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I sincerely hope that your husband finds a workable solution to the situation ASAP.
Thanks again. I have talked to my husband about working on other brands. There is a dealership owned by his community college professor that is hiring they are dodge, jeep, ram, chrysler... and my husband yes has a snobby attitutde about it. While he is an enthusiast I have to say his down fall is his enthusiasm at times as I feel it makes him blind to oportunities (It's like he has BMW tunnel vision). From what I saw on the job posting they say they have one of the best pay plans and a lot of volume of work, etc.
I will see if I can talk to him again about opening up his options and not being set on BMW STEP as a block to getting a new job. I honestly doubt he would consider working anywhere else but BMW, but I can try to talk about it again tonight... I know he just feels like the american brand cars like ford and jeep etc. are not as good of quality. He thinks I'm crazy for loving the Ford Explorer and Dodge Charger simply because of the brand, but I like my cop cars.
If he has worked at a BMW dealership for 3 years, would other brand dealerships not value him as much if there was a technician applying who had worked with the car brand? I think that might be a subconscious fear of his as well.
And you mentioned having a heart to heart with the shop manager about this... I partly wonder if it would backfire... should he be applying to jobs before he have this talk (if he did)? I just don't want them to I don't know think he is crazy or something and fire him on the spot for questioning the pay and plan for advancement.
I know there are a lot of guys in the shop right now that are older, grumpy, and hate being a tech and tell every new tech to leave the industry. There are techs that act like babies, complain, nad won't take a waiter because "it's below them" etc. My husband has never been one of those types and takes every job he gets. I hope that his bosses can see his desire and passion to be a good tech and hope they can either give him a raise or maybe figure out evening out the work better.
The other person who takes over dispatching was there this morning and all the techs were happy and my husband already has about 20 hours of work assigned to him. Then the other dispatcher came in later and well not everyone was happy about that. I do know that the manager already said that the dispatcher isn't going anywhere and I doubt that they would talk with the dispatcher to try to be more fair about giving out work.... but we can hope. I would hate for my husband to have put so much value in this shop and his bosses only for him to realize they don't value him at the shop. I think he'd be pretty devastated.
Thanks again. I have talked to my husband about working on other brands. There is a dealership owned by his community college professor that is hiring they are dodge, jeep, ram, chrysler... and my husband yes has a snobby attitutde about it. While he is an enthusiast I have to say his down fall is his enthusiasm at times as I feel it makes him blind to oportunities (It's like he has BMW tunnel vision). From what I saw on the job posting they say they have one of the best pay plans and a lot of volume of work, etc.
I will see if I can talk to him again about opening up his options and not being set on BMW STEP as a block to getting a new job. I honestly doubt he would consider working anywhere else but BMW, but I can try to talk about it again tonight... I know he just feels like the american brand cars like ford and jeep etc. are not as good of quality. He thinks I'm crazy for loving the Ford Explorer and Dodge Charger simply because of the brand, but I like my cop cars.
IMO, your husband has fallen into the trap of brand image/snobbery over accepting what it is he does for a living.
Yes, it appeals to some ego's and customers and social strata to be able to brag "I'm a BMW tech".
Sure sounds a lot more high fallutin' than "I work at the Chrysler dealership".
But the reality is that BMW doesn't especially build cars today of appreciably better quality than some of the cars in the domestic line-up. Fact is, BMW cars have had many shortcomings years ago and they haven't particularly addressed those issues in the decades since. I don't intend to hijack this thread to a review of all the cars in the marketplace, but this is a fundamental aspect of the snobbery issue about owning and working on these cars compared to other lines. Suffice to say that BMW's sink to minimal values the day they come off of warranty compared to many other cars that retain higher residual value with time and mileage.
What counts here is the opportunity to work on cars using the same skills and take home a reasonable compensation for the time, effort, and energy expended each week. (I know a fair number of Chrysler line techs (and Dodge truck techs) that knock down $6-figures/year with full bene's and insurance and retirement plans ... and have done so for decades).
So what is the real priority today to your husband and your family? Can he make bank with the BMW snob appeal? or is it perhaps more important that he take his services to another dealership where he can make bank each week?
If he has worked at a BMW dealership for 3 years, would other brand dealerships not value him as much if there was a technician applying who had worked with the car brand? I think that might be a subconscious fear of his as well.
Sorry, this is still more of going down the path of not comprehending the core skills and values that go into being a successful automotive tech.
