I left the company and it didn't survive, work quality went down and the business could not find good technicians. Value your techs when you have them.
That's such a rare occurrence... Most shops aren't made by a single technician. It's not to say techs aren't valuable - it's just to say it usually isn't the tech isn't that impactful to the business unless it's ran very terribly.
@ChangingTheIndustry we struggled when one of our top guys left. another guy retired and our 50year Honda Tech is leaving at the end of the year. We recently hired two good techs. One guy probably won't stay and the other one that likely will doesn't gave the specific experience. If Buddy retires and I leave, they are gonna have nobody with brand experience. Older recalls, known quirks, stuff like that. They wouldn't close, but the service department would struggle. I'm happy in my role and don't plan on leaving anytime soon. The surrounding dealers are already struggling for having no experienced brand techs in the shop. A crew full of new guys or inexperienced or both is not nearly as good as ones with seasoned guys to help along the process.
There is a no technician shortage, there is a pay shortage. Im at 180k a year shop foreman for a utility. Why work for some independent shop that doesn't give a crap about you and crappy pay and probably non existent benefits?
This is why I am my own boss. Working for someone is a joke . All they care about is money they would rather you do work on a car that is not needed as long as it gets them money it's people who think like this that give techs a bad name .
Hey guys I am from Australia. I found this video very interesting. A lot of good points made. Flat rate is almost unheard of here. I've been a deisel mechanic for 40 years, but have worked in car repair shops as well. The situation here is not a mechanic shortage, its a shortage of mechanics that are willing to do the trade anymore. Young people don't want to do the trade anymore and finding apprentices is very hard. Dealers have been sourcing people from other countries at a large cost for a long time. The amount of smaller shops is ever decreasing and the ones that still survive are the ones where the owner is still on the tools. I guess there are just better options here as all the other trades are more lucrative. Its a shame to see but that's what is happening.
Yeah seems it's mostly just good ol America where these shops don't like paying mechanics for every hour they work no matter what. You know, like basically every other trade or job.
I just started watching your videos in the last few months. As a sole proprietor shop, I'm finding your content valuable. I've never watched the FRM dude. As an outsider looking in, he gives me the vibe of a drama queen. He is more concerned with his 'community' than his employment. His primary function is to do the best job possible and to make money for his boss which in town makes him money.
There are factors correct, but at 40 myself, in this industry, seeing what happens to the grey wolfs/ seniors with wisdom is "wrong." Heard all the games, scenarios been doing this work long time for multiple big/small dealers and independent shops. FRM is a good man and a great mechanic! A massive overhaul back to the beginning needs to happen and it starts with respect
I don’t like beating a man when he is down. The only things I thought were possibly controversial were his tours of jobs in the shop others were working on. It was interesting to view but personally I wouldn’t like someone commenting on anything I was on with on any occasion especially not broadcasting for the world. Not sure the customers or management would be too pleased either. He also referenced jobs they had come back. OK for a private conversation but again same applies. I am retired now and was extremely good, I represented the UK in Germany in BMW competitions. I never boasted always tried to keep a low profile but was constantly getting knifed by jealous techs even after giving personal time out of working time to train them for free. There would have been somebody there plotting against him. He may be loud and brash but I recon he has a good heart.
He was publicly fired, because he made it public. Maybe its not right, but I wouldn’t want any of the high profile UA-cam mechanics working for me. Just seems like a recipe for problems. I like the FRM’s videos, but I think he might be best running his own shop. Very smart, experienced guy, but just seems like a problem due to so much exposure. Mind you FR Masters videos seemed to be all just after hours at his box, not on the job. I like his content. Someone else mentioned Rainman Ray, I would not want him working for me either, videoing on the job, videoing customers cars, just doesn’t seem right. There is just no way anyone can be as productive when making videos. I liked RM Ray, funny guy etc. but business is business. I am not sure what kind of arrangement any of these guys had with employers, but it just seems like trouble. Ford Boss Me, same thing, nice guy, great tech, just would not want anyone working for me videoing on the job.
That's fine, gonna be annoying when you can't find a video in a pinch and there is nothing of use on Mitchell, alldata or identafix because they have holes in their systems and none cover every last little weird thing in the end. Welcome to yt where you can give credit and then say you're going to fire anyone working for you making informative videos for other techs who might just be struggling to get a grasp on diagnosing things right. Like the ones you probably hire
@@YouvBeenThumpedI am sure we could have a good conversation about this. I just wish we could all just be respectful to one another. UA-cam and social media/forums would be a better place.
@@YouvBeenThumped You make a good point, UA-cam is one of many good resources. There was no mention of firing anyone. There would need to be an agreement made with the employer, thats all. If a shop owner decides he doesn’t want his techs making videos on the job, that seems like their right.
My second shop I made the mistake of thinking I was not replaceable. I kept the union from coming in the shop, worked major overtime, was in safety committees, Accident review boards. I worked every holiday and gave 110 percent. I was only on the floor half the day. It drew a lot of attention to me. When I was told to be on the floor 8 hrs. I got pretty upset. I started to tell management they were not doing things the right way. I had an opinion for everything. I was ultimately fired against a 1 year employee vs my 7 years. This guy was lazy and no one trained the guy. No one cared about that. All of the owners turned a 180 on me. I learned a huge lesson. I do my job well and go home. That’s it. No problems at all. I have coworkers who get pissed at who gets away with what. Or they get mad about how things should be. Had a guy sent home for 3 days over these issues. Told him my story and told him not to include himself with politics or the way the business is run.
I worked at a tire shop when I was younger and they got new upper management and they fired the lead mechanic 6 months before he was fired cause they didn't want to pay him as much as they were and wanted to pay a guy less I thought that was fucked like that's a dirty move give the guy his 6 months he was with the shop for 20 ➕️ years
My best advice is to become a shop owner to see the full point of view..I know because I started as a tech and now I've been self employed and running my own shop
After 20 years working as a tech for someone else I got forced out for standing my ground on demanding honesty from my last employer who was defrauding atermarket warranty companies. I am starting my own import service shop locally, owner operator with hopes to take on a trainee in the near future once the details are worked out. Any advice?
