skm

I had one like that the other day, the customer brought their own oil as he was filling out the ticket I asked him to write on the ticket "Has own oil and filter". I didn't take much notice handed the ticket to the Lube tech and he proceeded to change the oil in the car. When the guy came to pick the car up he was furious that we didn't use his oil. I retrieved his hard copy from the trash can by the computer where the tickets are printed and he had written "synthetic oil" no mention of his own oil.. I asked the tech if he used synthetic he showed me 4 empty bottles of 5w20 mobile one. The customer had the gallon jug of 5w20 mobile one. I tried to explain it was the exact same thing but he didn't believe me because of the size of the bottles. LOL.. To end anymore conflict I put his car back on the lift and drained the oil in the car into an oil jug, replaced the filter with his own and poured 4.5 qrts back in his car . Handed him the half quart left in his gallon jug and sent him on his way .. He was very happy as he left .. I don't think I would of ever been able to make him believe me that the quarts we have are the same as the jug he has.. 

😂 So true and funny !!!! I am sure those pocket screwdrivers are best friends with those 10mm sockets, they are just as evasive 🤔

Great read ! The high expectations are already there the high compensation, well I hope that will be coming before it gets too late.. It has become a several times a day battle to try to get customers to understand why there are diagnostic charges and they don't drive a simple car anymore they are driving a bunch of computers on wheels. 

It is also probably a double sided sword when cars become more user friendly the general public probably believes the repair of them has followed suit . Remember all we need to do to repair a car is google , youtube, or phone a friend LOL.. 

It will definitely take someone very dedicated and willing to learn, to get into the repair business these days. 

we are known by a large majority of the general public as "grease monkeys, rip offs, uneducated kind of bottom feeders" also everyone thinks mechanics are rich all of these are so far from the truth will this ever change?? maybe maybe not. Will we ever break the stigma given to us ? possible once the workforce is weeded of the hacks etc. , until then well we just have to keep on plucking forward

Scott,

I am sorry i upset you, I am very passionate about what I do . I see way too many hacks and street guys out there. I can see you are also very passionate about what you do as well, this is what we need to keep this industry in check. We will all have different opinions on things and the way things should be done just because one enters an opinion that differs from one's own it does not mean it is an attack on them it is just an opinion.. (we all interpret things in different ways, one may read something and see it totally different to how someone else may see it)

It is great that you have the confidence in your crew ! I am sure that makes your job that much easier. 

Yes we all need access to information and yes there is no such thing as too much information . Sometimes that information may be very questionable especially when coming from a very public source .. If you don't mind I would like to see some of the videos you have made . 

Anyway enjoy the rest of you time off and Happy New Year to you. May this coming year be even more profitable than the last !

Happy New Year

simon

scott, I knew I would hit a nerve.... one easy solution a shop program such as alldata, shopkey etc.... of course nobody has all the information , but also you are not going to find software updates on Youtube.. you are reaching for an excuse let's be honest my friend if you went to the doctor and saw him looking up symptoms or how to perform a particular procedure on youtube you would not have much trust or faith in them.. so why would you with a mechanic.. now if they were accessing a clinical program with proper documents written by professionals not self proclaimed Dr's you would have more faith in them... Next time you have to have a surgery or something I hope you don't notice the doctor pulling out his tablet and accessing youtube .

On 12/24/2017 at 11:16 AM, ScottSpec said:

This is a tough one. My guys spend a signifcant amout of time on the internet doing research about the cars the are working on. Forums, Youtube videos, Alldata, etc. They use their cell phones as well for research, to take pictures of things they are working on to share, or for a reference so they are sure to put it back together correctly. They also spend a fair amout of non business related time on the web and on their phones. If you took these tools away from them, would it be a gain or a loss for your business? My guys get their work done, so for me right now the benefits outweight the costs.

Scott   

No offense but why are your techs looking on forums, youtube etc.... while working on cars? Is this what a Mechanic is now a days? Is this possible why a huge part of the general public believes that anyone can fix a car all you need is google , youtube. or the little device you plug into the obd port and link to an app on your phone? NOT a good thing!  Wouldn't the shop be much more proficient and money making if the "significant amount of time on internet doing research about the cars they are working on " was already in their heads? Seems as if maybe different techs are needed .

