Burnout Is Caused By Extreme Effort With No Reward

[@FBobby]

You mean Pizza parties can't fix every problem in a shop?!

[@zachroberts1988]

I definitely spent my entire 20s being burned out, working 6 to 7 days a week and trying to pad the paycheck as much as possible with very little regard for my mental health... by 30 i was ready for a serious change! Went to a more laid back fleet shop where most of the work was scheduled far in advance and i dont have to worry about the constant daily hustle anymore!

[@paulsmith5611]

It depends on the fleet shop. Rental car shops (which I work in) are notorious for being badly managed by finance people 5 states away and only want quick turnover. Many of them are understaffed because there is no individual customer damanding that one car. The ratio of cars to techs is horrible. You do get overtime though. They also don't know what to vend to the dealer vs what to keep in house and expect you to know everything about every kind of car and do it right now. And large corporations are as cheap or cheaper than customers, this is pretty well documented in business articles. If special tools are needed they almost always want you to figure a way around it (which is harder and harder with new cars).

[@egx161]

You are exactly correct. It’s true. Good employees are taken for granted. My employer doesn’t care about employees. A family owned business where only the family members are rewarded. Horrible.

[@alexanderthegrape5370]

I'm in this boat also and it drives me crazy the nepo baby son who literally never worked a day in his life benefits from our hardwork while he bitches and moans the mules don't move fast enough and sometimes make a minor mistake

[@88FCRX7]

Yeah I experienced my mental breaking point a month ago. So for a whole work week everything was going tits up whether it be wrong parts, things not ordered, things going wrong etc it just ate me mentally. Next Monday rolls around and things still go wrong it's the whole shop being affected not just me but things are still getting screwed up. I felt like the walls were caving in and I was in a car crusher just getting turned into a little cube. I've been feeling like that for about a year and even bringing it up to my boss back in July. I'm only 28 and been in the industry the past 8-9yrs. I honestly couldn't take it anymore and I left the industry to go into as an apprentice watch maker and to help run front of house. I need to rewire my brain to work slower instead of the fast paced turn n burn of the shop mentality it's a process but I've been slowly moving towards a more relaxed and more casual environment. To me it's a gigantic chance but mostly it's more of a mental change because I now feel like I betrayed myself by leaving the industry I once enjoyed and loved and got a damn degree in from my local CC auto tech program. I really miss working in a shop but honestly don't want to put myself back in a position where you're basically treated like a disposable razor.

[@DirtyDanRacimg]

Im being burned out right now lol. Im the only a tech filled with a shop of apprentices and all i get is heavy line and diag. The apprentices make more hours then i do after i show them how to to everything. Before i was the lead tech i was making 40-60hrs a week now im at 30.

[@DirtyDanRacimg]

@@Jiggle-ps2dxoh they dont make anywhere near what i make. But what really burns me is they are looking for another licenced tech and are offering more then what i make lol. Trust me the thought is brewing.

[@MelonHead894]

Just left a dealership just like that homie, switching was the best thing I could’ve done

[@Zl6Z]

@@DirtyDanRacimgBro you gotta get some balls and tell the service manager you need a raise if they’re posting applications for the same job with higher wages.

[@josejavierciordiaredondo]

Your are Amazing! You could not splain the situation better, I'm Spanish living in the UK and I have make friends over the years and they are living in different countries and continents and the situation is the same globally! Thanks for your words!. Regards Jose

[@SawyerSmoak]

Recently hit the wall at the independent I was working at. Piss poor management and favoritism had me legit thinking of switching careers. Government fleet is the way to go. Zero stress.

[@stvargas69]

I got 27 at a govt fleet. As long as you dont care more about your production than management, it will be good. Just gotta accept substandard repairs from your coworkers & no one cares attitude. Until so one gets hurt then its fall guy look out and elbows & A holes

[@jeffselander8567]

Government fleet isn’t as easy as you think, coming for a gm dealer of 16 years flat rate , the broad spectrum of mess up fleet vehicles grinds on you. 500+ worn out trucks and cars that never go away . Try working on a garage truck fleet!

[@SawyerSmoak]

@@jeffselander8567 Like I said, I came from an independent. No issues for me.

