Is being a mobile mechanic profitable?

Question

I am interested in knowing the pros and cons about being a mobile tech or mechanic. do people actually make money doing it? is it more convenient for the customer? any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

I am a garage owner and we have offered mobile service and sometimes still do. The pro is that you have the advantage over the competition and the customer does not have to pay a tow bill and neither do you. You can also charge a little more for your service by going to them.

Some cons are...

Sometimes you will get there and realize that you need some tool or equipment that you do not have with you or is too large to bring with you. In which case you can determine which is more cost effctive to bring the tool or to have the car towed.

Also sometimes the customer may tell you that they own the house where the car is located when really they rent and do not have permission for mechanic work to be done on the property, as well as most apartments do not allow mechanic work. You have to be extra careful of spills and clean them well. (Or risk being sued)

Another issue is that if you complete the work on the car occasionally you may run into someone who has either less than the bill owed or no money to pay. In that case you have no legal leverage to remove their car from their property to hold for payment and storage fees. But you can always sue if needed. Just keep in mind that small claims court is sometimes hard to collect on.

All in all it can be very profitable but you need to plan wisely. Remember any mess you leave can be used against you, think about asking for a deposit up front (especially for parts), let them know that you have a surcharge for travel expenses when necessary, and keep a wide variety of tools with you to cut gas expense and to save time.

A common problem is also when for example someone tries to change their spark plugs and messes up the firing order on their wires. They can't figure out why their car won't start. You drive 10 or even 20 miles to get there and it takes 15 minutes to fix. The customer now thinks he should pay no more than 15 or 20 dollars but you have maybe 2 hours of time invested and 15 dollars in gas. In that case you have to decide to take the loss because you will gain a customer or set a minimum charge. I hope this has helped you think of ways to become successful. As I said it can be very profitable....just plan ahead.