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Episode 28- Frank and Aniz talk about the slowdown at the shop and the ASTA Expo coming up in September!
34 Plays9 days ago
Brand new podcast hosted by a Shop owner and a Shop owner/Technician . We dive into shop ownership and how it all began for the both of us. We will be featuring special guests every week from the automotive industry and also a few surprise guests we have lined up in the not so distant future. We want this podcast to be fun but informative about the automotive repair industry. We are not perfect in what we do but operate with integrity and have been doing so for years. Sit back and listen in for some fun banter and conversations about the automotive repair world!
Today Frank and Aniz get into some conversation about the slowdown at our shops. It's been a weird month for the both of us but we see the light at the end of the tunnel. We also talk about the ASTA EXPO which is coming up at the end of September. Visit https://astausa.org/ for more information! If you are in the automotive repair industry, you don't want to miss it!
Sit back and enjoy this one! Please like and subscribe! You can also follow us on Facebook @ The Shop N Tread Talk Podcast.
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:00:01
Aniz Lavji
Alright everyone, welcome to another episode of the Shop and Tread Talk podcast. My name is Anise and we have no guests today. It's just myself and Frank.
00:00:13
Aniz Lavji
If you're expecting another person, then you may as well just turn this off.
00:00:15
Frank Wiebe
Nope.
00:00:16
Aniz Lavji
No, don't turn this off.
00:00:16
Frank Wiebe
Nope. I can see if the cat wants to come. She sits up there on the perch, but she won't come sit on my lap while we're recording. Maybe I can get her on.
00:00:26
Aniz Lavji
sorry listeners, you're going to have to settle for Frank and I for today.
00:00:29
Frank Wiebe
Yep, that's okay. I've got a nice looking beard today. Nice hair. I've got a Wichter shirt on.
00:00:36
Aniz Lavji
Of course, got a Wicca shirt on.
00:00:38
Frank Wiebe
So we're good to go.
Shop Dynamics: From Record Month to Slow Pace
00:00:40
Aniz Lavji
um Today, we just kind of wanted to get into a topic. I know in in some of the groups, it's been very, I guess, popular and unpopular at the same time.
00:00:51
Aniz Lavji
a lot of people are messaging in there saying that... you know, it's, it's slow or, know, what's your car count like, and, know, there's not much going on. So I just kind want to touch on that because it's definitely a topic that we've, we've seen quite a bit of.
00:01:08
Aniz Lavji
um For myself, like we're personally having a record month right now, but again, i had a, pretty horrible June last year. it doesn't say much, but you know we're we're doing great for for us in comparison to last June. But again, last June was not very good.
00:01:30
Aniz Lavji
I'd say right now it's starting to be a bit of a decline. We're not seeing a whole lot of cars coming through. It's mostly just emergency work.
00:01:40
Aniz Lavji
Someone, you know, is hitting one of these beautiful potholes that we've got on our streets near the shop.
00:01:46
Frank Wiebe
yeah
00:01:48
Aniz Lavji
And i mean seriously, and they're coming in with their control arms that are completely like shattered or just completely screwed and have no choice but to fix it.
00:01:48
Frank Wiebe
That's what got to Build some potholes out front.
00:01:58
Aniz Lavji
But that's kind of the story on on my end. nothing Nothing to write home about at the moment. What about you, Frank?
Unusual Activity Patterns and Workflow Challenges
00:02:07
Frank Wiebe
You know, it's it's been a really weird. we We were busy like all through the winter, through Christmas, New Year. Like right up until we're in June now, right up until almost almost the end of May, we were busy.
00:02:26
Frank Wiebe
And then it started to slow down. And we were keeping three guys full-time busy in the shop. And right now, we've got some big jobs that we have to fuddle through. But I think really one guy that we're keeping steady busy, he's pulling good hours.
00:02:45
Frank Wiebe
But... Other than that, it's like you said, it's it's kind of hit and miss. Like we got, i got one in the shop right now. That's a blown break line, which is going to turn into a some other work and stuff like that.
00:03:00
Frank Wiebe
But it's, it's a lot of, you said right now, it's, it's
DIY Repairs: A Double-Edged Sword
00:03:04
Frank Wiebe
breakdown stuff. And I think what people are at the point where like their, you know, their money is right here.
00:03:05
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:03:10
Frank Wiebe
So they're like,
00:03:10
Aniz Lavji
And tight.
00:03:12
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. Yeah. It's tight. Right. So they're, they're waiting until they just absolutely have to. and then when they have to, they come in and it's like, hold yeah, it's a disaster.
00:03:19
Aniz Lavji
It's a disaster.
00:03:21
Frank Wiebe
We had, we had one customer just a couple of days ago. Wow. I mean his fault for driving an eco diesel, but yeah like really. So, but he, he's like, yeah, just give it a little check over.
00:03:34
Frank Wiebe
And it's like, by the time that we're done, it was, uh, uh,
00:03:40
Frank Wiebe
$2,800 quote or something like that. And he's like, I can't do it. Well, we could pick at doing this and this and this. Oh no, you know what? Maybe I'll just park it for a while and then I might do it a late later.
00:03:51
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:03:53
Frank Wiebe
but And then there's some people like, like we were saying earlier that, uh, instead of leaving it with us and, and, and getting the job done, they'll, they'll take it away and they'll try to do it themselves or take it to another shop or,
00:04:06
Aniz Lavji
Yeah. Oh yeah. Those are the best. I love when they try doing in themselves.
00:04:10
Frank Wiebe
And then it comes back. um we've seen We've seen quite a few of them come back.
00:04:12
Aniz Lavji
Yep. More screwed up than it used to be.
The Case for Quality Parts
00:04:16
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, and it's and ah it's not like we're going to gouge them then, but it's like, okay, well, you know, this is screwed up. Now we've got to fix this. We've got to fix this. and And had you just left it with us, you would have actually saved money. That's happened actually two times in the last three weeks.
00:04:30
Aniz Lavji
I had, um
00:04:30
Frank Wiebe
If you would have left it with us, it would have saved you money. But, you know.
00:04:36
Aniz Lavji
if I remember correctly, I had a customer that needed, think it was, think it was front brakes. I don't remember the vehicle. It might've been a Ford Fusion or something. And, you know, they gave him a quote and they wanted, they wanted cheapy pads and rotors. And I said, we're just not the right place for you. That's literally what I said.
00:04:55
Frank Wiebe
That's a perfect answer.
00:04:56
Aniz Lavji
they they've They wanted a $300 brake job. And I said, unfortunately, at my shop, it doesn't exist.
00:05:02
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:05:03
Aniz Lavji
um You know, we just want to put good stuff on you. And no offense, but I don't want to see you again for the front brakes. and say what do you mean? you don't want to see me. I'm like, I want to do it right. So that way I don't have to see you to do them again.
00:05:16
Frank Wiebe
Exactly.
00:05:17
Aniz Lavji
if i if I do that crappy, shitty brake job on your vehicle, going to come back after
00:05:17
Frank Wiebe
Yep.
00:05:23
Aniz Lavji
two months that your breaks your hearing, making noise and grinding and all that crap. And then you're going to be pissed because you're going to say, I did a shitty job. So I'd rather not do the job that you want.
00:05:34
Aniz Lavji
But if you want it done correctly with good parts, it's going to be around, you know, 600 bucks. And I'm using good stuff that if there's an issue, I'm just to take care of it.
00:05:46
Frank Wiebe
And that's the beauty of it. If you'd use quality parts from a quality supplier, you can take care of the customer and you can look after them. And if they have an issue with like, say brake pads example, if you have an issue, even a year down the road, and it's something that's an effective part in the pad.