[@ToadalSimplicity]

On the topic of reward, there’s a misconception that money is always a reward. Some people in some circumstances do well with that, but a lot don’t. I can tell you past 30-40 hours a week, my reward is leisure. My leisure time and rest is not worth time and a half or double time - it’s priceless. I’m willing to trade some in for overtime pay, but certainly not every week and probably not even every month. Human beings aren’t robots. It’s not insert cash, get same amount of work. We’re humans and we have other needs. All of the trades need to acknowledge that and adopt it into their practices. You’re not a BAMF because you work 50-80 hour weeks - you’re shortsighted, getting screwed, and anti-social. Spend time with your families, spend time with your friends, relax, and be something more than just your job title. There’s nothing wrong with taking pride in your work, but making your absurd work schedule your personality and your measure of self-worth is stupid.

[@djpie2138]

Hourly at a dealership for medium/heavy duty commercial. Manager stresses times everyday as we should be beating warranty times meanwhike the times they tell us are unreasonable and also not correct. We are told 1hr for a oil leak meanwhile job paid over 4hrs under warranty. Then we get told if only we were faster then we might get a raise and also we are paid too much for the results/numbers they are seeing. Should be selling 80hrs of work a week per tech at $200hr. Waiting for parts, wrong parts, parts not ordered are also our fault and do not even mention needing shop supplies like fluids or hardware because that is not possible as supposedly the manufacturer/warranty does not cover it so go find a coworker who has some brake clean or engine oil to spare. Just remember to hustle, bend over, deal with broken shop equipment or lack of equipment and don't forget you should have been faster.

[@parker7953]

Haha that's crazy I was dealing with all of that in retail automotive shops, I thought your line is supposed to have it better.

[@mikerobinson3672]

Yup time to go. Management like that doesn't last long with a low staff of techs in the shop. People above them get start to catch on to the real problem. Been in the industry for 17 years seen it many times.

[@scallen3841]

​@@mikerobinson3672yet upper management never catch on

[@smitty2jones]

Speaking of appreciation... One of our top salesmen went around the last 2 Christmases and gave out hand written Christmas cards. Said things like "you're a great coworker" and "you are appreciated" and "your efforts make this job easier" He gave them to: other salespeople, of course recon manager, assistant manager, and the person who photographs the pictures and puts the cars online parts people, including delivery drivers and a parts person that had only been there a few months service advisors who he didn't give them to: recon techs, who repair the cars ready for the lot detailers, who clean the cars for the lot body shop, who repair the outside of the cars that go on the lot

[@deezelfairy]

Burnout is definitely a real thing. Im a forklift tech and i reached my burnout probably a year to 18mths ago. Im 39. I left at the end of January after i decided to leave and set up own business which was spurred on by receiving a large(ish) inheritance feom a deceased relative. After 20 years of killing it whilst employed I'm really struggling to get my arse back in gear. Having money in the bank really doesnt help. Hopefully it passes and that drive and passion I used to have comes back soon.

[@ibanez741852]

That was sort of my biggest problem with flat rate. You could be a top performer, all star, high prodcing tech in your 20s and 30s, but as your body starts to slow down, your pay goes down, and you are just a "lazy old man" in the eyes of the shop.

[@tobyhootie5930]

Like you said Mike there's no reward for us in it anymore it's all about burnout there's really no way to advance in a car dealership because they don't want to lose a technician because he wants to go into management so it's not allowed so the people they hire for service managers and writers are not good cuz they don't know anything about cars

[@DEmechanic2000]

I agree on this one hole heartedly. I’m 23 and live in Wilmington Delaware and I get $25 an hour. But the second I flag 35 hours I’ll be flat rate at 34.50 an hour. And my company has 5 locations (3 are profitable ) and the owners son who basically runs the company said one day how he appreciates all the hard work and all this and that and we got this new inspection process I commented ok your live last night and everyone’s hours are up and sales are up. And our shop made the most sales for the month and I said “do we get a reward?” And my service manager hit me with “yea every 2 weeks”. They also try to motivate us on a monthly basis with a hover gets most hours gets a $50 Wawa gift card (I’ve won 3/6 months I’ve been with the company). But all that to say I agree with burnout. I’m on pace to make $80k gross this year maybe a bit more but still the way our flare rate system is set up (a lot of hours are generalized example all brakes are 1.2 no matter car size and bran, air filters a are free and all cabin filters are .5 etc etc because our hourly rates are “so high”) I do feel the burnout cause I put in all this work but reward almost isn’t there pay wise but also appreciation definitely not. Maybe I’m ungrateful idk but it’s jus how it seems

[@RIDEONDIRT14]

I'm no longer in the fabrication field, but now in my current career burnout is still a thing. Burn out for me wasn't caused by the work I did but the lack of work my team mates did. It wasn't about the pay in my new career but holding others accountable to pull their weight.