"over abundance of crappy shops" is exactly right. Being profit driven is not bad thing. It just doesn't need to be at the employees expense. Good techs that provide a good estimate and mpi will make the shop money and keep the customer happy. But that being said the shop has a responsibility to make sure the equipment is working properly and that the work is there to perform. Shop owners may need to forget the boat this year to buy a tire machine that doesn't mess the tire or wheel up. Shop owner my need to skip the European vacation and provide the newest version of daig equipment. Want me to turn more hours then make sure the shop is set up for it.
I would love to see more reaction videos. I love watching FRM and I love watching the both of you. FRM is still releasing some good content from the tech’s perspective that a lot of techs can relate to, it is all dependant of the individual company you work for, but it does spark a good conversation
I’m new to the industry, but not new to business. I am considering buying an existing profitable shop. The business is better off not being centered around me. My focus is growth, productivity, profitability, culture and customer service with the right customers. I like the channel. Great content.
That makes no sense at all.... Entry level takes the longest to get out of... It requires the most growth and development... Any industry needs a entry level and how hard you work to develop in that space is going to determine how long you stay there.
The guy didn’t produce the numbers he was previously putting down is the best case scenario. The worst case scenario is he was costing the company money with come backs. Somewhere in between is his ego and whatever quirks he has. He won’t say why he was fired until he has collected his last severance check.
Crab mentality. Lazy mechanics who drink beer regularly instead of hustling with a side business are doing the hating. I promise you, busy mechanics don't have time to hate.
This podcast speaks to me. I only 3 times the 1st was a lt a NEW shop that was owned by a 35yr old. He opened it in spite of Meineke. His goal was to put Meineke out of business. I had ZERO issues until a Conniving individual became super family with the owner.. then all kinds of weird things happened, including tons of insurance fraud for warranty claims. I was SOOO BAD they offered my service advisor with 5%of total shops performance....... and another was GMC which I made a comment on another video.. and then honda.. I had some booboos and was making money. I never worked on Hondas only comebacks of sold used cars and when I did work on Hondas I was floating in a pond with no paddle.. at the end I wasn't "as expected" and was let go.. that was the last time I worked as a mechanic.. it's been 6 months .. IDK what's going on but when I see EVERY dealership hiring and pushing HARD with yard signs and indeed listings.. the young techs aren't getting a good education or training at the dealerships and are doing other work qlwhile the old ones are retiring
On the topic of negotiating wages, most techs never learn this. It is taught in college for some career paths bit not all. I don't know of any trade schools that teach it. I have only ever received an offer letter from 1 shop in my 23 almost 24 years. When I have asked for terms in writing the shop representative has expressed being offended.
Coming from outside of the Automotive Repair World, a business is there to make money, bottom line. Granted in the last 10-15 years the markets have changed and in the last 4 it has changed even more. Go back 15 years 90% of the employees were always just a number, no matter what a company said, if you were not producing you were easily replaceable. That has changed with a newer generation, but now with more jobs than employees we are seeing a culture that is more employee centric, but even under that without profit, then you are on a sinking ship.
Not the company I work for. Its probably the 3rd largest chemical manufacturing company in the USA. We are all still a number. When white collar salary pricks were able to work from home and just call in. Us blue collar people during covid it was operators are so valuable this and operator saved the company that. Now its we have too many operators, we need to cut costs, no overtime etc etc. I cant stand it. How quick they forget.
I agree with the wagon wheel analogy, the hub has to be the culture. Good culture breeds good results. A staff that feels acknowledged and values is going to drive themselves hard to satisfy the needs of the business AND support their team mates. Any time someone is fired there are contributing factors from multiple sides. I also feel that FRM is correct that there are tons of owners in the industry that are absolutely driving at dollars alone. At the end of the day, the numbers HAVE to be present, it’s why we are doing this as owners, advisors, techs, apprentices, etc. We are here to provide a living. That being said, I have a very different view of what a people oriented business is based solely on my current shop practices vs what I had become accustomed to. The level of concern my boss will show for all of our team is amazing and makes me want to drive harder and be a better tech and keep driving myself forward to better serve the business. We have been conditioned to be money driven, but I think work ethic and a big picture understanding of long term goals is critical to developing the type of employee we want to be. If we are only looking at the dollars, we are going to put on blinders that will turn off the compassion towards our teammates needs and expectations of us, and our place in the wheel if there are any expectations beyond production. Awesome video!!!!
I think the wagon wheel analogy works, But the center hub is a combination of what everyone in the shop brings to the table, which combines to make the business successful.
Everybody at a business is replaceable. Seen it working in manufacturing for years, everyone from the lowest guy sweeping the floor to the plant manager can be replaced and things go on. I saw guys refuse to return after a strike, thinking they were punishing the company but in reality they mostly punished themselves, while creating an inconvenience for the company, thing go on.
I know where FRM worked, And have even talked to one of the owners several times. There are not many happy homes in vehicle repair. Employees are the largest expense in a business, So in the modern world where inflation has reduced profits owners have to reanalyze expenses. I worked at a shop for 11 years, With an ARO of right under 2k the whole time. Frequently the 1st visit tickets would be 8 to 10k, But I can thank MB for expensive parts. I would make sure to address the customers concern first, Point out safety concerns and then maintenance issues. I didn't hit the customers with every BG service they had and it did bother the owner. The service writer would sell less and less of the actual work the customers brought their cars in for because it was too much work, Also wouldn't answer the phone past 3pm . I put in my notice and explained all the things i saw happening and was told it was my lack of motivation.
"Employees are the largest expense" While true, you won't have any work being completed without the techs. A tech who shows up everyday, has minimal comebacks and doesn't break a lot of things generally isn't let go because they are being paid too much, as said tech is bringing in ALOT of money for the company. We don't know the reason but there has to be a good reason to let a tech of nearly 10 years go. Especially one of his skill. We can't find entry level techs let alone anyone with experience.
