zog Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 My dealerships (Portsmouth Ford) service department is under new management, and in my opinion, finally headed in the right direction. We are looking for Quality A, B, and C techs. I'm not going to bore you with the typical lip service you can read in any help wanted ad, but we do offer benefits, and great pay. I've been there 11 years and am excited to see management that is interested in the employees well being before profit. Send a resume to Garsenault@portford.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Saunoras Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 We're hiring too, big surprise, no takers. A good flat rate tech could make a killing in our shop. All we've got are green horns, grandpas and me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zog Posted February 14, 2016 Author Share Posted February 14, 2016 I'm happy to say we have a great mix of guys, who make a good living. With the new management I'm hoping to draw more quality techs like the ones that this site attracts, rather than the usual applicants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jw33 Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 We're always hiring never find anybody worth a shit. It's so bad they just hired a guy back that threatened to beat service manager when he got fired and escorted out by police. There's a serious work ethic problem in younger generation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zog Posted February 14, 2016 Author Share Posted February 14, 2016 We lost a lot of good techs over the years due to the management, I'd love to get some back now. But your right it feels as if the younger generation has a crap work ethic and a right of entitlement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 I think a lot of places are in the same boat - my dealership included. Due to a string of bad managers we have lost many good people in the shop and in the office. Not many techs worth hiring now. We went with the strategy of hiring young guys and training them. Not working out too well yet. Good luck with your search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeR Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 If you think it's bad in the private sector, you should get a hit of the public fleet shops. It's discouraging. In some shops there is a mentality of "I'm not gonna learn anything, and you can't make me." Thankfully they're not all like that. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmlew Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Until they fix the pay plan it won't change. The SA has ZERO problem selling a 6 hour strut/alignment job, which he knows will take 2hrs MAX, but try to get more than an hour for diag and they look at you like you are from Mars. Nothing like being asked "how long is it gonna take you to diag that electrical problem"? Well? If you show me where/what the problem is, I'll have it fixed in 30 minutes or less. Just like Dominos... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sneakypete Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 interesting so many comments saying poor management or management has run off all the good techs, but in the same breath the current generation is accused of poor work ethic and entitlement. I agree that does exist to an extent, but can you blame younger people for not wanting to put up with shit management, poor working conditions and garage labour times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Same breath? HAAAAARDLY. Bad management is a problem in, and of itself. The result is a workplace with a hostile environment which is not conducive to happy, long-term employment relationships which does bring us to why we need to find replacements... and the young techs being hired have nothing to do with this and from what I can see, they are oblivious to it. MY concern with the young-uns coming into my shop now is that they have no skills, no motivation and no sense or responsibility which is ultimately the reason they are shown the door. As a foreman I can teach skills but they have to want to learn and grow those skills. I cannot force them. I can motivate them with positive encouragement and show them what productivity will earn them. But they don't understand what that means! If they choose not to get off their asses, put down their cell phones or stop walking around the shop being concerned with what other technicians are doing, I can't force them. At this point I may break their balls a bit. I can, and do stay on their ass or turn them over to management to deal with if I am unsuccessful in getting one headed in the right direction. But, if a young man of say, 20 years, cant get his ass out of bed in the morning and show up for work (or come back from lunch for that matter) on time, every day, I can't force him. In my opinion, that was the job of his parents. Too late. So sad... and out the door they go. NEXT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigWalt Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 After reading this post, I got something to say, In my opinion it is combination of flat rate pay and manager issue..........I am living in Pa, near NJ border, I was in the middle of quitting one dealer from NJ to different dealer in Pa. Former co-worker asking me to come, told his Boss about me. I had job interview, drug testing etc. I am schedule to start ASAP........unfortunately.........not gonna happen...read on.....Dealer in NJ is small 8 techs shop, with fairly decent pay. I am the only Master & Senior Master Tech. We are looking for techs but nobody wants to work for us. That's because we used to have strings of piss poor service manager, techs and reputation. It is all in the past, right now we are doing ok, and slowly climbing out from the bottom.Dealer in Pa is huge 24 techs shop with great / crazy pay. ...... Many of them are Master Techs and Senior Master Techs. They're always advertised in help wanted ad. ... This dealer do have great reputation but why are they always looking for techs? 