Date: 13 Jul 1998 15:26:07 -0700 From: chcnopsamonnect.com Subject: Re: Get Real!
OK Sam.... I give up. What in the world did your response have to do with my article!!??? As for my qualifications to lecture... try 28 years in the repair business, shop ownership, and 100's of thousands of customer visits. Mark of ScandiaTek In article , "Sam says... > >Do not give such a lecture. A better logistic, quality control, production >scale, and better marketing might be helpful to reduce the ownership cost. >If Japanese cars can have less problem, why saab can not? Price premium for >better car is reasonable, but better car means good quality and other >features. People who choose Saab may have their own reason and expectation. >I do not think you have any position to judge other people on quality and >services issues. > > >chcnopsamonnect.com wrote in message <6oddku$dopnopsam.newsguy.com>... >>1) Leasing >>You are RENTING a car. The value YOU recieve is driving more car then you >can >>afford. Lower payments. Write off if your a businessman. Fewer >headaches. >>You recieve NO other benefits so DON"T whine about it!! >> >>2) Cars are NOT... I repeat NOT investments. ALL daily cars are LOOSING >>financial propositions! >>YOU recieve ego strokes, fun, prestige, safety (with Saab) utility and >mobilty. >>STOP trying to have car ownership make financial sense! cars are like the >law >>of thermodynamics... You must play the game, you can't win the game, you >can't >>quit the game. >> >>3) It's easy to avoid car ownership unhappiness. >>First be able to afford your car. I guaranty you will be unhappy if you >can >>not. And thats no one elses fault! Stop blaming manufacturers and shops >for >>your bad choices. Second, change your habits when shopping for service. >Seek >>quality work by shoppng for the more expense shops that specialize on your >Saab. >>They are easy to find. They are clean, use O.E. parts, charge more then >others, >>been in business over 6 years, have all the tools and manuals, insist on >>complete work and services, guaranty their work, pay their taxes, have long >term >>emplyees, their techs make over $40K a year, are busy most of the time but >NOT >>over 2 or 3 days, and REFUSE to do substandard work. And folks... that >AINT >>CHEAP!! >> >>4) DONT work on you own car. >>Modern cars are too complex for novices. You will be over your head and >will >>develope wrong impressions of the business. You will only see the MUCH >less >>cost of you doing the work youself. A little knowledge is dangerous. You >wont >>think of the huge overhead and risk a shop faces. However, at least you >MAY >>develope an appretiation for what a Tech goes thru. A shop will also be >>hesitant to do any repairs on your car for fear of relational problems. >Who's >>then responsible for the work? Who did what? Who did what right? AND... >make >>a mistake and you flit the bill.... and THAT, can be REALLY expensive and >>frustrating. >> >>5) Stop whining about the car business! >>You made it. Not us. Its' simple supply and demand. Poor work is >generated by >>your demand for cheap work. You want it and it will be supplied to you. >Cars >>are complex because you want that. We (the repair industry) didnt buy >them, >>build them, or break them! You want more car then you can afford? The >industry >>responds with leasing. Can't get financing? High interest, high risk, >long >>term financing is supplied to you and you are instantly financially upside >down. >> >>6) Get a brain. >>Who do you think pays for long term warranty periods? You do! And you >even >>finance and pay interest on that! Cars would be much cheaper with >reasonable >>warranties. You are in command so if the car is of poor quality... dont >buy >>another! Coupons and discounts. Do you REALLY think that stuff is real? >Who >>do you think pays for it? Do you really believe a shop can loose money and >stay >>in business? Don't be so nieve. Somewhere that loss will be made up and >you >>and everyone else will pay for it. Lowballing also puts pressure on the >shop >>personell. They are usually payed on commission so upselling is the reason >for >>the coupon! >> >>7) Get real with a Saab >>You want low ownership cost... buy a Toyota. A Saab is a rare and imported >car >>and thus costs more to own. Own a used Saab?... repair costs are relative >to >>the NEW price... NOT what you bought it for.... and that's expensive. You >saved >>on purchase costs but you will pay in repair costs. When a part breaks.. >stop >>whinning about how expensive it is.... thats not just the cost of the part >you >>paying for... but the cost of importing it from an expensive country, the >cost >>of low production numbers, the cost of storing it, transporting it across >the >>USA, and the cost of putting it in your car. Toyota parts are relatively >>cheap... there is a great number of them and many differant manufacturers. >>Shops and Techs are few and far between. >> >>8) Cars are NOT perfect. >>They are complex and made by man. It's amazing they work and are as cheap >as >>they are. cars have to work under wide situations and parts in them work >>Billions of times. Saabs last a long time. The perfect car could be made >but >>could anyone afford it?.... and would anyone want one for a million >miles?... >>and could the manufacturer survive after selling a bunch of them? cars are >>actually more reliable per number of parts then they were > >
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