00:06:02
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:06:06
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:06:06
Frank Wiebe
Like we've had that happen. The pad wears down halfway and all of a sudden there's like a hard spot in the pad and it starts to squeal and it scrapes the rotor. We look at it and say, well, there's definitely something in the pad here. We call up our supplier and he says, yep, put new pads and rotors on.
00:06:21
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:06:21
Frank Wiebe
And it's, and well, usually at that, like after a year, then I guess, oh depending on the mileage. Oh, there's the half hour chime. depending on the mileage it would have because i think it's like a is it i think it's a three-year 36,000 kilometer warranty that we're that we're be able to offer now for our parts and uh so then yeah then it would definitely be covered and and like what when customers see and understand that and be like the value of that is there then if you if you have an issue we had a
00:06:34
Aniz Lavji
Oh, yeah. Yep.
00:06:42
Aniz Lavji
yep
00:06:55
Frank Wiebe
shoot, there was a customer. He was, uh, his daughter, no, his niece was leaving our shop and driving to Ohio or something like that past Ohio. And, uh, we put an alternator on their car. That's what it was.
00:07:10
Frank Wiebe
And so we told them, this is because you bought this alternator, this, this brand. Now you have, um a warranty that's nationwide on that part.
00:07:23
Frank Wiebe
It's nationwide here and it's and it's in the US as well.
00:07:24
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:07:27
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:07:28
Frank Wiebe
so So if you have any issues with this, you can just go to a shop that's branded by this company and you can then go and get it fixed for free.
00:07:39
Frank Wiebe
He's like, oh, whoa okay, well, that does make sense. So there's the value in buying a quality product.
00:07:44
Aniz Lavji
You got show the value. If you can show the value, then people will pay, right?
00:07:47
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. Well, that's just it, right?
Part Returns and Customer Service
00:07:50
Frank Wiebe
Like you can you can go and buy alternator on Amazon that'll work, or you can buy an alternator from that other place that always gives you those magnets, you know, that'll work.
00:08:02
Frank Wiebe
it And it does. But, man, have you ever tried to return something to that place that sells you those – or it gives you those magnets?
00:08:08
Aniz Lavji
I'm trying to of what this magnet place is.
00:08:10
Frank Wiebe
I don't know if I should say it on the podcast.
00:08:12
Aniz Lavji
No, I don't know. you You can text me after.
00:08:14
Frank Wiebe
I'll text it to you. Everybody already knows. But the thing is, like I had one customer that bought a steering rack from there, an electronic steering rack for a Ford Edge, Ford Flex, something like that.
00:08:32
Frank Wiebe
And it went bad, and he tried to return it And what they wanted is they wanted the old part returned first, then they would send you a replacement part. And i and I'm like...
00:08:48
Frank Wiebe
You do that, you take it out of the vehicle. Now the vehicle is down, steering rack, you send it back.
00:08:52
Aniz Lavji
Yeah. Your hoist is taken up.
00:08:54
Frank Wiebe
So you're going to be, it's gonna be a it's going to be a week. Well, he ended up buying a used rack and putting it in from like, had to get it from the East Coast somewhere.
00:09:01
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:09:06
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:09:06
Frank Wiebe
They get it shipped in just so that he wouldn't be down the vehicle. Then he sent the rack back and then they sent him a new one. so now he has a brand new rack sitting there waiting in case the used one that he bought goes back.
00:09:17
Aniz Lavji
And hopefully that new one is good.
00:09:18
Frank Wiebe
ah
00:09:19
Aniz Lavji
That he...
00:09:21
Frank Wiebe
Exactly. Right.
00:09:22
Aniz Lavji
But
DIY Brake Repair Gone Wrong
00:09:23
Aniz Lavji
you know that that that customer that wanted a $300 brake job, they ended up, I'll use air quotes if anyone's not watching, doing it themselves.
00:09:23
Frank Wiebe
And you then that's all rebuild stuff. Anyways. It was like,
00:09:39
Aniz Lavji
And I already knew this was going to happen. So I guess they must have jacked up the car, started doing the brakes themselves. I think they put the... If I remember correctly, my mechanic was telling me, because obviously the car came back to us, but they they put in some, like, you know, the $18 rotors and the $12 pads, right?
00:10:01
Aniz Lavji
And they put the cowl, I think they put the pads on backwards. One side was on backwards, I believe. and they twisted the caliper.
00:10:15
Aniz Lavji
So the brake line, cause if you don't put it on there correctly, I'm on a mechanic, right? So you don't put it on the correctly, that brake line.
00:10:20
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. Pigtail, they call it. Pigtail, yep. Yeah.
00:10:24
Aniz Lavji
Yeah, you pigtailed it. So all the brake fluid was getting stuck. And then he drove with it like that for, i think a day or two. And he started hearing grinding. And then I get a phone call.
00:10:36
Aniz Lavji
Hey, this is, you know, so-and-so. um' You know, I'm hearing some noise from my brakes. I'm like, I know you need front brakes. He's like, well, I mean, i ah kind of did them. I'm like, oh okay. So take it back to the shop that you got it done and, you know, get them to fix it. He's like, well, I mean, I kind of just did it myself at home and now I'm hearing noise. And I'm like, oh, well, are you able to drive it over?
00:11:03
Aniz Lavji
no I can't really drive it over because it's really hot on one side them walking by.
00:11:11
Frank Wiebe
No, yeah. No.
00:11:12
Aniz Lavji
so I'm like, Oh boy. All right. Well go ahead get that towed over. So $160 for tow bill later, which if you're listening customer, I don't feel bad for you because it's your fault.
00:11:28
Aniz Lavji
But anyways, get the vehicle back and, and David my mechanic he's already like pre diagnosing the vehicle he's like ah let's see so it's gonna need a caliper it's gonna need that brake hose front pads and rotors and nope we're not putting the white box crap in there so what did he say zero so by the time we were done with it he was into front pads rotors a caliper the brake hose he was into the the tow bill and
00:11:48
Frank Wiebe
Yep. Yep.
00:12:03
Aniz Lavji
Oh, and also, yeah he was also into, I think he was in the slider pins on one side. i think he bent the slider pins on that caliper and he was into a boot kit.
00:12:15
Frank Wiebe
ye
00:12:18
Aniz Lavji
So, I mean, at the end of it, but at the end of it, he understood.
00:12:19
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, at that point.
00:12:24
Aniz Lavji
he's like, ah should have just had you do it. And I'm like, I know. And I asked him, like, what did you save? He's like, nothing. This was a big waste of time. And I'm like, it was.
00:12:35
Aniz Lavji
but But at least at the end of it, he understood that it wasn't it wasn't about us charging, you know, quote unquote, $300 more or whatever than he wanted to spend.
00:12:35
Frank Wiebe
um think.
00:12:39
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:12:47
Aniz Lavji
it was about, you know, if there's an issue, it'll be taken care of. We're putting quality stuff on there. And isn't it's just you're you're paying for the experience of the technician do it properly it's not like whether i put a 12 brake pad or a 120 brake pad in there the labor is the same but we're just not going to put crap in your vehicle that's the difference
00:12:56
Frank Wiebe
It's not right.
00:13:00
Frank Wiebe
Exactly. Yep.
00:13:15
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. And it's not it's not like customers can't do it. Like some of the customers, they easily can do their own work. And, and I like, like they're capable of doing it, but should they like, why?
00:13:23
Aniz Lavji
definitely
00:13:30
Frank Wiebe
It gets, that's like for me with furnace, my furnace at home here, let's say, would I be capable of doing it? Absolutely. Should I, or do I want to know?
00:13:43
Frank Wiebe
Because like the money that I would save would cost me way more in other things.
Why Professional Repairs Matter
00:13:50
Aniz Lavji
The thing is, you're you're a you know professional mechanic.
00:13:50
Frank Wiebe
Right.
