Don't Service Fleet Accounts - Corp won't pay you

Fleet. Express Fleet. It doesn't matter. Central Billing is the equivalent of "we got it you don't get it." Almost every owner I've talked to on this subject is outraged. When you service a fleet account you take only get paid a reduced "national fleet" amount. Then you'll receive a reduced payment on that amount since the corporate fleet department negotiated the national fleet account. Then if corporate can convince the national fleet ot let corporate collect all monies and pay out to the franchisee, corporate will hit you for another fee. Together these fees usually amount to 10+%. But you'll wait 30-60 days for payment, and you'll have to go into attack mode to finally get them to release the money. By the way, if a fleet account goes into financial trouble, you might not get paid at all. If the fleet has any money, Corporate will pay themselves first, the Express guys second, and if there are pennies left over they might pay the rest of us. Now you can avoid this by signing up for Fleet Express Pay - you'll pay an additional 2% but you're supposed to get you money in five business days. But you'll still have to call and demand your money. And if Corporate gets behind in their cash flow, you won't get that money for weeks (but you'll still lose the 2%) or longer, depending on how loud you scream. these guys are a joke. and they'll rape your bank account while telling you how grateful you should be.

NEW FRANCHISES WILL KILL YOUR CENTER

They're at it again. If a candidate has money - even an existing franchisee who's behind on their accounts, has terrible customer complaint levels, sends customers to other repair centers in order to avoid paying royalties - and that candidate plops down a deposit, then Corporate will drop a center right in top of you. I know. They just put one on the street parellel to me but only 2 miles away. Their excuse: "different traffic patterns." What horseshit. They never talked to any of the owners in the market, would not provide me any qualitative or quantitative information to back up their claims, and I had to escalate to get them to even return my calls. WOW - what a terrible investment I made in AAMCO. I almost feel sorry for all those Cottman guys who converted to AAMCO - now they're member of the largest network of the worst run franchise company in the automotive industry. And corporate - well, they are just out for their own money. Every time the run an existing shop out of business, they have an opportunity to try and dupe another idiot into paying for a money-losing AAMCO franchise.

No One is Left At Corporate - I'm lonely

Well, the latest round of head count reduction at corporate has pretty much eliminated everyone but officers. The former legal head of consumer affairs is now manning the phone lines and taking customer complaints. The head of credit/collections has managed to keep two or three people to shield him from calls from franchisees, but that's a far cry from the dozen credit managers who used to investigate and resolve franchisee problems. Now you can leave a message. Then a few days later you can leave a message. Then a few days later you can leave a message. After a few weeks you'll get a warning letter that they're going to close you store if you don't do as they say. So you call and leave a message. Then a few days later you call and leave....oh well, you see how it goes.
Lordy I wish I had bought a Subway.

AAMCO FOCUS TranScan Form

Hey - the new FOCUS has a new TranScan form. There is no place to write the level and condition of the Transmission Fluid. HA HA HA HA. What morons@!! That is the VERY FIRST THING you look at on a car with suspected transmission problems. HA HA HA HA!!! WHat morons!!!! I called and asked to go back to the old form. They said everyone was complaining and that they new it was a big stupid oversight....but there was not plan to go back to the original (and better) form or to fix the new one. OMG - why did I get involved with these idiots! Please please Mr. Morgan - come back before the chain goes under.

FOCUS IS BOGUS

Got my newest (ok, newest this month) FOCUS CD. Along with the inevitable Shipping and Handling charge. What a piece of crap. This software continues to get worse and worse as they try to cram more and more into it. Crap. Crap. Crap.

Penalties and Interest Charges BULLSH**

I've been disputing a charge from Amercian Driveline/AAMCO Transmissions Corp for about three months. We have exchanged emails and data files, etc. trying to understand the problem. Now I find that I am being charged penalties and interest for not being current on the account. What BULLSH** They tell me the charges must stand because I should have paid the mistaken bill and waited for a credit correction after they finish their investigation. But I've been in the franchise for 20 years and I know that once they have my money they'll NEVER give a credit or refund. What nonsense. This is not the same franchise I bought years ago. These new people are self-serving jerks. The investors just want to flip the business for a profit, and the only way they can do that is to squeeze more profits on the backs of owners like me. I would n0t buy from these guyse based on what I've experienced in the last three years.

IF YOU ARE LOSING YOUR SHIRT - TELL CORP

So they can open another center across the street. DO NOT BUY FRANCHISE. You'll be broke by next year!!!