And why this runs even deeper than you might think
Ever gone in for an oil change or minor repair and come out with a $1,200 estimate for a list of things you’ve never heard of? You’re not alone. That moment—the surprise, the skepticism, the sudden need to phone a friend… It’s the result of a system that’s stacked against you. Actually, it’s double-stacked against you. It’s been around forever in the automotive world—and it wasn’t built with your best interest in mind.
Here’s why we say it’s double-stacked—and why we don’t play that game… It’s why we’re called “Maverick”, and why so many of you have come to trust us for all your service and repairs.
We’re not saying all shops are bad, and that everyone is out to take advantage of you—you might know a great shop, or an awesome person who operates with complete integrity—it’s just that they’re often working in a system that’s built for profit, not for you.
Here’s how it works in 85-90% of shops (that’s my estimate, but confirmed by ChatGPT ;))
Most service advisors (the folks at the counter you typically talk to) are paid a smaller salary, with commissions or bonuses based on their sales. Wait… sales? I thought this was about service… Well, in most shops, the person at the counter is “selling” you on the work they’re recommending. And the more parts and labor they sell, the more they earn.
On top of that, most technicians are paid using what’s called “flat rate”—meaning they’re paid by the job, not by their time. So if a job is “booked” for three hours but the tech finishes it in one, they still get paid (and you get charged) for all three hours. The more repairs they suggest, and the faster they move, the more they earn in the same amount of time (more details on that next time)
But see the issue? This is why we say it’s double-stacked against you.
The technician actually working on your car is incentivized to suggest the most work that you “might need”, that they can then try to do in less time; while the person at the counter is incentivized to upsell you on all of it and then some. That’s why we say it’s double-stacked against you, and this creates exactly the kind of mistrust the auto industry has become known for—and for good reason.
(more details on this next time, for those that want to learn the nitty gritty)
Since day one, here’s what we’ve done differently—stacking the system in your favor.
- Salaried advisors (no sales commission) They don’t earn a dime more based on selling you more. Their job isn’t to sell you—it’s to advise you—to understand what your car genuinely needs, what can wait, and what might not need to be done at all. That’s it.
- Hourly techs (not incentivized to rush) They’re paid for their knowledge and skill, not for how fast they crank out jobs or how many parts they can replace in a day. That means they have time to do things right. They’re not rushing. They’re not guessing. They’re taking the time to get it right, and they’re proud of that.
- Different people (motivated by trust and relationships) This maverick approach has attracted different people—the type of technicians and advisors who want to focus on quality over speed, helping over selling, and trust over profits—and while lots of service people claim that’s who they are, or they want to be this way, we’ve found the ones who actually sought out the change and are making it happen. So not only are they not incentivized against your best interest, they’re just different people at heart. We call them mavericks. You might just call them your kind of people.
So if you’ve ever felt like you needed a second opinion—or that nagging feeling that something didn’t quite add up—you’re not crazy. The system is often stacked against you.
We choose not to play that game, and instead stack it in your favor.
Because building trust matters more to us than anything else.
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