00:13:56
Aniz Lavji
Let somebody that's a professional in that field just take care of it and let them be, you know, they've got the liability insurance and they've got they've got all the certificates and let them just take care of it. Because at the end of the day, you know, do you really want that in the back of your mind if for some reason you forgot something that you were supposed to do and then you're sleeping in the house and you didn't tighten something that you may not have known about, like, is it worth it? No.
00:14:27
Frank Wiebe
you said You said before about that customer did their own brakes and then had a brake problem. like think got I don't know if I've told this story before, I'll tell it again. My my dad years ago had a...
00:14:38
Frank Wiebe
What the heck was it?
00:14:38
Aniz Lavji
Oh.
00:14:40
Frank Wiebe
Was it still when he had the Ford Explorer or did he have the Windstar?
00:14:42
Aniz Lavji
Yeah, at least he didn't say Chevy Cruze.
00:14:47
Frank Wiebe
It wasn't a Chevy Cruze.
00:14:47
Aniz Lavji
okay
00:14:48
Frank Wiebe
They didn't make them back then. So anyways, he decided he wanted to do his own brakes. My dad was a mechanic in his prime days. On heavy equipment, right?
00:14:58
Aniz Lavji
The Windstar was a tank.
00:15:00
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. I'll tell you a story about that thing yet. I rebuilt that thing. I'll tell it right now. I rebuilt that thing. The shop I worked at when I started, we bought wrecks from the auction and fixed them up. Well, that one was a wreck. It was a rollover.
00:15:17
Frank Wiebe
We freaking cut the roof off of that thing, put a new roof on, put all the doors on, all the glass in,
00:15:19
Aniz Lavji
Oh, my God.
00:15:26
Frank Wiebe
and then painted it. Well, actually, there's a guy next door that painted it. And anyways, after that, the ah we couldn't sell it.
00:15:30
Aniz Lavji
Jeez.
00:15:37
Frank Wiebe
Nobody wanted it. And eventually, my my dad needed a vehicle, and we sold it to him. And man, he drove it for years. It was the best vehicle he ever had.
00:15:48
Aniz Lavji
my My memory for a Windstar, when we used to sell you know back in the dealership, like we used to have 50-something cars in a lot. We always had some Windstars. And I remember...
00:16:01
Aniz Lavji
My dad was picking the van up from the auction and the, we always check the front hood to make sure it's latched down. So it was latched down, but then the latch failed.
00:16:13
Frank Wiebe
No. um
00:16:14
Aniz Lavji
And then the the hood came up and smashed the glass while my dad was on the 401 in the fast lane.
00:16:20
Frank Wiebe
That happened to me on happened to me on the road once. I wasn't on the 401, just on the main highway, but yeah, that's scary.
00:16:25
Aniz Lavji
He was on the 401 going, you know, like a hundred, 110 kilometers an hour. And he luckily was able to safely pull over and a tow truck was right there. Got him loaded up in like 10 minutes. He's like, I'm not going to tell you how much that's going to be, but you need me to get you out of here right now. So my dad's like, dude, just get me the hell out of here.
00:16:43
Frank Wiebe
susan
00:16:44
Aniz Lavji
But the that i was a scary, scary thing. Yeah.
00:16:49
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. So back to that brake job that my dad was doing. So it was on the Ford Explorer. So he did the brakes and then he calls me at the shop.
00:17:00
Frank Wiebe
This is way the day before cell phones. So he called the shop and he said, hey Frank, I did the brakes on my, my, forward and and and it's making a bit of noise and i'm like well you know sometimes pads they take a little bit of time to wear in you know they'll have little bit of noise so okay well yeah all right
00:17:22
Frank Wiebe
that was later on that day or was it yeah later on that day he calls me he says no it's something isn't right it's it's making a lot of noises all right bring it down we'll have a look it brings it down to put it on the hoist pull the wheel And I've never laughed so hard in my life. And i felt I felt bad later for laughing, but I just couldn't help myself. So he had taken one of the pads and put in backwards.
00:17:44
Frank Wiebe
And so then it was steel on steel on the rotor. Oh, man. He felt so bad for that. I felt bad for laughing, but I thought it was hilarious. And here he here he had been a mechanic for years and years, rebuilt engines on Caterpillars and all that kind of stuff. And then the simple brake job, he put the pad in backwards.
Rotor Decisions: Machine or Replace?
00:18:03
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:18:05
Aniz Lavji
geez.
00:18:05
Frank Wiebe
Oh, wow. So we pull it off, turn the rotor, put the pad back on, and it was good to go.
00:18:11
Aniz Lavji
That was an instant fix, I guess, right?
00:18:17
Frank Wiebe
Oh, yeah. Ah, he was, he was.
00:18:21
Aniz Lavji
Nowadays, i no one turns rotors anymore, right?
00:18:24
Frank Wiebe
Oh, I do.
00:18:25
Aniz Lavji
Do you really?
00:18:26
Frank Wiebe
yeah. I've, the machine is like, like today, see that Jeep was just telling you about? Um, the, it the rotors were just rusty from sitting because I've been sitting for like since January, I think it's been sitting there.
00:18:45
Frank Wiebe
And so the rotors look good, but just got a film on them from sitting there.
00:18:51
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:18:52
Frank Wiebe
So I put it in the lathe. The one rotor took one cut. The other rotor took two cuts. They look good as brand new, put a new set of pads on it. And the breaking is 100% on it.
00:19:06
Aniz Lavji
Man, I think people don't really use those things anymore.
00:19:07
Frank Wiebe
Now, oh yeah, like will I do it for customers? You know what, sometimes I will. Like like there's sometimes I look at a rotor and and it's like a rotor costs 60 bucks or something like that.
00:19:21
Frank Wiebe
And I charge 40 to machine it. So I'm like, yeah, that's not worth it. I'm not doing that. Put new one on, right?
00:19:27
Aniz Lavji
yeah Yep, then I can understand.
00:19:29
Frank Wiebe
But if a rotor costs like 250 bucks, And it just it just has a slight skim on it or thick of skim.
00:19:33
Aniz Lavji
Yep. then
00:19:36
Frank Wiebe
Sure, I'll do that. it's I mean, I still believe in repairing stuff. I don't want to just throw everything away.
00:19:44
Aniz Lavji
Oh, yeah.
00:19:45
Frank Wiebe
But.
00:19:45
Aniz Lavji
That I understand, but if a rotor you know, 60, 70 bucks, it's not worth it.
00:19:48
Frank Wiebe
Oh, no. No, and and I'll have, ah sometimes I'll have customers. Come on. Come on. No, she's running away.
00:19:58
Aniz Lavji
Are you talking about margaritas running away from you or is that your cat?
00:19:59
Frank Wiebe
i i Oh, no, no. If she was down here, she'd come sit on my lap.
00:20:05
Aniz Lavji
Oh, geez.
00:20:08
Frank Wiebe
um I've had rotors before. Our customers bring a rotor. They're like, hey, can you... can you First they call us. Hey, do you the turn rotors? Yep. All right. So they bring it down. Can you have a look at this? And I look at I'm like, nah.
00:20:21
Frank Wiebe
Now, if there's rusty fins and stuff like that, not it's not going to happen.
00:20:26
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:20:27
Frank Wiebe
I said, i can I can machine them, no problem. That's not that I'm not capable of doing it. The machine will do it, and they'll look perfect, but you'll drive them for three months, and then they'll, again, because they'll overheat.
00:20:33
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:20:38
Aniz Lavji
It's going be crap.
00:20:39
Frank Wiebe
I said, then you'll come back and say, hey, the rotors need to be machined again.
00:20:39
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:20:43
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:20:44
Frank Wiebe
No, forget it.
00:20:46
Aniz Lavji
we've We've had such good luck with, now thanks to you, those the Car Quest.
