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Posted

I was talking a few months ago to an old-timer who has been building race engines for 50 plus years and he mentioned something about never turning his radio off in the shop. I am wondering if anyone has ever heard the significance or reason behind this? You could bearly hear the radio was on but thought it was interesting.

Posted

I guess I fall under the category of "Old Timer" now... My shop radio has never been shut off since I opened my shop some 28 years ago. Several years ago the one channel went out so I wired all the speakers to the same channel. But, it's on all the time in the background.

 

Why? I don't know, it's just is........... :)

 

 

 

I was talking a few months ago to an old-timer who has been building race engines for 50 plus years and he mentioned something about never turning his radio off in the shop. I am wondering if anyone has ever heard the significance or reason behind this? You could bearly hear the radio was on but thought it was interesting.

Posted

I don't know if it is right or not. Our Techs have their radios going all the time. They don't talk to customers, usually. If we have to take a customer back to see something on their car, the techs are really good about turning down or off their radios. If it makes them happy and work better, I don't care. The cell phones, texting, craigs list, facebook etc do drive me crazy. We try to control it, but I don't see how you can control it 100%.

 

As long as they are not playing rap or worse "gansta" rap, it is ok with me.

Posted

Mine is on a mix station, that way nobody complains.... but, after a while I gotta change the station... they keep playing the same songs over and over and over..... LOL

 

We have country on the radio here (which I don't really care for but don't mind) It could be worse like was mentioned.

Posted

I was talking a few months ago to an old-timer who has been building race engines for 50 plus years and he mentioned something about never turning his radio off in the shop. I am wondering if anyone has ever heard the significance or reason behind this? You could bearly hear the radio was on but thought it was interesting.

 

I'm a one man shop right now and usually have the radio on. On occasion I'll turn it off just for the peace and quiet, or so I can inspect for a noise or something similar. When I worked at other shops some had NO RADIO policies, others had, "It's OK if nobody complains," policies. The no radio shops were strictly because the foreman didn't like that, "Junk you kids listen too." I guess since it wasn't a wax cylinder Victrola it was too new-fangled. One shop was no radio in the new shop, a fire destroyed the first building and everything in it including a '73 Jensen Intercerptor), although the owner's kid could have his radio. This guy was a joke, I called him "master mechanic" because he could do only brakes and then only on cars for a used car lot because he had no certifications. Enough of the rant though, I've only ever heard one good excuse for no radios, and that's when the techs in the shop get into "radio wars" where each one tries to outdo each other with volume. Then it's a destructive environment.

  • 7 years later...
Posted

I allow the radio to be on but it has to be a music station. Music, when played at a respectable volume does not hinder productivity as far as I can tell. Talk radio on the other hand reduces productivity since a tech or worse yet multiple techs will pause and limit noisy activity to be able to hear the discussion on the talk show. Additional time is then wasted when the techs render their opinion on the subject at hand, all work stops for a verbal review, not good. Another problem is that some talk radio station topics or hosts can be rather questionable and often step over the line considering anyone could be listening. On nice days with all of the doors open this questionable content can be a problem since customers, in particular women and young children, are within ear shot. Everyone in the shop is similar in age so the music station selected is never an issue. My one tech started changing the station to classical music after all the jobs are done and the shop is shut down and quiet. I have never liked classical music but when played in the background at the end of a busy day it seems to have a subtle calming effect. I never thought I would say that.

Posted

An "old timer" told me he leaves it on to scare away potential break ins when the shop is closed. The thought process is the would be thief would here the radio and think someone is still inside. 

  • Like 1
  • 3 weeks later...
Posted
On 3/4/2011 at 6:56 AM, CARMandP said:

I was talking a few months ago to an old-timer who has been building race engines for 50 plus years and he mentioned something about never turning his radio off in the shop. I am wondering if anyone has ever heard the significance or reason behind this? You could bearly hear the radio was on but thought it was interesting.

Way back then the believe was that the radio internals get hot, when switched off it will form condensation and eventually blew the caps & resistors leaving the radio useless.

My radio in the shop has been on for the past 24 years non stop.

 

  • 5 years later...
Posted

Change of direction on this topic... EARBUDS! What are the thoughts on this? I have techs that you can walk up behind and scare because they are so focused in on the earbuds especially with noise cancelling. I can understand new technology and now we wont have radio station battles but its hitting a point I see lack of focus and am concerned on safety. How are you all dealing with this or have you even started to see the negative trends I'm noticing?

  • Like 1
Posted

Ear buds should never be allowed. The customer and in turn the shop owner is paying techs for their undivided attention. Music that everyone in the shop can agree on or no radio and definitely no ear buds. 

Posted

Thanks for the response guys, my thoughts are the safety issue alone is a problem. I had not thought of the undivided attention is what I'm paying for but that's very true, I want all senses working at solving issues with customers cars. Thanks again for the input I appreciate the insight!

Posted
13 hours ago, Transmission Repair said:

My first time the topic of a radio/music came up was over 30 years ago and I was an employee.  Most transmission shops have a "building room" and transmissions aren't built in the open shop.  I have always preferred to NOT HAVE any radio/music when building transmissions.  To me, it's too distracting.  I prefer total silence.  The only noise I would hear when building transmissions was only the sound of blowing parts dry or the parts washer running.  I've always been that way.

Ever since I became self-employed, I let the employees work it out between themselves.  It has never been a problem that I'm aware of.  I've never seen the use of earbuds or headphones by any employee.  Maybe I'm just lucky.  What HAS been a problem is when an employee performs a road test, they sometimes change the customer's radio station to their own and/or turn the volume up so loud, it blasts the customer's eardrums.  I had to institute a "don't mess with the customer's radio" policy.  It's bad enough when they change all the customers' mirrors.

Over the years, I finally got smart and included my radio/mirrors policy in the employee manual.

I was taught when I was first starting out in this business, DO NOT adjust the mirrors, the seat or the radio/climate control unless you absolutely have to. Such as, me being 6 foot tall and having customers whose seat is so close to the dashboard that my leg simply does not fit between the seat and dash. Or, if you have to turn off the radio/fan in order to hear a noise. And, of course if it is imperative for you to adjust the mirrors so you can see in the mirrors wile driving. I would impose and enforce the same with employees. I've gotten pretty good at driving and moving to see out of the mirrors when driving customers' vehicles.

Posted

A radio on in the background can be "tuned out" and isn't front and center in the techs' minds. But the earbuds are specifically for their attention and will interfere with their doing their jobs safely. Your techs may complain and resist, but at the end of the day, you are the one who pays for any injuries or damage (including through your insurance) because their attention was not fully on the job you are paying them for.

 

Regarding cellphones and facebook/ebay/craigslist/etc. NO! Just simply NO! If they need to make a phone call or take a phone call for an emergency or an urgency then it should be on the shop phone. Too many distractions or opportunities for malfeasance if they are allowed to "play on their phones."  Some of those emergencies or urgencies they have may be personal matters they have to attend to, such as doctor's appointments or a plumber for the leaking drain pipe or a roofer, kids' schools or daycare, etc. that can only be handled during business hours and not during their lunch. Oh, and ABSOLUTELY NO CELLPHONES ON TEST DRIVES unless it's been approved first (you know those situations when there is a possibility that they may need to call for a tow).

  • Like 1

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         0 comments
      It always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
      While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
      Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
      One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.
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