Any members work for Ford to get parts at cost?

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TobyU

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My main point was that it was first spun by someone else to make it guilty for taking money away from someone to feed their family. That's simply not the case. If you provide a good quality service or a quality product at a fair and reasonable price you can still feed your family and make a decent profit.
argument of high profit low-volume versus low profit high volume.
It is certainly possible in many situations to lower your profit margin and have your sales increase to where you're making more money then you started out originally at the higher price.
Of course item and Industry dependent there are limits to this as to how many items or services you can perform.
Then there are many times for an item that has a lot of human labor involved has been turned into an automated robotic or machine process and the cost dropped considerably.
If that's your competition, and you're unable to buy the equipment to do the same then you have to absorb the fact that you still have to spend your labor and might have to lower your prices to get sales.
I am quite the cheap person and I do apply these theories to my own livelihood and businesses.
I don't claim to be consistent on it and not a hypocrite as I told people before I have been in businesses even at the same time that do both examples. One business is a service industry where I end up being about half price of every other local competitor. I leave lots of money on the table and I could double my prices today and people would still be happy to pay and think they're getting a good deal. I have the highest rated business in that industry in the entire local region on Google Places.
Some people will even pay more if you have great ratings like that and all the reviews rave about the quality of work and knowledge.
In another service business I have I have done both over the past 25 years. At one time I was in the bottom 10% of the cheapest companies in the area and then about 13 years later I was in the top 10% of the highest priced companies in the area. I was basically charging what the market would bear and could provide a service that only one or two other companies out of 25 plus in the area could so I could charge top dollar and I did.
Does that make me unethical? some would say so. Some would say I'm a hypocrite because I've done it both ways in two different businesses. It doesn't matter to me. I do what I like or what feels right at the time. Or just what works.
I have had people say to me that they can't fault somebody for making as much money as possible or charging as much as people are willing to pay.
I can. I call that being greedy. So have a been greedy sometimes? Yes I have.
I think you should give the customer either a better price, higher-level service, or better product than the other guy for the same price.
Something should set you apart. Even if your product isn't as high or good quality as the other guys, if your price reflects that then it's fine. People make their own choices. Even when I was the highest price company in the area I was providing a service but almost no one else could provide so that set it apart from the rest.

I will agree it's a shame what happened to us products and Manufacturing and I wish we could go back to the way it was in the 50 60s and 70s when you could actually get a great quality product at a fair price.
But now that things are where they are, it might suck but if you can't beat them join them. And that's what everyone has done. They've lower-quality to the point where they can compete with price. I know some people hate it but that's just the way things work today. And sometimes it's not about a lower quality product for a lower price. It's simply about people not making as much money for making or preparing the product for you.
There are simply some people out there that make too much money for what they do. Some people can't fathom a statement like this. Most people make appropriate amounts are even slightly too little but a lot of people are only worth what they make or for what they do.
This involves some service Industries like body shops and paint jobs, transmission shops, roofing companies, a lot of government workers.
 

lvcjt702

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And sometimes prices are inflated solely because of the target market share. Ever bought anything marketed toward the motorcycle or offroad communities.? You'll pay a 10-25% increase for commly used products (ie. lubricants, dry bags) just because it says motorcycle in the advertising. But just like all of your comments in this thread, that has nothing to do with the OP's question. You've only stated that, in essence, we're getting screwed no matter what.

Maybe with your business acumen you can revolutionize the upholstery industry. But until then @Ron1978 needs some replacement seat covers! @Trainmaster recommended a reputable company to which you responded (simply put) they're ******* you too. Have you used them? Do you have any experience with this (or any) manufacturer? Can you add anything helpful to this conversation? Or are you just cranking up you're post count?

I personally have used The Seat Shop on two seperate vehicles. The first was a 93' Bronco that we used a vinyl set on. I was happy enough with the "craftsmanship" that I purchased a seat bottom (leather) for my daughter's Park Avenue. I chose them initially because the are an American company and just as @Trainmaster pointed out about $10 or .08%? more. Small price to pay to support your own.

Here's a final "spin" for you. You gave the age old cop-out "If you can't beat them, join them". How about we try "If you can't Join them, Beat them"!

BUY AMERICAN!

Chris

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TobyU

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You've only stated that, in essence, we're getting screwed no matter what.

Yes. I said that in 3 short sentences. Other's could have said....yes they are all high but at least they have a high quality product, but instead want to go at it over philosophy etc.


. Have you used them?