I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays to ALL !!!!! 

Health insurance has become a JOKE ! we are not offered insurance through work.. I have to pay out of pocket for my and my wife's insurance. Our monthly bill starting Jan 1st will be 956.00 a month , there is no way we can afford it. We do not qualify for any assistance so it is on us.. Our saving grace maybe that my wife started a new job as a medical secretary for a spine doctor in a hospital so we have looked into their insurance and it looks like we should be able to join hers without having to wait until their open enrollment which is in may and wouldn't take effect until July. They said that they may be able to consider the high payment that we can't afford to be a life altering circumstance. Her insurance will be 400.00 a month cheaper and much much better coverage. much lower out of pocket and deductibles not to mention no need for referrals we can go to any specialist in the network most of which are in our living area so that is a plus as well. We should hear something soon if not we will be without health insurance starting Jan 1st.

now all we need is a magical little elf who stays all year long in the shop to keep the techs and customers inline 

Love it!! The speech given multiple times a day turned into a great article !

Happy Thanksgiving everyone !!

Great story! Great little model too!  I like how you added in the bit about the Mechanic at the end very nice sir !

Yes, thanks for a quick response..  Yes it is nice to be able to chat with some of the great minds on here !

Very good article Joe,  Over the years I have been working on cars I have seen so much change except for pay.. I am one of those working 50 hours a week, and done so for a very long time.. I am also flat rate. It use to be years ago I was able to put money away now I make money just to pay my bills.. Unfortunately I think it is going to have to get much worse before people start to notice and things start to change.. I would love to see a six figure pay or even close to it, I think that kind of pay is far and in between. I don't see that happening till things really start to get bad in the industry.

I would of charged him additional labor time for counting the pennies time the employees involved 😂 that would of frosted his balls a bit more LOL

It seems as if "sum guy" has divided and multiplied several times over the years, too bad he isn't a stock we could invest in him LOL

Great story ! Sorry you had to go through it but glad you came out on this side.. I admire that you can put humor in the worst of situations. Although I have not personally been the one in the  life changing situation, my wife was and it was a life changer for me as well, so I may be one of the lucky ones not to have personally gone through something so scary and I hope I don't have too. They say it sometimes takes rock bottom or a terrible thing to happen for us to wake up . Live life and be as healthy as you can! 

On 10/10/2017 at 2:55 PM, 3PuttFever said:

On going battle between my Manager and Tech staff. They like to look up about everything online before doing the work. When a RO says 'Specialty Tool' they think they need the tool to complete the work. For example, a recent 2009 Lincoln MKX had a RF axle seal leak. Pretty common problem. Tech doesn't want to do it without the tool kit. Took kit would cost more than the job. 

We all have seen mechanics who can fix and think their way around an obstacle. I've got a shop full of parts hangers. Perhaps the Lincoln is better suited for a drive line shop or dealer but I figure we can figure it out and get it done like we've usually done. I've had Techs make their own tools and solutions and lately the younger guys just give up if they don't have YouTube instructions and specialty tools. 

Thoughts? 

ugggg !  Yes here and there you will need a specialty tool, but that is after all other attempts have been made and you chalk it up as a lesson learned. I do have a "FEW" specialty tools, and you know what they get used less and less as time goes by.  Usually it all ends up being if there is a will there is a way.. Now some cars are coming back with stretch belts.. You don't need all the special tools for them sure I came across a BMW that yes it was needed, but if you have a pulley in the set up with holes in it a couple of zip ties work awesome and cost a fraction of what the tool would. Dive in give it a try if all else fails either buy the specialty tool if not to costly and may get used more than once every 6 months, or explain to the customer after all else failed that you don't have the correct tool and not worth buying it for the amount of that type of work you see, and say sorry but we look forward to helping you with any other needs you have in the future. 

if you look everything up you will find that just about every job has a specialty tool, and all nuts and bolts have torque specs.. can you imagine how long a job would take if you torqued every bolt to oe specs. when was the last time you torqued battery cables , or hold downs, or steering column covers LOL you would work on one car a week.. Common sense , experience and a feel for what you are doing in "MOST" cases is all you need.

