[bartprince]

when would you say to time to move on?
fixing other techs' come-backs? installing stereo on customer's car for free?

what else?
please give different views of opinions

[Karrpilot]

Myself, the deciding factor was many. Going 5 years and only getting a .50 cent raise was one. I know. I should have left years prior to that. But it is hard to leave a job 5 miles away and would let me sneak realetives cars in after hours.

Butting heads with an ex jar head marine service manager. Who's motto basically was my way or the highway. I choose correctly. The highway.

Having a service manager feed his gravy boys while i was mired in my diesel warranty work. And then tossing me into the Quick Lane after that work dried up.

Another service manager hired a kid 10 years younger then me at the same pay rate. There were plenty of sparks flying after i found out about that little issue. Or else having a management crew come in who had never even been a manager before. And run off the local loyal customers looking for that allmighty dollar.

But i think you already answered your question. Working for free. That will not put food on your table or a roof over your head. Gas in your tank, tools in your tool box. Those little things.

[Valvetronic]

I heard this brilliant phrase one time to describe the situation. Can't remember if it was on this site or somewhere else.

How do you know when it's time to leave?

"When the pain of staying is worse than the fear of leaving."

I'd also say to check your bowels. The gut never lies. If you have an upset stomach all the time that's eating a hole in itself, there's your answer.



I wouldn't leave a job without having another one lined up. I've done it before and got lucky as hell in finding a better job quickly. For some reason, you seem more valuable to employers when you currently have a job. It's like they enjoy the challenge of trying to snatch you out from under someone. But if you're unemployed, your bargaining power goes down. If your ASEs are expired, I'd definitely get those renewed before leaving. Also, it helps cope with your current crap job knowing that you have resumes sent out to your leads. It's like knowing you have 10-20 lines casted out into the lake with bobbers sitting there floating. Helps get you through the day.

[bartprince]

this week, i received "bad attitude" notice from manager and i told him that don't listen to me or any other techs how to accept proper jobs.

you just can't say no to customer. even though you have one tech on weekends but, overbook it to piss off the tech..or just overplease disrespectable customer who think that techs should be open for their convenience and too cheap to really take care of their vehicle.

or some out of nowhere cars that you don't have any history of vehicle and given ticket for failure..

i know it's been long time since i should have left..i will get my box moved..

[more is less]

In Texas the 40 hour week is in danger of becoming extinct.most dealers are m-f and every other sat. Working 240 hours a month and getting paid for 170 or so would be the deciding factor for me. That and having to work Sunday.

[bartprince]

some techs i know making only like 130 book time and stayed over 160...some people lost over 50 to 60 hours down before change in their company.

it's getting really hard to stay to fix cars for free and fixing other techs nightmare from out of state/province vehicle...way too many times to fix nightmare..

i know flatrate techs out there will tell me...."it's normal for you to fix someone else's nightmare..." you really don't want that to be your main job everyday...there's some sort of sane limit to that...

thanks for your input.

[bartprince]

more is less, on 20 August 2010 - 08:58 AM, said:

In Texas the 40 hour week is in danger of becoming extinct.most dealers are m-f and every other sat. Working 240 hours a month and getting paid for 170 or so would be the deciding factor for me. That and having to work Sunday.

when i was starting out in indy shop...i used to work 6 days around 70hours to 80 hours and they paid me around $1200/month...sigh...that was just nightmare and when i finally put my foot down for proper wage they wouldn't live up to it...so sad...too many greed owners/dealers out there whom don't want to share their success...

Retain hardworking employees... cuba gooding jr. in jerry maguire said " show me the money, jerry"if employees can pay bills and awarded for hard work and produce extra...

[more is less]

Oh I remember that program ,I started at indy shop too 6 days a week going home sat night feeling like I had just fought for my life ,Texas summers,drinking 4 gallons of water and had yet to take a wizz. finally had enough, dealers were 40 hrs week. went to honda for 4 day workweek and try to get my life back.Now its fighting to keep it.

[bartprince]

more is less, on 20 August 2010 - 10:41 AM, said:

Oh I remember that program ,I started at indy shop too 6 days a week going home sat night feeling like I had just fought for my life ,Texas summers,drinking 4 gallons of water and had yet to take a wizz. finally had enough, dealers were 40 hrs week. went to honda for 4 day workweek and try to get my life back.Now its fighting to keep it.

it's too hard on your body to too long hours working...i've seen a indy shop around corner from my house but, they work schedules like 13hours/7days a week...insane...i am sure low ball wage, too.

I am tired to work with bunch of lazy bum who wants to have days off yet. not willing to work hard even when they are there..

p.s. i noticed tons of favoritism from management, too. of course not toward me...they said i got attitude issue.
they want bunch of no speaking kind of protest toward there crappy mismanagement.

[Karrpilot]

Every where one goes, there is favoritizum. One can not get away from that. However, i think i am finally on the recieving side of that. After all thease years.

Too many of our guys just want to skate through, and do the minumum they need to get anything done. Me, i take on everything. And it sure paid off last year.

I got the first pick of my route, station, and time slot for the winter. The other guys got forced into whatever was left. And it certainly was not pretty.

And who posted the most overtime? Yours truely.

I hope to repeat that process again this winter.

[Valvetronic]

Overtime is where hourly technicians gain ground and even pass flat rate technicians. If you're flat rate, odds are you're already working lots of overtime. Why not get paid for it?

50% more per hour is hard to ignore. And you make it whether you're doing oil changes or driveability.

[Grunt]

I was once a sr master tech with ford......one day I had enough and just loaded my things and left. 60 days later after a far too short of vacation I got hired doing maintenance on production equipment in a decent facility that produces finished optics. Paid hourly at a more than fair wage and work with great people. Get paid time and a half for callouts when that happens, plus .50 per mile each direction for fuel on callouts. 11 paid holidays and 10 days paid vacation the day you start. Have been here over 3 yrs now and is far superior to the dealer enviroment. Do some searching and look around, good jobs are there.....just have to look for them. Working in this position has allowed me to expand my knowledge of things far beyond the automobile. Everyone that wants out and has a decent mechanical ability should look into a field where they can offer the knowledge they have and learn more as well.

[bartprince]

I pushed into the ramp truck and strap down my tool box and moved out of my evil overlords lair.....

sigh... uncertainty and more new people meet and grow with company..

i found independent Euro shop to take me in and train and finally complete my training and become licensed tech

I started with European brand and finally going to finish with them...hahahhaha

My manager was not too happy about my exit..."what are you doing? are you not with us any more?

my reply " yeah...ummm...i think so."

what do you thinK? after all ding dong gong show...i have only limited patience...

can wait to start new....new shop looks promising...hopely everything works out..