Solving the Technician Shortage, Once and For All!

[@TnD_Adventures]

Some points I agree with. I am A Ford dealer technician for 38 years, The key factor not discussed is the Flat Rate system. No other industry pays this way, I have been a shop foreman for years and todays younger techs figure out the flat rate pay really quick and leave.

[@John-g8m3o]

They're just scumbag crooks!They're all on this fake technician shortage crusade but wages aren't rising a bit."Dec 1, 2022 · 0.0% increase in Technician wages. in 2021 and exceeding $20 per hour."The local community college was telling students that entry level wage was over $20 an hour 20 fucking years ago and the Mercedes dealer s at $295 now.I started out at age 19 in 1985 for 50% of the $27 an hour shop rate.They're mentally retarded fucking car crooks!

[@John-g8m3o]

They just live in this other world of fucking bullshit and scams.

[@John-g8m3o]

I have been a tech for 40 years.They might take care of a couple core guys but then they fish for idiots to rob with recalls and warranty work.Your shit don't fly either.I had a foreman that would stand in the drive with a scanner flagging an hour on every car with a light on.

[@John-g8m3o]

Flat-rate is no different than scumbags given the ability to tamper with the time clocks.

[@John-g8m3o]

Here’s a simple logical fact: No industry with an actual labor shortage would act to suppress the wages of employees. If you are, in fact, desperate for employees, then you increase incentives to attract prospects. In other words, labor shortages increase wages due to the scarcity of labor. This is the fundamental fact about scarcity. It’s the law of supply and demand. However, in both the red meat and poultry processing industries, they are claiming labor shortages while conspiring to suppress wages.

[@clarkclifford2338]

The problem with the tech shortage is the pay. A long time ago, it was explained to me that, at their shop, a techs got 1/2 the profit on the ticket, b techs 1/3, c techs 1/4. It was told to me that this was traditional, and no one had a problem unless a tech started pushing all kinds of parts that were questionable for a repair. Yes, the tech’s pay was also parts. Here’s what I see. The gas station on the corner is at 150/hour. The dealer is 220.00/hour. My driveway is now 100.00/hour and I pick and choose my work. The dealership is paying what per hour to the tech? It used to be the management(owners) valued the tech. Now, the tech is view as a necessary evil or “the shit in the back”. We don’t sit at a terminal, so we are not worth what they are. IMO, writers are massively overpaid.

[@TheJohnbjunior]

flat rate is fine, but they need to pay 50-60%, and the same with parts markup, until that happens, they'll have no one!

[@joshnabours9102]

@@autofix-autoshopcoaching801 someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I think he means 50-60% is the ratio of gravy work (brake jobs, suspension work, etc) to long diagnostic work and warranty work that pays 30 min for 2 hours of diagnosis. I have heard it referred to as "feeding" your technicians.

[@John-g8m3o]

@@autofix-autoshopcoaching801 The average gross profit margin on any skilled trade or professional service is ranging from 30-40% with about a 36% average.Healthcare and finance are at a very high 45% which indicates some monkey businessThey' very much should be paying techs at least 50% of their stated retail shop rates.Giving them a very generous 12% for employment costs and benefits puts them spot on the money at 38% gross margins.Somethng as common and competitive as auto repair should be towards the bottom of that 30-40% range too.The National Dealers Assocation criminally colluded to run the margins up on service labor so their sales would be pure profits.Now they are running 75% plus.I can write up a business plan that works just fine on 30-40% gross margins.I have owned 3 shops but anybody going against the grain is going to be attacked by the scumbags.I can cover the overhead on a 10 bay shop on the strip with all new equipment by myself and I can find people to answer the fucking phone anywhere.