You mention Parts hangers, well that is the breed of today by the looks of it, I don't know if it is due to the lack of education, laziness, or pay maybe all of the above. You get young guys or gals just out of school that think they should be paid what the well seasoned guy gets, they don't seem to understand you have to work you way up pay your dues, and that is a very long road with a steep learning curve. 

Now the "INFORMATION AGE" is to blame for this as well .. Especially the younger ones think you can find anything on the internet. Well youtube being the most popular , but you take two people with the identical limp examine them you may find one has a ingrown toenail the other has an artificial hip , same limp two very different reasons for the limp.. Now it isn't all just the internet stuff we are also being pushed down the road of parts hangers by programs some may use, which I won't and actually hate.. Ones like identifix, pathfinder, etc... what are they doing but teaching a tech to be lazy and not learn things. Just pull up a common code like p0171 (lean bank 1) now an educated person would automatically start going through their head what may cause this and start testing and eliminating things until we find the problem, others that use these programs will.. see that out of say 200 techs 83 replaced "x part", 17 replaced "xx part", 10 replaced "xxx part", and so on and so on, so what do they do well most replaced  "x part" so they try that part if that doesn't do it the move down the list.. uggggg ! So the programs and in some cases scanners are to blame as well.. If that is going to be the case we might as well save our money get rid of our scanners and just send our customers down to the local major parts store that does the free "diagnostics" and let them bring the parts to us and have us install them till the problem is hopefully fixed if it is not a wiring or programming problem. We can just work of off what the parts store generated for them what I have dubbed the "BUY and TRY" list.  There is a lot that needs to be fixed in this industry to make it a viable industry that excites people to be in, but that will take a long time if it even ever happens till then try keep your head up and keep pluggin away. 

7 hours ago, Stevens Automotive Service said:

1 hour ago, xrac said:

7 hours ago, Stevens Automotive Service said:

It all boils down to ambition and attitude. Have the attitude to show up and the ambition to learn. 

 

 

1 hour ago, xrac said:

I agree and would throw in intelligence.

I agree with both statements, but there is one thing that I think now a days even for a somewhat seasoned guy like myself is ..  Being a mechanic is not a very desirable job anymore.. It's a very hard job that can be very stressful for a multitude of reasons, and the pay is not so great for what we do, and if on a commission base can actually start to go down as we get older and slower not up.. Not to mention the tens of thousands of dollars we pay for tools to perform our job. i actually read a great article the other night that was about just this and how it is not a very fair career to be in . With low pay for what we do , high stress, and low appreciation from the general public. Also where service writers making more money than the actual mechanic who is the "brains of the operation", I don't care how great your service writer is without a good mechanic it is like having a title to a lamborghini but no car , it is worthless .

 

From what I see and have heard finding the right people is becoming harder and harder.. Why is this? Is there a true shortage of good people, is there an over saturation of shops, are there programs out there creating "lazy mechanics ie parts throwers" ? Is it just decades of schooling pushing people to go to college and become a doctor, dentist, lawyer, or accountant and not enough put on the trade industry? Is it the cost of tools and schooling that does not appeal to the younger generation? It seems building that family for a successful business is  getting as hard as diagnosing today's cars.. 

Very good video!  Sad part is even people that have been in business for a while still don't get it.. I argue with the owner often about lowering prices.. He is scared they will walk away , well let them go someone else will come along.. Now I am saying this from a mechanics standpoint , but I have been doing this for a pretty long time now .. I had a customer the other week start to haggle me on price I saw the owner coming and I stepped in his way and told him hold on I got this.. After a short talk with the customer and me explaining why we charge what we do and giving the customer a scenario of how would you like it if you boss asked you to work for half you hourly wage for half the day what would you say . Of course you get the, I wouldn't do it, so I say well why are you asking me to do that??  Then I always say you are welcome to go somewhere else and usually they give in just as this guy did.. The owner still doesn't understand the importance of standing firm.. He tells me he just doesn't have the gift of speech .. B.S. everyone does use it be fair but firm... 

