Abhorrent Bosses

[Pete Baird]

I thought this was a topic in which we probably have some experience dealing with. I’ll start with my current boss.
I’ve been working under this SM for over two years now. He STILL pronounces my last name wrong and last week even got my first name wrong! He called me someone elses name a couple times and was curious as to why I didnt respond…
His main job is to quote jobs for customers and manage all 8 of us techs. More frequently as of late, he’s been having us techs make quotes for him to give to the customer (we can look up and order our own parts here) as well as have US estimate time requirements…and then proceeds to chew us out for taking too long to do the job! So I have to do my job and his AND get everything done on time? Makes things even better when I walk by his office to find him browsing the internet or even dozing off in his chair! The guy was a tech for 20 years before he got this position and doesnt seem to know ANYTHING! Although, the other day when I was replacing some u-joints, he thought he would try and tell me how to do it…like I’ve never done this before.
He also tries at every opportunity to throw another department under the bus before taking responsibility himself. He gets irritated if he catches us even talking to people from other departments.
Gimme a break! :woohoo:
The only saving grace is that the GM (an even bigger arsehole), his direct boss and person responsible for giving him the SM job, recently passed away unexpectedly and his replacement is a great guy. Hopefully things will start to change for the better.

Topic

[college man]

Sounds like the POS I work for. I think they belong
to the SSA club. (secret society of asses) I never became
a member. 🙂

[Roy French]

I had a boss that I could never respect for a couple of years. He would come up behind you and ask “how soon”. If you tried to answer he would just interrupt and repeat it. His other big thing was if you weren’t under a hood, he would ask you “what are you doing RIGHT now”. If he called you after hours about a tow call or something his first word was “yeah”. He spent the day harassing us, hitting on female customers, and ripping people off.
Karma is a bitch and his bad behavior did catch up with him. First his bad toupee caught on fire when a carburetor blew fire out while he was looking into it. His head was on fire and he didn’t even know it. I don’t think any of us even considered putting it out. Finally he caught on and ripped it off his head and stomped on it. We laughed him right out of his own garage that day. He blamed the guy in the driver’s seat for the whole incident. His own 17 year old son!
Next he lost his AAA towing endorsement. I’m not sure, but I think it had something to do with ripping off a retired couple who’s tow vehicle had quit on the interstate. He was real nice to them as he sold them a timing chain job they didn’t need. The guy smelled a rat and insisted on getting the parts back. Shortly after that no more AAA. He said it was no big deal, but I knew it hurt him.
Eventually his wife got sick of catching him cheating and divorced him. He lost his fine house with the indoor swimming pool and the race car garage out back. His son who took all that crap owns it now. He ended up in a trailer. He also lost the garage in the divorce. His ex rents it out to an honest guy who runs a good business there.
Although I didn’t wish it on him, he had a stroke. As I understand it, he now spends his days drooling and pooping himself. Abusive cheats sometimes get what they deserve.
Sometimes you have to work for morally bankrupt people, but it doesn’t have to rub off on you. You may have to put up with an abusive boss, but you don’t have to let it affect you.

[George]

I never understood how these type of people get leadership positions. I’m guessing they know how to sweet talk their way.

[celticbhoy]

@roywrench

That sounds like it has been taken right out of a movie…. wow.

[Jim]

i have had a few bad bosses too. don’t know how Ur shop is but we have a revolving door of service managers. i have been there for a year and a half and i worked under four different bosses. one of them wanted to get rid of me for some cheaper techs, gosh :unsure: but my girlfriend always reassures me that management always never stays around for long.

[kevin]

ok. my current GM was nice to me in the beginning by the way, old school heavy duty tech…he must be having second thought or something. find a cheaper tech…too bad…good luck with them since they had 4 techs in two years.

i am the only tech in my shop and i have to put up with shop with no equipment…only napa tranny jack with smallest platform….no room for bringing second vehicle to do repair with hoist…not a chance.
keep hearing bs from my GM with no backbone and no real value to me….especially when it’s suppose to be a dealership…pay is decent but, it’s not worth getting hurt from not having proper equipment…

i thought i was going to stay long term in this company but, didn’t expect such a backstabbing from GM.

[drthrift035]

I hate to say it. However there are a lot of LOSER guys in this field. Guys like Eric are 1 in a Million. Starting your own business is a great way to get away from these pieces of trash. For me personally, I have never had a good Boss in Automotive. Wow. glad to know that I am not the only one that has experienced this trash !!!!!

[Jimmy]

I have a manager that asks if the techs are you done yet every hour. One time when I first was hired, the business was busy and I was working as fast as I could without making cheesy mistakes and he was on my back. can you work faster.He said it like 5 times. I was about to say arent there any customers to write up? He thinks that every job should be done in 10min like 10min quick lane. He also thinks that if we have one ticket on the board that has been there for a min. He thinks that we are busy. Well from my understanding he is a back shop manager and he has no tech experience. Also he is a clean freak and seeing that we have a huge shop he wants to see us clean every nook and cranny. I think I do more cleaning than an actual technician job.
Dont get me wrong he is a good guy. But sometimes he pisses me off.
Thank you ETCG for letting me vent.

[Author]

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