Don't be a know it all!

[cammed goat]

Oh wow. That sux. I don't think my job is flat rate but I will ask tomorrow.

[310stanger]

"how come you didnt tell me that last time" Fuck last time you assclown, were living RIGHT NOW and RIGHT NOW your car needs front brakes and 4 tires.

[310stanger]

Oh wow. That sux. I don't think my job is flat rate but I will ask tomorrow.

Do you get paid 40 hrs or more every check? do you get paid overtime? if you do you arent flat rate. pretty much if you have to ask, you aren't flat rate. Trust me, you'd know if you were.

Another variable with flat rate is if the shop is slow. No cars. No money. If you get paid hourly, it really doesnt matter because the company is "paying out"

[cammed goat]

Shit like that comes in to my work as well. I'm just a tire installer, but I see and help the mechanics with a lot of shit that they work on. One lady brought in one of her fleet vehicles for a multi-point inspection, only to tell us that she wasn't going to have any of the work done there, she just wanted it checked out because she has her own mechanic. That's where, if I had my own business, I would have told that lady to get the fuck out and don't bother coming back. But, that's probably why I don't have my own business.

So many people want shit for free, its ridiculous. I don't understand why people don't get that they are wasting our time and the mechanics time as well.

Anyone ever get the people who have brought vehicles back because something is "damaged that wasn't like that before"? Or, "One of your employees stole my iPod, my cell phone charger, and my prescription glasses"?

Fuckin' people.

When I worked for Sears we had a camera in the office and when a car came in with dents/scratches, we took pics. There were times we were accused of stealing and we would point out the item which was allegedly stolen was still in the car. And we would tell the customer we no longer wanted their business.

[cammed goat]

Do you get paid 40 hrs or more every check? do you get paid overtime? if you do you arent flat rate. pretty much if you have to ask, you aren't flat rate. Trust me, you'd know if you were.

Another variable with flat rate is if the shop is slow. No cars. No money. If you get paid hourly, it really doesnt matter because the company is "paying out"

Nope. Not flat rate.

[big hammer]

as a dealership tech, i love this thread. Cause this shit happens all the time. They dont wanna pay diag time, they come in and tell you what to do to the car, and god help you if you are dumb enough to listen to them and it doesnt fix their car. Nobody wants to pay for shit. They think you are there to fix their nonmaintained piece of shit for free. Vatozone and their "free" scans that magically "tell people whats wrong with the car" are a disservice to the industry. Looking up a code does not tell you whats wrong with the car, it tells you what fucking code the monitors are reading and firing the light. If it was as simple as looking up a code and replacing a part, cars would get fixed in 5 minutes.

replace o2 sensors

[Z28Thunder]

With the help of freinds I do most of my own work. After I bought my Z I did SFC's first then headers. Next was a 3500 stall. I did not want to tear into that so I took it to a local shop. They did a lot of work on 4th gens etc. Great group of guys recommened by many. So it was taken to them in the AM. Before I left work that evening I was called and told it was done. I go to pick it up and the tach is not working. How could you not notice the tach was not working. Brought it to the shop managers attention so they pull the car back in. After looking at it awhile they tell me it needs a battery. I did not have any battery issues and said thanks in a nice way. I said if I swap batteries and it is still not working will you look at it. They said yes!! So I went to a parts store swapped batteries and the tach still did not work. Took it back to the shop and the manager said, they would need it for the day to figure it out. Way long story short... A sensor had not be connected back. Just as tech and I am a computer tech... Just as much as tech's laugh at customers. We have stories we can tell also...

[gonzo99ta]

I refer to it as Flat Rape. This is how most technicians get paid and nearly all techs at dealers get paid

You work 8 hrs a day, 40 hrs a week roughly.
Each job you do has a value, oil change .3, brakes 2.0 etc. Well ideally you wanna "make" 8 hrs a day minimum. Then you covered your pay. If you make 12 hrs a day, you get 12 hrs pay, if you make 6 hrs you get 6 hrs pay even though you could be at work 8 hrs or longer. So in a perfect world you make more then what you are at work for, in an imperfect world you make far less and you are essentially working for free. The customer doesnt give a flying fuck if you make a living or not. NOW, we get into warranty time. Lets say you do warranty repairs all day and lots of electrical. You could speond HOURS on a job and get paid next to nothing. Lets say the whole procedure took you 10 hrs to fix but the factory only wants to pay 2. Well they fucked you out of 8 hrs. Hence Flat rape. God help you if you run into broken bolts or problems along the way.

Hence the emphasis on working fast. Thats where the corner cutting starts, where snap on makes a ton of money with an innovative tool etc.

I agree this pay system should be fixed, but it's an industry problem... maybe if all techs stopped taking jobs under this pay plan it would change. not likely to change anytime soon though, especially in this job market.

My brother was a tech for years. After listening to him complain about the pay for years, he finally did something about it.... He changed careers!

Also the customer wants their car fixed... you making a living is not the 1st thing on their mind. Same as if i go to the grocery store. i just want to get my stuff and get out. I'm not thinking what the cashier, bagger, stocker, etc are making for a living. The job they do is their choice, just do it as best you can.




as many stories of techs complaining about customers... there are just as many if not more of customers complaining about shops/techs.

