How's your shop morale?

[KevinL]

I just wanted to see how people are doing. What is it like at your shop? Reading the amount of people complaining on the ford board, makes me think that people are unhappy. Or, maybe your shop is awesome?

 

It seems things have been just getting worst every year around here. The other dealers shutting there doors has caused the remaining dealers to absorb more techs, with no increase in the amount of work. Less CP work and difficulty of the warranty process has caused people look elsewhere to make a living.

 

I used to recommend young techs work at a dealer. It's hard to beat the amount of training and opportunity to work with knowledgeable people at a dealer. But, now I don't know what to tell them. When I started to see people that were good at their jobs start to leave, I knew things were bad.

 

So this is just a long way of saying, "How you guys doing?"

[Brad Clayton]

Not gonna lie to you guys, I voted for the bottom rung and if there was a lower rung I would have hit it up too. I guess the biggest question would be "why am I still there?". I can't really figure it out myself. I think part of it is to see if things can get any worse before the doors close. Then I can help put plywood on all the windows.

 

I go in everyday hoping things will turn around for the positive. Until then I just take it one day at a time and do the best job I possibly can. I am really biding my time until my wife and I relocate to North Carolina. I have a grandbaby on the way (due in August) and I don't want to live 800 miles away.

[Matt Saunoras]

I'm so burned out right now I can hardly bear the thought of going in tomorrow. This winter has been particularly bad, all I seem to do is sit around and think about work, it's totally engulfed my thoughts lately. I usually spend 10hrs a day there and when I'm not there something about it's always in the back of my mind.

 

I'll start by saying that I'm young, probably the youngest on this board if you can't tell, and still very green in many of your eyes. Take that into consideration because you all know how hard it is to get started in this business when you're just thrown into it with no chance of this thing they used to call apprenticeship. I would never recommend any friends or even enemies get started in this business. Frankly I don't know how I made it, but after 5 years I don't know how to get out.

 

I make good money so I must be worth something to someone but I still find myself struggling to make 40hrs a week while our other lead makes 55+. Do I do a lot of bullshit? yes. does my inexperience slow me down? absolutely. So why can't I come to terms with all of this and accept that this is the way that it has to be?

 

Shop moral in a whole is about neutral. Obviously the guy turning hours is content. My moral would be higher if we didn't work in such a shithole. We seriously can only fit 4 trucks in the building at once.

[KevinL]

Wow, I already tried make the last option as bleak as possible. I struggled even with a 1 year apprenticeship, I don't how people can just jump into this.

 

It just seems like everyone is looking for a way out and a lot of people are. Maybe Vegas's economy is that shitty, but maybe techs are getting fed up around the country.

 

Hourly shops seem to be a rarity, but I would recommend maybe looking for one of those jobs. Fleet or a dealer with some type of guarantee. I found a way out through a government job. Less pay, but good benefits and a retirement plan.