A competent automotive service manager knows that the fundamental skills that make for a good tech on one brand are the same fundamental skills that work on the next brand. Period. Any service manager that has a good tech applying to his dealership knows that he can get that tech off to the brand specific training.
What he ... and you, apparently ... are confusing is that a good tech works from knowledge of concepts and understanding of how things work as opposed to only knowing procedures for a specific car line and problem. I attempted to illustrate this fallacy in my prior post about the HD techs that couldn't adjust valves on another brand of motorcycle because they didn't understand what they were doing ... they were only able to follow the procedure for a given engine as opposed to understanding what they were doing and applying that understanding to any other engine ... perhaps I'm not explaining this concept clearly to you, my bad.
I'd like to humbly suggest that you and your husband might find it enlightening to read Robert Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". Long a classic insight into the thought concepts of how a good tech visualizes what he does that is far beyond just quickly turning nuts and bolts.
And you mentioned having a heart to heart with the shop manager about this... I partly wonder if it would backfire... should he be applying to jobs before he have this talk (if he did)? I just don't want them to I don't know think he is crazy or something and fire him on the spot for questioning the pay and plan for advancement.
I made that suggestion in view of my attitudes and experience in similar situations.
For me, that was a reasoned approach to the problem at hand.
However, your husband may not necessarily share my views and manner of handling the situation ... or confidence that he knows the way to approach that type of crucial conversation/exchange. It's incumbent upon your husband to have contact with meaningful content ... and that his manager have the same professional ability. Indeed, a mark of the professional skill level of his manager would be that the manager could understand your husband's concerns to the extent that even if your husband was unable to completely express his concerns ... the manager could direct the conversation in a manner which put your husband at ease and adequately addressed his concerns. Of course, that may be expecting too much of his manager and perhaps his manager's hands are tied by the upper management and their organization's employee policies.
As well, the shop he's at may have a much more volatile management in place which could be adversely triggered by your husband's sincere desire to clarify his situation there and ask for advancement. IDK all the details for making that judgement call with his employer ... and perhaps, I spoke out of turn ... by my assumption that the shop could have an adult professional discussion with an employee with a legitimate concern about their future with the company.
I know there are a lot of guys in the shop right now that are older, grumpy, and hate being a tech and tell every new tech to leave the industry. There are techs that act like babies, complain, nad won't take a waiter because "it's below them" etc. My husband has never been one of those types and takes every job he gets. I hope that his bosses can see his desire and passion to be a good tech and hope they can either give him a raise or maybe figure out evening out the work better.
While I'd hope that things could improve for your husband at this shop, you've again made an observation about the shop & management and environment/culture of this employer which strongly suggests to me that working at this place presents a "no-win" situation for your husband.
Sorry, but when the senior guys in the shop that are making the money are burned out, badmouthing the shop, and "hate being a tech" there ... there's a huge red flag about the management culture of this shop. Or maybe the entire place is populated with toxic personality types, I don't know from where I sit and read your comments. Apparently, this shop's management doesn't have my view that a professional shop should have two major priorities: 1) we're gonna' have fun, and 2) we're gonna' make money. In that order, specifically. IMO, life's too short to work to make a living at something you hate so much. YMMV.
(my guys were consistently praised for their time/effort/energy. My best weeks were when they'd be bringing me over to a project and showing off how creative they were at solving a diagnostic or mechanical problem ... that enthusiasm was contagious. Sometimes they showed me something that I already knew, sometimes I learned something new and was glad to have that knowledge ... but either way, they were going to get credit for putting that energy into the project. Ya' gotta' feel good about doing good work or you're headed for a burn-out pretty quick ... and it was a hard lesson for me to learn how to be appropriately diplomatic with my guys when they messed up, 'cause I'm a perfectionist. I tend to undersell and overdeliver ... and an appreciative clientele recognizes these attributes in a service business; my guys consistently saw more than a fair share of tips and barley pop flavors of their choice left on their toolboxes by many of my clients. Ah, LOL here ... I had one tech who didn't drink barley pop but was a single-malt scotch drinker; when an appreciative client asked him what flavor of brew he'd drink, the tech named some exhorbitantly priced ancient single-malt which I've no doubt the fellow had never bought for himself ... the client owned 3 liquor stores in Denver and later returned with a bottle of the precious fluid carefully wrapped in a inconspicuous brown-paper bag. On another occasion, we got a case of some outrageously expensive Champagne as a tip from another client ... I'd solved the problem of why his 500SEC transmission didn't work properly after having been "overhauled" 3 times by each of the high-profile snobby MB shops in town before landing on my doorstep; I kinda' figured it out but it was confirmed by my trans expert and he took home most of the case of champagne. Better him than me ... extra dry champagne isn't my "cup 'o tea.
