I have worked with guys that will state, and it is a fact, they “been doing this for 30 years” however not sure I would trust them with a simple oil change on my personal car unsupervised
Years of experience means nothing sometimes. Poor quality work is out there everywhere doesn’t matter if it’s an 18 year old kid out of HS or a 30 year vet in the business…. perhaps that’s literally the best they can do and will justify it by trying to be bold stating from all the years of experience
While experience does play a key role, I agree that it does not always mean the job will be done to the highest standards. There are folks out there, who have been in the business for decades, but lack any sort of motivation and will do whatever it takes to simply get the car out the shop. Of course, the other side of it is advances in technology; just because an experienced mechanic has been in the field for 3 decades does not mean they are fully capable of diagnosing and/or working on something built in the last couple of years. But there are those who have certainly educated themselves, and are fully capable of doing so.
Standards, on the other hand, vary greatly. Most mechanics in this part of the world come from places where "good enough" is the default standard, or rather golden standard, considering cost is the single biggest factor to their employers who thrive on cheap, slave labor. These folks didn't start in trade school, nor did they have much prior knowledge before they are subjected to good old fashioned "Watch and Learn" training.
When a dealership mechanic is paid $390-$490 a month, which is subject to deductions by the dealership to pay for their own tools, you cannot expect them to have the same set of standards as a mechanic in the U.S. or Europe, who wouldn't get out of bed for that sort of money. But considering the average mechanic makes $200 a month in India, a $390 starting salary is double the money and their primary motivation. It is also an opportunity to build their skills and knowledge. Then, of course, the dealership will claim their staff are "factory trained" after putting them through a set of briefings and charge you $155 an hour, essentially paying the mechanic's salary in a matter of 2.5 hours.
While some of these folks can be quite talented fast learners, the quality of their work does leave a lot to be desired. When I took my car in for a heater core replacement at the Ford dealership, the dashboard was all scratched up, auto lamps didn't work because the switch was left disconnected, the rearview mirror wiring harness was torn and the cooling system was simply topped off with tap water. That was definitely not a $1,395 job, which covered labor only, and I ended up doing it all again myself. But when these folks acquire the necessary skills and knowledge they need, they move on and make more money elsewhere.
While back in the U.S., most mechanics aren't that much better. If they can't plug in a scan tool right off the bat to fire the parts cannon, they're not working on that vehicle. Gone are the days when a good old fashioned visual inspection was the starting point, and quality hand tools were used instead of ripping bolts off with power tools.
