Auto Repair Industry Pay Structures Debated With Steven Fafel of AutoOps

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Lucas Underwood and David Roman welcome the founder and CEO of AutoOps, Steven Fafel for a deep dive into the complexities of workplace motivation and compensation.
Steven weighs in on how background shapes attitudes towards money and professional contentment, narrating the subtle dance between ethics and earnings in the auto industry. Lucas introspects a paramedic's dual life as a rock climber, symbolizing the balance between passion and livelihood, while David shares the story of Cameron Haynes to reinforce the notion of working to fuel personal pursuits. The trio engages in a lively debate on the auto shop pay structures, contrasting salary with commission-based models, and the implications on staff motivation.
00:00 Desire for faster, touchscreen tablets persists.
04:20 OE subscription provides accurate and reliable data.
07:44 Dealerships prioritize data for sales opportunities.
10:20 Expect complacency in demanding work environments.
12:42 The Commission structure should align with company values.
18:16 Incentivizing staff can improve trust in sales.
19:41 Neglecting to schedule impacts the shop's work and revenue.
22:20 Choosing fulfillment over money, pursuing meaningful activities.
27:50 Disruptive car service leads to customer compensation.
30:29 Workers unload quickly, stacking boxes efficiently.
35:00 Trump's persona and fame lead to danger.
35:43 Appreciate the chat, I always enjoy it.

[@coldfinger459sub0]

The one statement “blue-collar workers deserved to get paid more” The majority of automotive technicians have morphed their job design designation as no longer. Just a blue-collar wrenching grease monkey for the ones who are doing electrical drive ability troubleshooting they’re getting into the realm of coding and software rewriting, and Electronics electrical diagnosticians and troubleshooters.. They’re just too slow and don’t know enough that they’re doing the jobs 15 years ago that guys would be getting paid $150,000 for the Tech field . And mechanics are still making wages, like a blue-collar worker who dig trenches for sewage lines . No joke look at what plumbers are making

[@crashm1]

I think money simplifies being happy an awful lot.

[@gregbuckley9010]

Really good show guys. From Steve's curiosity to David's adamancy towards non-commission employment, it was concise , (40 minutes) all voices participated equally with equal time and Lucas openly shared his concerns over having to grow his new "bigger" shop. All while pondering his future based on his wife's concerns. (trust me - the wife's comments equaled my wife's at about the same time in our marriage with kids to raise. I listened.) Anyway, good content. Thanks.

[@ChangingTheIndustry]

Thank you sir 🙏

[@freeride202]

Everyone loves flat rate when they are making money. They are the ones that defend this pay structure to no end. The owner, advisor, and tech can all come out ahead at the cost of the customer. 25 years in the industry when I have dealings with a flare rate shop/dealership, the jobs are misdiagnosed and maintenance pushed that is not required. This has been the rule and not the exception. Shortcuts are made with diagnostics and repair. This is one reason we have the same reputation as used car salesmen and politicians.

[@thefirmament3225]

Commission in a different industry , Havnt had a salary or hourly since 2006 Commission is for the sharks 🦈

[@patrioticimmigrant8817]

This qas great! Thanks for taking the time to have a real conversation.

[@ChangingTheIndustry]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@user-vl3og3ht8h]

Great listen!👍

[@ChangingTheIndustry]

Thanks for listening

[@dennysauto1]

Love the conversation! Do you guys have any ideas for compensation plans for groups? Back shop and front separately to total shop? I love the idea of team compensation and I would love to look at some different ideas.

[@ChangingTheIndustry]

Maybe we could have Cecil on to discuss team compensation!

[@dennysauto1]

That would be great! Thank you. I think it is the future in our industry.

[@ChangingTheIndustry]

I think an industry has the responsibility of keeping one eye on emerging technologies WITHOUT being overreactive and jumping too far ahead for their demographic. There's a substantial portion of the auto repair industry that's forgone this responsibility - leaving themselves exposed to obsolescence. This isn't just shop owners, but technicians and service advisors as well. We often hear the frustration of technicians - but its extremely important to realize the technicians who HAVE been fixing cars WON'T be the technicians fixing the next iteration of automobiles. Not to say they can't be! It's more of a realization that the cars we've been fixing won't translate to the next generation of automobile. I suspect this is why we're seeing investigation into augmented reality by the OE's - to facilitate repairs of complex machines that our current workforce has only marginally prepared for.

[@Quickwrench75]

Question ? Is it legal to make a Technician that is required to provide there own tools salary? I have been told by many it is.

[@ChangingTheIndustry]

You can pay a technician salary regardless of any tooling, atleast to my knowledge. You can NOT pay them as a 1099 contractor.

[@nickayivor8432]

Please interview New Level Auto Keith DeFazio 🙏 SUBSTANTIAL Changing the industry Podcast 👍 From Nick Ayivor from London England UK 🇬🇧 ⏰️ 15:55 Good Afternoon

[@johnl8597]

I would much rather flat rate than hourly.

[@ChangingTheIndustry]

Why is that?

[@johnl8597]

@@ChangingTheIndustry it gives me incentive to hustle and make more money. Makes me want to make sure it’s done correctly the first time. I don’t get paid the second time.

[@Ashum28]

Wife says absolutely not!!! Imagine you saying that to her when she says what she wants to do and her plans. I think you should start calling her “partner” and not a wife. And it sounds like you are a minority partner in that “partnership”. Sad.

[@ChangingTheIndustry]

Nah, it ain't like that 🤣

[@Ashum28]

You guys killed at least 3 strawman that you build yourself. Great job.

[@DavidRomanKC]

Outline at LEAST one. 🤨