My son's car would not start one morning, he is a student in Rochester and he called AAA. Action towing showed up to take his car to their shop. They later called me and told me it was the starter. They gave me an estimate of $ 560 . I asked how much parts were and he told me the starter was $ 330 . It sounded very expensive . I had my husband look up a starter at the local NAPA and the most expensive one was $ 220. When asked what brand starter they used he would not tell me but said it had a life time warranty . My husband bought a starter at NAPA for $150 and drove it up to my son and had him drop it off for them to install. They then told me they had to charge me $150 an hour to install it. That is more per hour than a Honda dealer. I had no choice since my son needed his car.I would never use this station for anything but to fix a tire and reading the reviews that's what they are good at. The cost of the starter plus 1 hour drive, tolls, and dinner with my son was cheaper than price of their lifetime starter.
Mrs. Johnson, I apologize that your experience did not meet expectations. However, I would like to offer the following information: The business model Action Automotive Service utilizes calls for a 60% profit margin on all parts sales. This is taken from the National Standards and Practices and is one of our Key Point Indicators for measuring our company success. The reason for this target percentage is to cover the operating expenses of the business in order to give our customers the best experience. We are focused on providing a higher value to our customers, rather than a lower cost. This percentage also ensures that that our company will be in a position to honor all of our lifetime warranties. Your store bought NAPA starter also has a lifetime warranty at a lower cost, but that warranty covers only the part itself. Our warranty covers parts and labor and is reciprocal with any AutoPlus repair facility across the country. Action pays an additional cost for this warranty, and is once again the reason we strive to provide value and not just savings. As far as the labor rate is concerned, you were quoted our standard rate of $120 which is directly inline with the 18 repair shops located within a 1/2 mile radius of our shop. The rate you were charged of $150 is special rate we apply in the very rare occasions we allow customers to provide their own parts. As I spoke to before the business model holds the company should generate 50% of its revenue from part sales and 50% from labor sales. By allowing you to bring in your own part we sacrifice half of that earning potential and therefor add a surcharge in labor to bring us closer to a balance. I am writing this reply because I feel the 1 star rating is inappropriate. We spent a significant amount of time explaining all the options to you, your husband, and your son. We worked with you to find an amicable solution to the issue, and in the end allowed you to bring your own parts for the repair, which is an industry no no. Our Service manager did everything he could to accommodate you, we waited the 2 days it took for your to bring the parts (because your husband is a retired mechanic and we were showing respect), and completed the job on time and for the agreed to amount. If you are unhappy with our business model and pricing, then I can understand we didn't work hard enough to show you the value behind our company. However, to rate us a 1 star company is grossly unfair when taken into the context of your experience.
- Action Automotive Service