Most dealerships have a "one size fits all" approach when it comes to service pricing. However, most of your customers are willing to pay a premium for specialized services that require factory-certified technicians. In fact, they often expect it.

For example, many consumers will not trust anyone but a dealership to work on their hybrids or perform heavy engine work. Why not charge a higher labor rate for the technical diagnosis and expertise needed to properly care for their vehicle?

A feature in Service Pricing Guide called Labor and Parts Pricing Exceptions makes micro-targeting your pricing simple. With this feature you can easily set up a default pricing model with exceptions based on any combination of make, model, and skill.

Here's how to set up your exceptions in Service Pricing Guide:

1. From the Service Options screen, select Functions - SPG/CPO Controls - Parts and Labor Pricing Exceptions.
2. Press F10 to add a new item or F11 to edit an existing item.
3. Enter appropriate information in the dropdown menus and search boxes for specific labor kickers, labor rates, parts calculations codes, and parts matrices.
4. Press F12 or click OK.
5. Repeat for each new exception you wish to set up.

Your technicians are specially trained to do certain work on vehicles, and by using exceptions, you can make sure you capitalize on their expertise.