It was awesome to be able to record with FRM and i can tell u theres few in this industry with more passion and guts then what he possess. Sure lots complain and whine about their own situation and say his attitude sucks but really whatvare you doing besides complaining. At least hes got the guts to talk about the change that needs to happen. If you just hear disgruntled whining you're missing the cautionary tales hes telling you.
Some good points. I agree with the wagon wheel analogy. The business brand, policies and procedures should be the hub. Many in the industry look at the dollars they can get right now from a customer vs what they could get over the long term developing a loyal customer. A business should take care of their employees to a point. The employees are the ones who take care of the clients. It's all delicate balance.
Dealerships suck for customers even more than for techs. I was flat rate tech who did tons of evaporators. Chrysler Jeep audited our deslership because i would do them in an hour😅 They literally brought in 4 reps to watch me. In 20 mins i had heater box on my bench. 4 jaws dropped and they went to breakfast w my service director 🎉 i should of asked for a raise
The Flat Rate Master often talked about his role training and supporting less experienced techs at his shop. Seems if he was fired due to his production decreasing -the split being skewed, KPI, etc. like you suggested, that allowance would have to be made for how other techs productivity increased as a result. He can't complete his work and help several techs get their tickets done too. Can the numbers accurately account for this?
This happened to me I am a maintenance supervisor, upper management wants you to be a team player and train these techs ,then come back at you later to why wasn't this done orthat taken care of ect. ,, I'd swear they don't get it takes time train these people but all they see is numbers on the computer monitor,, I have to sternly remind them of that , it really gets frustrating
It is a fine line between employees and profits. I enjoy seeing may staff take vacations, enjoying their hobbies and such. I may not net 25% but the staff can live a comfortable life.
I love the guy promoting Grammarly to the intellectually lazy. It IS free and after a couple of years and writing a book I finally upgraded with nothing but love. - but I am here to try and figure out your chosen profession and the recent default $200/hr rates everyone seems to be demanding.
@@ChangingTheIndustry And the people that voted for them, the cabal, the socialists, the stolen elections, crooked: FBI, CIA et al. - I get it but $200 and hour? I guess you may be right. My Daughter and son-n-Law just bought a 1954 house-1500 sq.ft. for $340,000! Originaly sold for $8,000
12:20 - why would it be a liability? Well, look at what happened with Rainman Ray. When he got let go from that last shop, his followers brigaded the shops ratings. He made a video where he very sternly told his crowd to NOT do that, because it also looks bad on HIM - but you know that only got some of them to go back and remove their bogus ratings. Rainman never disclosed where he worked, but his content made it findable - and people figured out where he worked. Now - FRM, his content was incredibly well done to protect his employer - but there is always that chance. Some people could easily find that to be a liability. What if they pissed him off and he doxxed them? Not that he would - but what if? I'm not saying they're right though, because he could have doxxed them when they fired him too - or when their brigade shit talked him. People are strange, and have strange motivations.
@@Yotataco04 I've never seen him expose the business identity, but I haven't seen all his videos by any stretch especially older ones. I thought his using the toolbox as a set, and the format he made them in was pure genius for both production quality, and shop privacy.
@@notsure7874 it definitely was, but if you watched enough of his videos and for long enough there is definitely the shop name in there. I won't post when or where because I don't want people causing issues. That being said if I know where he worked without looking for it, it wouldn't be hard for someone that is trying to find it.
There is more money and easier work out there for experienced techs. They are leaving knuckle busting bustin, non-climate controlled environments, for greener pastures.
Love you guys, great show, but I really need you to check out and review this guy and his shop in Florida Thank you College is NOT Necessary to Launch a Successful Auto Repair Shop
First off, if a shop owner has s an issue with an employee's performance, their inability to work cohesively with others, whatever the reason it should be communicated ahead of time before firing. The employee should be given an opportunity to fix the issue. Also as a shop owner you owe it to your employees to listen to feedback from them as well. I understand that owners put in a majority of the initial ground work to start their business, and as such you are entitled to running your ahop by your rules and guidelines, but once an owner takes on employees they have changed what will define their success. At that point, whatever they add to the formula needs to be considered and respected because they have become a crucial piece of your shops success and individuals are people. You cannot treat them like a cog and expect them to perform exactly to your liking. It takes a mental toll on people when their individualism and freedoms are suppressed. I'm not advocating for giving employees 100% rule over your business. I am saying they need to be treated like people and not pieces in a machine.
Of course they need to be treated like people, not a number - zero dispute there. But you CANNOT give them 100% rule over your business or your business WILL FAIL! There's an upcoming episode where something similar happens. I've tried something similar and almost did the same. There must be guardrails to ensure the business performs as expected. And it's not even that it's guardrails for the staff - it's guardrails for the owner. If there's not clearly defined standards, that result in corrective steps - the owner will just ride out whatever comes there way. It leads to the business being miserable for everyone.
@Changing The Industry Podcast I agree. What I think I may not have indicated properly is that many owners don't set their own guardrails. I have seen once successful shops degrade over time because the owners lose touch with their customer base and their employees. They deny any responsibility. A very important saying I think everyone, management especially needs to remember, is "Attitude reflects leadership". If as mnagers/owners we deny responsibility for business failings and shortcomings, why would we expect our employees to take responsibility for their own.
Now I have to admit it smells like 08 again. one thing I noticed then was some places in trimming the fat cut top guy cuz they cost the most money on paper even if they make the most. this is the onset of the McDonald's grade worker you can hire 10 McDonald's grade workers or 2 journeyman and hope you can get half of the entry-level people up to cruising speed in your back to making money, now I don't know what happened between him or the shop but I mean I'm leaning on they're trimming fat for preparing for a recession and they chose to cut the High pay guy. And it sounds like he was let go not fired
I've watched FRM for years. He seems to think he's always right and knows everything. At this point he's clarified that he'd been butting heads with the service manager for the majority of his time there. I suspect this been in the making for a while and something happened that was the last straw
I have gone back a long time and never seen the flat rate master work on cars. Other channels show at least some work done and not just talk. He is 100% all talk, his statements are too general and vague about everything he talks about.
