My time as a Ford Master Tech is at an end

Originally Posted by Top_Ghia

That’s fine. If you want your kc laser or filthy AU falcon fussed over better let someone know and get the white gloves out.

Wow, that's harsh man.

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

Yeah $30/hr. As stated in another post trades with much less responsibilty $50/ hr 10 years ago. Now plumbers and sparkys get charged out at $100/ hr +.Not much rocket science required for either domestic plumbers or sparkys in comparison to a mechanic who risks several lives if the job isn't done correctly

Theirs good reason's why you and i are allowed to work on our cars and not the wiring of our houses, pick another trade....

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by NTF6

Umm, plumber gets it wrong and your ****ter won't flush,

Certainly life threatening that one!!!

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by DJR-351

Theirs good reason's why you and i are allowed to work on our cars and not the wiring of our houses, pick another trade....

Maybe you are right but I've seen a few examples of why non mechanics shouldn't work on cars.Watched an electrician try to change a wheel,went great except he couldn't remember which way the taper on the wheel nuts went,real bright sparky eh

[jmack]

Originally Posted by cobramania

Says ye of little knowledge.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but while plumbers & sparkys get charged out at over $100 per hour, most of that is for business expenses.
Can't say about plumbers, but sparkys in NSW generally will get between $30-$40 per hour before tax in the hand (if you work for someone), a bit more if you work for yourself & want to pay yourself a little bit more.

As for the "not much rocket science required" comment, you do realise how dangerous electricity is don't you?
What most people don't know is, a sparky is responsible for any work they do (installation or repair) for life, & can be charged with manslaughter & jailed should anyone be electrocuted from their work not being done correctly.

A death by electricity is always investigated by multiple authorities, & if the trail leads back to an electrician, they'll be called up to explain why they shouldn't be held responsible for the death, if it's found the installation/repair was faulty.

When was the last time you heard, a road fatality was a result of faulty/poor mechanics workmanship & they were charged &/or convicted with the death?

cmon people look the back of a gpo and see the red, black and green markings and think how hard can this be.not knocking mechanics but now a days all you seem to get is the normal response of"nothing showing up on the computer mate" and thats the end of it.

[kazawaki]

Good luck with your new job,i would never take my Pursuit to a ford dealer unless it was a warranty job even then you have to get out the big stick ,jump up and down and get treated like a mushroom.My car is now out of warranty by time.only done 25,000 ks but when i took it in for a clutch noise got the same old bull****,cant be bothered with fords **** excuses so it will only go to Herrods for any work.After going through **** service on the last 3 new fords i purchased enough is enough never ever again will i purchase a ford.In fact if it wasnt for the pursuit ute and the lack of choice in a v8 ute even this purchase would never have happened.Again good luck mate

[Windsor220]

I am still working in the trade but have been transitioning out over the last few years only working part time now. I was in a similar boat as a Mitsubishi master tech. Earned a bit over 30 an hour before I went part time.

The dealers are purely interested in money these days and the mechanics are treated like bottom dwellers that dont get respect from anyone in the dealer yet are probably doing the most important job there. Cars have gotten very technical and a lot of guys coming through just aren't smart enough to fix them. Its no longer a grease monkey style job.

I have gotten my own mobile business too which I do on the odd occasion. I charge 80 an hour so you can make the money like other trades if you really want but its a lot more stress than your normal dealer job.

Maybe in the future the pay will better reflect the job.

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by leesa

Wow, that's harsh man.

Leesa. I think Top - Ghia is trying to tell you he won't work on your car unless it's brand new and spotless. If there is any dust or oil around,take it to someone else

[Beastie]

Originally Posted by Top_Ghia

That’s fine. If you want your kc laser or filthy AU falcon fussed over better let someone know and get the white gloves out.

Lucky I have a top notch mechanic who will gladly work on my AU...

[Ross 1]

Originally Posted by Beastie

Lucky I have a top notch mechanic who will gladly work on my AU...

I hope you are paying him more than $15ph to compensate for having to touch an AU.