[@JMKady76]

The 20hrs on Friday things happens to one of our techs almost every week. The writers/management always just throw their hands up and say there's nothing they can do when he throws a fit due to the stress.

[@1970chevelle396]

I worked as a fleet mechanic from 2001 to 2008 I liked it a lot better than working at a regular shop. The owner of the company didn't care what I did as long as the jobs got done. I would take off 2 hours every day for lunch.

[@jaymartin5434]

I totally agree .my situation is I started at a new shop and the two employees that were there were burnt out .and I was given 90 percent of the scheduled work while they did drop offs . The more I do the more I get . While the other guys drag there feet . We are all paid hourly . The service writer would be like here is your next car and I wasn't done the one I was working on . I quickly became her go to person . And I found myself working harder than the other two techs . I have been there just over 3 months and no review or raise I'm pretty much done with automotive repairs . I'm 55 and have always felt I have never got paid what I'm worth

[@jamesmichael7311]

It’s sad that it’s such a known issue yet no one is doing anything about it.

[@MsFireboy2]

We had this saying Flat a Quick way to an early grave. Let me elaborate on this. I have lost four of my former co-workers. Health issues was their demise. Have heard of this?

[@2strokerider]

I worked for a place that I made my paycheck in thurs and Fridays. Mostly waited all week on work being then would burn my self out those two to 3 days. Got old fast. I no longer work for that place.

[@natelysy3114]

When they tell me "this car has to go out today" I tell them where to go and how to get there. I don't give a fick they can't find anyone better and they know it so they can smoke wood.

[@JMKady76]

Yup, only car that has to run at the end of the day is mine.

[@chrisdepczynski1960]

This is very accurate! I find myself slaying jobs all week long, and half the time im told needs to be done today or by tomorrow. I get them done, and nobody picks them up untill end of the week or days after, etc.. i learned to slow my roll a little bit and let it all stay consistent and smooth. However i work on a hybrid pay scale getting guaranteed salary pay basically, but I get % on parts and labor, and i could do one good paying ticket, and that pays me for the whole week alone. So im always highly motivated, and the weeks are on a case to case basis, too🤷‍♂️

[@kyleb6325]

To fix burn out, pay has to be increased and clock hours need to be reduced. Simple

[@parker7953]

Burned me the F out after 5 years of GET IT IN GET IT OUT.

[@CharlesJohnstone-c2n]

i burned out once. it took a couple of years to be able to function in the workforce

[@unoallen804]

All of this is very true. I left the dealership in 2016 for a fleet shop. I miss the dealership sometimes but I think it was the group of guys I worked with more than anything.

[@bbatch4809]

People need to continue leaving skilled trade until management, investors & customers start having real conversations. "Nobody wants to work anymore" Stop playing stupid. It adds insult to injury.

[@mrmurdx8956]

So true your state of mind goes out the window in this industry.

[@dharley189]

Mike. Job satisfaction cannot be bought with $$$. I worked 50 yrs in car repair. When I started treating these customers as friends and family and seeing the thankfulness for doing a good job then my work became easier. Money never solves things. Look at Bezos , other billionaires and Congress. They make more than they can ever spend and aren’t happy. All your points are valid. Hope you can make a video on finding satisfaction instead of making money 💰

[@GEN512X]

Switching from tech to advisor shortly because of this. Pay was good, but no appreciation. Done after 20 years in this treat you like s field. If I am going to take s; I might as well not break my back for it physically atleast.

