Solid video, good points. Take care out there y'all. My coworker Bryan got killed by a truck on his way to work this morning. He was a grown man but was technically my apprentice, followed me from a different shop even and he was getting his life on the right track. Almost finished his schooling, was about to get a mortgage for a house with his girlfriend. Im not that old but now Bryan will forever be just shy of 30 years old. Was a solid old school mechanic and despite his roughness he fixed a ton of tough cars. Maybe a bottleneck could be time for a moment of reflection of what is important.
Sorry for your loss and that of his love ones. It is great that you share it here, yes , to reflect on what is important. I just know that you also must let yourself grief all you can, do not let it inside or it will kill you, such is the problem with our military for example. Honor his memory in the best way you can...In fact, you just did it. This next portion I hope you can believe one day if not understanding it. Ancient cultures knew that life and death are a Neverending cycle, and nowadays we have much more evidence of it. Everyone is here to learn and teach us something, those gone in apparently untimely manner are the ones who come back faster to a new life if they choose to do so. All in all, it doesn't ease the pain, again, is good to grief, privately or however is best for you...Time of healing is diferent for everyone...Do not let anyone tell you "get over it" etc...They mean well...but they really don't know how to help you. By experiencing grief you empty out emotions in order to create room for a higher understanding...it takes time... Acquire knowledge...Learn more about grief. I wish you much abundance.
I’ve always been a tech, was a writer for about 6 months and now I’m a diesel tech. As a writer I never gave promise time 😂 my favorite line was “we will be in touch”
Management's monumental slow delivery of tickets, turn around for approval, parts, it could days for some tickets .Always seemed i had to do all my work on Friday payday lol .
Great video as always Michael. Unfortunately yet again most issues come down to owners and managers that might never even see this video. Ty for all you do
This is a good subject. Even a minor bottle neck on a regular day can become massive on a busy streak. A bottle neck for us techs is not looking at service information first. I know we've done a certain job countless times, but as the models change even slightly not knowing correct procedures can cause that job to be a real hassle. 2 minutes on the front end of a job can save hours of aggravation once you're into it.
Robo calls keeping them up front from getting things done. We had 171 calls today, over 100 of them not from customers. After that it's their urge to sell wipers, flushes that aren't needed and tires to hit random made up goals.
Bottle necks... Like having equip close to the jobs, Like having the brake lathe next to hoists that you work on brakes, Etc, (Though, I havn't used the brake lathe in about 15 years LOL) just an example.
So much wrong with this method I wouldn't even know where to begin. Look for better options to source those same parts and then u can make more profits and provide better warranty. Rock auto is for diyers not professionals
If you have management and crew that are reluctant to address these issues, there is not really a whole lot one can do -other than find another job. Lube techs should not be held up waiting for oil filters, misc bulbs, oil, and drain plug gaskets because of depleted inventory. Shop owners and managers should not be BSing with friends/customers for an hour while techs stand by waiting for parts and job assignments. Well... You get the point...
One thing, I don't leave "all" the spray stock on the floor, cause then the guys just drink it like it's water "free water"... It's not... So, they know where it is, but have to ask me first before grabbing a box (That stuff's Expensive !! )
If your techs are having to stop what they're doing and ask you for supplies, that's a bottle neck. I had a service manager start doing that with gloves, I made him personally go fetch me gloves when I needed them till he got over himself.
@@JMKady76 The guys know where the cases are, but they just have to acknowledge to me that they are taking a case.... It subconsciously keeps the waste down a bit.
Crap, when i'm wrenching, I even hate it when a tech askes me to go get a wrench or special spray, or something, Don't even mention when a client drives in.... That's why I really need to stay on the desk, (I miss wrenching as an employee) Hard to explain, I guess.
The biggest bottlenecks I face are tickets getting estimated and sold in a timely manner, it shouldn't take hours to estimate a ticket. After that it's parts, far too often they are delivered late, the wrong part is in the box, the wrong part is listed in the catalog, or the parts are days/weeks/months away. Ordering parts from the dealer by VIN for a Range Rover has a ridiculously high failure rate and they always blame someone else.
It doesn’t matter if it takes hours to estimate. The service writer is getting paid by the hour they don’t care. When I worked in a shop the service writer was slow. Took 2 days on average to even hear anything back on tickets.
