next time your garage charges you a " environmental charge " here's why

** Thousands of businesses in the retail motor industry have been urged to
ensure they meet stringent new regulations that govern the disposal of
hazardous waste. Dealers, repairers and garage owners must be fully
compliant with the regulations as of 16 July, the government has warned. If
businesses fail to meet the new directives they could be hit by heavy fines.
Ben Bradshaw, Minister for local environmental quality, said: "It is
essential that businesses act now." **

we've been charging customers it for quite a while now, its listed as a
separate item instead of being built into the invoice as customers like to
see what they have been spending their money on , only had a couple of
complaints over the years, but an explanation soon puts them right. we have
to sort out all hazardous waste now, which includes all the fluids, brake,
coolant, oil filters ect ect, separate bins for oily rags ect & pay for it
to be taken away, nothing new but its being clamped down on now.

> ** Thousands of businesses in the retail motor industry have been urged to
> ensure they meet stringent new regulations that govern the disposal of
> hazardous waste. Dealers, repairers and garage owners must be fully
> compliant with the regulations as of 16 July, the government has warned. 
> If
> businesses fail to meet the new directives they could be hit by heavy 
> fines.
> Ben Bradshaw, Minister for local environmental quality, said: "It is
> essential that businesses act now." **
>
> we've been charging customers it for quite a while now, its listed as a
> separate item instead of being built into the invoice as customers like to
> see what they have been spending their money on , only had a couple of
> complaints over the years, but an explanation soon puts them right. we 
> have
> to sort out all hazardous waste now, which includes all the fluids, brake,
> coolant, oil filters ect ect, separate bins for oily rags ect & pay for it
> to be taken away, nothing new but its being clamped down on now.


Can't you just incorporate it into the hourly labour rate?

It does my head in to see "brake cleaner, sundries" and "environmental 
charge" as separate items on garage invoices.  I mean, fair enough, these 
are real costs, but so are rent, rates, electricity bills, phone bills.  Why 
not go the whole hog and charge "pro rata premises charge" on the invoice as 
well.  When a garage works out how much to charge per hour, these costs 
should all be taken into account when arriving on the figure of 
45/50/whateve per hour.  I mean, not much of that hourly rate goes to the 
mechanic (stating the obvious just a tad here) - the rest is profit - so why 
not take all these new charges into account and, if neccessary, raise the 
labour rate slightly.

Peter

AstraVanMan (Peter@Whataloadofforeskinbollocks.co.uk) gurgled happily,
sounding much like they were saying : 


> Can't you just incorporate it into the hourly labour rate?


But why? It'll vary from job to job.

A one hour oil and filter change is going to incorporate FAR more 
"hazardous waste" than eight hours of farting about with interior trim to 
get to and play multiple choice with electronics swapping.

"Adrian"  wrote in message
news:Xns9682E924D9287adrianachapmanfreeis@204.153.244.170...

> AstraVanMan (Peter@Whataloadofforeskinbollocks.co.uk) gurgled happily,
> sounding much like they were saying :
>
> > Can't you just incorporate it into the hourly labour rate?
>
> But why? It'll vary from job to job.
>
> A one hour oil and filter change is going to incorporate FAR more
> "hazardous waste" than eight hours of farting about with interior trim to
> get to and play multiple choice with electronics swapping.


aye what Adrian said ^^^^^^^

you deffo would have un-happy customers if they found out they were paying
for someone elses rubbish to be binned.

The message <Wc_ve.8489$11.261@newsfe2-win.ntli.net>
from "AstraVanMan"  contains
these words:


> It does my head in to see "brake cleaner, sundries" and "environmental 
> charge" as separate items on garage invoices. 


Some people prefer it. I can't say it'd bother me one way or the other,
but I know people who would grumble if it wasn't itemised.

-- 
Skipweasel.
Ivor Cutler - "Never knowingly understood."

The message <d9q098$lc4$1@news8.svr.pol.co.uk>
from "reg"  contains these words:


> you deffo would have un-happy customers if they found out they were paying
> for someone elses rubbish to be binned.


Though of course in any business the overheads will be shared between
customers, it won't always be evenly. It's always been like that.

-- 
Skipweasel.
Ivor Cutler - "Never knowingly understood."