As far as content goes aslong as no names are mentioned or shop name mentioned and no shop time being used to make the content their shouldnt be an issue 😂
I found you guys because you came up next after the flat rate master. You guys seem great. I’m an owner of two locations in Philadelphia area. I am part of the management group he’s talking about. He is ABSOLUTELY not right about what they teach. Profit is important but far from being the most important.
Numbers and statistics are a horrible way to assess an employee's value and worth. This is because they can be easily manipulated and hide what's actually happening in reality. For example i heard of an employee who worked overnight that had ticket and phone metrics that had to be meet. This employee would make bulk ticket comments and close out easy tickets. They would then call into the call queue with their cellphone and leave desk phone on the line. Then go out to their car and sleep for 6+hours before going back in when AM shift shows up. Did this for 4+ years before a manager who had to be as an early AM meeting caught on.
Do....what? To assess the value of anything you need statistics and numbers? Their intrinsic value as a human being? Of course not. But their production, efficiency, productivity and utilization in a repair shop? You gotta have data. It sounds great to say "you shouldn't use facts to determine if I'm doing my job".... But to pay what folks want to be paid, they have to produce a specific amount of revenue....
I think it's weird you'll act like it's easy to hire a good technician. The number one thing I hear from managers in my area is that they cannot find anyone. When I look at motor magazine I read about the technician crisis. How are you guys replacing these techs?
QUICK-WITTED Changing the industry Podcast Love it From start to finish 👍 Once again, thank you, ScannerDanner was right about changing the industry podcast My Mentor Sir ScannerDanner From Nick Ayivor from London England UK 🇬🇧 ⏰️ 04:16
I've seen no evidence of that. Why do you think so? And don't tell me that’s how you feel as that's irrelevant. What evidence can you site to support your contention?
That's a bold assumption to make based on his UA-cam content and especially his recent videos. All those hating on him I'd bet if you went through the same termination he has you'd be just as jaded possibly even worse.
Here's the choice. Open your own shop like Rainman Ray and Eric O. or be a faceless worker bee. Like everything else in the country today it's I'm completely right and you're completely wrong. When did this bipolar disease become so common?
GIVE YALL THE BEST FUNNY.....SERVICE WRITERS/OWNERS ARE OUT OF A FUCKING JOB WITHOUT US AS TECHS!!!!YALL THINK/WONDER WHY VET TECHS GO OUT ON THIER OWN?
Gosh - It seems you're quite disgruntled One of the most dangerous presumptions one can make is that of their own importance. Now we all know, that you come back with snarky comments written all in caps, and that's okay - this is a safe place to vent. But it's not a dig at you - it's reality. Many technicians have conned themselves into thinking the business won't go on without them, and that's maybe 1% of the technicians in the country today. The good shops? They have no issue hiring replacements. The bad shops? There's plenty of bad techs that fit right in. But the problem is the presumption and attitude you exhibit here won't affect anyone....but you 😬 You'll spend years complaining, blaming and excusing life's challenges onto others. The reality is a stark reminder of how the world works: If you blame everything that's wrong, on someone else? You've removed the only chance of fixing the problem. How many techs have we all met who eventually run into addiction and drinking problems? How many have ended up divorced or separated? Now you might blame that on the job and the stress, but what if there's a more menacing cause? Is it that technicians, due to their role, aren't developing communication skills at the same rate as others? For instance, take your comment, it's difficult to understand exactly what you mean. It's clear your disgruntled, but why is the question. We can blame the owners and the writers - but I can assure you that if there's issues in this industry? We all have a responsibility to fix them. To fix them? We've got to be able communicate them. It can't be yelling and screaming - it's got to be clear, calm communications that have a desired outcome. Unfortunately, many techs approach this dialog with anger and frustration. It's time we talk about it, not fight about.
Also, the overwhelming majority of those who go out on their own (business in general, not just techs) fail in the first 3 years. That's clearly not the answer.
I left the company and it didn't survive, work quality went down and the business could not find good technicians. Value your techs when you have them.
That's such a rare occurrence...
Most shops aren't made by a single technician.
It's not to say techs aren't valuable - it's just to say it usually isn't the tech isn't that impactful to the business unless it's ran very terribly.
@ChangingTheIndustry we struggled when one of our top guys left. another guy retired and our 50year Honda Tech is leaving at the end of the year. We recently hired two good techs. One guy probably won't stay and the other one that likely will doesn't gave the specific experience. If Buddy retires and I leave, they are gonna have nobody with brand experience. Older recalls, known quirks, stuff like that. They wouldn't close, but the service department would struggle. I'm happy in my role and don't plan on leaving anytime soon. The surrounding dealers are already struggling for having no experienced brand techs in the shop. A crew full of new guys or inexperienced or both is not nearly as good as ones with seasoned guys to help along the process.
There is a no technician shortage, there is a pay shortage. Im at 180k a year shop foreman for a utility. Why work for some independent shop that doesn't give a crap about you and crappy pay and probably non existent benefits?
This is why I am my own boss. Working for someone is a joke . All they care about is money they would rather you do work on a car that is not needed as long as it gets them money it's people who think like this that give techs a bad name .
Hey guys I am from Australia. I found this video very interesting. A lot of good points made. Flat rate is almost unheard of here. I've been a deisel mechanic for 40 years, but have worked in car repair shops as well. The situation here is not a mechanic shortage, its a shortage of mechanics that are willing to do the trade anymore. Young people don't want to do the trade anymore and finding apprentices is very hard. Dealers have been sourcing people from other countries at a large cost for a long time. The amount of smaller shops is ever decreasing and the ones that still survive are the ones where the owner is still on the tools. I guess there are just better options here as all the other trades are more lucrative. Its a shame to see but that's what is happening.