Stack of ROs? Try no RO or any paperwork whatsoever. Don't want tech talking to customers or even knowing who they are. Service information login is only saved on one old desktop computer, no other permissions to login anywhere else, and this computer in the front office and has no printer! There's a printer right in the desk but it's on a different network. Buy your own rags and uniforms, and walk 2 miles back and forth because the wheel balancer is always way on the other side of shop rolling big heavy tires and so is the oil and filters and your tool box and cart. Way on the other side. Oil change stickers and service reminder resets. They should print out those oil stickers and hand it to you with the RO. But no RO here either. I drive to get parts and what model is it, what year make model, what was it, what engine, what's the build date! hum, wish I had an RO, so I got to make a phone call and hope somebody answers. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. Tire repairs and oil changes with zero profit! This needs to stop. It's always not a customer and they just drive up and want you to do it right now! Go to Walmart. You obviously want the cheapest oil change and $7 tire repair. Don't come here, go to Walmart. This job will kill you! You will work yourself to death and won't be able to walk to the truck when you leave. By the time you get home, you might need assistance to get out and get inside your house!
So glad I got out of this shitshow trade. (Injury promted) Seen many good/honest dudes get fkd over, esp at the dealer level, while high hour hacks get rewarded. (Omit torque specs, break fasteners, damage wiring harnesses, leave brackets off etc) Mobile is the way to go if yer good with elect/diag & have repair data, plus you can pick/choose jobs according to the risk/reward.
stop promising 20 cars out on a friday afternoon when you only have one guy washing cars, its usually every week friday slammed with cars i have to clean up cause 5 cars gotta go out and its 3pm
Parts. Everything is on intergalactic backorder.
💯
Solid video, good points. Take care out there y'all. My coworker Bryan got killed by a truck on his way to work this morning. He was a grown man but was technically my apprentice, followed me from a different shop even and he was getting his life on the right track. Almost finished his schooling, was about to get a mortgage for a house with his girlfriend. Im not that old but now Bryan will forever be just shy of 30 years old. Was a solid old school mechanic and despite his roughness he fixed a ton of tough cars. Maybe a bottleneck could be time for a moment of reflection of what is important.
Sorry for your loss and that of his love ones.
It is great that you share it here, yes , to reflect on what is important. I just know that you also must let yourself grief all you can, do not let it inside or it will kill you, such is the problem with our military for example.
Honor his memory in the best way you can...In fact, you just did it.
This next portion I hope you can believe one day if not understanding it.
Ancient cultures knew that life and death are a Neverending cycle, and nowadays we have much more evidence of it.
Everyone is here to learn and teach us something, those gone in apparently untimely manner are the ones who come back faster to a new life if they choose to do so.
All in all, it doesn't ease the pain, again, is good to grief, privately or however is best for you...Time of healing is diferent for everyone...Do not let anyone tell you "get over it" etc...They mean well...but they really don't know how to help you.
By experiencing grief you empty out emotions in order to create room for a higher understanding...it takes time...
Acquire knowledge...Learn more about grief.
I wish you much abundance.
Management.
Can u make a video on being a good leader in the shop? Not only from like shop Formans role but just all around good leader period.
Yes please!
I’ve always been a tech, was a writer for about 6 months and now I’m a diesel tech. As a writer I never gave promise time 😂 my favorite line was “we will be in touch”
Management's monumental slow delivery of tickets, turn around for approval, parts, it could days for some tickets .Always seemed i had to do all my work on Friday payday lol .
We must work at the same shop.
Great video as always Michael. Unfortunately yet again most issues come down to owners and managers that might never even see this video. Ty for all you do
This is a good subject. Even a minor bottle neck on a regular day can become massive on a busy streak. A bottle neck for us techs is not looking at service information first. I know we've done a certain job countless times, but as the models change even slightly not knowing correct procedures can cause that job to be a real hassle. 2 minutes on the front end of a job can save hours of aggravation once you're into it.
Parts got me dawg 🤣 again and again and again
the fact that someone has to check my oil change and tire rotation and sign off on it. Without being paid for it, hurts my hours and theirs.
Robo calls keeping them up front from getting things done. We had 171 calls today, over 100 of them not from customers. After that it's their urge to sell wipers, flushes that aren't needed and tires to hit random made up goals.
Yea screw tires and flushes.
Bottle necks... Like having equip close to the jobs, Like having the brake lathe next to hoists that you work on brakes, Etc, (Though, I havn't used the brake lathe in about 15 years LOL) just an example.