00:20:50
Frank Wiebe
Yep.
00:20:53
Aniz Lavji
Not even the Platinum ones, the other ones with the the gray center on it.
00:20:58
Frank Wiebe
painted The painted caps. Yeah, they're amazing.
00:20:59
Aniz Lavji
mean, too.
00:21:00
Frank Wiebe
Yep.
00:21:01
Aniz Lavji
been great but i'm putting them on everything i've i've picked them on i don't know how many teslas that we've done with um the platinum or the gold mostly the platinum pads and man like great great performance
00:21:02
Frank Wiebe
Oh, yeah. It's a phenomenal product. It's a phenomenal product.
Tesla Brakes: Maintenance Insights
00:21:19
Frank Wiebe
Now, speaking of Tesla brakes, do you find that most of the time you're replacing the Tesla brakes just for the simple fact that they're not using them and they just rotted away? They hardly ever wore out.
00:21:32
Aniz Lavji
Yes and no. It depends on the customer.
00:21:35
Frank Wiebe
Whether they have that, that like advanced braking turned on or whatever that option is.
00:21:41
Aniz Lavji
You don't really have a choice. I think the older ones you can turn off regenerative braking to an extent. i think you can put it on lights, I think.
00:21:51
Frank Wiebe
Yep.
00:21:52
Aniz Lavji
But some customers, like their brakes are just just rotted from yeah from not really using it and not... you know, doing any kind of brake burnishing or taking a layer off.
00:22:03
Frank Wiebe
yeah
00:22:04
Aniz Lavji
I mean, sometimes when you're driving on the, you know, there's no one around you, you know, if you don't kind of hit the brakes and work them in a bit, it's going to go to shit.
00:22:15
Frank Wiebe
I see that a lot in ah trucks, pickup trucks that haul a trailer all the time. They'll just got the cranked up trailer brakes and the truck brakes will just rot away.
00:22:20
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:22:28
Aniz Lavji
I mean, i like I've done some that are absolutely disastrous to to the point where... i had one car, in fact, that had... sixty k on it. And but...
00:22:48
Aniz Lavji
their paths were okay but I don't, maybe they never washed their car, period. And the rotors were so rusted.
00:22:59
Aniz Lavji
and it wasn't even that old. It was a 2023. The rotors were so rusted.
00:23:02
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:23:04
Aniz Lavji
They've had massive pits in it. And i told the customer, like, you know, like, you could really use front brakes. Like, well, finally got 50K. And I'm like, yeah, but I'm, here's the pictures I'm just showing you. Like, whether you do it or not, I mean, that's up to you, but.
00:23:22
Aniz Lavji
know They were absolutely horrible. Yeah, you know, sometimes sometimes when I'm on the highway and have to use a brakes, I do hear a bit of grinding, and I'm like, that'll be it.
00:23:35
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:23:36
Aniz Lavji
But no, mostly those cars all, like i was telling you earlier, suspension. Anything over 70k on a Tesla, you start looking at suspension work right away.
00:23:52
Frank Wiebe
I wish I had more Teslas around here that I could do that, get into that too. We have like, I know of one person personally that has a Tesla.
00:24:04
Frank Wiebe
And that's my, that's the landlord at the shop. And other than that, I don't know anybody personally that owns a Tesla or any customers that have a Tesla that they take.
00:24:19
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:24:20
Aniz Lavji
It's wild.
00:24:20
Frank Wiebe
It's a weird dynamic. It's completely ah different out here than it is where you are.
00:24:24
Aniz Lavji
We could have in a week, we could have like 20 in a week come through. whether it's for tires, repairs, or both. In the wintertime, we were close to like 30 a week for tires.
00:24:39
Aniz Lavji
But it was getting to the point where my guys were like, oh man, there's a Honda Civic coming through.
00:24:40
Frank Wiebe
Oh, wow.
00:24:48
Aniz Lavji
There's a Mazda 3, something different.
00:24:51
Frank Wiebe
Something different than a Tesla. Yep.
00:24:55
Aniz Lavji
And imagine imagine trying to keep all these key cards in order.
00:25:01
Aniz Lavji
ah
00:25:01
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, because they don't have ah a loop where you can put a key tag on or anything, can you?
00:25:07
Aniz Lavji
No. Well, unless it's a Model S, then they've got like an actual... It's actually a little Tesla car that's the key. but Otherwise, it's just a like a thin credit card looking thing. So at some point...
00:25:17
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:25:19
Aniz Lavji
I could have four dropped off in a morning. So I'd have those four plus the other ones for the day. So I'd have like eight cards. So I'd have to get these little labels that stick onto the card and write the customer's name and license plate number on it.
00:25:31
Aniz Lavji
Because I couldn't just write the vehicle because I could have like four Model Ys and three of them could be gray. So I'm like, well, shit, whose car is this? Whose car is this? So it was getting, it was getting wild.
00:25:44
Frank Wiebe
Do they ever, i guess I guess their security is pretty tight, but do they ever like get confused with which key card goes with which card? Like you walk up to the car and it's like, oh, this one beeped, but it's not the right key.
00:25:59
Aniz Lavji
No, I mean, it sometimes they'd forget to take their key back from me because they use their phone as the key.
00:26:06
Frank Wiebe
Yep.
00:26:06
Aniz Lavji
So then, you know, sometimes they'd pay and they'd have the key sitting on the counter for them and they just walk away because they're not used to using it only when they come in for service. So then I'll call them like, hey, you forgot your key. He's like, ba I'll come back next week. Just keep it for me.
00:26:22
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, that's a whole ad world full of car keys.
00:26:23
Aniz Lavji
That's, um, yeah. But, you know, like I was,
00:26:27
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, custom looks weird that way. Some they don't care about their stuff.
00:26:31
Aniz Lavji
no, but even, even that's a dried up a bit. A lot of that work, you know, considering I just bought a whole bunch of parts for it, but, you know, even that's kind of dried up a
Building Trust Through Emergency Repairs
00:26:41
Aniz Lavji
bit.
00:26:41
Aniz Lavji
we' were getting a lot of phone calls, you know, I'd say every other day for suspension work and, Right now, it's I'd say it's quieted down quite a bit. Just the odd phone call, odd appointment to have something inspected right now.
00:26:55
Aniz Lavji
And again, it's it's all emergency stuff. Like, you know, I can't drive my car, emergency stuff.
00:27:01
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. I was going to ask you a question about the, with the keys for the Teslas. Do you find that you have customers that when they have a second set of keys that they'll come and pick up a vehicle and not pay for it?
00:27:15
Frank Wiebe
Or like with a Tesla, how they could easily come in and take that just using their phone as a key?
00:27:22
Aniz Lavji
They could, it would all be on camera because we got, we have more, we have more cameras than we need.
00:27:22
Frank Wiebe
Or do you not have customers?
00:27:26
Frank Wiebe
I'd like to start this week.
00:27:28
Aniz Lavji
I got like God knows how many, but I'm not too worried about that.
00:27:31
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:27:33
Aniz Lavji
If it's a newer customer, sometimes we'll park the car inside and and that's fine.
00:27:37
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:27:40
Aniz Lavji
Or if it's a regular customer that's been coming to us for a while, sometimes they'll e-transfer pay and they'll be like, Hey, look, ah
00:27:46
Frank Wiebe
Well,
00:27:49
Aniz Lavji
You know, I've paid, is it okay if I just pick up my car and I'll just pick up my key the next day? Like I'm cool that because i know the customer.
00:27:56
Frank Wiebe
as long as they're paid, no problem, right?
00:27:59
Aniz Lavji
But non-paying customers, unless it's someone I really know and they're telling me they're going to pick it up and they're going e-transfer me in the evening or the next morning. And i and a lot of these customers, they store their tires with me too.
