4 depart;ments. New Cars, Used cars, Service and parts. We made 70% of our gross in Used Cars. In Service If we could average 50 cars a day and do all the things I mentioned above we could net around $10,000 a month. The total expenses for the whole dealership averaged just under 500,000 a month. Employees, floor plan and rent made up most of the expenses.
You have to make $
Rent remains a fixed expense, floor plan varies but not much. We carried a one month supply of used cars and a two month supply in new. Obviously salary and wages is a variable expense as well. But if employees aren't making money they leave. Oh, don't forget advertising......$25,000 a month. All this means a lot of sleepless nights.
Yes buisness sux
I worked for a huge dealership as a Service Writer many years ago. Money wasn't bad,, but i Hated the fking Job and the fker running it. Biggest prick i ever worked for. I found out later after i moved on that he got fired for stealing money. Got exactly what he deserved. I didn't quit because of him, i quit because i got tired of screwing ppl out of money and having ppl b.itch at me like i had sold them the ******* car. Way too stressful. I couldnt stand to hear a phone ring when i got home from work.
Weird a couple of days ago we were talking about bees waxNah. Gabby customers were pretty easy to deal with, actually. My 'bedside manner' was more akin to "OK, Mr Customer. We've discussed your car, its symptoms, and the possibilities. If you want me to fix it, get outta my service bay/shop. I'll keep you updated. Is this your phone number? See ya'."
I have very few filters.
Two types of thinking here. If you are gonna stay anywhere for any length of time you DON'T MAKE SHORT TERM DECISIONS. Dealers and individuals that screw people over never last long. WE TOOK GOOD CARE OF OUT CUSTOMERS. They are to hard to replace. Never sell somebody something they don't need.
That ain't a whole lot of margin, pute. I allus heared that mechanics, and dealerships, and all that stuff was just a big old rip off?
Right there with ya, except for the mechanicin’ part.My undying respect, sir. My dad was a carpenter. I never did any flat work, but I've hauled enough wheelbarrows full of wet 'crete, concrete blocks, bricks, stones and lumber and **** to last a lifetime. We didn't have conveyors, and I was also the guy that hauled nails, tarpaper and shingles up the ladder after the plywood whenever he did a roof. By 15, my hands were fully calloused.
That may be part of the reason I got in to mechanicin'. It's easier.
I was mostly salaried as a mechanic, with pretty decent bennies. When I was a flat rate tech, I made really good money, but that was for a minority of my career in the field. I have to say, I never had an ulcer, and I left my work at the shop when I went home at night.