Mine was when they converted over to tablets instead of written ro's. The software on the tablet was TERRIBLE
Waiting on parts from Rock Auto is a huge bottle neck for me, but it is why my customers come to me in the first place.
So much wrong with this method I wouldn't even know where to begin. Look for better options to source those same parts and then u can make more profits and provide better warranty. Rock auto is for diyers not professionals
Rock auto won't have that part you need on a Sunday evening or employ your local car guys and buddies.
Rock auto is for when no one else has it. You gotta wait, car be damned, customer pay upfront and no warranty.
@@jeffcompton6937 rockauto is for people who want to spend 150 bucks on parts instead of 1150 dollars.
Can high prices be a bottle neck? We have warranty repairs, but the gravy flows slowly.
If you have management and crew that are reluctant to address these issues, there is not really a whole lot one can do -other than find another job. Lube techs should not be held up waiting for oil filters, misc bulbs, oil, and drain plug gaskets because of depleted inventory. Shop owners and managers should not be BSing with friends/customers for an hour while techs stand by waiting for parts and job assignments. Well... You get the point...
One thing, I don't leave "all" the spray stock on the floor, cause then the guys just drink it like it's water "free water"... It's not... So, they know where it is, but have to ask me first before grabbing a box (That stuff's Expensive !! )
If your techs are having to stop what they're doing and ask you for supplies, that's a bottle neck. I had a service manager start doing that with gloves, I made him personally go fetch me gloves when I needed them till he got over himself.
@@JMKady76 The guys know where the cases are, but they just have to acknowledge to me that they are taking a case.... It subconsciously keeps the waste down a bit.
Crap, when i'm wrenching, I even hate it when a tech askes me to go get a wrench or special spray, or something, Don't even mention when a client drives in.... That's why I really need to stay on the desk, (I miss wrenching as an employee) Hard to explain, I guess.
The biggest bottlenecks I face are tickets getting estimated and sold in a timely manner, it shouldn't take hours to estimate a ticket. After that it's parts, far too often they are delivered late, the wrong part is in the box, the wrong part is listed in the catalog, or the parts are days/weeks/months away. Ordering parts from the dealer by VIN for a Range Rover has a ridiculously high failure rate and they always blame someone else.
It doesn’t matter if it takes hours to estimate. The service writer is getting paid by the hour they don’t care. When I worked in a shop the service writer was slow. Took 2 days on average to even hear anything back on tickets.
Mexican Coke
Stack of ROs? Try no RO or any paperwork whatsoever. Don't want tech talking to customers or even knowing who they are.
Service information login is only saved on one old desktop computer, no other permissions to login anywhere else, and this computer in the front office and has no printer! There's a printer right in the desk but it's on a different network.
Buy your own rags and uniforms, and walk 2 miles back and forth because the wheel balancer is always way on the other side of shop rolling big heavy tires and so is the oil and filters and your tool box and cart. Way on the other side.
Oil change stickers and service reminder resets. They should print out those oil stickers and hand it to you with the RO. But no RO here either. I drive to get parts and what model is it, what year make model, what was it, what engine, what's the build date! hum, wish I had an RO, so I got to make a phone call and hope somebody answers. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.
Tire repairs and oil changes with zero profit! This needs to stop. It's always not a customer and they just drive up and want you to do it right now! Go to Walmart. You obviously want the cheapest oil change and $7 tire repair. Don't come here, go to Walmart.
This job will kill you! You will work yourself to death and won't be able to walk to the truck when you leave. By the time you get home, you might need assistance to get out and get inside your house!
So glad I got out of this shitshow trade. (Injury promted) Seen many good/honest dudes get fkd over, esp at the dealer level, while high hour hacks get rewarded. (Omit torque specs, break fasteners, damage wiring harnesses, leave brackets off etc) Mobile is the way to go if yer good with elect/diag & have repair data, plus you can pick/choose jobs according to the risk/reward.
Do people actually have plastic clips supplied? Places I've worked expect techs to buy plastic clips.
Never was I expected to pay and supply them for myself but at all the dealerships I worked at they usually had to be ordered
stop promising 20 cars out on a friday afternoon when you only have one guy washing cars, its usually every week friday slammed with cars i have to clean up cause 5 cars gotta go out and its 3pm
Micro-Management. Hounding the Tech.