00:28:12
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:28:13
Aniz Lavji
so
00:28:13
Frank Wiebe
So it's not like they have any reason to stiff you, right?
00:28:15
Aniz Lavji
Yeah. So, I mean, I cover all my bases. And if I have any inkling that it's going to be a situation, then I take precautions, park it inside.
00:28:27
Frank Wiebe
Well, we've had to do that a few times too, but we have, we had one customer that just came and got their vehicle and, uh, didn't pick up the keys for like freaking three months.
00:28:39
Frank Wiebe
And it took over a month for us to finally get their payment. No, it took two months for us to finally get their payment out of it. and it's like, and and then it's like, no, we just, so then the next time it's going to be like, no, we're just going to park it inside.
00:28:53
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:28:53
Frank Wiebe
And then this this one other customer, they, they were, they always made a habit of doing that. Well, then lucky enough, they had just never picked up their other set of keys.
00:29:04
Frank Wiebe
The next time it came for service. Now we had both sets of keys. Then we did the job and now it sat there and sat there and sat there.
00:29:13
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:29:14
Frank Wiebe
We called, texted, finally got a hold of her and be like, look, you need to come get your vehicle. It needs to come out of our parking lot. Oh yeah, you're right. ah yeah I've been meaning to do that.
00:29:25
Frank Wiebe
I was looking for my other set of keys. And Margarita was like, look, we have both your keys.
00:29:27
Aniz Lavji
Yeah, you can scoop the car up.
00:29:31
Frank Wiebe
so Oh, okay. Yeah. That makes, okay. Yeah. That's where they were. Okay. And then e-transfer sent and then, Later on that night, they came and picked out their vehicle. So we put both sets of keys in and be like, done with it.
00:29:45
Frank Wiebe
But yeah what was what they were wanting to do is they were looking for their keys so they come pick it up and not pay us. and I'm like, good thing we had both sets of keys.
00:29:52
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:29:55
Aniz Lavji
No, it's, it's getting, it's getting bad.
00:29:56
Frank Wiebe
Otherwise, we would have to run it.
00:29:58
Aniz Lavji
And I had, uh, I had a customer that, um, was it, uh, today they want to get an alignment done on a Nissan Leaf.
00:29:59
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:30:11
Aniz Lavji
And I was like, yeah, from what I hear, we don't really, other than doing like breaks and stuff like that, i don't really touch them, but it's
00:30:11
Frank Wiebe
Oh, those are nasty cars.
00:30:21
Frank Wiebe
my My wife doesn't have one. I'll ask you something about it after you tell your story.
00:30:26
Aniz Lavji
But you know they they want to get an alignment done. They booked it online. It was great. No problem. So you know my my regular my first question asked him was, like okay, so why do you need alignment? And he looked at me. He's like, what do you mean why do I need an alignment? I'm like – Well, like what, what makes you think you need an alignment?
00:30:43
Aniz Lavji
I mean, I am fine taking a hundred and whatever bucks from you to do the alignment, but I just want to know, like, what makes you think you need one? Does someone tell you you need one or you having some issues?
00:30:51
Frank Wiebe
yeah
00:30:55
Aniz Lavji
Oh, okay. Well, you know, my mechanic said I need one. Okay. So, Did you get some work done? Is something wrong with your tires? Like, why are you asking me all these questions? I'm like, i my my job is to ask you questions so I don't illegitimately take X amount of dollars from you for doing something that may not fix your core problem.
00:31:17
Frank Wiebe
Exactly.
00:31:19
Aniz Lavji
So I asked him some more questions and said, okay, so we're going to take a look at the vehicle. And has has anyone looked at the vehicle? Is your suspension in good shape, your tire rods, your ball joints?
00:31:31
Aniz Lavji
Everything's fine. Okay. So we go outside and I told my guys, okay, let's take a quick look at this from outside before we get too much into it because something just sounds fishy.
00:31:45
Aniz Lavji
So we go outside. He's got 17 inch wheels on the front and 16s in the back.
00:31:51
Frank Wiebe
Nope, can't do it
00:31:53
Aniz Lavji
Alloys in the front. I'll be it. And steels in the back.
00:31:58
Frank Wiebe
it.
00:31:59
Aniz Lavji
So what I really want to say is like, this is not a Ford Mustang and we don't do staggered setup on Nissan Leaf.
00:32:03
Frank Wiebe
Yep.
00:32:06
Aniz Lavji
But I was like, what's going on with the vehicle? Yeah, i know. I've got the other two wheels at home. I'm like, yeah, I mean, I can't, like I have to enter in the, I have to enter in the wheel size when I do the alignment.
00:32:16
Frank Wiebe
Yep.
00:32:19
Aniz Lavji
Like I don't want to half the job. Well, I just needed, i just needed a line. I'm like, I can't do it.
00:32:25
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:32:25
Aniz Lavji
and And then he's like, okay, fine. I'll bring the other wheels. And can you put them on for me? I was like, sure. he's like, are going to charge me? I'm like all day.
00:32:36
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:32:36
Aniz Lavji
and then he's like, how much? I said this much. He's like, well, you guys are too expensive. I'm like, we are.
00:32:43
Aniz Lavji
That's it. That's why you came here and not to the other 75 shops that can do an alignment because you wanted us to do the job.
00:32:51
Frank Wiebe
yeah Well, just tell them that the system that the computer will reject it. and That's what I tell people when they want a safety check and the and the odometer doesn't show up.
00:32:57
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:33:01
Frank Wiebe
And I tell them, is it the computer going to reject it before I even start? It'll ask, is the odometer working? I'll click no. Done. It won't even go past that stage. You cannot even.
00:33:11
Aniz Lavji
No, it's it'll it'll immediately send you to Brampton GPS. but
00:33:17
Frank Wiebe
I had a live audit the other day.
00:33:20
Aniz Lavji
Oh, geez.
00:33:21
Frank Wiebe
haven't. I haven't had one in a long time, but it was a motorcycle and it was flagged as frame damage. And, uh, and it was a motorcycle that I failed last year for having fricking high ape hanger, uh, handlebars.
00:33:38
Aniz Lavji
Okay.
00:33:39
Frank Wiebe
And, and I failed it last year and, and now. when uh when that guy sold it he never never put on the road he sold it someone else and they put regular handlebars on it and it was a nice bike yeah and but now it was flagged as frame damage and so i had to have a live audit the i had to take a video walk around the bike show him the bike and he's like okay yep everything looks good checked it off the audit pass the bike like
00:33:51
Aniz Lavji
Oh, that's why.
00:34:10
Frank Wiebe
Cool. So what does happen for those of you that are asking? Yes, they are watching. They do look at it every once in a while and make you videotape the whole vehicle.
00:34:23
Aniz Lavji
I think we had one because um there was a vehicle that had a VIN that was not showing up properly on the system and the VIN from the door and the actual the door and the dash VIN was different so we scanned the door VIN
00:34:23
Frank Wiebe
But.
00:34:42
Frank Wiebe
computer.
00:34:47
Frank Wiebe
Okay.
00:34:49
Aniz Lavji
But that door was from another vehicle.
00:34:51
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:34:53
Aniz Lavji
So then that flagged. And then we were looking at it. What the heck? We took him a picture of it. And then he came up with the audit. He's like, hey, you know, this vehicle apparently was scrapped like this many years ago. I'm like, no, it's right in front of me. He's like, yeah, just double check the VIN here and there. I'm like, okay, that makes sense. Well, here's the correct VIN. He's like, okay, you guys are fine.
00:35:15
Frank Wiebe
So what I do in that situation, or or what I do with every vehicle, is I always take the VIN off the dash because that's not replaceable.