My friend is in NZ he is from the UK tells a similar story. Their techs are from all over. They are offering crazy money.
Give it time... corporations will get you one way or another
Yeah seems it's mostly just good ol America where these shops don't like paying mechanics for every hour they work no matter what. You know, like basically every other trade or job.
I just started watching your videos in the last few months. As a sole proprietor shop, I'm finding your content valuable. I've never watched the FRM dude. As an outsider looking in, he gives me the vibe of a drama queen. He is more concerned with his 'community' than his employment. His primary function is to do the best job possible and to make money for his boss which in town makes him money.
There are factors correct, but at 40 myself, in this industry, seeing what happens to the grey wolfs/ seniors with wisdom is "wrong." Heard all the games, scenarios been doing this work long time for multiple big/small dealers and independent shops. FRM is a good man and a great mechanic! A massive overhaul back to the beginning needs to happen and it starts with respect
I don’t like beating a man when he is down. The only things I thought were possibly controversial were his tours of jobs in the shop others were working on. It was interesting to view but personally I wouldn’t like someone commenting on anything I was on with on any occasion especially not broadcasting for the world. Not sure the customers or management would be too pleased either. He also referenced jobs they had come back. OK for a private conversation but again same applies.
I am retired now and was extremely good, I represented the UK in Germany in BMW competitions. I never boasted always tried to keep a low profile but was constantly getting knifed by jealous techs even after giving personal time out of working time to train them for free. There would have been somebody there plotting against him. He may be loud and brash but I recon he has a good heart.
18:36, Lucas said, "Flat rate is a lazy man's management method." Yes! Yes! Yes!
He was publicly fired, because he made it public. Maybe its not right, but I wouldn’t want any of the high profile UA-cam mechanics working for me. Just seems like a recipe for problems. I like the FRM’s videos, but I think he might be best running his own shop. Very smart, experienced guy, but just seems like a problem due to so much exposure. Mind you FR Masters videos seemed to be all just after hours at his box, not on the job. I like his content.
Someone else mentioned Rainman Ray, I would not want him working for me either, videoing on the job, videoing customers cars, just doesn’t seem right. There is just no way anyone can be as productive when making videos. I liked RM Ray, funny guy etc. but business is business. I am not sure what kind of arrangement any of these guys had with employers, but it just seems like trouble. Ford Boss Me, same thing, nice guy, great tech, just would not want anyone working for me videoing on the job.
That's fine, gonna be annoying when you can't find a video in a pinch and there is nothing of use on Mitchell, alldata or identafix because they have holes in their systems and none cover every last little weird thing in the end.
Welcome to yt where you can give credit and then say you're going to fire anyone working for you making informative videos for other techs who might just be struggling to get a grasp on diagnosing things right. Like the ones you probably hire
@@YouvBeenThumpedI am sure we could have a good conversation about this. I just wish we could all just be respectful to one another. UA-cam and social media/forums would be a better place.
@@YouvBeenThumped You make a good point, UA-cam is one of many good resources. There was no mention of firing anyone. There would need to be an agreement made with the employer, thats all. If a shop owner decides he doesn’t want his techs making videos on the job, that seems like their right.
My second shop I made the mistake of thinking I was not replaceable. I kept the union from coming in the shop, worked major overtime, was in safety committees, Accident review boards. I worked every holiday and gave 110 percent. I was only on the floor half the day. It drew a lot of attention to me. When I was told to be on the floor 8 hrs. I got pretty upset. I started to tell management they were not doing things the right way. I had an opinion for everything. I was ultimately fired against a 1 year employee vs my 7 years. This guy was lazy and no one trained the guy. No one cared about that. All of the owners turned a 180 on me. I learned a huge lesson. I do my job well and go home. That’s it. No problems at all. I have coworkers who get pissed at who gets away with what. Or they get mad about how things should be. Had a guy sent home for 3 days over these issues. Told him my story and told him not to include himself with politics or the way the business is run.
I worked at a tire shop when I was younger and they got new upper management and they fired the lead mechanic 6 months before he was fired cause they didn't want to pay him as much as they were and wanted to pay a guy less I thought that was fucked like that's a dirty move give the guy his 6 months he was with the shop for 20 ➕️ years
My best advice is to become a shop owner to see the full point of view..I know because I started as a tech and now I've been self employed and running my own shop
After 20 years working as a tech for someone else I got forced out for standing my ground on demanding honesty from my last employer who was defrauding atermarket warranty companies. I am starting my own import service shop locally, owner operator with hopes to take on a trainee in the near future once the details are worked out. Any advice?
"over abundance of crappy shops" is exactly right. Being profit driven is not bad thing. It just doesn't need to be at the employees expense. Good techs that provide a good estimate and mpi will make the shop money and keep the customer happy. But that being said the shop has a responsibility to make sure the equipment is working properly and that the work is there to perform. Shop owners may need to forget the boat this year to buy a tire machine that doesn't mess the tire or wheel up. Shop owner my need to skip the European vacation and provide the newest version of daig equipment. Want me to turn more hours then make sure the shop is set up for it.
I would love to see more reaction videos. I love watching FRM and I love watching the both of you. FRM is still releasing some good content from the tech’s perspective that a lot of techs can relate to, it is all dependant of the individual company you work for, but it does spark a good conversation
We have one more recorded! We'll release it soon.
I’m new to the industry, but not new to business. I am considering buying an existing profitable shop. The business is better off not being centered around me. My focus is growth, productivity, profitability, culture and customer service with the right customers. I like the channel. Great content.
Thank you for watching!
this video somehow showed up on my feed . thought i would watch a few minutes , end up watching the whole dang thang , great job guys .
Any boss will fire you with no remourse so dont work hard for none of them.
That's a guaranteed way to never grow beyond an entry level salary.
