DEL.ICIO.USService providers look to cut costs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/28/08
The miles pile up on Stephanie Wiernik's Ford Ranger, and the math makes less and less sense.
For six years, Wiernik has been the rare violin teacher who traveled to students' homes to give lessons.
 Allen Sullivan/Staff | ||
| Stephanie Wiernik works with Lindsey Wilson, 7, on the violin at Lindsey's home in Marietta, Ga. | ||
 Allen Sullivan/Staff | ||
| Stephanie Wiernik said gas prices are altering the way she does business. | ||
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"I enjoy that, because it makes me more a part of their family culture," said Wiernik, 29, of Woodstock.
But with gas prices at record levels and still rising, Wiernik has concluded she has to make a change to make the job worthwhile — raising fees or having students come to her are two options."It doesn't make sense, money-wise, to drive to people's houses," she said.
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The bite of historically high fuel prices has snared even young violinists. Those reliant on their cars and trucks to make a living — couriers, plumbers, mobile dog groomers — are making changes to stay afloat.
"It's costing me about $500 a day to run six trucks," said Jonathan Perez, owner of a Duluth air conditioning and heating service company. "It's a huge impact on our business."
Perez has made some difficult concessions to gas prices. Two weeks ago, he bumped up the cost of a service call from $55 — the price it had been since he went to work for his father nine years ago — to $65. While Perez' Cool Masters companyprides itself on same-day service, dispatchers now wait a day or two until more calls arrive in the same area to cut down on trips.
Perez estimates that three out of 10 potential customers go elsewhere when they learn of the wait time.
Previously, fuel costs were not "a major factor in our overhead," Perez said. "Now it's the first thing we have to think about."
At Marietta Dodge, the Sprinter cargo van has become an increasingly popular purchase. Business link manager Don Garner said he has sold about 100 Sprinters, noted for their fuel efficiency, since January.
Among his customers is Superior Plumbing in Kennesaw, which says it is benefiting, relatively speaking, from its decision to switch its entire fleet of cargo vans to the Sprinter. Owner Jay Cunningham said the Sprinter gets about 20 miles per gallon compared with about 10 mpg in the old vans.
"When you're using what feels like hundreds of gallons an hour, you want to look at that idea seriously," he said.
Fuel efficiency is a drain for Sonya Sanchez, a mobile dog groomer. Her ambulance-sized truck putters along at 9 mpg, she said. The truck is saddled with 80 gallons of water, adding about 640 pounds.
She spends between $1,600 and $2,000 on gas monthly. Because of the extra costs, she says her assistants take home more money than she does.
In an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article in November 2006, Sanchez touted mobile businesses — office supplies, veterinarians, car service and the like — as the wave of the future.
Now, she said, "I don't know how they're hanging on."
In a typical year, Georgia Messenger Service, a courier in the Doraville area, might raise rates once, possibly twice. However, because of gas increases, the company has already raised rates twice since January."We have a heart, too," said vice president Kenny Overby. "It hurts us to have to do it."
Wiernik knows all about it. Teaching the violin helped put her through college and has been her full-time job for five years. When considering raising her fees — between $20 and $37.50 for a half-hour lesson — she anguishes over squeezing out middle-class students.
But, with students spread out across Cobb and north Fulton counties, she doesn't think she has a choice as long as gas prices stay high.
At the end of the school year, she said, "I'm putting on my ruthless face."
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More on ajc.com
- GAS PRICES FUEL CHANGES, PROTEST: On-the-go services try to keep up with increases (04/28/2008)
- Businesses ease back on gas pedals (04/28/2008)
- Bailout result sinks oil prices (09/30/2008)
- Oil plunges $10 as US bailout plan voted down (09/29/2008)
- Pontiac G8 sedan: a practical luxury car (09/29/2008)
- METRO ATLANTA GAS SHORTAGE: If commuters come up dry ... (09/28/2008)
- METRO ATLANTA GAS SHORTAGE: Drivers in delivery business take a hit (09/28/2008)
- Gas crunch hits delivery businesses (09/27/2008)
- State asks stations about gas gouging (09/27/2008)
- AIRLINES: Contracts may backfire (09/27/2008)
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Comments
By elisa
Oct 26, 2008 6:04 PM | Link to this
I wish i could get in contact with that teacher. Ive been seeking a teacher for my child.
By elisa
Oct 26, 2008 6:03 PM | Link to this
I wish i could get in contact with that teacher. Ive been seeking a teacher for my child.