[@John-g8m3o]

@@autofix-autoshopcoaching801 A cartel is not always where you get your drugs."an association of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition:"

[@John-g8m3o]

@@autofix-autoshopcoaching801 Why did they choose to run the margins up on the labor and not on the parts?Their margins on labor should be about the same as on parts and they have never deviated much on the parts margins.You're fucking car scum!Your little chop shops don't have big parking lots on the strip or showrooms either. "If service and parts could generate sufficient gross to cover all dealership expenses, every vehicle sale would produce pure profit. NADA 20 Group guidelines, which include used-vehicle gross in the formula below, recommend 100% absorption.If your absorption is low, examine your grossing patterns. Service should be holding 72% of gross; parts should be holding 38%, and body shop should be holding 65% on labor, 30% on parts"

[@John-g8m3o]

@@autofix-autoshopcoaching801 These businesses are not supposed to be making agreements with each other to run the shop rates and margins up ,they are supposed to be competing against each other for a fair share of the market. "Price fixing is an agreement (written, verbal, or inferred from conduct) among competitors to raise, lower, maintain, or stabilize prices or price levels. Generally, the antitrust laws require that each company establish prices and other competitive terms on its own, without agreeing with a competitor. When purchasers make choices about what products and services to buy, they expect that the price has been determined on the basis of supply and demand, not by an agreement among competitors. When competitors agree to restrict competition, the result is often higher prices. Price fixing also includes agreements among competing purchasers or competing employers about the prices or wages they will pay. Price fixing is a major concern of government antitrust enforcement. Individuals and companies that knowingly enter price-fixing agreements are routinely investigated by the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies and can be criminally prosecuted. Potential penalties include lengthy terms of imprisonment (up to ten years) and large fines (up to $1 million for individuals, $100 million for companies, or twice the gain or loss from the offense). Where appropriate, the FTC may also bring a civil enforcement action."

[@chrisbartkowiak2572]

Something you might won’t to get a head of is retention but what do I know I only work in this stressful, painful industry. Even I will break soon and find something else to do that makes me way happier because no one wants to fix the problems we face that kills any morality of being an automotive technician.

[@eightfivezerobraxton5509]

pay people properly or they will leave. America treats workers like dogs

[@southernpovertycallcentere8373]

Leaving the industry was the best decision I made over a decade ago. I've never once regretted it or looked back.

[@John-g8m3o]

@@autofix-autoshopcoaching801 With all these shitbag consultants and shop owners groups they're all cookie cutter junk.Not only all that they see the dealers doing it and getting away with it and then they feel entitled.

[@John-g8m3o]

@@autofix-autoshopcoaching801 "We're spending thousands of dollars a month looking for free technicians so we can't pay the technicians"

[@John-g8m3o]

@@autofix-autoshopcoaching801 We had one guy that only worked 3 days a week but he flagged 60 hours so they fired him and hired a guy that worked 5 days a week and only flagged 20 hours.

[@fernleytire]

Warranty work The manufactory need to start paying for unbilled hours the tech spends on fixing the problems they have made

[@luiscruz-no3ib]

Well, you see all these young people go to schools to get trained on auto repairs. They spend from 30 to 40,000 on training they go to work they get pay 13.00 to 14 dollars flat rate .work 50 to 60 hours a week if they make 40 flat rate hours they are lucky . Sometimes, they are trained by a seasoned tech that will not show the ropes as the old said in goes if mechanic b knows as much as mechanic a you no longer need mechanic A

[@aaroncollana6487]

One of the problems with corporations they don’t want to pay they want an awesome technician, but they don’t wanna pay for it

[@TheJohnbjunior]

Genuis, you nailed it, if plumbers charge 200. an hour we should be at 300.+, I got more money in one drawer than a plumber has total and knowledge; please!

[@robbieraychannel]

Chris, I appreciate that you are at least trying to fix this long standing problem. I have been a professional mechanic for 25 years. I have worked on almost everything you can think of and I love repairing and fabricating things, But as a profession, mechanics are treated like crap. I have a few sayings I developed over the years that you might like: ( any job where you get dirty you also get no respect) maybe we should wear white lab coats... This brings me to my next saying: (This is the only profession where the practitioner gets treated as the lowest status.) If a doctor attends college for 8 years and residency for 2 years they become the highly respected people in their industry. Why is that not the case for mechanics??? At some point in time 10,15,20 years, we are the doctors of machines, But without fail any and I do mean (ANY) office person is treated above us. This brings me to my last saying. (Chris if you entered a shop and someone told you that you could only choose one person in the building for your $125.00 an hour and your car was broken down are you choosing an administrator?? ) I don't think so......unless you enjoy walking LOL Thanks for letting me rant. Rob..........