[@Thetiretech05]

I feel this when I graduated school i was slow was getting 4.5-6 hours as an apprentice stupid slow but i was alright then started hitting book time went to a lube chain was still stupid slow as i got better ive gotten 7-8 hours a day but recently with less work and being degraded im now averaging 3-5 when i want 7-8 but im just getting hammered with ot and no reward no moral reward just less and less work and being degraded

[@edbuckley1670]

Started as a diesel tech working on dump trucks and cement trucks. A bigger publicly traded company bought out my company and instantly cut all our overtime and bonuses I took a 15,000 a year paycut.

[@notme6071]

It wasn't fleetpride was it?

[@elijahhena3143]

There's no money in auto repair that's the bottom line

[@iver92975]

Unless you're the owner. I drive an early 2000s vehicle where the owner has 3 vehicles a year old or less.

[@Jack-qd6ei]

Me leaving auto repair was partially due to flat rate and having to ask for raises all the time. I did well on flat rate and made good money, but ended up on an hourly flat rate combo. Really isn’t a big deal to me to bush a broom around when it’s slow, but I want to get paid. It would suck when you’re halfway through a job right before a vacation. Fighting for .2 here .5 there, it just got tiring and annoying. Good writers came and went. I make more money working three days a week now. When I left my boss congratulated me on getting out of the industry. Don’t get me wrong, I’d still do it again because I can fix my own cars. But damn, it’s nice having work life balance with good pay. Plus my body is going to last longer now.

[@shanefranklino5568]

I'm working 110 hrs every 2 weeks.we have no service writer and one general service kid who just graduated high school. I'm hourly and work after hours for myself. I'm so over this industry after 30 years.

[@mickeylee5727]

Work at hourly independent shop for a boss who constantly rushes me, most days i take a very late lunch because he’s Keeps pushing me to do more cars and he doesn’t buy me lunch, should I leave this shop?

[@dakotaalexander9292]

Can confirm. I'm tired of working 80-120 hrs in a pay period but only getting paid for 60-70

[@bindthedevilloosetheangels]

fleet shops are not the greatest when you work with an all new crew that think arguing, bull shitting, playing on the "smart phone" and brown nosing management fixes trucks.

[@fumanpoo4725]

Yes. It does. Ask me how I know? More effort means more work.

[@RobCarstuff9112]

A "Problem" in every industry/Job Unfortunately, that's the way of this world now ):

[@scallen3841]

Yep it's worse in retail

[@kkovler1]

sounds like another good reason to be on salary as a technician!

[@214liljon]

Fleet is the way to go. I make more money than the oem dealership tech without the stress

[@lovemym16]

I left service management for fleet management, best decision ever.

[@ferrarimatt1]

Thanks for doing the video.

[@scallen3841]

And then shopd wonder why they cant find techs to work for them

[@ghost13829]

What about the best Example taking ROs.....that you sold work on "from you" if you have any kind of day off. And giving it to others! Think its called stealing????? Whats your view about robbing peter to pay paul. Taking from my table to give to someone else...???????????????????? All the other problems these guys have mentioned exist being doing mechanic work since 2005. It wasnt this bad when i started

[@barrymccaulkiner7092]

What options are there for someone looking to gtfo?

[@coexist1018]

More,more, and more that's they're favorite words

[@MsFireboy2]

Micro manage will increase turnover rate.

[@TonicofSonic]

Try raising a child with autism. I give 1000% and at the end of the day....well...I am too burned out to really speak on it. Just. Dang man.

[@freedomkingfilms]

tired of everything waiting till friday theres other days in the week if a car dont go out friday oh well it will go out next monday or tuesday ive had to rush to cleanup a car on a friday and find out it sits two more weeks untouched not picked up, like why you rush it out if it just gonna sit another week out front

[@volt6008]

Happens all the time, I never understand it. All cars for drop off should be done last and all waiters first

[@SaerTurner-wn2qh]

Your reward is being proud of a job done and your pay check ..that's how it is in every job no matter where you work coffee shop work shop .. you need to be working to get paid ... and flat rate tge faster you work the more money you make that's a big reward a good tech can way more money than an hourly tech so that's the reward as a flat rate to push more out

[@haukenhung]

It’s boring! After doing the same dozen of times over and over again!

[@eddieds312]

If you cant eat a whole Costco pizza and still flag 12 hours you shouldnt be doing auto repair