Observation of Mechanics and their tools...

[ToadU]

Originally Posted by maxdustington
Originally Posted by ToadU
I pay them commensurate with industry norms and their experience.
Originally Posted by ToadU
I have to make money too.......
If there is someone else paying more, guess where everyone is going to want to work? Any employee who is skilled and will show up on time everyday is going to be able to hold down a well paying job with benefits. It's not 1980 anymore, even youngsters have options besides getting screamed at by an old man all day for a pittance. The world got used to treating blue collars like they are disposable, but now skilled ones are in high demand and don't have to put up with any guff.

I've seen way to many employers who pay the league minimum but expect you to go above and beyond and be motivated to show up everyday and work hard. When it comes time to make them money they want 110%, but when it comes time to make you money they won't reciprocate. Small businesses are the worst because every single one tries to play the vulnerable small business angle like they are single mothers or something. Meanwhile the owner has a brand new truck and just got back from vacay or is renoing their house.



Spoken like an employee that's never owned a business. My employees didn't build my business. I did. I'm entitled to make as much as I can fairly, ethically and legally. We are not partners. We don't share risk so I'm not into profit sharing. That's mine. Employees want to be cared for and coddled. I get ask daily for cash advances. No where do I have a sign advertising I'm a bank. I'm not. I can't tell you how many times they come to me their kid is sick or girl is pregnant ect ect. I didn't get her pregnant. Not my problem. Kids sick? Need diapers? They are begging with a straight face and a cig in their mouth. They don't have money for their kids but darn it if they can find the money for their cigs, beer and dope. You will never see a smoker without a cig yet they want me to take care of their lives!!!!

 

[ragtoplvr]

In many cases beating the book involves not doing all the repair steps. Then I have had to fix them later. How about when a rusted exhaust bolt snap and requires redrilling the thread chasing. That is never in the book. Worst one like that was a spider gear retainer bolt on a GM 10 bolt that crystallized and the threads were in 3 pieces. Each piece had the be drilled and easy outed Book time would not have that. How about cab removal on ford diesel, I know a mechanic that bragged he can do it in 4 hours. It rattled like [censored], because not even all the bolts were in it.

Customers hate to pay for a good job,

 

[ToadU]

Some repairs you beat the book and some the book beats you. You have to take the good with the bad. Btw my shop charges for rusted and stuck bolts and bolts that break ect. So the mechanic gets his percentage of my hrly labor rate.

Btw I have my own cradle for removing the Ford cabs. I only run Ford wreckers and do my own work so that's no big deal.

 

[ToadU]

....but we have perfected not pulling the cab on the old 7.3 powerstrokes to replace a rusted oil pan. Just lift it up and wedge 4x4s and you can gently slide the pan out. I don't have any 7.3s left in my fleet anymore....wore them out but still do a lot of service and repairs on them.

 

[CT8]

May be there isn't the incentive for skilled people to work in the auto trade these days. Like contractors there are a few good ones but most are Monkeys

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Catch 22 isn't it ? I mean look at how many people on BITOG who balk at paying dealership rates. I suspect there's a higher probability that if an Indy shop were charging dealership rates it would be staffed with competent technicians. Unfortunately the market doesn't want to pay that.

 

[ragtoplvr]

Add to that auto that do not have room to make common repairs. They expect to have you drop out the engine tranny sub-frame for water pump, timing chain etc. Hard to do a quality repair in timely manner

Rod

 

[Srt20]

There's a big difference between mechanics and parts replacers. Most are parts replacers.

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted by ToadU
Spoken like an employee that's never owned a business. My employees didn't build my business. I did. I'm entitled to make as much as I can fairly, ethically and legally. We are not partners. We don't share risk so I'm not into profit sharing. That's mine. Employees want to be cared for and coddled. I get ask daily for cash advances. No where do I have a sign advertising I'm a bank. I'm not. I can't tell you how many times they come to me their kid is sick or girl is pregnant ect ect. I didn't get her pregnant. Not my problem. Kids sick? Need diapers? They are begging with a straight face and a cig in their mouth. They don't have money for their kids but darn it if they can find the money for their cigs, beer and dope. You will never see a smoker without a cig yet they want me to take care of their lives!!!!


Agree 100% about the cash advance thing. Nope, sorry too much risk.

But I think you need to rethink why you hired employees in the first place. Yup, you built your business but at some point you wanted more $$ so you hired people. Your employees are just as much part of the business as you. Fire them all and see how far you get. So yes, they do share some of the risk. It's a two way street. If your employees like their job and do good by the customer they make you more $$ which in turn should make them more $$. That benefits everyone. I don't think that it matters what the industry - clean house and figure out how to attract the employees you want to have working for you.