Technical Audits and VIN Accuracy
00:35:25
Frank Wiebe
Then if the vehicle will allow me to scan the VIN from the door, I'll scan that in, but I'll always compare it to my written down notes of the VIN on the dash.
00:35:34
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:35:36
Frank Wiebe
And then, of course, once you plug the dongle in, then it'll read the VIN in the computer.
00:35:40
Aniz Lavji
Yeah. yeah
00:35:40
Frank Wiebe
it has to match.
00:35:41
Aniz Lavji
And that's why like 99.9% of the time there's a fail safe is there. Cause it's going to plug in.
00:35:47
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:35:47
Aniz Lavji
through OBD anyway. This was the one time where it was a freaking door from a random car, right?
00:35:51
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:35:55
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, it's... I mean, it happens. A lot of lot of vehicles don't even have it on the door anymore. They have it on the door pillar. So then you can't replace it.
00:36:03
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:36:04
Frank Wiebe
But yeah, if it's on the door, you gotta to boot you got to watch that for sure.
00:36:08
Aniz Lavji
Subarus and Buicks, I think they're on the door, I think. On the inside pillar.
00:36:14
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. Yeah. I've seen so many Fords have them. Fords have them You literally have open the door all the way have it on the front pillar.
00:36:17
Aniz Lavji
Some of them on the back door.
00:36:21
Aniz Lavji
Some of the cars, I can't remember which one it was. It's on the back driver's side door.
00:36:25
Frank Wiebe
Oh, listen.
00:36:37
Aniz Lavji
We just keep waiting for Frank's clock to finish off here.
00:36:40
Frank Wiebe
Here we go.
00:36:41
Aniz Lavji
Oh, my God, Frank.
00:36:43
Frank Wiebe
It was 10 chimes.
00:36:44
Aniz Lavji
And at the 10 chimes, that's when everyone turns off the podcast.
00:36:48
Frank Wiebe
No, now is when the fun starts.
00:36:51
Aniz Lavji
Now, how's when the fun starts? We're switching it up now, Frank? Oh, geez.
00:36:57
Frank Wiebe
Oh, man. It just means it's past but somebody's bedtime anyway. Apparently not.
00:37:02
Aniz Lavji
That's always past our bedtime.
00:37:05
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. Yeah, I put that clock up just for you so you can hear my chime.
00:37:09
Aniz Lavji
I know. I know you did. Yeah.
00:37:10
Frank Wiebe
i had I had these clocks. i I bought them long time ago. And i was going to give them to my kids, but they are
00:37:24
Frank Wiebe
sensitive to the noise, I guess. the the the
00:37:30
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:37:30
Frank Wiebe
And i don't know, I've gotten so used to it over my life. I've always had a mechanical claw and and I don't even hear it anymore.
00:37:39
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:37:41
Frank Wiebe
I hardly ever hear the chime. I have to If I want to know if the chime's still working, I actually have to pay attention to when it's going to chime and then listen to make sure that it's chiming at the right time.
00:37:53
Aniz Lavji
I've decided when my kids get older and they have a house,
00:37:53
Frank Wiebe
Anyway.
00:37:59
Aniz Lavji
I'm going to hide very, very many miniature Bluetooth speakers all over the house.
00:38:08
Frank Wiebe
Okay.
00:38:08
Aniz Lavji
And they are all going to be programmed to my phone or a random device that I can access at any time. And I am just going to play random sounds from all the speakers whenever I feel like it.
00:38:21
Aniz Lavji
And when they ask me, know, I keep hearing these noises. I'm like, you know, all those times when I told you, I was trying to work and I was trying to record a podcast or I was trying to sleep and he read in and said, daddy, I'm awake.
00:38:37
Aniz Lavji
Well, this is little bit of payback. So go ahead and go and find all 26 them.
00:38:40
Frank Wiebe
Payback, yep.
00:38:45
Frank Wiebe
You know what I always said when my kids moved out? I said, I'm going to go and leave every single light in the house on. They don't like that. I tried it.
00:38:56
Frank Wiebe
They don't like that.
00:38:59
Aniz Lavji
Leave the front door open you know, leave lean one shoe in front of the door and the other shoe at the back door.
00:38:59
Frank Wiebe
right.
00:39:09
Aniz Lavji
It's funny how it doesn't, it's funny how it doesn't work that well.
00:39:09
Frank Wiebe
ah know you
00:39:15
Aniz Lavji
You know, when you're at some, when you're at their house, right?
00:39:17
Frank Wiebe
yeah Yeah, your kids will grow out of that soon.
00:39:21
Aniz Lavji
Eventually they're, they're still pretty young. i think I think right now my my oldest, Nicholas, oh he is current he's already finished the whole Harry Potter collection. Every book, he's read them all.
00:39:37
Frank Wiebe
Oh, wow.
00:39:39
Aniz Lavji
He went Dogman.
00:39:39
Frank Wiebe
I've never read.
00:39:42
Aniz Lavji
Now he's going through Dragon Masters and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This kid's read more books than i ever had in my whole life.
00:39:50
Frank Wiebe
Nice.
00:39:51
Aniz Lavji
And now like he's in, uh, you know, he's going to be going into fourth grade, but he's going to be doing, he's already doing fourth grade math. And they're saying when he starts fourth grade, he'll be doing fifth grade math. I'm like, it's crazy.
00:40:06
Frank Wiebe
My daughter was like that. got so bored She got so bored in class because she was way ahead in the math and in the English that she kept getting in trouble. So they kept calling us, oh, your daughter's creating problems.
00:40:20
Frank Wiebe
And then it was like, she's bored in your class. So they ended up they ended up making her do the next level of of math. And then when she was done that, then she would still stop and then help the other kids do their regular level math.
00:40:37
Aniz Lavji
Well, what you should have said is if you think she's de disruptive, you should meet her dad.
00:40:41
Frank Wiebe
Exactly. This guy. Yep. let's good
00:40:46
Aniz Lavji
Oh, man.
00:40:47
Frank Wiebe
yep
00:40:48
Aniz Lavji
But, you know, I think going back to the original topic, I think this is gonna blow over here and another few
Seasonal Business Climate Expectations
00:40:57
Aniz Lavji
weeks. I think July, once the weather gets a bit better, little bit nicer outside, i think it's gonna change.
00:41:05
Frank Wiebe
I see it.
00:41:06
Aniz Lavji
it and Well, I think it's gonna be better for us in one way because once it starts getting hotter, there's gonna be more things going wrong with the vehicles when it comes to radiators and...
00:41:07
Frank Wiebe
No.
00:41:16
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:41:16
Frank Wiebe
Well, air conditioning, you called me earlier about air conditioning. thats That's surprisingly hasn't been crazy ramped up yet, but I see it it's starting to come now.
00:41:26
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:41:26
Frank Wiebe
But it's going to be, I think it's going to be a killer year for AC work.
00:41:33
Aniz Lavji
I think so too.
00:41:33
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:41:34
Aniz Lavji
I'm trying to get a bit prepared. i ended up getting that job, so I got to do something to sort that out. But I think i'm goingnna end up buying a machine that does both because my R134 machine is kind of iffy-ish at the moment when I gauges works and it doesn't.
00:41:45
Frank Wiebe
Okay.
00:41:54
Frank Wiebe
Yep.
00:41:55
Aniz Lavji
And I bought that used from a garage that was shutting down as it is. So I've used that for the past five or six years. It owes me nothing.
00:42:04
Frank Wiebe
Yep.
00:42:05
Aniz Lavji
And I can probably sell it for what I paid for it.
00:42:07
Frank Wiebe
Oh yeah, very likely.
00:42:09
Aniz Lavji
So yeah, yeah.
00:42:09
Frank Wiebe
So people who want the older machines because they have problems with the new machines.
