98 V70 Etiquette Question

[rmmagow]

I know some of you are actual mechanics and do this work professionally. My mechanic pretty much works for himself, him and his son as far as I know. Is it OK to tip him some for his work? My bill's gonna be a little over $510 and he did use my parts. I am thinking to give him $575. for the work. Is this enough? I don't care if it's too much, I wanna keep this guy happy 'cause he's good. $600 has a nice ring to it too.
I would never tip at a dealership or a Jiffy Lube type place but this is a small indy slogging it with 99% old Volvos.

[IVIUSTANG]

I have in the past tipped for above and beyond service, I think a nice clean $50 would make his day

Jesse

[huzzsaba]

I think it is very important to have good relations with the person working on the car. Some people mind it if you give them more. Others will be thankful for your generosity and actually do a little extra work on your car such as top up fluids, check tire pressure. sometimes you may need something small done, and they might just do it free.

I would probably round out the amount to nearest 50 and go for $550.

[timmybdaddyof3]

As a private shop owner (not specializing in anything, but with a few factory trained guys who really know there $hit)....It is very appreciated...Most guys in the business do it to make a living like everyone else, the independents understand that the key to survival is reputation (read honest, fair, and knowing your stuff).
ANY tip to me or my guys (and when a customer gives me something over it goes to the guy who turned the wrench) lets us know you see and value what we do, and that our reputation is right.

Couple of months ago a client came in with a car that needed serious work, all the motor mounts were shot, cv boots leaking like crazy, cooling system leaking, and what brought her in was her AC stopped working (condenser leak). Walked her through what needed to be done and showed her why, gave her a more than fair deal (or as she said unbelievable)...she took our quote to the dealer and they were about $2k more (lots of labor that should be combined)...she came to pick up the car at 5:30 pm, had 4 pizza's, a 12-pack, and an extra $500...WAY over the top, BUT the best part is that generally at least once a week I get a call requesting a quote from someone who says they were sent by her.

My point, ANY tip will be noticed and appreciated...
And 99.9% of the time when you give a mechanic a referral he can close the deal because you confirmed his reputation.

There are few honest and fair guys in this business, most do it because they have to, some of us it started as a hobby and became a profession because we hate the riff-raff's - either way if there good and they know their stuff, it doesn't take much to appreciate.

Another side note - if you really appreciate it make it a point to make a call a week later to say "thanks - its running great"...at our place those calls generally come when we are in the middle of cussing out a customers car because of a rusted out rounded off bolt...The phone ringing is an annoyance, the realization when you hang up as that the only reason your dealing with the problem in front of you is because somewhere in your reputation you got known for "knowing your $hit"

I really appreciate you posting this

[polskamafia mjl]

I would never tip at a dealership or a Jiffy Lube type place but this is a small indy slogging it with 99% old Volvos.

I think tipping should be based on a number of factors. The type of place it is shouldn't be one of those factors. The dealership techs and your Jiffy Lubers are also capable of good work.

[rspi]

I would be surprised if a dealer passed on a tip to the wrencher.

[abscate]

I have an indie in town who will install my own parts..I always offer to pay his markup and he always politely declines. I add 10% in cash given to his wife the bookkeeper when I see her I town.

When SWMBO is home alone with a car problem, he will drop everything to deal with it,

[rspi]

I would not be giving anyone's wife any money on the side. That's a good way to find some lead in your body. Just mail in a gift card with a thank you note.

[rmmagow]

Thanks folks, I'll be tipping my mechanic Thursday when I pick up the old wildebeest. New front brake flex lines (and fixing my screwup) new e-brake setup w/new rotors and pads and shoes, new e-brake cable too. Work I should have done myself but I got jammed up. Having a trusted mechanic makes owning these old cars a lot more practical. They like working on the old red blocks a lot too so I'm seeing a nice old 240~960 in my future. I can still do a fair amount of work, maybe more after I retire next year but it sure feels good having back-up.

[abscate]

I would not be giving anyone's wife any money on the side. That's a good way to find some lead in your body. Just mail in a gift card with a thank you note.

How did I miss this post??

I will stop tipping Mrs RSPI, my apologies.