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

Leesa. I think Top - Ghia is trying to tell you he won't work on your car unless it's brand new and spotless. If there is any dust or oil around,take it to someone else

Yes, I think that's exactly what he's saying. And if he's one of the senior mechanics is it any wonder that the juniors 'struggle to change a globe without breaking something' if that's the sort of mentality that is guiding their professional development?

On a somewhat related note... wouldn't it be nice if we had a way of knowing in advance whether a mechanic was interested in doing the job or not? I now quite clearly know how Top Ghia feels about working on unworthy cars but how can I transfer that to the real world to avoid turning up at his workshop and wasting both of our time?

[Ross 1]

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

Leesa. I think Top - Ghia is trying to tell you he won't work on your car unless it's brand new and spotless. If there is any dust or oil around,take it to someone else

If you have been in a trade for nearly 2 decades then you should be able to pick and choose the projects you work on, to some extent. After nearly 25 years in my trade I'm fussy as to what I do or delegate. The delegated stuff is also good to watch and teach the apprentices on.

[Windsor220]

Originally Posted by leesa

Yes, I think that's exactly what he's saying. And if he's one of the senior mechanics is it any wonder that the juniors 'struggle to change a globe without breaking something' if that's the sort of mentality that is guiding their professional development?

On a somewhat related note... wouldn't it be nice if we had a way of knowing in advance whether a mechanic was interested in doing the job or not? I now quite clearly know how Top Ghia feels about working on unworthy cars but how can I transfer that to the real world to avoid turning up at his workshop and wasting both of our time?

A mechanic will do the job regardless of what the car is. It still gets done properly but its natural to be more mindful of something that is more new and expensive. If you were working on a Bugatti Veyron you would be meticulous with it purely because of the expense of the thing and that the owner is most likely a fussy car enthusiast. Instead of say a clapped out EA Falcon that has come in for a oil change just to keep it running.

It's no different to any trade. Do you think electricians or plumbers like working in derelict houses and spend extra time going beyond what is required of them there? Unlikely.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Windsor220

A mechanic will do the job regardless of what the car is. It still gets done properly but its natural to be more mindful of something that is more new and expensive. If you were working on a Bugatti Veyron you would be meticulous with it purely because of the expense of the thing and that the owner is most likely a fussy car enthusiast. Instead of say a clapped out EA Falcon that has come in for a oil change just to keep it running.

It's no different to any trade. Do you think electricians or plumbers like working in derelict houses and spend extra time going beyond what is required of them there? Unlikely.

I was taught to do the job with professionalism regardless of work conditions, after all I'm getting paid by the customer to do the job.
This is what defines good ethics in trades people.

Originally Posted by Windsor220

A mechanic will do the job regardless of what the car is. It still gets done properly. Instead of say a clapped out EA Falcon that has come in for a oil change just to keep it running.

It's no different to any trade. Do you think electricians or plumbers like working in derelict houses and spend extra time going beyond what is required of them there? Unlikely.

I guess it comes down to what is determined to be the bare minimum and whether it is being met on these 'clapped out' cars or not, but in my experience, it's not being met by mechanics OR tradies. "Doing the job" and "doing the job right" are two different things.

I've used mechanics only a few times (as my family is full of mechanics, but I hate to feel like a freeloader) and every time they've ****ed up my car. One time I got an LPG conversion done and they drilled straight into the intake while it was still on the engine. I know they did this because they didn't bother to blow away the swarf that dropped below each hole they drilled. (Thank you TorqueGas, you ****s).
When the system stopped working 6 months later and I took it back for them to look at, they must have left their tools around the grill when they dropped the bonnet as the plastic was all smashed up when I got the car back.

The one time I finally agreed to a wheel alignment (from a tyre mob) I had to hold the wheel way off kilter just to drive straight out their driveway but I wasn't likely to take it back to their shop to fix. If they were competent, or interested in "doing the job right", it wouldn't have happened in the first place. That was enough for me, now I learn to do whatever I need to do and if I **** up my own car I only have myself to blame and I'm okay with that. At least I'll take the time to try and do it right but as a consumer we can't trust anyone else to feel that way about our clapped-out cars.