That makes no sense at all....
Entry level takes the longest to get out of...
It requires the most growth and development...
Any industry needs a entry level and how hard you work to develop in that space is going to determine how long you stay there.
The guy didn’t produce the numbers he was previously putting down is the best case scenario. The worst case scenario is he was costing the company money with come backs. Somewhere in between is his ego and whatever quirks he has. He won’t say why he was fired until he has collected his last severance check.
How do you know why it happened? Please tell
Why should he risk his severance payments because you're nosey and can't wait a little bit...
Crab mentality. Lazy mechanics who drink beer regularly instead of hustling with a side business are doing the hating. I promise you, busy mechanics don't have time to hate.
Yeah but do you know how many "techs" don't meet that minimum level of competency? "cogs in the machine" theory works better in unskilled positions.
This podcast speaks to me. I only 3 times the 1st was a lt a NEW shop that was owned by a 35yr old. He opened it in spite of Meineke. His goal was to put Meineke out of business. I had ZERO issues until a Conniving individual became super family with the owner.. then all kinds of weird things happened, including tons of insurance fraud for warranty claims. I was SOOO BAD they offered my service advisor with 5%of total shops performance....... and another was GMC which I made a comment on another video.. and then honda.. I had some booboos and was making money. I never worked on Hondas only comebacks of sold used cars and when I did work on Hondas I was floating in a pond with no paddle.. at the end I wasn't "as expected" and was let go.. that was the last time I worked as a mechanic.. it's been 6 months .. IDK what's going on but when I see EVERY dealership hiring and pushing HARD with yard signs and indeed listings.. the young techs aren't getting a good education or training at the dealerships and are doing other work qlwhile the old ones are retiring
Skilled techs have been undervalued my entire life. Same in aviation. The entire biz model is outdated.
Greed focused ownership - everyone loses!
Agreed
On the topic of negotiating wages, most techs never learn this. It is taught in college for some career paths bit not all. I don't know of any trade schools that teach it.
I have only ever received an offer letter from 1 shop in my 23 almost 24 years. When I have asked for terms in writing the shop representative has expressed being offended.
Coming from outside of the Automotive Repair World, a business is there to make money, bottom line. Granted in the last 10-15 years the markets have changed and in the last 4 it has changed even more.
Go back 15 years 90% of the employees were always just a number, no matter what a company said, if you were not producing you were easily replaceable.
That has changed with a newer generation, but now with more jobs than employees we are seeing a culture that is more employee centric, but even under that without profit, then you are on a sinking ship.
Not the company I work for. Its probably the 3rd largest chemical manufacturing company in the USA. We are all still a number. When white collar salary pricks were able to work from home and just call in. Us blue collar people during covid it was operators are so valuable this and operator saved the company that. Now its we have too many operators, we need to cut costs, no overtime etc etc. I cant stand it. How quick they forget.
I agree with the wagon wheel analogy, the hub has to be the culture. Good culture breeds good results. A staff that feels acknowledged and values is going to drive themselves hard to satisfy the needs of the business AND support their team mates.
Any time someone is fired there are contributing factors from multiple sides. I also feel that FRM is correct that there are tons of owners in the industry that are absolutely driving at dollars alone.
At the end of the day, the numbers HAVE to be present, it’s why we are doing this as owners, advisors, techs, apprentices, etc. We are here to provide a living. That being said, I have a very different view of what a people oriented business is based solely on my current shop practices vs what I had become accustomed to.
The level of concern my boss will show for all of our team is amazing and makes me want to drive harder and be a better tech and keep driving myself forward to better serve the business.
We have been conditioned to be money driven, but I think work ethic and a big picture understanding of long term goals is critical to developing the type of employee we want to be.
If we are only looking at the dollars, we are going to put on blinders that will turn off the compassion towards our teammates needs and expectations of us, and our place in the wheel if there are any expectations beyond production.
Awesome video!!!!
I think the wagon wheel analogy works, But the center hub is a combination of what everyone in the shop brings to the table, which combines to make the business successful.
Everybody at a business is replaceable. Seen it working in manufacturing for years, everyone from the lowest guy sweeping the floor to the plant manager can be replaced and things go on. I saw guys refuse to return after a strike, thinking they were punishing the company but in reality they mostly punished themselves, while creating an inconvenience for the company, thing go on.
I know where FRM worked, And have even talked to one of the owners several times.
There are not many happy homes in vehicle repair. Employees are the largest expense in a business, So in the modern world where inflation has reduced profits owners have to reanalyze expenses.
I worked at a shop for 11 years, With an ARO of right under 2k the whole time. Frequently the 1st visit tickets would be 8 to 10k, But I can thank MB for expensive parts. I would make sure to address the customers concern first, Point out safety concerns and then maintenance issues. I didn't hit the customers with every BG service they had and it did bother the owner. The service writer would sell less and less of the actual work the customers brought their cars in for because it was too much work, Also wouldn't answer the phone past 3pm . I put in my notice and explained all the things i saw happening and was told it was my lack of motivation.
"Employees are the largest expense" While true, you won't have any work being completed without the techs. A tech who shows up everyday, has minimal comebacks and doesn't break a lot of things generally isn't let go because they are being paid too much, as said tech is bringing in ALOT of money for the company. We don't know the reason but there has to be a good reason to let a tech of nearly 10 years go. Especially one of his skill. We can't find entry level techs let alone anyone with experience.
It was awesome to be able to record with FRM and i can tell u theres few in this industry with more passion and guts then what he possess.
Sure lots complain and whine about their own situation and say his attitude sucks but really whatvare you doing besides complaining. At least hes got the guts to talk about the change that needs to happen. If you just hear disgruntled whining you're missing the cautionary tales hes telling you.
Some good points. I agree with the wagon wheel analogy. The business brand, policies and procedures should be the hub. Many in the industry look at the dollars they can get right now from a customer vs what they could get over the long term developing a loyal customer. A business should take care of their employees to a point. The employees are the ones who take care of the clients. It's all delicate balance.
