First personal COVID-related situation to date

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First off, as per the rules this thread does not and WILL not have anything to do with one's opinion on anything political, personal, or otherwise. This is simply one of many stories from people in the workforce seeing first-hand the effects of our current climate.

For those that don't know, I work for a medium-sized indy shop with 2 locations. My shop is the larger of the two: 2 bay lube express, 6 bay shop plus a drive on rack for 7 total hoists. We stay busy, and we employ about 25 people at my location between service writers, lube techs, 3 full techs, a light duty tech and a tire tech. Business has been beyond belief since this all started: between the stimulus checks and the new/used auto market I will regularly have customers fork over thousands of dollars to repair a car that 2-3 years ago would have been on the scrap truck. Example: I just finished replacing the rear shocks, rack, P/S pump, pressure hose, front links and serpentine belt on a 2005 Park Avenue to the tune of $2,100. At 145k miles. That's the current climate in my business.

To the point: today I was informed that I would be off this coming Saturday (I work every other) due to lack of staff. I believe as of today we have 7 people out due to the virus. Am I surprised by this? Not at all. I'm surprised it took this long, honestly. But to see it all of a sudden put a meaningful damper on our day-to-day really hit home.

So there it is. Again, keep whatever views you may have on the situation to yourselves. I have mine, and you have yours. Move on.
 
First off, as per the rules this thread does not and WILL not have anything to do with one's opinion on anything political, personal, or otherwise. This is simply one of many stories from people in the workforce seeing first-hand the effects of our current climate.

For those that don't know, I work for a medium-sized indy shop with 2 locations. My shop is the larger of the two: 2 bay lube express, 6 bay shop plus a drive on rack for 7 total hoists. We stay busy, and we employ about 25 people at my location between service writers, lube techs, 3 full techs, a light duty tech and a tire tech. Business has been beyond belief since this all started: between the stimulus checks and the new/used auto market I will regularly have customers fork over thousands of dollars to repair a car that 2-3 years ago would have been on the scrap truck. Example: I just finished replacing the rear shocks, rack, P/S pump, pressure hose, front links and serpentine belt on a 2005 Park Avenue to the tune of $2,100. At 145k miles. That's the current climate in my business.

To the point: today I was informed that I would be off this coming Saturday (I work every other) due to lack of staff. I believe as of today we have 7 people out due to the virus. Am I surprised by this? Not at all. I'm surprised it took this long, honestly. But to see it all of a sudden put a meaningful damper on our day-to-day really hit home.

So there it is. Again, keep whatever views you may have on the situation to yourselves. I have mine, and you have yours. Move on.
I lost one great Aunt to it last year before she was able to get vaccinated. I have another great aunt and cousin in the ICU with it now. Half of the IT team where I work is out with COVID right now.
 
Wife works for a big hospital and they have 500+ people out because they're sick themselves or quarantined due to others in the house being sick. It's been a rough last couple of years for her seeing so much death and suffering.
 
I lost one great Aunt to it last year before she was able to get vaccinated. I have another great aunt and cousin in the ICU with it now. Half of the IT team where I work is out with COVID right now.
I'm deeply sorry for your loss. Truly. That being said, I should have clarified that my thread was directed more towards daily life as we navigate careers and travel vs. personal human loss. Purely to avoid the "this view vs. that view" conversation that will likely get this thread locked.
 
Yes K, sorry for your loss.

I am currently on round 3 of this
%|!{#{>|^} virus...very contagious this variant. I am vaccinated....Doc told me that it's good I got the shot or likely would be in the hospital.

Reminds me of the Chinese curse:
"May you live in interesting times"
 
Business has been beyond belief since this all started: between the stimulus checks and the new/used auto market I will regularly have customers fork over thousands of dollars to repair a car that 2-3 years ago would have been on the scrap truck. Example: I just finished replacing the rear shocks, rack, P/S pump, pressure hose, front links and serpentine belt on a 2005 Park Avenue to the tune of $2,100. At 145k miles. That's the current climate in my business.
Those are repairs I would have made on my car years ago, but I keep mine going for a long time. I usually use smaller cheaper indy shops though. I noticed the big indy shops aren't much cheaper than the dealers so I guess maybe it's shocking you get those high dollar repairs. I was still replacing quick struts when I had a car with 200k, but that's because it had a lifetime warranty and labor was going to be under $100 to put in a replacement pair.
 
yeah this one is an odd one. the first couple i did not know too many folks with it. this one though it seems everyone i know is getting it. i think i had it myself a couple of weeks ago.
 
