Working at a dealership

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IF YOU YOURSELF LOST MONEY THE STATE CAN HELP YOU GET IT BACK through the Wage & Hour division, or similar name.

If you're getting into criminal justice, this could be a good extra credit project.
 
There are good dealers and bad ones. Sounds like the one you were at was run very poorly. The core box thing is real. We get no credit if there is no box, we verbally tell every customer and put it on the invoice.
 
It seems 9/10 people here missed part of his story:

The tech that had his/her wages garnished because of a damage claim by the owner/manager was not the OP. He was re-telling a story that other techs told him.
 
I know that the Ford and VW dealers in Louisville have an aversion to hire techs with opposable thumbs. That said, I worked as a product specialist at a BMW dealer and I had a lot of interaction with the techs; everyone I worked with had the goal of doing the job correctly the first time- and the SM encouraged the techs rather than punishing them. I have also dealt with a Mazda and Mini dealer that performed excellent work at reasonable prices.
 
Originally Posted by bdcardinal
There are good dealers and bad ones. Sounds like the one you were at was run very poorly. The core box thing is real. We get no credit if there is no box, we verbally tell every customer and put it on the invoice.



The good ones are like a needle in a haystack. If you do find that rare good store, keep patronizing them and send a snail mail certified mail to the
manufacturer's Corp HQ to let them know how much you appreciate that store, they very RARELY see positive communications from customers about
dealerships. Reward the rare good stores.
 
Originally Posted by FordBroncoVWJeta
Another couple things I learned from VW dealer. Its not a VW if it doesn't leak oil and never buy one with a sun roof. SO MANY SUN ROOF PROBLEMS.

. [/quote]


I own currently a very nice 1996 Golf GTI 2L and it has NEVER leaked any oil and has been a very reliable car. No, it doesn't have a sunroof.
If you buy a sunroof in any car brand you are asking for trouble in short order...they ALL leak.
 
I worked for dealerships for 30 years. A good service manager knows how to get techs paid if they make call to manufacturers for a comeback. If you choose to diagnose yourself by throwing parts at it then fix is on tech. Perfect example one tech decided computer was bad so after numerous returns they bought car back. I was working late when district manager drove car in after wrecker unhooked and asked me to look at it. I knew I wouldn't get paid but those things make life easier. We fixed for the price of an injector, he got mad and charged dealership for all repairs which tech got money taken out of his check. It happens at dealers all the time.
 
Originally Posted by tiger862
I worked for dealerships for 30 years. A good service manager knows how to get techs paid if they make call to manufacturers for a comeback. If you choose to diagnose yourself by throwing parts at it then fix is on tech. Perfect example one tech decided computer was bad so after numerous returns they bought car back. I was working late when district manager drove car in after wrecker unhooked and asked me to look at it. I knew I wouldn't get paid but those things make life easier. We fixed for the price of an injector, he got mad and charged dealership for all repairs which tech got money taken out of his check. It happens at dealers all the time.


Sure it does and it creates a horrible morale for techs in the store, which then leads to high turnover, poor quality repairs, and unhappy customers...
A vicious cycle, the dealership model of business MUST come to an end.
 
Originally Posted by AC1DD
Originally Posted by tiger862
I worked for dealerships for 30 years. A good service manager knows how to get techs paid if they make call to manufacturers for a comeback. If you choose to diagnose yourself by throwing parts at it then fix is on tech. Perfect example one tech decided computer was bad so after numerous returns they bought car back. I was working late when district manager drove car in after wrecker unhooked and asked me to look at it. I knew I wouldn't get paid but those things make life easier. We fixed for the price of an injector, he got mad and charged dealership for all repairs which tech got money taken out of his check. It happens at dealers all the time.


Sure it does and it creates a horrible morale for techs in the store, which then leads to high turnover, poor quality repairs, and unhappy customers...
A vicious cycle, the dealership model of business MUST come to an end.


There is generally plenty of Gravy to keep a mechanic fed. If one gets over his head....Ask for help! You have Manufacturer support for crying out loud!
Too much pride will get you in trouble as a Manufacturer doesn't pay unless you can document/prove out your diagnostic process!
Sure....A dealer service department will get away with it for a little while 'til they get audited & get charged back for letting Mechanic's run amuck with guess work.

The Flat-Rate system (Given it's a fair rate) along with being held responsible for the work you put out IS fair! It's usually the lazy/incompetent techs that cry about flat rate & being held responsible!

One of the bigger issues that the industry faces is.....Training! Techs DO NOT show up for training classes/seminars. I was part of a 17 Tech service department once & only a handful of us would show up for after hour training seminars! Some were manufacturer sponsored & some the dealership paid for.
You didn't get paid a hourly rate to be there, But it didn't cost anything either!

Everyone was down for paid training though!! Anything to ride a clock. Which wouldn't be as bad if they would at least pay attention.


***There are bad/toxic Shop/Service Department environments, Experienced Techs on a Salary is most likely a contributing factor!
 
I thought I read a common industry trend was a diagnostic tech that just does troubleshooting and then passes the work off to a parts changer.
 
Originally Posted by clinebarger
Originally Posted by AC1DD
Originally Posted by tiger862
I worked for dealerships for 30 years. A good service manager knows how to get techs paid if they make call to manufacturers for a comeback. If you choose to diagnose yourself by throwing parts at it then fix is on tech. Perfect example one tech decided computer was bad so after numerous returns they bought car back. I was working late when district manager drove car in after wrecker unhooked and asked me to look at it. I knew I wouldn't get paid but those things make life easier. We fixed for the price of an injector, he got mad and charged dealership for all repairs which tech got money taken out of his check. It happens at dealers all the time.


Sure it does and it creates a horrible morale for techs in the store, which then leads to high turnover, poor quality repairs, and unhappy customers...
A vicious cycle, the dealership model of business MUST come to an end.


There is generally plenty of Gravy to keep a mechanic fed. If one gets over his head....Ask for help! You have Manufacturer support for crying out loud!
Too much pride will get you in trouble as a Manufacturer doesn't pay unless you can document/prove out your diagnostic process!
Sure....A dealer service department will get away with it for a little while 'til they get audited & get charged back for letting Mechanic's run amuck with guess work.

The Flat-Rate system (Given it's a fair rate) along with being held responsible for the work you put out IS fair! It's usually the lazy/incompetent techs that cry about flat rate & being held responsible!

One of the bigger issues that the industry faces is.....Training! Techs DO NOT show up for training classes/seminars. I was part of a 17 Tech service department once & only a handful of us would show up for after hour training seminars! Some were manufacturer sponsored & some the dealership paid for.
You didn't get paid a hourly rate to be there, But it didn't cost anything either!

Everyone was down for paid training though!! Anything to ride a clock. Which wouldn't be as bad if they would at least pay attention.


***There are bad/toxic Shop/Service Department environments, Experienced Techs on a Salary is most likely a contributing factor!


+1
 
Why don't you just apply for a job at a reputable independent mechanic's shop? FFS, why would you even get out of bed for $10.50 an hour?
 
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