 

[Imp4]

Originally Posted by ToadU
Spoken like an employee that's never owned a business. My employees didn't build my business. I did. I'm entitled to make as much as I can fairly, ethically and legally. We are not partners. We don't share risk so I'm not into profit sharing. That's mine. Employees want to be cared for and coddled. I get ask daily for cash advances. No where do I have a sign advertising I'm a bank. I'm not. I can't tell you how many times they come to me their kid is sick or girl is pregnant ect ect. I didn't get her pregnant. Not my problem. Kids sick? Need diapers? They are begging with a straight face and a cig in their mouth.

I hope you see the irony in your complaint about not being able to find good employees and the screed that you just posted....

 

[53' Stude]

Tools don't make the mechanic[/quote

Yep, and my 39 year experienced mechanic friend/co worker says always "tools and toolboxes never fixed a car; it is if YOU know how to use your knowledge and the tools properly!"

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by ToadU
Spoken like an employee that's never owned a business. My employees didn't build my business. I did. I'm entitled to make as much as I can fairly, ethically and legally. We are not partners. We don't share risk so I'm not into profit sharing. That's mine. Employees want to be cared for and coddled. I get ask daily for cash advances. No where do I have a sign advertising I'm a bank. I'm not. I can't tell you how many times they come to me their kid is sick or girl is pregnant ect ect. I didn't get her pregnant. Not my problem. Kids sick? Need diapers? They are begging with a straight face and a cig in their mouth. They don't have money for their kids but darn it if they can find the money for their cigs, beer and dope. You will never see a smoker without a cig yet they want me to take care of their lives!!!!
My Dad has owned a construction company since I can remember and I have worked for him a lot. I have some insight. I've also seen him chase away kids who got sick of low wages and poor treatment, including well meaning hardworking kids who just became a scapegoat and target of his abuse. A business isn't really a business unless it can make money without you being physically present, that's the difference between running a business and working for yourself.

You can either develop kids, deal with people who are less than dedicated (one of my Dad's carpenters is unreliable but he could probably make $10+ elsewhere so my dad deals with it) or pay above market wages or other incentives so people will take your job seriously. I'm going to assume by your contempt for your employees that both option one and three are off the table, so enjoy running your business and having to do all the dirty work yourself.

If you treat your employees like slaves, they will become mercenaries.

 

[MrHorspwer]

When this is what you first shared about your employees, it's not difficult to see why you scrape the bottom of the barrel for help:

Originally Posted by ToadU
Almost every mechanic is a drunk, druggie, smoker or all of the above. Not all so don't flame me but again 25 years has taught me it's almost a certainty.


This isn't a difficult problem to solve.

Trash can employers that suck to work for get trash can employees.

 

[Silverado12]

Yeah, another "all about me" employer. You suck. I'm glad I work for someone decent.

 

[Imp4]

Originally Posted by MrHorspwer
When this is what you first shared about your employees, it's not difficult to see why you scrape the bottom of the barrel for help:

Originally Posted by ToadU
Almost every mechanic is a drunk, druggie, smoker or all of the above. Not all so don't flame me but again 25 years has taught me it's almost a certainty.

This isn't a difficult problem to solve.
Trash can employers that suck to work for get trash can employees.


I think this just about sums up the whole thread nicely.

Oh, no, wait....

Originally Posted by Silverado12
Yeah, another "all about me" employer. You suck. I'm glad I work for someone decent.

 

[Kira]

I gotta say I've heard truthful sounding responses from the two sides.

I think a low-fair to fair wage will retain X% of workers (however you want to express turnover). Housing, social stability (kids in school etc.) keep people put.

Advancing experience will prompt people to move on to greener pastures but those people have to be of the type which look forward. Not all do.

Paycheck to paycheck defines the harshest edge of existence. Much gets them in that hole. How you blow your pennies has impact.

Drugs, ciggies, tattoos and too much TV seem to come with the territory.

Many people ARE just slob consumers-in-pain and will do the absolute minimum.

YES, cocaine users with cable TV bills, bad driving records, revolving girlfriends and shoes which don't fit make up PART of the work force.

If this is your world, you're better off grabbing that bull by the horns. Maybe now we know why so many employers hire retards. They do some jobs OK and are placid.



I was a trustworthy worker in my real life. Give me one task or a week of tasks and I'd do it all well. The pay was good.

It irked me when the lazy slobs sloughed off or went out to smoke their ciggs.