00:42:14
Aniz Lavji
So if I sell that one, I think a new dual machine is, it's I think it's pushing close about nine grand, 10 grand. So you do 10 good AC jobs machines paid for. That's basically 10 compressor and refill and everything. And you basically paid for the whole machine.
00:42:39
Aniz Lavji
So...
00:42:40
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. Yeah. It can be a lucrative business, but it's also probably the worst because if you don't find every single leak And then they come back. Or you you just have to really explain to the customer that it's one of those things you cannot guarantee.
00:43:00
Frank Wiebe
Hey, we had one. We brought it in and pressure tested it. And it had a very obvious leak at the one of the rear lines that goes. It was a Toyota something. Toyota Highlander.
00:43:14
Aniz Lavji
Yeah, yeah.
00:43:15
Frank Wiebe
The rear line that goes into the rear evaporator core was rubbed through. Had a hole in it. So we're like, sold them the evaporator core, the the line, expansion valve, and then then the recharge and everything.
00:43:20
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:43:29
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:43:30
Frank Wiebe
So we go to do it and we do a pressure test and it that's what it was. We went to do the pressure test again, verify.
00:43:38
Aniz Lavji
Mm-hmm.
00:43:40
Frank Wiebe
Well, shit, if it wasn't leaking at the front evaporator core now too.
00:43:45
Aniz Lavji
Oh, God.
00:43:47
Frank Wiebe
And it was like, how in the world? Like, what are the odds? so So then we got to do the front evaporator core.
00:43:52
Aniz Lavji
That must be an interesting conversation.
00:43:56
Frank Wiebe
And ah so I think we delayed the work for a week and then we did that. And he was like, how did that happen?
00:44:03
Aniz Lavji
Oh, God.
00:44:08
Frank Wiebe
I'm like, well, there was a major leak. When you find a major leak, you can't find a small leak. It's impossible.
00:44:15
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:44:16
Frank Wiebe
We had to do that first.
00:44:16
Aniz Lavji
let's
00:44:18
Frank Wiebe
And he's like, well, I guess my whole AC system is new because last year we put a compressor on it. So yeah, he better because I think in total now he spent like $4,000 or $5,000 just on his air conditioning.
00:44:23
Aniz Lavji
Jeez. You better keep that car for a bit now.
00:44:32
Aniz Lavji
Jeez. Remember when you used to be able to buy a car like certified for that much?
00:44:33
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. Like when you...
00:44:38
Frank Wiebe
I remember when you used to be able to buy a car certified for $1,500 $2,000. Yeah.
00:44:45
Aniz Lavji
With the tires?
00:44:47
Frank Wiebe
Yep.
00:44:49
Aniz Lavji
Jeez.
00:44:49
Frank Wiebe
i Hey, listen, I know you've always lived in the city and you don't understand what small town rural stuff is, but yes. And I've even over my course of my years have bought and sold cars for $1,500 certified.
00:45:03
Aniz Lavji
I remember going to the auction, we'd buy nine or ten cars in a night and they'd all we'd buy them at the auction anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 and They were nice cars.
00:45:16
Aniz Lavji
But now, no chance, man. You can't buy nothing like that.
00:45:20
Frank Wiebe
Nope. The price of cars has gone through the roof.
00:45:26
Aniz Lavji
And that's another reason why people are spending the money to fix their cars right now. Because you know if they're going to spend $1,500 to fix their car, but they want to buy something that they like, they could be spending $8,000 to $15,000 minimum.
00:45:41
Frank Wiebe
You know what's really going to help the ah used car market if
Legislative Changes and Market Impact
00:45:45
Frank Wiebe
it passes? I've seen Pierre Polyev was announcing they're trying to scrap the GST on used vehicles.
00:45:54
Aniz Lavji
Oh, yeah.
00:45:54
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, I wish they would do like a complete HST because ah the video I saw today talked about, um you know, oh why do we have to pay tax over and over and over again on a used vehicle?
00:46:06
Aniz Lavji
On a vehicle that's already been freaking taxed.
00:46:08
Frank Wiebe
It was taxed when it was new. Why does it have to be taxed again and again and again? And so that's one thing they're trying to push through Parliament. Man, if they do that, that'd be fantastic. And that would make the used car market skyrocket.
00:46:22
Aniz Lavji
Oh, it'd be nuts.
00:46:24
Frank Wiebe
Oh, it'd be insane. you You wouldn't be able to keep them on the lot then.
00:46:28
Aniz Lavji
No, I mean, you get a car that, you know, was $65,000 or whatever brand new, and then, know, X amount of years later, being sold for $30,000, and it's $30,000.
00:46:39
Aniz Lavji
Like, that's it. $33,900 or... probably that pretty close, think.
00:46:42
Frank Wiebe
Yep.
00:46:44
Aniz Lavji
Yeah, $33,900, yeah.
00:46:48
Frank Wiebe
Yep.
00:46:49
Aniz Lavji
i probably did that pretty close i think
00:46:50
Frank Wiebe
You're pretty close. Yep.
00:46:51
Aniz Lavji
yeah thirty three ninety yeah But um yeah, but that's $3,000, $4,000. that you know Sometimes that's a make or break whether someone can afford the car or not.
00:47:04
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. 100%. I was talking to Margarita and I were talking about that yesterday. They're It used to be, I remember when I worked at the dealership, um before the HST, before the two taxes combined, if you bought a car um on the side of the road and then you went and registered it like at the, at the license office and paid, paid there, the tax there yourself, you were only paying the PST, which
00:47:35
Aniz Lavji
Yeah, I remember that.
00:47:36
Frank Wiebe
right But if you bought it at a dealership, you had to pay the the both PST and GST.
00:47:44
Aniz Lavji
But did you have to declare at the ministry it was on the side of the road or could he you have gone to someone's house?
00:47:49
Frank Wiebe
her you could you could It could have been a barn find.
00:47:53
Aniz Lavji
bar and Yeah, I remember the the before because that was an excuse people would say is like, oh, well, you know, if I buy it privately, I'm only paying one of the taxes.
00:48:02
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, saving money, right?
00:48:03
Aniz Lavji
I remember that. but But still, and my argument to that would be you're buying it from a rando, but you know you're buying it from a registered dealer.
00:48:14
Aniz Lavji
you know there's There's definitely advantages when you know if there's an issue with it. There's OMVIC and this and this and that.
00:48:23
Frank Wiebe
yeah Yeah, but the whole point of it, why did why did they have to make a difference on the tax, whether you bought it private or whether you bought it from the dealer?
00:48:23
Aniz Lavji
But I could definitely understand the savings was huge when you're only paying a loan tax.
00:48:35
Frank Wiebe
It shouldn't have been, right?
00:48:36
Aniz Lavji
No, I shouldn't.
00:48:36
Frank Wiebe
It should have been the same tax.
00:48:36
Aniz Lavji
No.
00:48:37
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:48:39
Aniz Lavji
Same shit.
00:48:40
Frank Wiebe
but yeah so they So when HST came in, well, that changed all of that and people got all frustrated about that. So if they if they are able to push this through now, it's going to go back to the way that it was 20-something years ago before HST started.
00:48:55
Aniz Lavji
but I don't think they'll ever get rid of the tax on used cars.
00:48:59
Frank Wiebe
Not fully, no, but they're trying to get rid of a portion of it. Cut it in half, basically.
00:49:05
Aniz Lavji
I don't know. I think the government needs the money.
00:49:10
Frank Wiebe
Stop giving it away overseas and then they would have lots of money.
00:49:15
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:49:18
Aniz Lavji
I don't know that's ever going to happen. were We're too worried about everyone else's problems right now.
00:49:20
Frank Wiebe
It's not.
00:49:23
Frank Wiebe
ah Yeah, really. Listen, I'll tell you.