Dealerships suck for customers even more than for techs. I was flat rate tech who did tons of evaporators. Chrysler Jeep audited our deslership because i would do them in an hour😅 They literally brought in 4 reps to watch me. In 20 mins i had heater box on my bench. 4 jaws dropped and they went to breakfast w my service director 🎉 i should of asked for a raise
Impressive. The problem is that all they did was cut the R&R time for everyone. 😅
The Flat Rate Master often talked about his role training and supporting less experienced techs at his shop. Seems if he was fired due to his production decreasing -the split being skewed, KPI, etc. like you suggested, that allowance would have to be made for how other techs productivity increased as a result. He can't complete his work and help several techs get their tickets done too. Can the numbers accurately account for this?
This happened to me I am a maintenance supervisor, upper management wants you to be a team player and train these techs ,then come back at you later to why wasn't this done orthat taken care of ect. ,, I'd swear they don't get it takes time train these people but all they see is numbers on the computer monitor,, I have to sternly remind them of that , it really gets frustrating
It is a fine line between employees and profits. I enjoy seeing may staff take vacations, enjoying their hobbies and such. I may not net 25% but the staff can live a comfortable life.
I love the guy promoting Grammarly to the intellectually lazy. It IS free and after a couple of years and writing a book I finally upgraded with nothing but love. - but I am here to try and figure out your chosen profession and the recent default $200/hr rates everyone seems to be demanding.
Blame whomever decided to blow up the rate of inflation for the current rate of things. ;)
@@ChangingTheIndustry And the people that voted for them, the cabal, the socialists, the stolen elections, crooked: FBI, CIA et al. - I get it but $200 and hour? I guess you may be right. My Daughter and son-n-Law just bought a 1954 house-1500 sq.ft. for $340,000! Originaly sold for $8,000
12:20 - why would it be a liability? Well, look at what happened with Rainman Ray. When he got let go from that last shop, his followers brigaded the shops ratings. He made a video where he very sternly told his crowd to NOT do that, because it also looks bad on HIM - but you know that only got some of them to go back and remove their bogus ratings.
Rainman never disclosed where he worked, but his content made it findable - and people figured out where he worked. Now - FRM, his content was incredibly well done to protect his employer - but there is always that chance.
Some people could easily find that to be a liability. What if they pissed him off and he doxxed them? Not that he would - but what if? I'm not saying they're right though, because he could have doxxed them when they fired him too - or when their brigade shit talked him. People are strange, and have strange motivations.
He didn't always hide his business identity. But you are right its almost impossible to make sure nobody finds out the shop you work at.
@@Yotataco04 I've never seen him expose the business identity, but I haven't seen all his videos by any stretch especially older ones.
I thought his using the toolbox as a set, and the format he made them in was pure genius for both production quality, and shop privacy.
@@notsure7874 it definitely was, but if you watched enough of his videos and for long enough there is definitely the shop name in there. I won't post when or where because I don't want people causing issues. That being said if I know where he worked without looking for it, it wouldn't be hard for someone that is trying to find it.
@@Yotataco04 Don't ask don't tell!!! Don't blow up the mans game...
There is more money and easier work out there for experienced techs. They are leaving knuckle busting bustin, non-climate controlled environments, for greener pastures.
Sorry about the duplicate audio 16:15
I worked at the watd s auto center when i was 2q.21.iknew aboug working on cars but o had never been exposed to such ftaud and dishonesty.
Love you guys, great show, but I really need you to check out and review this guy and his shop in Florida
Thank you
College is NOT Necessary to Launch a Successful Auto Repair Shop
First off, if a shop owner has s an issue with an employee's performance, their inability to work cohesively with others, whatever the reason it should be communicated ahead of time before firing. The employee should be given an opportunity to fix the issue.
Also as a shop owner you owe it to your employees to listen to feedback from them as well.
I understand that owners put in a majority of the initial ground work to start their business, and as such you are entitled to running your ahop by your rules and guidelines, but once an owner takes on employees they have changed what will define their success. At that point, whatever they add to the formula needs to be considered and respected because they have become a crucial piece of your shops success and individuals are people. You cannot treat them like a cog and expect them to perform exactly to your liking. It takes a mental toll on people when their individualism and freedoms are suppressed.
I'm not advocating for giving employees 100% rule over your business. I am saying they need to be treated like people and not pieces in a machine.
Of course they need to be treated like people, not a number - zero dispute there.
But you CANNOT give them 100% rule over your business or your business WILL FAIL!
There's an upcoming episode where something similar happens.
I've tried something similar and almost did the same.
There must be guardrails to ensure the business performs as expected.
And it's not even that it's guardrails for the staff - it's guardrails for the owner.
If there's not clearly defined standards, that result in corrective steps - the owner will just ride out whatever comes there way. It leads to the business being miserable for everyone.
@Changing The Industry Podcast I agree. What I think I may not have indicated properly is that many owners don't set their own guardrails. I have seen once successful shops degrade over time because the owners lose touch with their customer base and their employees. They deny any responsibility.
A very important saying I think everyone, management especially needs to remember, is "Attitude reflects leadership". If as mnagers/owners we deny responsibility for business failings and shortcomings, why would we expect our employees to take responsibility for their own.
FRM IS a legit cool dude. 👍👍
Now I have to admit it smells like 08 again. one thing I noticed then was some places in trimming the fat cut top guy cuz they cost the most money on paper even if they make the most. this is the onset of the McDonald's grade worker you can hire 10 McDonald's grade workers or 2 journeyman and hope you can get half of the entry-level people up to cruising speed in your back to making money, now I don't know what happened between him or the shop but I mean I'm leaning on they're trimming fat for preparing for a recession and they chose to cut the High pay guy. And it sounds like he was let go not fired
Let go is a polite way to say he was fired. His employment was terminated by the employer and he no longer works there. Same thing, different wording.
