camperpaul wrote: It is because a lot of the insurance companies want three estimates.
If 3 estimates are required and the work is done, that means 2 companies performed work for which they did not receive any compensation. Also, estimating repairs to an RV are much more time consuming that for autos or trucks. RV parts are not as readily available and it take more time to resource the parts. This may help explain/justify the charge for the estimates. JMHO
I'm curious as to how many hours of unpaid work these folks wanting "free" estimates have/had ever done for their employers????..or how many of their employees told them on payday..."sorry we have no money to pay this week due to giving free estimates all week long".
Go to your MD., Dentist,lawyer, accountant and ask for a free estimate. Why should a body shop or auto repair shop give you free information. If they deduct it from the bill when you buy the service, what is the complaint?
ksg5000 wrote: I've never been charged a fee for a quote and probably wouldn't use that repair shop -- I understand the cost issue but every business spends time talking to potential customers and that's just part of doing business.
X 2. I would go elsewhere. Charging a "potential" customer is a good way to loss a customer, IMO. There are certain things that are simply part of doing business, that's one of them. If a business is giving that many estimates that don't result in getting the job, then perhaps they should stop doing that type of work.
We don't stop playing because we grow old...We grow old because we stop playing!
ksg5000 wrote: I've never been charged a fee for a quote and probably wouldn't use that repair shop -- I understand the cost issue but every business spends time talking to potential customers and that's just part of doing business.
X 2. I would go elsewhere. Charging a "potential" customer is a good way to loss a customer, IMO. There are certain things that are simply part of doing business, that's one of them. If a business is giving that many estimates that don't result in getting the job, then perhaps they should stop doing that type of work.
Free estimates are given to all repair customers as a shop courtesy. The estimate charge is always refunded at bill paying time, hence “free”. Diagnostic or tear/down time is never refunded, and nobody’s a shop customer, unless they have met the cashier at least once. I believe this is reasonable and fair.
A repair shop, auto body or mechanical, that gives “free” in-depth estimates, is too hungry for the new job. You should wonder why.
They’re also adding the cost of doing so, somewhere, in everybody’s bill. Recouping hidden costs by padding an invoice or shorting the job is just wrong, as wrong as mugging you with a gun. Too sharp of a pencil or firearm, what’s the difference. It‘s still theft. (The term “too sharp, a pencil” in our tribe refers to writing an excessive invoice.)
The estimating data base the shop uses, employees, building sq/ft… all cost. If you knew the true monthly expense of running a motor vehicle repair business, I think you may be mildly surprised.
To the posters that believe shops should give estimates for free:
If you were writing the checks to pay the overhead of such business and a “maybe, potential customer” asked for a free 1/3 hr. of your / employees time, you might feel a little different about granting the request.
No busy, fair and honest shop, can afford to give a no-charge written quote to job shoppers and a good mechanical shop, in this economy, that isn’t very busy, should consider folding their tent. Perhaps the food service trade would be a lil more profitable, for them.
Occasionally I have given a free written estimate to a “potential customer” who agreed to the fair “pay up front” policy and there are, of course occasional exceptions to the standard fee…Being related to a repeat customer is one of them…Showing up with enough good coffee/donuts for all hands, is another...
I should mention, there’s the person who phones, asking about free estimates. They are, as politely as possible, explained the shop policy and if they still require a free one, they're referred to a least favorite competitor.
Many industries -not just RV repair - have this practice. It makes sense, but the companies who don't charge for estimates is a better way to go because no one wants to pay for an estimate that they won't end up getting applied to their bill should they go elsewhere. But it isn't unheard of as far as a business practice since that is what you were asking.
Luke Porter wrote: So, have you bought a new furnace? Get a free estimate? Or did you pay for it? Want some concrete work done--did you call someone that charged for an estimate? How about building a new deck? Painting the house? Hell, those guy's drive out to your house.
How much do you pay them??
Fence, roof, plumbing--where does it stop?
You must be the only trade that can get away with charging a fee.
Hi Luke,
The tradesmen you mention, mostly have little more than a truck, a place to park it and less than, several thousand dollars worth of tools/equipment to do their job. Key word "mostly"
They drive to your house because that's where they do the work.
They might charge a fee if that, "Burner/Deck/Room to paint", had a BCM/CECM running the unit with thousand's of unique parts working to make it proform safely.
To stay on subject. An RV dealer estimating repairs,(expecially collision damage)requires part quotes, from multiple scources and doing this accuratly, takes time. AYKWTS..."time is money"
* This post was
edited 02/24/12 09:43pm by Don & Linda *
Sorry if this post seems long, I lacked the time to make it shorter.
almost quote from S.L. Clemens
Don & Linda
1st RV UL EMS 4s Dome
2nd RV 21' AMF Scamper TT PV D300 Dodge
3rd RV National Seabreeze 133LX w/Demco Dolly
4th RV Jayco 2450 5TH PV Ford F-250 SD
Who pays for the 'free' repair estimate because someone does?
If I take my vehicle to a shop after an accident and the shop does not charge me and I then cash the check and never repair the vehicle then one of two parties paids the cost of my 'free' estimate.
Either the shop owner or the next paying customer.
For an auto body shop, written estimates are part of the overhead of doing business, no different than the receptionist/cashier at the front desk, the rent, or the electric bill. I've never in my life paid for a body work estimate, and would never patronize a shop that wanted to charge me for one. An accurate written estimate, using today's technology, takes less than 15-20 minutes.
Now, I realize that RV body work is a different animal altogether, and likely takes longer. But, if a shop does enough RV body work that the time spent giving estimates is taking up a large part of their workday, then I would think that they should have gotten fairly good at performing those estimates. Meaning they would no longer take hours of research on each one. If, on the other hand, they don't do enough to be that efficient at them, then they aren't likely to be doing so many that it's using up an inordinate amount of labor anyway.
Either way, they should be considered as part of the overhead of doing business, if the shop has decided to "do" body work. If a business can't afford to tell a potential customer what they are likely going to be charged for a job, then that business shouldn't be "doing" that particular job.
The only way I would consider paying for an estimate is if it gave me a "guaranteed price", which by definition, an "estimate" does not.
* This post was
edited 02/25/12 04:11pm by 4x4van *
If it were me I would do some research and try to determine the quality of their work by finding reviews and talking to former customers. If they are the best in the area they might have more business than they can handle and can charge for estimates. Assuming they were the best around, I would pay for the estimate without hesitation, because I would be getting the work done there anyway and getting the $100 credited back.
There's no way I would refuse to go to the best shop around just because they were charging $100 for an estimate, and settle for someone else who might do a lousy job.
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