Anyway, that's just turned into a massive rant because now I'm all cranky but that wasn't my initial intention. Top Ghia should have every right to complain about whatever they see fit.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Officemanager

I was taught to do the job with professionalism regardless of work conditions, after all I'm getting paid by the customer to do the job.
This is what defines good ethics in trades people.

I'm not sure if it's an in genral thing over all industries or if it just mine. Im a sparky and its really difficult to find any apprentices who actually want the job and and take pride in what they are doing. I don't know if it's a generation thing but the attitude of if they stuff something up, someone else will fix it is a very hard thing to shift. One thing I learnt early on in the piece is that even if it's work and you're not really enthused about the task at hand if you force yourself to take an interest the days fly past. I find it irritating working with clock watchers. Regardless of if it's someone from the company I work for or a builder or plumber etc that I'm working around. I've found over the years if your doing consistent quality work in a timely fashion with positive customer feedback then your employer comes to the party with pay reviews and the odd bonus here or there. There's a few blokes I work with who are getting dirty with my boss over pay but aren't willing to put in the effort and get call backs, leave jobs incomplete and do all the things that can potentially earn a company a bad reputation. So no wonder they cop the treatment of if you don't like your pay go work somewhere else. My last pay review wasn't even a negotiation. I made the statement I'm worth more, didn't even say a dollar value, and asked for a car with atleast abs brakes and an airbag. The next week I was getting paid 5 an hour more and a month later had a ute with 6 airbags. It's quality hard work that gets noticed. That's what others don't see. They just think how did he get a pay rise and new car and get the dirts. Not the mindset of if I make myself valuable then I'm worth more. Mind you only 3 of us on the tools get a work car and they're private use with a fuel card and company maintained so I can see value in that. The rest just get $17 a day travel allowance which I'd take the ute any day of the week.

[GTP534]

I think Leesa took a moral high ground and some of the comments were not necessary. Top Ghia said "extra attention"; I would not have interpreted that he didn't do a proper job with other customer vehicles.

It was as though you were just waiting for an opportunity to have a rant.

[Windsor220]

Originally Posted by Officemanager

I was taught to do the job with professionalism regardless of work conditions, after all I'm getting paid by the customer to do the job.
This is what defines good ethics in trades people.

Nobody said anything about not doing a professional job.

Originally Posted by GTP534

I think Leesa took a moral high ground and some of the comments were not necessary. Top Ghia said "extra attention"; I would not have interpreted that he didn't do a proper job with other customer vehicles.

It was as though you were just waiting for an opportunity to have a rant.

It wasn't the extra attention part, I interpreted that the same way you did. It was more their reply about getting the white gloves out to work on someone's filthy AU.

Anyway, I'll shush, truly, as I don't want to derail their thread any further.
(and I am not usually that person who corrects someone else but I think you might mean "high horse" rather than "high ground". Someone taking the high ground is a GOOD thing!

[pottery beige]

lols @ boofhead outrages in this thread

goodluck and happy trails with the next adventure OP

[Top_Ghia]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

I'm not sure if it's an in genral thing over all industries or if it just mine. Im a sparky and its really difficult to find any apprentices who actually want the job and and take pride in what they are doing. I don't know if it's a generation thing but the attitude of if they stuff something up, someone else will fix it is a very hard thing to shift. One thing I learnt early on in the piece is that even if it's work and you're not really enthused about the task at hand if you force yourself to take an interest the days fly past. I find it irritating working with clock watchers. Regardless of if it's someone from the company I work for or a builder or plumber etc that I'm working around. I've found over the years if your doing consistent quality work in a timely fashion with positive customer feedback then your employer comes to the party with pay reviews and the odd bonus here or there. There's a few blokes I work with who are getting dirty with my boss over pay but aren't willing to put in the effort and get call backs, leave jobs incomplete and do all the things that can potentially earn a company a bad reputation. So no wonder they cop the treatment of if you don't like your pay go work somewhere else. My last pay review wasn't even a negotiation. I made the statement I'm worth more, didn't even say a dollar value, and asked for a car with atleast abs brakes and an airbag. The next week I was getting paid 5 an hour more and a month later had a ute with 6 airbags. It's quality hard work that gets noticed. That's what others don't see. They just think how did he get a pay rise and new car and get the dirts. Not the mindset of if I make myself valuable then I'm worth more. Mind you only 3 of us on the tools get a work car and they're private use with a fuel card and company maintained so I can see value in that. The rest just get $17 a day travel allowance which I'd take the ute any day of the week.