[@John-g8m3o]

Long standing problem?There have been shortages of idiots to work for free and cheap since the dawn of time. If just .01% of these people decided to work on cars for a living!YOU ONLY HAVE SHORTAGES OF DUMB AND CHEAP AND IT'S A FUCKING SCAM! "There are about 21.1 million people who have a bachelor's or higher degree in a science or engineering (S&E) field"

[@John-g8m3o]

The S&E field wouldn't even notice that they were gone and you car creeps are searching for a needle on the wrong side of the stack again.The Mercedes dealer is at $295 an hour now and they had better have a mother fucking German rocket scientist working on my car and not some at-risk youth on a government training program.

[@johnsradios484]

I went to a Vocational HS and took electronics. Later went to a tech school got a certificate, eventually a AAS and a BSET. Spent a lifetime in Biomedical Field ( hospital tech working on medical equipment).

[@Alex-abcd]

Because wages !😅 ! I do not intend to work so hard for little money ! I can do a lit of other things for that kind of money😅

[@MarkVanTasell]

THE VEHICALS TODAY CANNOT BE REPAIRED/FIXED BY THE DEALER,I,M A VETRERAN TECH,SOOOO.HERE IT IS KIDS(,GO TO SCHOOLQUIT FUCKING YOURE PHONE/YUOTUBE/BOOK FACE)!!!I WILL NOT PAY SHOP OWNERS 100+ AN HOUR WHILE MY KNOWLEDGE IS WHAT KEEPS THE DOORS OPEN MAKINKING 30,HELL CAN BUILD A GARAGE AND PICK AND CHOOSE CLIENTS AND MAKE MORE!!!!!

[@mikerobinson3672]

Every good tech I know has no issue with the shortage. Like me they love the tech shortage, I'm a diesel and Industrial tech. For once we have the upper hand on compensation.

[@Sc300autogm]

If you were hiring for technicians, I would respectfully decline. Reason being that you have the voice and approach of a volume person. You would pay a tech more but You still want to turn volume for profits. You brought up a point that cars are getting more complex and that’s when everyone fails to to think that not every vehicle fixes in 10 mins. They are getting more labor intensive and quality is what most important for us older technicians, At least for myself, I want to repair the vehicle once, I do not like being overwhelmed by 5 different cars that needs diagnostic and fix. That’s one big issue is that technicians are overwhelmed. It takes one car to miss diag and your no longer a good tech because you have 5 other waiters that needs tire rotations.

[@jeffmaggard3694]

Yeah, one job goes wrong your whole week is screwed

[@wendwllhickey6426]

No Pay no work 😅

[@narcissistinjurygiver2932]

does not matter what you pay an hour when your flat rate does not pay you for 1/2 of the time it takes to do the job

[@willharriman1881]

I worked in Auto Mechanics & Diesel for 25 years and was a Technical School Instructor for 15 years. I am now retired. You have the right idea! However, the real solution calls for a TREMENDOUS UPGRADE of the entire vehicle maintenance industry. It's time to end the quaint notions of Auto & Diesel service personnel as some kind of dirty, unskilled menial labor. All vehicle service personnel, methods and equipment should approximate the expertise level of a NASA Jet Propulsion Lab. I'm talking about LITERAL Bachelors Degree Maintenance Engineers and Maintenance Scientists with extensive practical experience. Pay $100 an hour or better!

[@martinfleigel7527]

As a mechanic for 52 yrs(just retired). I’ve always said it’s easier to be a doctor than auto mechanic plus they have better tools and a nice clean environment

[@SORTIECycling-dl8wd]

And, they only have 2 models to work on that don't change much year to year.