I work retail grocery & we swing from no one out to 5+ at a time. We've adjusted our operating hours & this has helped.
 
Straight from the forum rules fellas.

It is recommended that users review ref. (a) and refrain from posting on or discussing COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, etc. While this site has a broad range of intelligent and insightful users, we want to avoid being a place where concern, drama; or worse, speculative, inaccurate, inconsistent or wrong information is spread, or speculative discussions fuel fear and concern in local and the internet community. Thank you for your consideration and cooperation in this matter.
Ref. (a): https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...26/bitog-standard-of-conduct#Post5289126
 
Our shop standing currently is the owner, his wife, and one receptionist are out with it. Myself, a tech, as acting manager with two other full time techs, and our lone remaining receptionist, who usually works a couple 8 hour shifts a week, working 7:30 to 5:30 for almost two weeks straight. Crew has done a great job and has really stepped up while shorthanded. As far as work and folks spending money on stuff we wouldn't otherwise recommend, we have a customer with an 09 Camry that needed a transmission and had head gaskets leaking, among a few other things. Total so far right now hovering right around $12K all said and done. And yes, when asked we told her that that's way more than we'd ever recommend spending on it. Have another Toyota, a newer Camry, also with a bad trans and needing brakes and some other odds and ends, and her bill will be around $8K, and she didn't bat an eye. If you'd have told me we'd be seeing repair approvals like this 5 years ago I'd have said you were crazy.
 
I work retail grocery & we swing from no one out to 5+ at a time. We've adjusted our operating hours & this has helped.

I forgot to mention: we have adjusted our hours ever so slightly, from 7:30-7 to 8-6. An hour and a half isn't much, but when you have staff stretched thing it can make a huge difference over the course of a work week.
 
Straight from the forum rules fellas.

It is recommended that users review ref. (a) and refrain from posting on or discussing COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, etc. While this site has a broad range of intelligent and insightful users, we want to avoid being a place where concern, drama; or worse, speculative, inaccurate, inconsistent or wrong information is spread, or speculative discussions fuel fear and concern in local and the internet community. Thank you for your consideration and cooperation in this matter.
Ref. (a): https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...26/bitog-standard-of-conduct#Post5289126

This is why I tried to clarify my post. I have no interest in discussing the virus, treatments, family losses, mandates, etc. I was simply commenting that this was the first case I've come across at my place of business where I was directly impacted BY said virus. It's been a new experience for me.
 
I'm in Mi. . My pal is in sales in a commodity used by automakers . He said this last week he can't do anything , everyone he deals with is out sick with the virus .
 
Our shop standing currently is the owner, his wife, and one receptionist are out with it. Myself, a tech, as acting manager with two other full time techs, and our lone remaining receptionist, who usually works a couple 8 hour shifts a week, working 7:30 to 5:30 for almost two weeks straight. Crew has done a great job and has really stepped up while shorthanded. As far as work and folks spending money on stuff we wouldn't otherwise recommend, we have a customer with an 09 Camry that needed a transmission and had head gaskets leaking, among a few other things. Total so far right now hovering right around $12K all said and done. And yes, when asked we told her that that's way more than we'd ever recommend spending on it. Have another Toyota, a newer Camry, also with a bad trans and needing brakes and some other odds and ends, and her bill will be around $8K, and she didn't bat an eye. If you'd have told me we'd be seeing repair approvals like this 5 years ago I'd have said you were crazy.

Appreciate the reply! Glad we aren't the only ones who are seeing this insane jump in repair work vs. a few short years ago.
 
Appreciate the reply! Glad we aren't the only ones who are seeing this insane jump in repair work vs. a few short years ago.
Well who wants to pay over MSRP for a new car? And people are going out less and going on vacations they can drive to vs flying. So many people have more money to spend. And if your not going to buy a new car then you need to maintain the current one.
 
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