In the automotive industry there is no pay reviews. In the last 7 years I’ve asked for a pay increase twice. I’ve been slapped in the face twice.
I’ll work on any car and have never got to choose my jobs.
However I was quite often given the fussy customers cars with strict instructions and a few even asked for me by name.

[xr6-FTW]

Mate I know the angle your coming from, i'm 20 now and my first job was at BMW as a spare parts apprenticeship, main reason I went there was I was desperate for a job out of school and working with BMW who wouldn't want to lol. in the 3 months I was there, I had enough how can I say it, insight, yer insight in what it would be like working there long term and I quickly got the **** out of there, especially when I started getting treated like a ****. I was always working with the service advisors, mechanics, head mechanic etc giving parts out and while there were a couple here and there who were good blokes, most were ****en ****s and the blokes aged from 18-22 were in mass number were all high school drop kick dopes basically to say it bluntly, who barely turned up to work, ****ed around with peoples cars, broke things, one even flipped a car on the hoist before I was around though, one bloke didn't install brakes properly onto someones car and the caliper fell off, luckily it was outside the dealership not on a busy road. It was **** like that that put me off, one was a drug abuser and the other a bigger drug abuser, I was told by the workshop managers etc most of them leave after there apprenticeships or leave before finishing them because they realise they make **** all money like your saying. So generally speaking, even my mechanic said it also, the industry now attracts the dumbasses out of school because they are the only ones who want to do it nowadays mainly because everyone else in my generation is keen on going to tafe, uni etc doing courses or even other/better tradies like being a sparky etc, I wanted/tried to be a sparky but I didn't get far and its on hold, its up to me whether I pursue it now. I even think to myself at times being a mechanic should be similar pay to that of being a nurse, a job probably that deserves atleast $35-45 an hour as a profession opposed to getting just like $25-30 as a fulltimer, because you bust your knuckles, your back, arms etc you get me basically the whole body, get covered in ****, grease, dirt oil, burn yourself also, come across cfcs, breathe in car fumes all day long etc, its not fair because if the pay was higher people like me would probably do it and it would attract people actually keen to do it, meaning there would be a lot more better mechanics out there..........just my input.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Top_Ghia

In the automotive industry there is no pay reviews. In the last 7 years I’ve asked for a pay increase twice. I’ve been slapped in the face twice.
I’ll work on any car and have never got to choose my jobs.
However I was quite often given the fussy customers cars with strict instructions and a few even asked for me by name.

Thats a fair statement. No personal recognition does sound like a kick in the pants. Now I'm not all over how the organisation you aren't happy with works but it sounds like you never had much direct engagement with clients so the guys on the desk got all the credit for work they didn't do. Making them get all the glory. I use that term loosely. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Now I have a manager and administrative and all that but when I get a job I have to engage directly with the client. I much prefer service work over project work that comes with a set of plans. I work off of a verbal description. Either this isn't working and is acting like that, or can you install one of those over there. It's the end result I'm told. Whatever it takes to achieve that result is up to me. Yes there's thinking involved and all that but often enough I offer a better solution. Or even if what the client wanted turned out better then they expected (even if it's below my standard) they tell me at the time that they're happy. That's what I take out of it and that's my motorvation. With what I do I wouldn't say you make mates but with solid clients you develop friendships. You know how's the family, taken the bike out lately, that kind of stuff. It breaks the day up. I had one of the ladies on reception of a company I do work for today tell me about how she's going on maternity leave shortly and all of that (yes very pregnant) so I told her that makes me feel old. She hovered around (maybe waddled is a better term) whilst I went about my business and told her my kid is 8 and I'm 30. She was shocked she thought I was 20 and turns out I'm older then her. Again not mates but a bit of client interaction again makes time fly. That and I don't mind the odd catered lunch.

