Need advice from one shop to another

You read my mind!  I sat down to my computer planning on asking the very same questions, especially after passing a sign yesterday which advertised remote starters for $99.99! (Most Cars).  I often question how anyone could install a remote starter for the prices I see advertised. 

I have been installing remote starters for years, and even though I have only done installs for myself, friends & family, I have a good aptitude for installing and have done other similar types of work since I was a teenager (I'm now 42).  I also solder all my connections, and have never had a problem after the install which was caused by the wiring job.  Knowing how much the components cost, and how long it takes to do a good install, I am truly puzzled at the prices I see!  I assume some of the answer lies in shops who pull a "Bait and switch", adding on the cost of bypass kits, relays, etc., and perhaps others do use SkotchLocks & other quick connectors, but it still seems like a job that is worth more than the prices I see advertised.  It seems like working at McDonald's would be more profitable!

I would love to hear from others, particularly those in the business, how they price jobs and how many remote starters a a good installer should be able to do in a day, on average.

-Michael

I sell the Compustar units installed ( basic ) for $ 210 Canadian and I sell these all day long for this. Keyless for $ 40 and trunk for $ 15. Not every installer or shop can really gaurantee a job in a certain time. When you work with used vehicles, you have the unknown factor of if the car's been worked on before, if the wiring is all screwed up or if it's been in an accident. I just did a remote start on a 1998 Jeep GC Laredo as well on Thursday and I didn't have a door lock bypass for it and I used the 4 relays to do this and it took me just over 4 hours to do this vehicle. On the flip side, I did an Alero and I've done them in 3 hours flat, but this one in particular took me close to 7 hours because of a starter wire issue. I finally trouble shot the problem to a faulty starter wire.

In the end, if your installer's are "slow" then sit down and see why they are. What I've done in the past to speed things up is prep all my unit for the day's installation for various vehicles. If you know that your going to be doing a GM, Honda, Olds & a VW for the day, make sure that you prep all these before hand and it will make the installation go by way faster.

it's a tough situation..... there will always be shops ( especially the big chain stores ) who undersell their labour to make a sale, but also some shops undersell the product as well ( i was taught as a young lad in the biz that it's a poor salesman who has to sell on price).... i was in a store the other day and they had a specific model that we also sell on for $199.00 installed... My cost as an authorized DEI dealer is $134.00 for the product itself...and they sell it for $65.00 over my cost installed....  many other stores bring in their own branded cheapo units like the one Ravendarat above mentioned.... products branded for a specific retailer at a super low price.... these are the units you see advertised for $149 - $199 usually ( they cost around 40 bucks each dealer )... these examples are in CDN and i know the product is much cheaper down there in USD...

but as to why your installers take so long, i tend to suspect it's an unfamiliarity with the product or the install.... my first couple starter installs years ago took almost all day ( 4-5 hours ) yet now i do a Honda or Hyundai or GM truck in about an hour to an hour and a half..... jeff was very right in saying prep the job first...most installs i prewire and tape or loom on the bench beforehand and then just carry it over to the vehicle...also, what we do here whenever possible is have 2 guys do an install, one preps the vehicle while i prep the product and then he works under the hood while i work under the dash, then he "closes" ( wire ties everything and puts all the panels back on ) while i prep the product for the next car on the bench..... somewhat like an assembly line or an operating room......

i'd say it's just a case of getting comfortable with the products and the installs and everything will begin to flow smoothly.... how long does it take them to install a radio in a chev vehicle? it's very similar.. the first install will take an hour or more and the 10th will take 20 minutes......

just dont allow yourselves to get sucked into that low ball atmosphere or trying to compete with stores that whore out the product or their labour cheaply... be willing to charge more and justify to your customers why you do.....

im not an installer but one thing i noticed when shopping around to have a RS put in my wifes car is that many of the bigger place, best buy, ultimate electronics, etc. dont hook up all the wires. they simply hook up whats needed for the RS and door locks. therefore no domelight, no trunk, no horn honk, no starter disable ( orange wire on dei) etc.its  just the basic's if you want anything else hooked up its $30bucks each. also they charge a little bit more labor if a bypass is need and there is also usually about a $15 shop supply charge which is supposed to cover relays, extra wire, diodes, etc.

JD