A day in the life of a technician. Who’s YT channel where you talking about?
I'm going say I'm transgender so if the boss fired me his company will get back lash and boycotted
Welcome to 2023 bro
Dang! That's a real fear for many business owners today!
@@ChangingTheIndustry which is mess up and I noticed crime really sky rocket lately.. plus high rent price
Commenting on the video for the algorithm
51 min in. You said 99 percent are bad.
Customers
Employers(including you the owner)
Expenses
Profits
This is how it should be.
That figure may have been pulled out of my rear end.
I've watched FRM for years. He seems to think he's always right and knows everything. At this point he's clarified that he'd been butting heads with the service manager for the majority of his time there. I suspect this been in the making for a while and something happened that was the last straw
You know,
Bla bla bla ,
You know
Shop …
You know,
Bla bla bla
YOU KNOW,
I got fire
YOU KNOW …
You know, some people talk like that, you know?
I have gone back a long time and never seen the flat rate master work on cars. Other channels show at least some work done and not just talk. He is 100% all talk, his
statements are too general and vague about everything he talks about.
As far as content goes aslong as no names are mentioned or shop name mentioned and no shop time being used to make the content their shouldnt be an issue 😂
I found you guys because you came up next after the flat rate master. You guys seem great. I’m an owner of two locations in Philadelphia area. I am part of the management group he’s talking about. He is ABSOLUTELY not right about what they teach. Profit is important but far from being the most important.
THE MAJORITY OF THE WRITERS GET THIER PAY CHECK/BONUS ON THE GROSS DOLLAR!!!!
Numbers and statistics are a horrible way to assess an employee's value and worth. This is because they can be easily manipulated and hide what's actually happening in reality.
For example i heard of an employee who worked overnight that had ticket and phone metrics that had to be meet. This employee would make bulk ticket comments and close out easy tickets. They would then call into the call queue with their cellphone and leave desk phone on the line. Then go out to their car and sleep for 6+hours before going back in when AM shift shows up.
Did this for 4+ years before a manager who had to be as an early AM meeting caught on.
Do....what? To assess the value of anything you need statistics and numbers? Their intrinsic value as a human being? Of course not. But their production, efficiency, productivity and utilization in a repair shop? You gotta have data.
It sounds great to say "you shouldn't use facts to determine if I'm doing my job"....
But to pay what folks want to be paid, they have to produce a specific amount of revenue....
Value added? Strictly productivity? Too broad of a brush stroke.
I think it's weird you'll act like it's easy to hire a good technician. The number one thing I hear from managers in my area is that they cannot find anyone. When I look at motor magazine I read about the technician crisis. How are you guys replacing these techs?
We steal them from dealerships.
Hahaha haha steal them from dealerships most techs from the dealerships are parts checkers anymore parts til it starts see it all the time 😂
QUICK-WITTED Changing the industry Podcast
Love it From start to finish
👍
Once again, thank you, ScannerDanner was right about changing the industry podcast
My Mentor Sir ScannerDanner
From Nick Ayivor from London England UK 🇬🇧 ⏰️ 04:16
Something tells me that flat rate master guy has an attitude problem that's just plain not worth putting up with.
I've seen no evidence of that. Why do you think so? And don't tell me that’s how you feel as that's irrelevant. What evidence can you site to support your contention?
That's a bold assumption to make based on his UA-cam content and especially his recent videos. All those hating on him I'd bet if you went through the same termination he has you'd be just as jaded possibly even worse.
Here's the choice. Open your own shop like Rainman Ray and Eric O. or be a faceless worker bee. Like everything else in the country today it's I'm completely right and you're completely wrong. When did this bipolar disease become so common?
What about dead beat customers why don't you tell them to go away
Who says we don't?
GIVE YALL THE BEST FUNNY.....SERVICE WRITERS/OWNERS ARE OUT OF A FUCKING JOB WITHOUT US AS TECHS!!!!YALL THINK/WONDER WHY VET TECHS GO OUT ON THIER OWN?
Gosh - It seems you're quite disgruntled
One of the most dangerous presumptions one can make is that of their own importance.
Now we all know, that you come back with snarky comments written all in caps, and that's okay - this is a safe place to vent.
But it's not a dig at you - it's reality.
Many technicians have conned themselves into thinking the business won't go on without them, and that's maybe 1% of the technicians in the country today.
The good shops? They have no issue hiring replacements.
The bad shops? There's plenty of bad techs that fit right in.
But the problem is the presumption and attitude you exhibit here won't affect anyone....but you 😬
You'll spend years complaining, blaming and excusing life's challenges onto others.
The reality is a stark reminder of how the world works: If you blame everything that's wrong, on someone else? You've removed the only chance of fixing the problem.
How many techs have we all met who eventually run into addiction and drinking problems?
How many have ended up divorced or separated?
Now you might blame that on the job and the stress, but what if there's a more menacing cause?
Is it that technicians, due to their role, aren't developing communication skills at the same rate as others?
For instance, take your comment, it's difficult to understand exactly what you mean.
It's clear your disgruntled, but why is the question.
We can blame the owners and the writers - but I can assure you that if there's issues in this industry? We all have a responsibility to fix them.
To fix them? We've got to be able communicate them.
It can't be yelling and screaming - it's got to be clear, calm communications that have a desired outcome.
Unfortunately, many techs approach this dialog with anger and frustration.
It's time we talk about it, not fight about.
Also, the overwhelming majority of those who go out on their own (business in general, not just techs) fail in the first 3 years.
That's clearly not the answer.
If you think being at a auto shop is bad, try working construction. Makes being an auto tech look like blue skies, puppy dogs and butterflies.
I keep saying that folks don't understand its not just Auto repair!
98% is low
All shops will be firing content makers soon. I heard this at a conference for Master techs. Shop owners r tired of these videos being posted
Nobody told me that lol😂
👍 excellent podcast so correct on so many levels in different scenarios. (“ for certain types of shops that fit within those categories. RamBro“)