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Posted

I have heard of some dealers getting rid of the 20 year guys and hiring younger folks and training them to change parts until the car is fixed..

That's happening locally right now!

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Joe everything you posted is the exact reason I quit the dealership and started my own shop at the age of 21. I was sent to all of the training for the dealer I worked for and got their Master status. (Which I found out later was just so they could process warranty repairs. Manufacturer requires a manufacturer trained tech perform the repairs in order to get reimbursed) Well I would perform all of the warranty work and get paid almost nothing for doing it while my counterparts did PAID work. Never broke 40 paid hours in two weeks. LESS than 50% of my time was paid. Couldn't make a living and was promised it will get better for the longest time. Their loss, as my shop has become known for correctly diagnosing vehicles when other shops couldn't. (Sounds conceited but this is what I have been told by many customers, vendors and other shop techs)

 

I wanted a career that I could be proud of and make an honest living. I couldn't find it and most of the people I have known who are WONDERFUL techs, service advisors, service managers etc have all left the field. Some things need to change or consumers could find themselves in quite the pickle. My fiancee and I have worked to make our shop an exception and be a place that people want to work for and can make an honest living. We work at it everyday and when I have 30 years in, we'll see if I have any regrets. I may, but leaving the dealership world WILL NOT be one of them.

 

Andrew

  • Like 2
Posted

Andrew that is a great story and with a personal desire to be great, like it sounds like you have, will take you farther than you can imagine.

 

I too left the Dealership world for the same reasons and I really loved to fix cars and was/are still really good at it. I see the problem is that a lot of Dealers are so money hungry and they want Techs that Hang High Dollar parts and also charge high Labor. Unfortunately I see a lot of Greed out there from that side of the business and also not much loyalty to the people that make it happen.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted (edited)

I worked at a dealer for 2 weeks. Buddy system pay meant my buddy got paid for my extra work and I lost because my buddy was slow. That was enough for me, most stressful 2 weeks of my life. Plus the dealer work was bs for the new guy, warranty crank shaft jobs for like 6.2 on an Acura Integra yea right good luck beating the warranty time...at least the senior guys didn't have to do that nonsense.

 

The only good thing was a guy cleaned the floor every night.

Edited by alfredauto
Posted

I worked at a dealer for 2 weeks. Buddy system pay meant my buddy got paid for my extra work and I lost because my buddy was slow. That was enough for me, most stressful 2 weeks of my life. Plus the dealer work was bs for the new guy, warranty crank shaft jobs for like 6.2 on an Acura Integra yea right good luck beating the warranty time...at least the senior guys didn't have to do that nonsense.

 

The only good thing was a guy cleaned the floor every night.

 

I was let go from the dealer because they thought I was cutting corners, after 1 year of doing the BS new guy work I was flagging as much as the old timers I was also working 3 hours more a day but nobody noticed that. Keep doing the same job over and over and your get fast and good at it.

Posted

AI have been on both sides of the counter at a dealership. I was a technician and a service advisor manager. I have seen technicians get pushed out because of their wages. It's ridiculous! This has been going on the past decade to reduce the cost, and raise profit. Dealers / Manufacturers want you to do more work these days and want to pay you less for it. The whole dealership framework is flawed. It's nice to see other people out there with a similar experience. Dealerships suck!

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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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