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I just want to say what I think about the situation in this industry. We can all rant and argue about unfairness of flat rate, unpaid diagnostics and inspections and oil changes, customers who don’t want to pay, warranty times that are getting cut more and more, disposable techs, moronic bosses… list can go on and on and I totally agree about all this stuff. But inconvenient truth is: there are just to many of us in this field right now. That is why there is always someone who will do job for less or even for free hoping to upsell something or just to keep customer around, do not let him go to another shop or another tech.
That is why they have have flat rape system that allows to make you doing job for free. That is why manufacturers can cut warranty times and at the same time extend warranty coverage and terms. Why not? There are just plenty of techs out there, there always will be someone who will do the job for peanuts. And if he’ll make a mistake, does a poor job under all this pressure – fire him, sue him and get yourself another walking talking tool, they are cheap and aplenty!
It is easy to explain, I’ve seen it happening in more then one country. When big industry crumples down there is a lot of technically minded people who know how to work with tools and apply brains to it getting on the streets. And at the same time among all the technical fields automotive is certainly the most attractive… I mean, appears to be the most attractive, most interesting field. This thins that we are working on are amazing marvels of technology, wanted by everyone and we can drive more of different cars than 99.99% of the rest of population will ever drive in their lives. That is how I came to this field, this why a lot of other boys and some girls were and still are coming here.
I am lucky right now to be somewhere, where almost more “hiring technicians” posters than actual technicians around. I’ve seen advertised salary for bank branch manager that was less then my income, wow! I’ve just experienced a situation when more then half of certified techs left the dealership for better jobs. God, what a miracles does it make! Now they, up there in office, working hard to make my diagnostic time covered in one way or another, I am totally busy and I can make boss angry like hell and still keep the job and get paid (no, I am not making them angry on purpose, of course). We still have “complimentary inspections” shit, but there is no time to do it because paying jobs are piling up! I don’t know is it just the last oasis left in the world or is it a beginning of new era when people who make stuff to exist and keep things going finally will get appreciated. Hopefully its the later as baby boomers are getting retired and I am not seeing many of the bright young guys coming. Also cars are getting more and more complex and difficult to diagnose and fix and educational system is just not up to the task to train people for doing it. As a matter of fact diagnostic work is a work for engineers rather than mechanics now.
But even if future is not so bright, I’d rather go and do something else – industrial of fleet maintenance / repairs, electrician stuff or even IT – or even fix cars at home for cash. Heck, I do not care if that’s illegal in this country, if I got caught, I’ll move to another side of the planet, cars are everywhere and good mechanics will be appreciated anyway. I am not gonna work for free or for peanuts, no way…
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I think you are right. I have been putting apps in for a while now and have only had 1 call for an interview. So I will just have to tough it out where I am.
You are exactly right. In a free market as we have here the going salary will always be what the employers can workers to settle for.
See, there is a need for a good, experienced guys, I can’t deny that. In some cases they can even make a good living (well, I would say I was doing at good average or above that most of the time and right now I am rather optimistic about near future). But for young guys this must be very hard. I am lucky I have skipped my first 10 years running my own shop and ditched it right before that business (car alarms) collapsed in that particular country. So I was making in best years like three to five times more money then average tech salary then there was, feeling myself almost rich. And at the same time I have built up experience and knowledge in friendliest possible environment – my own place. When I had to face what Eric called “Dealership Politics” I was already so good that getting my place under the sun was an easy task.
If I would be able to start my life over again, I would not go into Motor Industry again. I had a strong interest to two things when I was young boy after the school – cars and computers. I am trying to convince myself otherwise, but the truth is – I made a poor choice. Being an IT guy I could be a software architect by now (I was excellent in maths and even had some experience in programming in school years) and have a better pay, way less stress and way better health. OK, not having to pay crazy bills for repairing my cars or for leasing them is sort of leveling up pay issue, may be I would even be more stressed in office environment (had a bit of that in my life – it was a nightmare!), but bad health – that is definitely where I have lost.[quote=”twiggy02919″ post=65228]You are exactly right. In a free market as we have here the going salary will always be what the employers can workers to settle for.[/quote]
It is not just employers who at fault. Essentially its customers who are spoiled with choice of so many techs around. If customer can get just a repair in one place and repair + free inspection + free car wash + coupon for free all changes – where would he go? And then guess who will do all the free shit?[quote=”AndrewGP” post=65233][quote=”twiggy02919″ post=65228]You are exactly right. In a free market as we have here the going salary will always be what the employers can workers to settle for.[/quote]
It is not just employers who at fault. Essentially its customers who are spoiled with choice of so many techs around. If customer can get just a repair in one place and repair + free inspection + free car wash + coupon for free all changes – where would he go? And then guess who will do all the free shit?[/quote]That’s why I don’t take advantage of those offers. I don’t want anyone doing that stuff for me for free or little pay.
Yeah, I feel so awkward when someone offers me some service for free so I tend to avoid these offers. I am trying to be as self-sufficient as possible, but if I need and ask someone to help me with something (I don’t mean family members, sure) I do not skip on paying for it. This is a matter of respect to other people, if they done anything for me I gotta be grateful. I understand that most honest people ask for lower price than they deserve, gotta be competitive, you know. So unless I am very low on cash I am paying more then they asked – again, this is the way to express gratitude. As a result then I am building good relationships with those people and getting fantastic service.
Possibly some of this could be due to car manufacturers getting involved with trade schools and so on.
Essentially what is happening is that the schools are breeding a huge number of mostly young, naive guys who are trained to buy into the corporate lines.A guy burns out and becomes disillusioned in a year or so? Not a problem; the next automotive class is currently graduating……… 🙁
That’s where I am stuck. I was a diesel mechanic in the Army for 3 years. Used my GI Bill when I got out to get a degree in Computer Information Systems, and in Automotive Transportation Technology. Landed me a job at a local dealership as a lube tech. 🙁 True, I have not gone to take any ASE tests. I should have before I graduated and became broke. So I can’t afford to take any ASE tests currently. But here in Southern California, it’s no joke about the over abundance of techs. I feel the only way I will make a living in this line of work, is to move. :blink: Started me out at $9 an hour. They pay the same for lot porters who chill all day. I haven’t made this little money in 10 YEARS!!!
It totally depends on where you live too. Vancouver for example has a lot of openings for techs, as well as many cities across Canada. I was offered a few jobs even before I was finished school. The situation in the US from my understanding is entirely different, but of course you’re going to find that in a country that has 10X the population. My fiance is american and I expressed to her that I would like to move to the states at some point, but jobs are hard to come by.
[quote=”celticbhoy” post=68356]It totally depends on where you live too. Vancouver for example has a lot of openings for techs, as well as many cities across Canada. I was offered a few jobs even before I was finished school. The situation in the US from my understanding is entirely different, but of course you’re going to find that in a country that has 10X the population. My fiance is american and I expressed to her that I would like to move to the states at some point, but jobs are hard to come by.[/quote]
I wouldn’t do it.
Search “right to work”, and you’ll see one reason that it is a nightmare to find “good” work in the states.
Main reason there are so many openings right now in Van is because they are headed east. More work east, and better pay.
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