2 cents worth

Motor, Mar 1998 by Garrett, Glenn C

Playing Beat the Clock Thank you for publishing my comment in November. Here's my "2 cents worth" in regard to "Leveling the Field" [Dec. '97 issue].

The gentleman is 100% correct. There is another element to the tech shortage. In new car dealerships, it is called warranty labor rates.

In the past nine years, I have lost four super technicians. The most recent was two weeks ago. About 49% of our service repairs is factory warranty work, and the techs complain about not getting enough time for these repairs.

The factory, with stopwatch in hand, will tell you that the repairs can be made in the allotted time. Maybe so, but cost of living and inflation must also be considered. The techs I lost chose salaried jobs.

Carmakers have done a tremendous job in helping techs repair todays complex vehicles. We have tech hotlines, D.S.E.s, publications, service bay diagnostics and service bay technical information.

But if a tech is not happy with his paycheck, he will make changes. And when that proverbial horse leaves the barn, it will be difficult to get him back...if at all.

Bill Jackson Portsmouth, VA

A Disgruntled Tech

Steve Young's letter [2 Cents Worth, Dec. '97] struck a chord with me. I recently became a Certified Master Automobile Technician and have seen no increase in pay.

A recent ad in the newspaper read, "Wanted: ASE certified tech, own tools, starting pay $5.00 hour"! What I don't understand is this: I need to spend 10% to 20% of my gross income [on tools and training] just to keep up with the changing technology. What's the use? Shop owners seem to want throwaway mechanics.

We all know this trade demands constant study to keep up. I would go drive a truck if I could stand sitting on my butt all the time. Am I any less a professional than a doctor or lawyer?

At one time, I loved working on anything mechanical. I could make things run smoother, longer or easier. I guess I still like fixing stuff a little, otherwise I wouldn't be so dedicated.

But where are the good [tech] jobs? It used to be that you could put in extra time and bust your butt and get ahead. Whatever happened to preventive maintenance programs? Why is it so hard to sell quality, honest labor?

Charles Stowe Polson, MT

The Training's All Wrong

For some time now I've been reading columns and editorials in the trade publications regarding the looming shortage of technicians. A few have expressed the position that the crisis is one of competent, trained techs vs. the number of people in the industry. My opinion is that the truth lies somewhere in between.

As for all the editorials about the importance and need for training, it's about time people involved with auto repair get a booster shot of reality. My question is, What training is really available? If you think back to when you were in high school or college and studied trigonometry or physics, you attended that class five days a week and each month you spent an average of 20 or more hours plus homework learning the subject. I consider ABS systems, Ford EEC-IV systems, etc., to be on the same level as those subjects, and the kinds of things that require an extensive amount of study in order to become proficient.

What's really available now? Typically, one- or two-night "seminars" hosted by another shop. It's a bit ridiculous to expect people to absorb information after a day of work, having the presenter turn out to be a sales rep who wastes my time telling me how great his products are and who can't answer technical questions. Having these seminars so unstructured wastes time when someone asks a question that he should have learned way back in "Tuneup 101."

Other sources like training videos offer some value, but you can't stop the VCR and ask your TV a question. Technicians lucky enough to be able to attend classes offered by a manufacturer's tech center such as the GM Training Centers can get information in a proper environment. But these are the chosen few compared to the vast number of us that desperately need to upgrade our skills.

An issue of this magnitude is not going to be solved by yet more editorials; it will take a lot of forward thinking on the part of many people. I propose that we first attempt to correct the learning environment by creating all-day seminars held on a Saturday at a hotel conference room. On such a large scale, a tech or his employer should be able to manage the cost of attending.

We have computers and tech databases that make the overwhelming amount of information [that's out there] available. What needs to be done now is to create a means for the technician to absorb and utilize it in a productive way.

Glenn C. Garrett Montrose, CA