In today’s economic environment, there are many companies struggling to survive. We would like help educate the public in ways companies can cut costs. And it really boils down to three simple things:
- Lower your Labor Costs – Fire your high priced technicians and replace them with less experienced and lower skilled employees. Or just, reduce the number of people you have working for you.
- Reduce your materials cost – Look for cheaper sources of materials. And if you’re really desperate, find sources of used parts and use them in your repairs.
- Reduce your margins – It’s one thing to make a little less, knowing that your customers are less willing to spend money. It is a totally different story, when you reduce your price to break even! Companies that do this are on the brink of going out of business.
There are no SECRETS! And the old adage remains the same: “If it sounds too good to be true, it is.”
Frankly, I’m a little pissed off at what some of my competitors are doing out there. I find it totally unacceptable when companies make promises they don’t back up. For example, many offer a coupon advertising a service call for $29.95 This is ridiculous! On average, in any given market, it takes a minimum of 30 minutes travel time to get to a customer. Round trip that’s an hour. Combine that with fuel cost and wear and tear on the vehicle cost. The break even amount of a service call is on average $20 THAT DOES NOT include the time it takes once you are on the job.
Bottom line: Consumers Beware - You are GUARANTEED you will be pressured once the technician arrives with additional fees and services.
Another trick used quite frequently by less than desirable companies: Being too greedy or incompetent by telling customers that the only way to fix their door is to replace it with a new one.
In servicing thousands of garage doors over our 28 years, most doors can be repaired for less money than it takes for a replacement. We have the ability to replace the hinges, springs, and cables on a door for less than a couple of hundred dollars. And if through our inspection of the door, we find that the costs will exceed $200, then we have a choice to make.
Important rule of thumb: If the repair on the garage door costs more than $200, you are $200 away from a new door(A new door installed is about $400)
Now I realize this is a blanket statement, but for most doors, repairs are typically limited to replacing a couple of hinges, the cable and maybe even a bearing or two. And if you really had to, replacing a panel on the door. The costs here are still less than a couple of hundred dollars.
I also understand, replacing an old door with a new one is always better, but let’s get real! Repairs almost always cost half of what a new door costs. When we’re all trying to save money, we get the most out of our money with a repair and a can of paint.
Here’s the last tip: Most garage door openers can be repaired to function like new. All too often, other companies are looking for the quick buck. If the opener is broken…sell them a new one! I personally, don’t like to buy a new one if I can fix it! If I had money to burn, sure I’d buy a new one but times are tough. We are here to help!
These are just a couple of the ways to save money on garage door and opener repair. We believe in educating our customers to make informed decisions to get the most for their hard earned money.
Abel Garage Door has been servicing the Sacramento Metropolitan market for over 28 years. We know what it is like to struggle in tough economic times. We’ve done it before and we are doing it now. We strive to provide the most cost effective and value for every service we provide. We know survival is guaranteed to those that provide top quality service at an affordable price.
We place our customers first.
We are fully licensed, bonded and insured. We are open 7 days a week from 7am to 7pm with emergency service available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