24 techs shop really bothers me, Service director did say this to me, I need four more techs, do you know anybody want to come here. WOW...four more techs, one bay per techs..... The way I see it, it is nice to have crazy money at larger dealer, but too many techs will keep me from getting 40 plus hours per week. I cannot see one manager controlling 24 plus techs, not including service advisors. Here's my motto......" it is easy to schedule 50 plus appointments per day, hardest part is waiting for unpredictable customers to show up"I have never seen customers shows up on time, majority of them shows up few hours late, no show, or shows up few days later..........Nah, no Thanks, I am going to stay at small shop for awhile! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forddieseldoctor Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Same breath? HAAAAARDLY. Bad management is a problem in, and of itself. The result is a workplace with a hostile environment which is not conducive to happy, long-term employment relationships which does bring us to why we need to find replacements... and the young techs being hired have nothing to do with this and from what I can see, they are oblivious to it. MY concern with the young-uns coming into my shop now is that they have no skills, no motivation and no sense or responsibility which is ultimately the reason they are shown the door. As a foreman I can teach skills but they have to want to learn and grow those skills. I cannot force them. I can motivate them with positive encouragement and show them what productivity will earn them. But they don't understand what that means! If they choose not to get off their asses, put down their cell phones or stop walking around the shop being concerned with what other technicians are doing, I can't force them. At this point I may break their balls a bit. I can, and do stay on their ass or turn them over to management to deal with if I am unsuccessful in getting one headed in the right direction. But, if a young man of say, 20 years, cant get his ass out of bed in the morning and show up for work (or come back from lunch for that matter) on time, every day, I can't force him. In my opinion, that was the job of his parents. Too late. So sad... and out the door they go. NEXT! The problem isn't just in the skilled trades. The problem is everywhere. My wife works at a gas station and they can't get anyone who wants to work there. They keep hiring people, but they don't wanna do their jobs, and just wanna sit on their butts all day so they end up having to let them go. No one wants to do anything that involves physical labor anymore, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonybullitt Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Big Walt I Think you made the right choice. I started at a small 4 tech shop then jumped after a year to 25 tech dealer. In the big shop you end up just a number, yeah you can make some good $ but slow times are way worse in the big shop. I ended up back at a smaller shop and am way happier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselD Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Same breath? HAAAAARDLY. Bad management is a problem in, and of itself. The result is a workplace with a hostile environment which is not conducive to happy, long-term employment relationships which does bring us to why we need to find replacements... and the young techs being hired have nothing to do with this and from what I can see, they are oblivious to it. MY concern with the young-uns coming into my shop now is that they have no skills, no motivation and no sense or responsibility which is ultimately the reason they are shown the door. As a foreman I can teach skills but they have to want to learn and grow those skills. I cannot force them. I can motivate them with positive encouragement and show them what productivity will earn them. But they don't understand what that means! If they choose not to get off their asses, put down their cell phones or stop walking around the shop being concerned with what other technicians are doing, I can't force them. At this point I may break their balls a bit. I can, and do stay on their ass or turn them over to management to deal with if I am unsuccessful in getting one headed in the right direction. But, if a young man of say, 20 years, cant get his ass out of bed in the morning and show up for work (or come back from lunch for that matter) on time, every day, I can't force him. In my opinion, that was the job of his parents. Too late. So sad... and out the door they go. NEXT! Yep. 100% agree! Its all in the work ethic and most of these kids coming in expect the world to be given to them and make the same kind of money a senior tech would. Sometimes we have difficulty in finding techs for our fleet shop, its either a tech looking for high flat rate pay for an hourly job so he can skate through the day, a tech that is a know it all at everything and wont take advice, or a green tech that has no experience at all. After battling with the above I have chosen to go with the green tech and teach him along the way, so far this has proven to be the best match for us so far. He is one of our more dedicated guys and willing to learn what we teach him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Good point on the green tech being more teachable. I have witnessed a young tech just out of tech school - was quickly soured by some of her co-workers. Yes, I said "her" as in a she. Once that negative thinking develops it's difficult to turn it around. I don't think it's impossible. In this case however... she was hit in the head by a small brake caliper that was not secured. Now going on 3-1/2 weeks off for a "concussion." I shouldn't laugh but I can't help it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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