Incentive
Where are you at in your automotive career journey?
Is there enough incentive to stay where you are at?
If yes, why? If no, what do you plan to do about it?
No..... The simple reason is I am ready to retire. Just a few more years and then this virus thing hit. I work seasonally(self employed) in a tourist town. The cruise ships won't come in until at least July now. I have to drive through Canada to get to my summer home in South east Alaska town of Skagway. The border is closed so I can't even get to work. Nor can I go get my tools to work up here…
Thanks for your thoughts. It is going to be a harsh year for sure.
That's a horrible hand to be dealt! You are not alone in that. I hope you come out on the other side in the best position possible given the circumstances.
I have been getting up and walking through the same door to go to work for 51 years, and yes, I am getting tired. Two years ago, I was ready to slow down, then along came two grand children to raise. I am fortunate to have my shop and auto repair business to support them. As things look, I still have 5 more years to run the shop. Yes, there have been huge changes since I started and there will…
Hi Albin. Regards from here. LOL on your last comment. How True. Take Care. Enjoy your grandchildren. Regards. Harley
That statement gave me an immediate laugh Albin. "Work it to death"... hey that is good stuff. I would encourage the younger techs, don't get stuck doing something you don't "love" doing or at least get satisfaction at fixing something that was broken. Also, if your end game goal is not to work for yourself why do it? As Clint said "a man's got to know his limitations". You are limited by your…
Hi Bill: I am ready to pack it in anytime now. Body is shutting down. Health is questionable. Getting older and worn out from too many hours/years of hard work. Economy is this area is up and down. Some good days/jobs others are price shoppers/aggrevating. Cost of living is increasing so I don't know if i can afford to retire and live the life that I have been for the last zillion…
Id say Im at the peak of my career @ 44 years old and 20+ years of experience. Im paid a decent hourly wage,unfortunately it isn't enough for me to own a home here. Before this whole pandemic started, the boss man and I had discussed this and were in the process of sorting it out. Thats obviously on the back burner now. One thing I can say is he has been fighting tooth and nail to keep the…
I have been a technician for nearly 50 years, a shop owner for over 36 years, and I still love this industry. Even though I am dead slow my average RO is over $1000. As a shop owner who has been through some slow times I have been willing to pay my techs but never to just sit around. You owe him more than that. Have you broken out that labscope and tried new diagnostic techniques? Are yow good…
Good deal in hard times Rudy. I hope coming out of this there will be a higher percentage of the industry that see their value, and be able to sell it to others.
Hi Rudy, Your boss sounds like mine. He is fighting to keep the doors open here. He pays us salary rather than hourly. He has cut the hours back, but still pays us the same. We also sell used cars here, so when there’s no customer pay work, there’s usually 1 or 2 cars to fix for the used car side. This will be the last shop I work at, God willing. Be careful, stay safe Rudy. I appreciate your…
I am 46 now and been at this over 20 years, I still very much enjoy this work and have been very fortunate that my body is still feeling great. I have no intention to ever fully retire. In about 20 years I would like to slow down, maybe close the shop and work part time a few days for someone else. But I would stay in auto repair. I have been doing a 401k for about 10 years, plus another 20 and…
Thank you for the input Richard, I really enjoy it as well. Like the comment Albin made I really put my heart into my work.
Hi Bill, Talk about a LOVE - HATE relationship. I love the work, but I hate this business. My wife thinks I'm nuts, and I probably am. :-)
I agree with that Scott, I love the work, but do not hate the business necessarily. There are parts of it I hate. I enjoy helping people. I hate having to work so hard on selling jobs. I hate that I have to work so hard to justify physical testing beyond hooking up a scan tool. I hate that public perception is that scan tools solely diagnose a vehicle, and anyone charging for anything else…
Oh right that machine that tells us what is wrong with the vehicle in question. LOL I get tired of explaining to them what it costs to have that machine. Especially after they went to someone with a code reader and they were told it needs x.
I am almost 55 years old. I started wrenching as a Navy Seabee in 1983, I have been the low man in the shop, the lead technician and the boss. I have been a shop owner for 19 years. I would not change a thing. I feel like every day is a day to grow, learn and teach! I hope I have another 30 years to give to this trade. I was told by a mentor of mine many years ago, “If you love what you do, you…
Where am I at? Either the middle or the end, since I've been at it around 5 years . I've done other things and probably will again, but for now I'm content. For me, the main incentives for remaining here are (relatively) low tool costs, stable/increasing business (pre-covid), a single product line with nearly unlimited mfg access, Decent pay for the area (as a master team lead) and the master…
Hello Christopher, What is the master lease program? Is it for vehicles or tooling perhaps?
If you're master certified in any guild (tech, advisor, sales, etc...), Lexus gives you $400/mo. towards the lease of a new or certified pre-owned Lexus.
I am 32 years old, been in the industry 14 years and 10 of those have been as a shop owner. I have 10 employees and I am doing everything I can to keep pushing forward. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was nervous but I have too many lives who depend on me to stop now. Retirement is a LONG way in to the future but I am doing things now to prepare myself and my employees. I am in a unique position…
Bill, Me? I've had to "semi-retire" from what I dearly loved to do. What THAT was, wasn't any "one thing" for more than a few years (10?) at a time anyway, with lots of position overlap... I've been a Machinist Mate in the Navy, working on steam propulsion systems as big as my house ('75-'79), a mechanic ('79-'89), a technician ('75-??), an automotive technologies instructor ('85-2017), a…
Jaime, "Bill, I'm curious why you asked your questions?" I like to discuss things with professional peers. Peers that take this trade/profession seriously like I do. "Also, what will you do with the replies you receive?" I will use the perspectives, advice and ideas to improve my situation and/or put it into perspective. "Did something prompt you, like your arriving at the proverbial…