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Hey guys, I’m posting here in search for some advice from different people. In short I’ve been in the automotive industry for 2 years after doing a lot of at home wrenching. I am now a lube tech at a very nice and busy dealership. Newly remodeled shop with all of the works. The line techs are getting between 60-100 hours per week. A couple are making 6 figures. It seems nice, but this is my first dealership so I don’t know what to expect elsewhere.
I’m trying to decide if its worth it to leave this dealership and give up my future flat rate spot which may not come for years. I make $13-$14 per hour depending on my spiffs. I also just became an ASE Master Tech. I’ve had my hands in all types of work but I certainly haven’t done it all with my experience. I have a loaded tool box and I feel I’m ready to become flat rate. However, my service manager and GM are begging me to stay(of course with no sort of extra compensation). I feel that I deserve more.
What do you guys think? I’m worried that it will be hard to find another dealership with techs making $100k+ will be difficult. Is it that rare? How do I even go about determining which dealership will yield the most opportunity, income, and qualities that my current dealership offers their techs?
What would you do? Thanks for the advice!
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Is your dealership in a group? Perhaps you could go to a different one.
I’ve never heard of a boss wanting to promote someone that’s doing more work for the same money. That being said, at some point you have to think of your long term future at some point. If things are good employee turnover is usually pretty slow. While I wouldn’t suggest storming out in a blaze of glory, it might be worth at least exploring your options. Sometimes the threat of having to train replace someone will motivate action being taken.
I don’t think that money should be your main motivator at this point, it has a way of backfiring and can easily lead to a potential employer blatantly lying to you about a position. Once you can look at anything, diagnose and repair it easily the money will come.
And if your current employer likes you and you leave to explore an opportunity, they’ll usually take you back.
Probably should stay where you’re at. It would sure be interesting to review a load of repair orders and find out how line guys are flagging 60-100 hours a week.
[quote=”Bluesnut” post=129688]Probably should stay where you’re at. It would sure be interesting to review a load of repair orders and find out how line guys are flagging 60-100 hours a week.[/quote]
Gravy covered gravy? Doing the same menial thing a million times to the point where you can do it in you sleep. Working longer hours. Being prototypical flat rate guys and crying over every .1. Lot’s of warranty work so they never get stuck waiting for the go ahead.
Thanks for the replies guys.
Money definitely isn’t my main concern, but it definitely is a big factor. This is ultimately why we all work right? However, I need to start getting actual experience. I’m really not getting anything in this position and I’m only getting older. The longer I’m not a line tech means the longer it will be until I’m a very skilled line tech. I’m not learning or growing in the position anymore and its really getting to me.
A few things come to mind. Number one, I wont duck or dodge about how I feel about dealerships. To me, you’ll be handicapped by staying there. Dealer techs from my experience, and YMMV, have a very limited skill set. They learn one brand of car pretty well, and even that is limited based on the mileage they see them. If you ever leave and go to the aftermarket, you will struggle while you learn all about every other car that exists. If you really want experience IMO, go aftermarket. You can still specialize in a brand, but you’ll also work on other stuff. Now nothing against the dealer guys that get on here, as you all may be great techs, this is just from what I have been exposed to. Number two, being fairly green and having all 8 ASE certs can be dangerous. Employers may assume you have the skills to back up the “patch”. I have seen a few master techs get flushed in their 90day new hire period because they misrepresented themselves. Don’t be that guy. If you go elsewhere, let them know your limitations, and your willingness to learn. That may score big points. Lastly, you’ve been at the dealership for 2 years, and still a lube tech? After two years I was making your wage, but that was 20 years ago too! What kind of things do they have you do? If you’re not doing alignments, brake work, etc yet, then to me, you’re rotting away unless you’re not cut out for this work. I don’t know you, so you have to be honest and make that call.
The idea of going somewhere else and getting a fresh start without knowing anyone is a little scary. I know I’m going to get stuck on something at some point and I will struggle. At this dealership I’m liked and I will get help no problem if I was in the position. At another dealership, i don’t know what would happen. The experience just isn’t there for me, but i’m not getting it in my current position.
Maybe I should be fighting for more work. The problem is that I’m in a team of 2 people and there are only 2 teams. I share a bay with another person. If I stop to do brakes, alignments, etc., my teammate is stuck with me. That cuts our lube teams in half. We flip LOFs and Rotates out in 20 minutes. When they stack 4-6 ROs on our board at one time its not good. The writers and other team get frustrated. Then the LOFs go to techs and now they are also angry that we are taking their labor and giving them oil changes. It’s just a bad position. But maybe I should let the service manager deal with that or leave.
I’m not learning a thing doing what I’m doing. What is another year of oil changes going to help me with? I would rather struggle on the line for a year.
Sounds like failures on multiple levels. Sharing a bay with another tech? I need at least 2 bays to function, and like 3-4 bays. Teams? More dealer BS, reminds me of Pitt and what he went thru some time ago with their “teams”. Lube guys should each have their own bay, unless you guys are tag teaming every car. With oil changes, that’s fine and dandy, but when you do more involved work, that’s a recipe for disaster. Total mismanagement by well, management. At regular shops, if you’re hired on as a GS(entry level), good management will throw you a bone or two and see how you do. Do good inspections, find the work for the techs, as that makes them happy, and helps pay for you to be there, and along the way they should give you a challenge here and there to see how you do. During down time, offer to help techs, set up the alignment heads on a vehicle for them, etc. Learn what you can, and the shop should allow you to grow. From there, it all depends on what they have room for, and your abilities and drive to succeed.
Now for much of my career, I worked franchise operations/chain stores. I even worked and was in management for a Midas chain along the way. I eventually branched out and went to work for an independent, and the hook was set. Comparable pay, lot more real work, and better shop tools. I nearly doubled what I took home in short order. It was a bit of a learning curve, but I adapted. After I saved their butts on a troublesome diag job(been there for over a month and still couldn’t get it to run) that I had running within 20 minutes, and solved the mysterious coolant loss on a GM 5.3L (lovely castech heads, porous castings), I was golden. It was scary doing something different, but in the end, I don’t think I can ever go back to their A tech work(brakes, shocks, and once in a while basic diag job).
Well if you have been there for 2 yrs I would go and look elsewhere and be honest go look I got all these Certifications because I wanted to learn. Where I am at they have me as just a LOF tech with some alignment and brake jobs every now and again. I can pretty much guarantee that if you do that and go to other dealerships you will get probably 2-3 dollars more at least an hr for an offer. That is when you walk back in and go to your boss we need to talk. Explain in depth what you want and why and explain I am looking elsewhere and have offers from xyz but, I do not want to leave here if we can make something work. If not I am giving you my 2 weeks.
If you are a good tech, on time, completed all your manufacturer training, etc and you do that something will give or you will find more experience elsewhere. Also if there are other dealerships same brand not owned by the same people then I would go to them first. Also get multiple offers.
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