offering a FREE alignment check.

https://auth3.toyota.com/owners/web/pages/parts-service/service-offers

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Great for the customer, horrible for the technicians.

 

[my92t4r]

I just wanted to express what a fine jobs you guys are doing and keep up the good work. Happy Holidays

 

[NoDak]

looks to be region specific. my region only has tire deals.

 

[Ducmonsta]

Great for the customer, horrible for the technicians.

C'mon, you know how this works. Alignment check is just hanging heads. Set the toe and you've got a full alignment. Or the, "Ma'am, your steering wheel is off center, would you like me to straighten it?" Even better, find some slight amount of play in a tie rod end and you've got 1.1hr tagged on top of it.

 

[my92t4r]

C'mon, you know how this works. Alignment check is just hanging heads. Set the toe and you've got a full alignment. Or the, "Ma'am, your steering wheel is off center, would you like me to straighten it?" Even better, find some slight amount of play in a tie rod end and you've got 1.1hr tagged on top of it.

i didn't know this type of behavior exist in the automotive industries :suspicious:

 

[BlackWorksInc]

C'mon, you know how this works. Alignment check is just hanging heads. Set the toe and you've got a full alignment. Or the, "Ma'am, your steering wheel is off center, would you like me to straighten it?" Even better, find some slight amount of play in a tie rod end and you've got 1.1hr tagged on top of it.

i didn't know this type of behavior exist in the automotive industries :suspicious:

That's pretty much all an alignment is, most vehicles do not allow you to change the caster/camber on the front axles and most don't even have rear adjustment. Shims are not commonly used anymore, if its out of spec, something is usually considered worn/bent. Basically all the alignment is these days is to check what is out of spec and adjust the toe (because that's all you can do); on some vehicles like the 4Runner, if the camber/caster is in the "green" and/or not entirely far off we won't bother to change it.

The issue is that we do these "free alignment checks" which means we get paid like .3hrs to check the alignment and IF it is not in the green we have to walk over to the service writer to upsell the alignment (which can take a while if he's even at the desk.) Usually these "free alignment checks" mean we get barely any money for little to no return and we lose hours because most people won't even pay for the actual alignment and we tie up the rack for a while (which sucked even more when we had the CSJ recalls all day long.)

 

[philsey]

That's pretty much all an alignment is, most vehicles do not allow you to change the caster/camber on the front axles and most don't even have rear adjustment. Shims are not commonly used anymore, if its out of spec, something is usually considered worn/bent. Basically all the alignment is these days is to check what is out of spec and adjust the toe (because that's all you can do); on some vehicles like the 4Runner, if the camber/caster is in the "green" and/or not entirely far off we won't bother to change it.

The issue is that we do these "free alignment checks" which means we get paid like .3hrs to check the alignment and IF it is not in the green we have to walk over to the service writer to upsell the alignment (which can take a while if he's even at the desk.) Usually these "free alignment checks" mean we get barely any money for little to no return and we lose hours because most people won't even pay for the actual alignment and we tie up the rack for a while (which sucked even more when we had the CSJ recalls all day long.)

:Cry:

 

[BlackWorksInc]

:Cry:

Yeah, it's a bit whiny I can understand; but I don't get paid per hour, I get paid per job. So for me and other techs, if we're breakin' even we're losing money. Its not a big deal when its one or two, but when you're doing 8 hours of work and getting paid for 1/3 of it, it gets to be a bit of an issue fast.

 

[Ducmonsta]

Yeah, it's a bit whiny I can understand; but I don't get paid per hour, I get paid per job. So for me and other techs, if we're breakin' even we're losing money. Its not a big deal when its one or two, but when you're doing 8 hours of work and getting paid for 1/3 of it, it gets to be a bit of an issue fast.

Believe me, I'm with you. That's why it takes a good service writer and a efficient and competent tech to make money for everyone. You multitask on several racks, if you're lucky. That way, all the stages of selling and repair are done at different parts of the day. So, as you're waiting for parts on one repair order that's sold, you're checking out another. And then the cycle goes to the repair job while you're waiting for the other job to be sold or waiting for parts.

And when it comes to flat rate, you have the upper hand if you have a good service writer and good repeat customer base. You sometimes also end up with the clutch job that pays 6hrs that you can complete in 2hrs because it has a body lift (pre-95 tacos). Am I right? :tea: