A mini rant...

Alex Bruene · October 25, 2008

Now, I'm positive I can go on and on about the things that have pissed me off at work these past 2 weeks, I have to rant about one thing in particular.

Thursday night, I ventured into the world of a broken 3V spark plug. Okay, no problem there's a tool to get the porcelin out... but I couldn't find it. Yesterday morning I asked the tune-up guys where it was, they told me the ASM had lent it out. They also had told me they urged him to not let anybody borrow it, but since it was a "good" customer of the parts department, we "had" to give it to them... I finally found the kit, all the pins were gone and not replaced, the loctite lid was off and dried up, and the puller slightly mangled... but that's not the real point of the rant... I called a friend at a dealer just east of the city, he told me they had lent theirs out, and did not get it back, called another friend at another dealer, and was told that theirs was also lent out and only half came back... so, why do we as dealers lend these tools out?? to our competetors no less?? I understand that parts department makes money off these guys... money if you ask me is being stolen from our shop... but, how much money is our shop LOSING because of the down bay, and all the running around that needs to be done to rectify the situation?? I once asked the PM to keep a set of 6 LCF injectors in stock, but was told we don't move them quick enough, and they stood to lose money having them... isn't that just about the same as the situation we (service) find our-selves in right now??

GregH · October 25, 2008

I think you might still be a little sloshed... Your typing is slurred...

Musta been a good night last night!

mchan68 · October 25, 2008

Funny you should rant about that. Two weeks ago, an outside garage towed an '06 truck into our shop that they attempted a "tune-up" on. Three of eight plugs were broken off in the heads. You would think they would've stopped after breaking off the first one. One of the three plugs broken off was cylinder #8 no less. That's okay. I charged them a "good coin" to remove them. I CHARGE FOR STUPIDITY.

Keith Browning · October 25, 2008

Alex you re not alone. A long time ago when we moved into the building we are now in we acquired a few new people and increased our front parts countermen and business overall. I am not one to refuse helping people in general. However, when a parts guy is interrupting you several times a day asking questions for outside shop mechanics it wears on me. It got t a point where I finally blew my stack and I had not been approached for years. I have since turned this around with the guy, who is still my coworker but now there is a lot more respect - both ways.

Anyway, I too sometimes get annoyed that I am asked to provide my hard learned knowledge to help some guy who realistically, should not be turning wrenches. This does not mean that I don't recognize that there are plenty of good techs on the outside. The borrowing of tools is without a doubt something I cannot condone. If they are in business and are working on these vehicles it should be their responsibility to purchase their own tools and equipment. I would be livid to have a parts counterman give out one of our coveted special service tools. Return a tool damaged or incomplete? Don't even go there!!! As it is we have had in-house problems with tool and equipment abuse and loss. Currently I believe we have a crew of techs that respect the shop and the equipment.

Joey Kaylor · October 26, 2008

This is one reason why there is heavy animosity between dealers and indies, IMO. There are so many shops out there that feel they do not have to stay on top of tooling and training, and can simply call the dealer and ask them something.

I dont care how much parts I buy from someone, I NEVER use that to get info or tools. If I am working on a car for a customer, they are paying me for knowledge and experience. If I am asking someone else to help or loan a tool to do the job, I am basically stealing from my customer in my eyes.

You know how many special tools I buy for one job, only to likely never use them again? I have literally hundreds of service sets that were purchased for one job and sit idle, but you never know if you need them later or not so I keep them.

I used to have the ideology that if I needed to borrow a tool twice, I was buying it, but have since changed to if I need it to do the job in an effective manner, I am purchasing it. It is required to perform my duties as a professional auto repair shop, so it is a cost of doing business. If I do not purchase something required to do my job, I am not serious about what I do and need to find another profession.

The first 3v tune up I did was due to a blown injector (go figure....) and I had a shell break off in the head. It was 3oclock on a Friday, and I had heard of this problem before through iATN and others (truck was only about 9 months old at the time if I recall, and had to be back in service on Sat due to being a work truck). So, I improvised and made the removal tool and got the truck back on the road.

I purchased the Rotunda kit the next week, but to be honest I have used my homemade one more than it /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif .

I get calls all the time from people that range from other shops in the area, to the standard BYB (back yard bob) mechanics asking for how to do something or to borrow a tool. You can likely guess the response they get LOL. The shops have realized its not worth calling, they just bring it over and have use fix it. The customers have pretty much realized in the last two years that there is a reason they only charge 45 bucks an hour, and have started coming to us for most work.

I dislike people that try to get around the fact that it costs money to have equipment and tools to properly repair vehicles, and they do not realize they are the ones being hurt by their stupidity. The customers are also, but mainly them.

Mekanik · October 27, 2008

I agree. Thats a bunch of garbage. We did a lot of retail parts sales at my last shop. The parts guys at that counter were always sending someone to see me, so I could tell him what is wrong with his truck or how to get something apart or back together. The worst part about it was we didn't have enoyugh work for us to do, but these people really expect me to tell some customer how to do my job. It would really piss me off when our S/M would lend out a special tool to a "really great" customer. Thats taking money right out of my pocket.

Keith Browning · October 27, 2008

Quote:

It would really piss me off when our S/M would lend out a special tool to a "really great" customer. Thats taking money right out of my pocket.

They don't see it that way. "We sell parts to those people... right?"

That is an argument worth making, but I still don't agree with the whole concept. All too often the dealer gets it in the end and the first people to be affected by this are the technician and THE DEALER'S CUSTOMERS.

LARRY BRUDZYNSKI · October 27, 2008

We figured out how to deal with this problem/issue of loaning out tools. We have purchased the most common special installers, etc. We charge a rental fee for them, and a hefty deposit just in case they break or loose pieces of them. Most of the time if they use it wrong the trucks usually get towed in to us to fix right. Either way we make money. Which is what were all here for.

In regards to "borrowing" tools from the techs thats a big no-no. The techs spent their hard earned $$$ on them. If somebody wants to buy one we can get it for them.Also most will buy certain tools after they need it 3-4 times. They get tired of having to come down and rent them.