[@alanbeshore943]

Pay is the core problem. Flat rate pay systems have ruined the industry by enabling terrible business people to continue operating. Flat rate pay systems cause very strange outcomes, many of which financially harm the customer. The folks who claim to want to resolve the tech shortage ought to band together, hire some lobbyists, and petition the government with an eye towards making flat rate pay models illegal. Its the only way. Everything else is just talk.

[@Adam-kk7nw]

Management known u been working 90 hour weekly so to show u we cared about everyone we r going have pizza party

[@PentaRaus]

Its how management lets your know who the bitch is in the relationship. Treat you like a child.

[@michaelbrock6210]

2 words... hourly pay...

[@Imnotyourdoormat]

Hey, Great Do 1 Next on....."Solving the Crooked Dealership Abundance, Once and for All!!!" Doesn't matter anymore anyway. Auto manufacturers are totally eliminating Dealerships once and for all. Say they will handle Warranty Work like MAYTAG or Kenmore contracts out their repair worker to go to the customer's house and handle any issues right there on the spot. Car Dealerships are going the way of the Do Do Bird and extinction.

[@ferndog1461]

Get out. Get your diesel certificate, get your CDL, and get onto an 18 wheeler Semi-Truck service center. Talk, ask , beg, or prostitute yourself to get in. You're going to have similar sweat , grime, & exhaustion at the end of your shift. But you're not gonna have the DRAMA of a consumer automotive shop. Your paycheck won't be a mystery every week. The frustration that is baked into planned obsolescence in modern vehicles is obvious & diabolical. How many hours does it take to replace a water pump in the ubiquitous GM Equinox/Acadia/Traverse? 5 hours !?!

[@hectorkjv_1611]

5 hours for a water pump? That is absolutely asinine.

[@narcissistinjurygiver2932]

really, we have learning disabilities so we became mechanics.

[@autofix-autoshopcoaching801]

It's more common than you think.

[@johnsradios484]

What about flat rate pay? Why are tech buying electronic scan equipment? Tools ok and then even that, I don’t buy any of my tools or test equipment in the medical repair field.

[@autofix-autoshopcoaching801]

Interesting. I think shops should buy the majority of the tools that techs use. I also think that technicians have shiny thing syndrome and when Snappy rolls up they think they have to have more than what they really need. This puts them at a disadvantage.

[@FoxRob93]

What does a auto shop coach do?

[@FoxRob93]

@@autofix-autoshopcoaching801 So come into a shop look things over speak to techs about what a shop needs or is lacking in? Yeah whenever an organization would come in and do this nothing has changed at any place I worked at. As for what your proposing for tech wages that would be great but as a A tech at a dealership I've not made that much living in the metro NYC area. There needs to be changes I left the dealership 2 years ago and now work in tech support making more money with less stress but still not close to what your proposing for a hourly rate for a tech.

[@FoxRob93]

@@autofix-autoshopcoaching801 I've been saying this at the dealer level for atleast 15 years yeah the dealers offer more then any independent shop I've worked for but in either case the pay is not even close to where it should be. We work in an industry where technology is always evolving what is the most revolutionary thing a plumber or electrician has to work with? Not much has changed for them other then materials and tooling same with HVAC techs different gasses and gauge sets yet they all charge way more then we do. But is a shop dealer or indy raise their rates people start calling them rip off artists, sadly some tech created the illusion of all mechanics being crooks.

[@FoxRob93]

@Jerry Boden when I was still at the dealer I did way more then that, glad you can pound your chest so well.

[@JamesSmith-xs7sr]

This trade is DYING! Thank God!

[@twostroke12v71]

Commenting on the video for the algorithm

[@coryament]

the good ones work for themselves and only do word of mouth advertising like me. I have no overhead but my house and bills and stay busy.

[@MarkVanTasell]

AT THE END OF THE DAY THE FUTURE OF TECHS ARE DUMB AS A BRICK

[@JamesSmith-xs7sr]

Lol, pay them well, they will stay. NO flat rape sht....

[@farnorthhomested844]

your way off!