After having my own learning experience with a bad shop when i was young... i double check paper work and ask twice as many questions before i drop off anything for repair. It may be a hassle to whomever now, but they can thank the one shop that did me wrong when i was younger.

[02transamce]

2 hours for front brakes! Wow when I left ford in 05 the dealership I worked at only paid 1 hour to resurface rotors and r&r pads.they said with the "floating" rotors you did not have to pack the bearings anymore so they cut the labor rate. Also the flat time for the firestone recall was b.s. 1.2 hours to mount and balance 5 tires!

[allbaugh_04]

Yep, if the book says it takes 3 hours to change a fuel pump and it only takes you 1 hour, the customer gets charged for 3.

[cammed goat]

2 hours for front brakes! Wow when I left ford in 05 the dealership I worked at only paid 1 hour to resurface rotors and r&r pads.they said with the "floating" rotors you did not have to pack the bearings anymore so they cut the labor rate. Also the flat time for the firestone recall was b.s. 1.2 hours to mount and balance 5 tires!

I REMEMBER THAT!!! Man...did it suck. There were times when I went in to open and instead of leaving at my set time, I left at almost midnight. And I would either get the next day off, or allowed to leave early as OT was limited.

[Tonik]

My favorite, and it happens all the time...

*Car comes in on a hook*
Dude jumps out and says, "My car wont start, I think it is the fuel filter."
I say, "Probably not..."
Dipshit: What do you think it is?
Me: One of a million things, if it isn't the battery, starter, or alternator (something simple) we have to diag it.
Dipshit: Well... lets replace the fuel filter and see if that's the problem.
Me: Lulz... okay, I'll take your money...

[02transamce]

I REMEMBER THAT!!! Man...did it suck. There were times when I went in to open and instead of leaving at my set time, I left at almost midnight. And I would either get the next day off, or allowed to leave early as OT was limited.

I remember installing 5 sets of 5 tires in one day,on top of the normal amount of oil changes I did back then.we had a tractor trailer full of tire,it was empty in a week!
Posted via Mobile Device

[310stanger]

I agree this pay system should be fixed, but it's an industry problem... maybe if all techs stopped taking jobs under this pay plan it would change. not likely to change anytime soon though, especially in this job market.

My brother was a tech for years. After listening to him complain about the pay for years, he finally did something about it.... He changed careers!

Also the customer wants their car fixed... you making a living is not the 1st thing on their mind. Same as if i go to the grocery store. i just want to get my stuff and get out. I'm not thinking what the cashier, bagger, stocker, etc are making for a living. The job they do is their choice, just do it as best you can.




as many stories of techs complaining about customers... there are just as many if not more of customers complaining about shops/techs.

After having my own learning experience with a bad shop when i was young... i double check paper work and ask twice as many questions before i drop off anything for repair. It may be a hassle to whomever now, but they can thank the one shop that did me wrong when i was younger.

Thats horseshit to presume that someone should have to change careers on account of a customer not wanting to pay for goods and services. Why does this only apply to auto shops and not the doctors office, or when you step into said food market and disagree with the bill? You know what the answer is? Fuck you, put the shit back then. Yet at every shop i've worked at, the customers want shit either for free, for a discount, a coupon, etc. You have something break at your house and the tech has to come out on a service call, that dude is getting paid, doesnt matter what the hell the actual problem is. With your attitude, all techs should just quit the damn business and let you people figure out your own cars. Cars would break down and never run again.

[importhater81]

Just last week a customer brought in his 01 Sonoma for no lower brake lights.
His buddy from Midas diagnosed it as a turn signal switch and the he requested we replace it. So I replaced the t/s switch as requested and still no brake lights.

So after spending about 10 minutes on it,I figure out what the problem is,the underhood fuseblock was replaced by either him or his buddy and was the wrong one.Fusebox was for a utility s/10,not a pickup.

I replace the fuse box and brake lights worked.

If he'd just brought the car in and said my brake lights don't work,instead of replace this,his bill would've been half of what it was.

[importhater81]

Yep, if the book says it takes 3 hours to change a fuel pump and it only takes you 1 hour, the customer gets charged for 3.

Being able to beat the book time comes from experience and buying thousands of dollars worth of equipment to do so. Why should the customer,who wants a discount, benefit from that?

[cammed goat]

My input: If ya can't pay for automotive repairs, take public transportation.

[allbaugh_04]

Being able to beat the book time comes from experience and buying thousands of dollars worth of equipment to do so. Why should the customer,who wants a discount, benefit from that?

Who determines the book time and at what skill level?

I'm guessing the average mechanic that isn't retarded could beat the book every time.

[cammed goat]

Not all the time. Nuts/bolts could break while removing/replacing parts...which could slow a tech down.

[importhater81]

Who determines the book time and at what skill level?

I'm guessing the average mechanic that isn't retarded could beat the book every time.

Book time is determined and I quote "by the factory using hand tools" according to G.M.

You are wrong to think every average or good tech and beat the book time every time.Take into account rusted bolts that break,cars that are hacked up by other shops or the owners,or cars that have intermittent problems that take a while to diagnose,as well as many other scenarios. In these cases the tech is the one on the receiving end of getting screwed.