[ratter]

There is a serious skill shortage in this trade, we are always looking For mechanics that will live up to my expectations, which I personally think are what should be minimum standards

[creative]

Know how you feel.

Mate was a master Toyota tech in the UK. Been with the same dealership for 10 years until the latest shop foreman had it in for him. Turned up to his house and saw 2 small Toyota boxes on his bench ( he used them to move some tools ) Pulled him into the office and suspended him for theft. He told him to shove it, went and worked on fixing ambulances and set himself up doing private jobs at his own workshop. Hes now earning more money than he ever did at Toyota and the work is less stressful.

I keep telling him to bring his trade here as he would do great in a performance shop.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by ratter

There is a serious skill shortage in this trade, we are always looking For mechanics that will live up to my expectations, which I personally think are what should be minimum standards

I don't believe it'd s skills shortage. I'm not saying that or any trade doesn't involve skills, people don't want to put in an effort and do hard work. Hard work isn't particularly easy but even a small (not short) guy like myself can get **** done. Now I don't mean to take this put of context but the age of things like IT and sitting at a desk to make the 50k a year is somehow what the younger folk aspire towards. I have charged a callout fee and the minimum hour labour countless times simply because a dope has not turned on a light switch. I've had the same after hours callout twice in a night and that's not cheap for the same reason from the same person. I made 2 days pay. For 2 1 hour door to door call outs. It's the sad expectation that no responsibility makes the cash. It doesn't work like that.

[Franco Cozzo]

OP has significant Ford experience, thought about being Ford specialist?

Would be able to turn your hand at all the modern crapola just coming out of warranty period.

Theres crap like Volkswagen specialists so why can't there be a Ford one?

[Top_Ghia]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

OP has significant Ford experience, thought about being Ford specialist?



Would be able to turn your hand at all the modern crapola just coming out of warranty period.



Theres crap like Volkswagen specialists so why can't there be a Ford one?

I’m now in a rural area so there just isn’t the numbers to make it viable.
In my new job I’ll definitely target Fords though and let people know I have some knowledge of the product.
One good thing about working in the dealership with all the young guys, is it kept me feeling young. However lately this has kind of faded into just feeling old and finding it hard to relate. And the music is just terrible.

We got a lot of kids through on work experience. I would always ask them why they were there. I told them you need to love this job to do it as it’s hard and the rewards are terrible. I’d tell them if you’re not sure and you just want a job, go and be a builder or sparky.

Btw, white gloves is a reference to very special treatment. Not wearing gloves for protection from dirty cars.

[Top_Ghia]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

I don't believe it'd s skills shortage. I'm not saying that or any trade doesn't involve skills, people don't want to put in an effort and do hard work. Hard work isn't particularly easy but even a small (not short) guy like myself can get **** done. Now I don't mean to take this put of context but the age of things like IT and sitting at a desk to make the 50k a year is somehow what the younger folk aspire towards. I have charged a callout fee and the minimum hour labour countless times simply because a dope has not turned on a light switch. I've had the same after hours callout twice in a night and that's not cheap for the same reason from the same person. I made 2 days pay. For 2 1 hour door to door call outs. It's the sad expectation that no responsibility makes the cash. It doesn't work like that.

No. It’s a skills shortage. All these qualified guys don’t have the skills. Basic skills they really should know. A lot don’t own a multimeter and of those that do half don’t know how to turn it on.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Top_Ghia

I’m now in a rural area so there just isn’t the numbers to make it viable.
In my new job I’ll definitely target Fords though and let people know I have some knowledge of the product.
One good thing about working in the dealership with all the young guys, is it kept me feeling young. However lately this has kind of faded into just feeling old and finding it hard to relate. And the music is just terrible.

We got a lot of kids through on work experience. I would always ask them why they were there. I told them you need to love this job to do it as it’s hard and the rewards are terrible. I’d tell them if you’re not sure and you just want a job, go and be a builder or sparky.

Btw, white gloves is a reference to very special treatment. Not wearing gloves for protection from dirty cars.

Yeah I had my own workshop out regional, 6 automotive workshops amongst 8000 people in town

Maybe run it off the books out of your garage, pull cashies out of the garage.