By vincent vega
May 6, 2008 1:43 AM | Link to this
Funny how in spite of the high gas prices, the pathetic trashy people in Canton refuse to tip the pizza guy more than two bucks. Maybe if you're such a dirtbag that you won't tip (Or tip two freaking dollars) you should get in YOUR car and come pick your food up.
By marlo
Apr 29, 2008 3:28 PM | Link to this
It is nice to see children learning an instrument and sad to see the teacher can't afford to teach the precious babies without losing income.
By jason
Apr 29, 2008 2:11 PM | Link to this
Whoever would advocate drilling in Alaska is NOT an environmentalist, favors meaningless wars overseas to enrich the few...and would shudder to think that they might have to make a sacrifice such as having to look at a wind turbine in order to wean ourselves off our fossil fuel fix. These hypocritical "neocons" are not conservative in any way intended by the Founding Fathers. They believe it is every man/woman for themself, and the slash and burn policy of GW is fine...even though we have already done irreparable damage to our country and the world. These backwards people hypocritically like to pop out a lot of kids they can't support and then advocate fighting overseas and passing on your tax burden to the next generation...who are supposed to also wipe your @) at the same time working at min wage service jobs, since we are not preparing anybody for future jobs, europe and asia are leaping past us in jobs, environmental solutions, alternative energy, and we are arguing over the subtle nuances or secret innuendo of "bitter" and "hope" thanks to media....then we can read how they can't pay their mortgage on their McMansion with five kids...no, really???
By jason
Apr 29, 2008 2:02 PM | Link to this
Bush says Congress is to blame, not Iraq or ethanol, etc....globalization is to blame while he pursues separate trade pacts with Colombian; what is right/wrong, whoever will trade with us at favorable terms is our friend, whoever has natural resources inhospitable to us is our enemy....our utopian social engineering experiment did not work; Midwest farmers get huge subsidies to NOT produce crops, (except for alternative crops, what Bush calls fruit and vegetable farmers in the East) and the rest of the world is having food riots...our global population has already exceeded the Earth's carrying capacity and Bush via EPA will not even let states set their own emissions standards or enforce cap on emissions....bottom line: we are screwed and we all SHOULD know where to point the blame and HOW to get out of this mess, but alas, I have little faith in easily manipulated Americans....who are swayed most by swift-boat tactics than facts...good luck to all of us....
By kitty
Apr 29, 2008 11:45 AM | Link to this
Does ANYBODY have a crystal ball and can tell us where our country is going with this? Or better yet, can anyone tell me how we got here? Is it our government or is it the taxpayers? Do we have any recourse? How does one vote? WHo can fix this? Will it fix? I am truly concerned -- yeah, it costs for you and me to get places, but the price of our goods and services are going to be out of reach. Our economy went from steadily losing ground to spiraling out of control.
kitty
By Andy
Apr 29, 2008 11:44 AM | Link to this
China rate of industrialization will inevitably even put a higher strain on gas and oil prices. They'll be driving more cars in the future. Our economy is slow to produce non-combustile type of engines. We still rely on Oil based energy, coal ect. (This technology is decades old). The oil companies are waiting for the supply of oil to be completely depleted before they seriously consider alternative energy sources. They'll go for the quick buck anytime of the day.
A quick fact. Do you know that the Sun throughout it's entire life (Billions of years)will burns less than 1% of it's entire mass? And any given day if we only harnessed some of the electormagntic radiation that is emitted (which is only a tiny fraction of energy generated by the sun)we could power the whole earth! We need to think of why god gave us some of the best things in our life at no charge (the sun, gravity, rain, the ocean, wind, etc. can all be used to create energy). Do we need wait until it's to late to realize. God gave us this choice but greed and pride will keep the oil game in play which will cause more shortages, wars, famines and the like. I pray for all of us.
By dc
Apr 29, 2008 10:36 AM | Link to this
Can Someone Answer me this???
What ever happpened to ole "Stormy" Perdue cutting state gas taxes to help the GA folk out? They raised the tax when gas prices dropped stating it was written in the law, but when gas prices went back up they never took off the gas tax. Good old gov't, and hey, what can Sonny not do for you now?
By kaygee62
Apr 29, 2008 6:41 AM | Link to this
Well, Nick - it appears there are some people who will go on the attack with basically no facts except for their ONE BAD EXPERIENCE. People, don't let the negative experience of one person influence you to continue encouraging people in their gas-guzzling and unnecessary driving ways. At almost $4.00 a gallon, it is ridiculous to drive in to work when one can do more work from home, including the time spent commuting. AND I DO WORK I do not play at working. Of course, I do not need to justify what I do or do not do to blowhards like our friend who has had the bad experience. Apparently his wife should FIRE her employee and get someone more dependable!
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