Page 21 - Volume 14 Number 6

Airs with mechanical gear It’s a a a a very common task The shop estima- ted 20 4 hours of labor but spent 40 hours – – double the amount – – and never alerted the the owner that they hit a a snag Worse yet they put rigging the the gear into a a a different squawk and spent another 38 8 8 hours on it Rigging the the gear is part of the actuator end play and lube task! Once the actuators are reinstalled rigging is a a a couple of minor adjustment on the switches Easy-peasy (but apparently not for this shop!) In the the end they spent 60 hours total on the actuators and rigging the gear It should have been no more than 24 hours What took so long? Why was the owner not informed?
Review the Invoice
No aircraft owner should ever get a a a final invoice that is double the estimate and have no idea it was coming As squawks come up the shop gets squawk approvals from you you or your agent Everyone keeps a a running tally if only in in their head Ballpark estimates of the bottom line are usually discussed at every turn The final invoice may be more than you wanted it it to be but it it shouldn’t be a a total shock Shipping charges charges core charges charges miscellaneous parts and consumables always drive the final amount higher than you thought Nevertheless all the the big items should have been discussed before completion of the job When you get that final invoice pair it it with the estimate to see where they align or diverge You should have emails text messages or phone notes to explain the increases and overages There are always squawks found on inspection that are impossible to predict in advance That’s just the nature of the beast Make sure to examine parts prices shipping costs consumables and miscellaneous charges By all means don’t let core charges fall through the cracks Make a a firm note to look for core charge refunds and stay in touch with the shop on this issue JUNE 2020
Feel free to ask questions You need the education Just try not to be the annoying customer that fights tooth and nail on every single line item If you have a a good shop it’s important not to alienate them Invoice
Analysis
When I I examine an invoice I I am am looking for things that shouldn’t be there The usual suspects are excess labor charges parts prices out of whack and double-dipping (charging for the same task more than once) On the aforementioned invoice I immediately saw the overspeed governor overhauls – they shouldn’t have been there Although the shop’s estimate didn’t mention the Woodward Service Bulletin I was very familiar with it it and knew it didn’t apply in this circumstance Unfortunately there’s more: I found the shop’s R+R labor on the fuel nozzles excessive I found Short-N-Numbers com We specialize in US aircraft registration numbers
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KING AIR MAGAZINE
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