I once apon a time was very interested in opening my own shop, but now not so much... There is just so much that goes along with it not to mention I have spent the last 26 years honing my skills, and I like turning wrenches.. In this business now a days I am think it is way to hard to be both a shop owner and a mechanic you need to choose one or the other right now I like to go home after work , I like to if affordable take a vacation or just a week off and not have to think about the business. 

I think this forum and doing research lead me to the not so much opinion on opening a shop, but I am grateful for that . I wouldn't want to of jumped in head first and not been aware of what was coming at me or what I was in for.. although I had some idea.  I may of spent a lot of money and decided this is not for me. Instead I stayed my course , may not be the most lucrative course but for now It pays the bills and keeps peace in the household. 

Diagnostics vs parts ... hmmmm sounds like a game played by a lot of mechanics and youtubers LOL... unfortunately parts seems to win out in most shops.. I don't know how many times people look way too deep for the problem.. I guess it is something that we learn as we get better that the basics need to be checked first.. sometimes the problem is right in front of your face but you can't imagine that being the problem so you look deep or in some cases throw more parts.. It must happen in all business or the saying "if it was a snake it would of bit ya" wouldn't of come about. All in all I think we all will be watching or playing in the game of Diagnostics vs Parts, who will win well who knows, but I think we all need to strive to play for the diagnostic team I hard those players seem to last longer and get paid a bit better , and have more loyal fans.

ahh yes, lol the code tells you what is wrong guys. Unfortunately I work with those guys LOL.. I have seen them go round and round with a car, I come over and in a short time find the problem for them. Then when the customer comes to get the car they wear the crown proudly , trying to BS their way through any questions the customer asks taking full credit for the diagnostics . Sometimes I will step in and give the explanation of the problem making them wonder if the guy they are talking too really did the job, but I do not come out and out them completely .  These guys are really no better than the customer who thinks the code tells all . I always tell them think of a code as a number on a door, open that door and there is a long hallway lined with doors on both sides up and down, behind one of those doors is the problem, you can guess and open every door for a fee or just diagnose the problem and open just the one door . I think that one door is going to cost less than opening several till you find the problem. These guys you will find, are also the Youtuber's for repair.

I had a customer come to me yesterday with a 2017 jeep he slammed the door and knocked the glass off track. I gave him the estimate to put it back.. "That's okay I can figure it out on Youtube." off he went.  about three hours later I see him pull up , I am thinking great look at this guy coming to gloat in his glory. Nope he had four band-aids on his fingers and a now broken regulator and door handle.. As he agreed to my estimate he stated " See the difference between the average guy and the mechanic is the average guy can take it apart they just can't put it back together where as the mechanic can put it back together"  I just looked at him laughed and said "Really that is what you think" I said "the difference is we figure out what is wrong and make the repair without breaking tons of other parts, not to mention we don't wear as many band-aids !" Also remember one thing, who told you what was wrong with your window.

This article is really based on the lack of preparedness of the students leaving the college program at the college I'm teaching at.  Their theory is that they'll learn that on the job.  My thinking is....learn it now, get good at it later. Gonzo,  

I think we touched on this in one of the chats.. I Graduated from LTI at the end of 1990 , it seems as if the schooling is the same then it was now as far as what they teach. Of course back then it was okay since the "electrical age" was just getting started. Now we are deep in the "electrical age" and it seems to me to be where the majority of the focus needs to be period! Is it lack of good teachers, good equipment, being lazy or a monetary thing as far as the school is concerned ? Are people really scared of change??

if we don't communicate the right message to the consumer, how in the world can they comprehend the costs associated with repairing and servicing their hi-tech vehicles? Joe,

I can't count how many times I say this every single day at work. Of course saying something is one thing implementing it is another, but when you tell a customer this, they seem to roll their eyes and sometimes just walk off "trying to rip me off, a diagnostic charge" I just let those guys go , I feel sorry for them because the will probable end up at some hack shop who ends up charging them more than I would on a total bill since they will probably have several parts and possible many trips back to that shop before the problem is solved. That being said how do you get the customer aware of these things? I think it may have to come from someone rather than the tech or the shop, but who????

ps I don't know what happened to the quote thing, I had to copy and paste that is why I attached the names to the end of the quote