Quantcast
Jump to content

ASE certified/pay/benefits


Recommended Posts

I was wondering what the general census on ASE certifications vs. pay and benefits? I have been working at the same shop for 24 years. I am an ASE master tech , L1 , State Inspection License, and Master Emission Repair License . I am paid 50 percent commission with 10 days paid vacation, about 40% towards my health insurance, no paid holidays or sick leave.Also no kind of retirement I work along side a 21 year old with no certifications or schooling who really knows nothing I help him with all his diagnostics and repairs, I also work along side an older guy also no schooling or certifications who also knows almost nothing , he tends to do engine and trans swaps (which take him a very very long time to complete) both of these fellow employees are paid the same as me 50%. I am very passionate on doing the job correctly the first time and I follow the labor guides to the tee. These other guys make up prices and really rip customers off never really solving problems. This drives me up a wall. I have tried over and over to drill it into the owners head about taking care of a customer honestly and fairly and having them come back over and over again for other repairs instead of just trying to get as much as you can at one time.. but of course it tends to fall on deaf ears. I always tell him the business is only as good as the weakest link. Is this just where I work or is this where the industry is trending? Nobody seems to want to learn the trade anymore everyone is a "technician" I am seriously thinking of starting my own business to give the public a fair and proper facility to get repairs done. Am I alone in this thinking or is it the trend? Does everyone pay their employees the same no matter skill level, certification level, and experience?

Link to comment
Share on other sites



 

Most shops do pay their employees based on their level of expertise, among other factors. A master tech with L1 in my shop and in the shops that I know, gets paid more that an entry level tech or a tech without that certification.

 

Any business has to take into account the qualifications of a particular tech.

 

Another point to consider; when an employee sees that the others around him are not pulling their weight or don't have the same passion or integrity, a breakdown on morale will occur.

 

What really bothers me is the questionable tactics you point out with the other techs. That is something I would not stand for.

 

You are in a tough spot, perhaps it's time for another sit-down with the shop owner, or time to move on.

thanks for the reply. Well for sure the morale has changed, It kills me to see what these guys do. I give the young guy hell all the time about it, he tends to do better when I am there but they work Saturday and some Sundays which I do not do and im sure they rip people off those days. They don't seem to understand you customer is your business! As you know I am not an owner, I would love to be though. My thoughts are that a person off the street "lube tech" should do oil changes, change light bulbs, tires etc. and should be paid something like 400.00 a week salary before taxes. Then to me an entry level tech is someone that has finished some sort of automotive repair school, they should be paid slightly higher, maybe even commissioned at say 30% then as they become better and more certified a raise in percentage should be given (would need to work out a scale for certifications vs percentage of pay) . That being said someone like my self fully certified with inspection license , L1, and Master emission license should get 50% and maybe even a little extra such I don't know I am not a owner or have actually run a business, but think if I was an owner that is the kind of person I would want to employ and keep happy .

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         5 comments
      I recently spoke with a friend of mine who owns a large general repair shop in the Midwest. His father founded the business in 1975. He was telling me that although he’s busy, he’s also very frustrated. When I probed him more about his frustrations, he said that it’s hard to find qualified technicians. My friend employs four technicians and is looking to hire two more. I then asked him, “How long does a technician last working for you.” He looked puzzled and replied, “I never really thought about that, but I can tell that except for one tech, most technicians don’t last working for me longer than a few years.”
      Judging from personal experience as a shop owner and from what I know about the auto repair industry, I can tell you that other than a few exceptions, the turnover rate for technicians in our industry is too high. This makes me think, do we have a technician shortage or a retention problem? Have we done the best we can over the decades to provide great pay plans, benefits packages, great work environments, and the right culture to ensure that the techs we have stay with us?
      Finding and hiring qualified automotive technicians is not a new phenomenon. This problem has been around for as long as I can remember. While we do need to attract people to our industry and provide the necessary training and mentorship, we also need to focus on retention. Having a revolving door and needing to hire techs every few years or so costs your company money. Big money! And that revolving door may be a sign of an even bigger issue: poor leadership, and poor employee management skills.
      Here’s one more thing to consider, for the most part, technicians don’t leave one job to start a new career, they leave one shop as a technician to become a technician at another shop. The reasons why they leave can be debated, but there is one fact that we cannot deny, people don’t quit the company they work for, they usually leave because of the boss or manager they work for.
      Put yourselves in the shoes of your employees. Do you have a workplace that communicates, “We appreciate you and want you to stay!”
  • Similar Topics



  • Our Sponsors



×
×
  • Create New...