I filled out that survey a while ago lol. And I left After 25 Years as an auto tech. The part you both talk about, the owners is 100 percent correct. Before I left we had a meeting with the manager and advisors and owner. We had brought up things we would like to be helped with. And we as techs know it won’t all be solved or even looked into. But I clearly remember the dealership owner stand up and with a loud firm voice cleverly say, WELL IF YOU DONT LIKE IT HERE THEN LEAVE! That to me was the finale moment I said I’m happy to be leaving. This dealership has been around since 1965. And the family that owns it will never change. Even now they have huge issues with techs staying long term.
The other comment from the Midwest hit the nail on the head. Pay is horrible. I live in NW Ohio and nobody wants to pay a decent wage for technicians. They've got bodies in the shop, but most of them are just parts chamgers. I'm surrounded by ads looking for "experienced diagnostic technicians" that are only offering 20ish dollars an hour with horrible benefits and working hours. I though I found a decent position about 10 years ago with semi-decent pay and benefits, but they were a corporate owned chain that took advantage of customers and ran their store level staff ragged. I eventually quit in disgust and walked away from the industry altogether. I spent two years as a house dad until a small town, three bay shop popped up for sale 10 minutes from my house. I jumped on it and now I'm a one man show, calling my own shots and running the shop as I see fit. I have no idea if it's going to work out long term, but it's a far sight better than working for any of the dealerships or chains in my area.
I am retired from the auto repair industry. My experiance runs from 1968 to 2013. I worked in service, parts and Bodyshop. My first 30 years were spent as a tec. with the last 15 as a fixed operations manager. There was a 5 year period in the early 2000s where I was a manager of a franchised tune up shop. I then went back to turning a wrench for 15 years. Before returning to management. My primary employment was in a small dealership. Fortunately my boss seen the value in training and because I was able to share what I learned I was the go to school guy. Over the course of the years I accumulated over 4000 hours of technical training and a additional 500 hours of management training. In my area the larger dealers did not treat their tec's very well. The smaller dealers seen the value in their people and treated them far better. I made a very good living as a tech. But seen in the later years the frustration and burnout due to lack of current training and poor management.
Here in the Midwest, shop owner's swallow their tongues at the idea of paying a wrench $50 an hour. Hard enough to get $25. No wonder young people take a pass on trade schools and years of tool payments.
I have plenty of shops in the midwest that are paying closer to 40+ than 25, If you can't find one of those shops you aren't looking hard enough. They are out there! Find a great independent auto repair shop!
When it comes to people wanting to Mickey mouse their cars they will always do that but when the company has heavy equipment and or a construction type site it is has to make money when the equipment runs that's where job security is heavy equipment mechanic is way needed right now
They need to move out of the automotive industry and get into the heavy equipment industry and or heavy tracking because that's where the money is add job security caterpillar Volvo komatsu all these dealerships are screaming for mechanics if you're willing to learn they are willing to train and you will make over 100k a year easily I know I did it for 50 years have a nice day