I have not as I stated in last post that I have never purchased any new upholstery DUE to the cost since it's more affordable to buy used seat.
I did however say that the was all true regarding the Seat Shop being better than the others.
I know all about their OEM designs and some even better than OEM to solve common problems and the correct and better backings and linings they use vs other makers.

Buy American worked 20 years ago, maybe 15. Now if you only do that you will be severely limited in what you can purchase.

I was a die hard BUY AMERICAN until around 2005-2006 or so.
Don't know exact reasons I gave up but I did.
If you still have the passion, that's good for you.

I absolutely do the "BEAT THEM" as I specifically stated in my personal business thoughts earlier.
You have to set yourself apart in some way to "beat" them.
Sometimes it price that is where they beat others. It doesn't have to be quality, customer service, work ethic. It would be nice to see a lot of this in these areas but "beating" is still beating in any area. Especially one that customers or potential customers respond to.


I used to have an expression about parts for motorcycles, boats, and golf carts being the biggest rip off there was. You are certainly correct about adding increases in specify markets.
This is where the global market thing has limited a lot of it.
Use to be a motorcycle cover was 30-40 bucks for a cheapie. Noe you can get cool colored ones from china for under $10.
 

Trainmaster

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Toby... hope there's no hard feelings about the snarkyness of my statement. Just couldn't help myself.

We're Americans... educated, skilled, and harder working than most of the developed world. Our products and ingenuity are second to none. I'll gladly pay more and live with less to have better quality stuff and support my American brothers.

The last thing any American worker should be doing is playing "race to the bottom" against unskilled prison labor living in grass huts and eating bugs for lunch.
 

TobyU

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Toby... hope there's no hard feelings about the snarkyness of my statement. Just couldn't help myself.

We're Americans... educated, skilled, and harder working than most of the developed world. Our products and ingenuity are second to none. I'll gladly pay more and live with less to have better quality stuff and support my American brothers.

The last thing any American worker should be doing is playing "race to the bottom" against unskilled prison labor living in grass huts and eating bugs for lunch.

Nope. You "spinner" you.
I do have a list, but you are not on it. Lol
Just showing a different way to look at things.
How many people dislike their worn driver seat (even worse with GM SUVs..they are the worst) and would pull the seat out a and figure out how to install it if they were $40-$60?
Now most live with it or put a cheap seat cover over it.
Sometimes volume makes up for higher profit per unit.
I can't justify 200.00 for a seat bottom. The Ford OEM ones are not much more than that and still sad quality.
I expect an aftermarket or replica one to be a LOT less.
I will (and have repeatedly) admit that I am a cheap bastard. I seem to be getting worse as I get older....look out!
I'm hung upon principle.(at least sometimes) Right now is toilet paper. I have been HAPPILY buying ALDI's cheapest 4 pack for several years. It is the ONLY thing I buy at Aldi. I go there specifically to buy 24-36 4-packs of it. I might buy some peanut butter cups but I don't shop there.
They no longer carry it.
I can afford whatever brand I want. It is not going to make any difference if I buy this stuff or the most expensive Charmin. BUT if someone is able (and willing) to sell me paper at less than $.01 per sq foot then someone else should be too. I will not pay $.023-.045 per sq ft jsut because another company want more money or fluffs the paper better or makes a better product. I DON'T NEED a better product. The old is perfectly acceptable. Now I won't the Scott's or copies of as they don't meet my quality standards but price wise they do.
They are all cutting down trees and wasting money and resources etc so we can wipe our ***** and flush it down the toilet....but I choose to participate in this dry bidet-less phenomenon so I fixate on the lowest cost for acceptable product.

I could literally go at my terrible prices and ---back to seat covers-- or it might get weird--- buy the leather and side cloth and plastic hooks etc and thread and cut and sew a seat cover off after removing and seam ripping apart an old one. I could do this for 30-50 in materials. It's not that much leather material.
I don't think labor for making it is worth $140-160.
And before anyone says it....no the cost of advertising, promoting, youtube video production and time, building facility, is not part of that.
It is actually but a very small part. A couple to a few $$ of each sale. Even less if you have large volume.
This is a cop out response by business and business owners when they try to justify prices.
Like the roofer guy saying cost of equipment....nail guns, maybe compressor, heck maybe hammers (does anyone actually use them anymore---HMMM maybe why roofs cost so much), truck, insurance, advertising...A few bucks each job when you actually DO the math and divide by jobs.
Maybe 95-195 per....not 1500 like they would lead you to believe.
 
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