What's needed is competent worker assessment and the active involvement to fire the bad ones.

If ToadU hires dregs and just complains about it then he's living in AND MAINTAINING an anti-heaven. If he has a reputation for being like these posts, only the dregs will apply.



Are different mechanics paid according to their ability and production?

Need facts. Work is work (not fun). There are good employees and bad ones. There are good employers and bad ones.



The system IS NOT crafted to deliver fairness. You need a reservoir of money, family support, education, freedom to move, ability to communicate etc.

Don't have kids until you have mobility or you're likely to become a trapped slave working for a succession of angry toads. They're kings in their own right...so don't be a serf.

 

[Vikas]

Waiting for the OP to take is ball and stomp out of here or probably lock from a moderator.! Any bets which happens first?

 

[tony1679]

Originally Posted by ToadU
Almost 25 years owning a full service high volume repair shop and towing company has taught me without fail when a "mechanic" has a fancy HUGE tool box stuffed with exspensive tools he's paying weekly or monthly for he probably truly su*ks as a mechanic. It's the case every time. Every decent mechanic I have had has old worn tools and nothing fancy. Just what's needed. A basic tool box ect. It's 99.9% fool proof. I even ask mechanics when I interview them to tell me about their tools. I just pass on the guys w the fancy boxes and set-ups. I want to hire the guy that's used a chop saw to cut the end off an old craftsman wrench and then welded the head onto a bar and made his own tool to get to the power steering pumps on the old FWD GM 3.8s where GM hid the pumps up against the firewall at the bottom of thr engine.

Almost every mechanic is a drunk, druggie, smoker or all of the above. Not all so don't flame me but again 25 years has taught me it's almost a certainty.

Just some thoughts.
25 years should have also taught you that you assume WAY too much, and if I came in for an interview knowing you're thinking I'm a lowlife druggie, I would not only not waste more time on you, I would report you. Especially considering you literally admitted you discriminate based on a toolbox of all things. Which, *NEWSFLASH*, is illegal. Sorry, but you truly sound like a pompous [censored].
Originally Posted by ToadU
Mostly "mechanics" are part changers today. It's extrmemly hard to find what I consider a real mechanic that can truly diagnose and test. Not guess.
Originally Posted by ToadU
I pay them commensurate with industry norms and their experience. If they are good and can beat the book then can do well. Most can't and don't.
Originally Posted by ToadU
I have to make money too.......
All of this, yet...
Originally Posted by ToadU
Money is a horrible motivator. Someone without work ethic or integrity won't suddenly find it because you pay them more. Pay more and you still get crappy work you just pay more for it. I've been in the industry a long time.

Most employees steal and try to screw their employer. The questions isn't if they are stealing it's how much. As an owner many things that are stealing an employee doesn't even understand is stealing. That smoke break on my time. Stealing. Ect.
Let's reword this:
Originally Posted by ToadU
Money [A [censored] boss] is a horrible motivator. Someone without work ethic or integrity [appreciation or fair treatment] won't suddenly find it because you pay[work harder for] them more. Pay more [Work harder] and you still get crappy work [treatment] you just pay [work] more for it. [Because you know he's gonna say] "I've been in the industry a long time." [Meaning I know more than/am better than you]

Most employees [management/owners] steal and try to screw their employer [treat their employees with respect, like family, and don't assume they're scum because they should know the consequences].The questions isn't if they are stealing [an [censored]] it's how much...
Also, if you've been treating your employees like they're scum for 25 years, perhaps that's why they act like it? See the other side now? Of course, I think geography has a lot to do with your attitude, Florida is (second only to Cali and NYC) the biggest [censored]hole in the U.S., and therefore attracts the corresponding people. Seems fitting...

MrHorspwer definitely had it right

 

[tony1679]

Originally Posted by Silverado12
Yeah, another "all about me" employer. You suck. I'm glad I work for someone decent.

Preach

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted by tony1679
25 years should have also taught you that you assume WAY too much, and if I came in for an interview knowing you're thinking I'm a lowlife druggie, I would not only not waste more time on you, I would report you. Especially considering you literally admitted you discriminate based on a toolbox of all things. Which, *NEWSFLASH*, is illegal. Sorry, but you truly sound like a pompous [censored].


I don't disagree on your assessment but "discriminating on a toolbox" is not illegal in most states and not at the Federal level. There are only a handful of things that are illegal to discriminate on (sex, race, gender (including LGBTQwhatever, and I think one or 2 more). You can be fired or not hired for numerous "stupid" reasons all of which are perfectly legal.