00:49:26
Aniz Lavji
But.
00:49:28
Frank Wiebe
Without getting political or whatever, I'll tell you, I was helping with a charity barbecue, not even charity, but a barbecue on the weekend and really saw people that were in desperate need, like desperate need.
00:49:45
Frank Wiebe
And then you think about all of the money that the government wastes. and And the whole idea of this barbecue was that there was a program that was shutting down because of government defunding it. And it was like, if what?
00:49:56
Aniz Lavji
ah cheese Well,
00:49:58
Frank Wiebe
And then you hear about all of the wasted money that goes overseas. And it's like, how stupid, how absolutely mindless are you? And you're in leadership and you're in the role of our government. And then you're, ah, anyways, that's enough of that.
00:50:16
Frank Wiebe
Back to the auto industry.
00:50:19
Aniz Lavji
you know what? and Unfortunately, you know there's things that are completely out of our control. And all we can do is try and do the best we can for our industry. and
00:50:36
Frank Wiebe
And that's...
00:50:36
Aniz Lavji
Part of that, leading into the this Thursday,
Camaraderie and Community in Auto Repairs
00:50:42
Frank Wiebe
Boom. Firms coming down.
00:50:42
Aniz Lavji
Buckaroo Bob is coming to collect on his bet.
00:50:49
Frank Wiebe
oh my gosh. I was warned now, later.
00:50:50
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:50:54
Frank Wiebe
i was in ah We were in a a Zoom meeting on Friday. And we mentioned this um wager that partook on our podcast.
00:51:06
Aniz Lavji
Never bet with Buckaroo Bob.
00:51:06
Frank Wiebe
and And they said, oh, you don't ever make a bet with Buckaroo Bob. I'm like, now you tell me.
00:51:14
Aniz Lavji
Man, he's collecting, man. He's collecting.
00:51:18
Frank Wiebe
You could have told me this before I got to know the guy. So he's coming to collect.
00:51:25
Aniz Lavji
But, what I mean, he's one of a kind.
00:51:27
Frank Wiebe
But
00:51:28
Aniz Lavji
Like, who does that?
00:51:31
Frank Wiebe
he's also bringing me a bottle of whiskey, so it's okay.
00:51:31
Aniz Lavji
Really? so okay. That's not bad.
00:51:38
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, so we're seeing John on Thursday. going to be fun.
00:51:44
Aniz Lavji
I'm still trying to work out. I got kids graduation that night, so I'm trying to figure out how.
00:51:51
Frank Wiebe
i I think that you're – as soon as you said kids' graduation the other day, I'm like, you know what? Your priorities are your kids and your family.
00:52:01
Frank Wiebe
That's where it's going to be this day.
00:52:02
Aniz Lavji
yeah. It's at, I think it's at seven. By the time it's done, it'll be nine.
00:52:10
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, but then you've got a three-hour drive, and you ain't going to make it by then
00:52:14
Aniz Lavji
Yeah. oh um By the time he's he's landing at 9.30, 10.00.
00:52:19
Frank Wiebe
make it. 9.30 out of there by 10.
00:52:20
Aniz Lavji
ten
00:52:22
Frank Wiebe
then
00:52:24
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:52:24
Frank Wiebe
so then by that time, we'll be back at our house sleeping the time you go here.
00:52:28
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:52:31
Aniz Lavji
He's change his flight.
00:52:34
Frank Wiebe
No, you just have to make sure that you get to ASTA on September, and then you get to see them there.
00:52:39
Aniz Lavji
I know. I know. That I'm working out. I'll figure it out one way or the other.
00:52:44
Frank Wiebe
So we had ah we had a cool, um like I said, a meeting on on Friday and found that there's another,
00:52:51
Aniz Lavji
Mm-hmm.
00:52:54
Frank Wiebe
um in the in the coaching that we're doing, there's another member that's from Alberta and they are in Calgary and they are like 30 minutes from the Calgary airport And we are flying there in September. And they're like, you know what?
00:53:14
Frank Wiebe
You're coming to see us. So this is cool. Our flight is coming in at like 9, 9.30 a.m.
00:53:20
Aniz Lavji
You're going to Calgary in September?
00:53:21
Frank Wiebe
We're going to Calgary in September. And...
00:53:25
Aniz Lavji
Is that like, are you is that your stopover?
00:53:26
Frank Wiebe
The week before. The week before. is Yeah.
00:53:28
Aniz Lavji
Oh, okay.
00:53:29
Frank Wiebe
yeah So anyways, so they invited us. They said, hey, come down and see our shop. Come down and see us. So it's pretty cool. We haven't ever met them, but we're in this coaching group together. So they said, yeah, you're coming down to see us.
00:53:39
Frank Wiebe
So it's pretty cool.
00:53:40
Aniz Lavji
Nice.
00:53:41
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:53:41
Aniz Lavji
Well, that's great.
00:53:42
Frank Wiebe
So yeah, this, this networking thing is really working out and meeting lots of people.
00:53:48
Aniz Lavji
We got lot of more traveling compared to the first time we started talking, man.
00:53:51
Frank Wiebe
Oh my gosh. but September is crazy for us. Like,
00:53:57
Frank Wiebe
We got lots going on in September. It's...
00:53:59
Aniz Lavji
That's good.
00:54:01
Frank Wiebe
We're hoping... We're trying to... We're trying to... Not do too much in July and August so that when September comes that... We can be like... Push through it.
ASTA Conference: Networking and Insights
00:54:12
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:54:12
Aniz Lavji
Well, I think it's going to be amazing.
00:54:12
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:54:14
Aniz Lavji
And, uh, I just wanted to do a quick little plug here for ASTA. It's September 24th to the 26th in North Carolina.
00:54:27
Aniz Lavji
If you go to ASTAUSA.org, You go right to the homepage and you will see Mr. Benji Burris on the front page, staying next to Mike from Confessions of a Shop Owner.
00:54:45
Aniz Lavji
And you can register and come meet us. we're I'm 99.9%. Got it all sorted out. I'll be there. Frank has zero choice but to be there. He's already booked.
00:55:00
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, ready, book
00:55:00
Aniz Lavji
And, you know, you're going to be able to meet some really cool people. Jeff, Jaden Mechanics is going to be there. Tanika, I'm sure, will be there. There's going to be tons and tons of people there.
00:55:13
Aniz Lavji
And like I said, there's there's nothing like it. Went last year. North Carolina is like a mother little family out there in the States. I mean, I definitely would recommend anybody to go if you're in the automotive industry.
00:55:26
Aniz Lavji
And yeah, it's been definitely end of September. If you can make it, make it. If it's About the money, charge an extra $10 each repair order from now until September, and you'll have extra money left over after everything, trust me.
00:55:43
Aniz Lavji
It's worth every every penny.
00:55:44
Frank Wiebe
Yep. That's right.
00:55:47
Aniz Lavji
But on that note, Frank, I think we're to call it a night. going to go have some dinner.
00:55:54
Frank Wiebe
It's bedtime. The clock chimed already.
00:55:57
Aniz Lavji
I know, I know. That's why I'm saying it. What is it? 10, 1020 at night right now.
00:56:02
Frank Wiebe
Yep.
00:56:02
Aniz Lavji
I passed both our our bedtimes. Thanks, Frank. And we will talk to you later.
00:56:06
Frank Wiebe
Yep. All right, man. Have a good night.
00:56:09
Aniz Lavji
too. Thank you, everyone, for listening. Please visit us on Facebook, the Shop and Tread Talk podcast. You can follow us on there. We're also on YouTube. You can just search for the Shop and Tread Talk podcast.
00:56:22
Aniz Lavji
And thank you for all the followers and listeners. We really appreciate it. And we will talk to you next time. Thank you.