IMO, if your husband's employer/management isn't aggressively creating that type of rewarding atmosphere for good work & productivity and he wants to survive in this biz ... it's way past time to move on to a shop where the work is fun and rewarding in every sense of the word. No, it doesn't have to be an alcohol fest ... but it's certainly one way that many appreciative customers believe is appropriate to say "thanks for a job well done". )
The other person who takes over dispatching was there this morning and all the techs were happy and my husband already has about 20 hours of work assigned to him. Then the other dispatcher came in later and well not everyone was happy about that. I do know that the manager already said that the dispatcher isn't going anywhere and I doubt that they would talk with the dispatcher to try to be more fair about giving out work.... but we can hope. I would hate for my husband to have put so much value in this shop and his bosses only for him to realize they don't value him at the shop. I think he'd be pretty devastated.
Sorry, but every aspect of your thread has done nothing but to further the impression that this employer doesn't value your husband ... or any other of their techs.
I don't care if it's an auto shop or another service business ... no employer worthy of your time/effort/energy and investment in the game is into paying such sub-living standard wages to so many of their employees. That dealership knows what the COL is in the area and they know that they can generate the sales volume to provide the cash flow to reasonably support their employees. I'm not looking for millionaires on staff, but an income commensurate with the efforts and investment and skills of the employees is essential to a good business model. You cannot rip off your employees and expect a good work product out of your shop. It just doesn't work that way.
Again, I can only wish upon your husband that he find a satisfactory solution to his employment and income situation. All the best to him and you.
PS: thanks for taking your time to visit with this old guy, it's been an interesting adventure keeping my hand in the tech biz. I'm into the next phase of my career ... backing off from the active auto repair biz (although I still do take in select projects of interest to me) now and trying not to let my "retirement farm & ranch" interfere too much with inducing the elusive walleye in the regional lakes to jump into my boat.
Sorry, but every aspect of your thread has done nothing but to further the impression that this employer doesn't value your husband ... or any other of their techs.
I don't care if it's an auto shop or another service business ... no employer worthy of your time/effort/energy and investment in the game is into paying such sub-living standard wages to so many of their employees. That dealership knows what the COL is in the area and they know that they can generate the sales volume to provide the cash flow to reasonably support their employees. I'm not looking for millionaires on staff, but an income commensurate with the efforts and investment and skills of the employees is essential to a good business model. You cannot rip off your employees and expect a good work product out of your shop. It just doesn't work that way.
Again, I can only wish upon your husband that he find a satisfactory solution to his employment and income situation. All the best to him and you.
PS: thanks for taking your time to visit with this old guy, it's been an interesting adventure keeping my hand in the tech biz. I'm into the next phase of my career ... backing off from the active auto repair biz (although I still do take in select projects of interest to me) now and trying not to let my "retirement farm & ranch" interfere too much with inducing the elusive walleye in the regional lakes to jump into my boat.
Thanks! My husband and I actually seemed to have a productive talk last night about other car brands. I told him it doesn't mean he can't apply to other BMW dealerships but to also apply to his teachers dealership and others that have lots of good ratings and ones that seem to give details (one job posting said they have 18 techs looking for 3 new techs to grow with their dealership and they are never out of work).
The shop manager and my husband I believe have a solid relationship. I mean the manager is the one who hired him and has given him the 4 raises. I do think that it might be a above his head type of deal where the shop manager can only do as much as the owner of the dealership allows.
It's true that COL in our area requires 8k/month income to live comfortably. We make less than $3.5k take home together.
I know some techs are making a living and hit the $100k/year.. but those are the techs that have been at the shop the longest,and the ones that leave half day when no work is there and complain.
The guys who truly seem to enjoy the job at the lower mid levels are the ones who seem to be struggling more at the shop.
I think my husband may be able to talk to his mentor/shop forman first to see his response. This foreman has always had my husbands back and vouched for him when raises came along for him to get one. I know the foreman only has so much power and sway, but my husband trusts the foreman and they've built a somewhat friendship.
My husband said that once techs have been at this dealership for a good couple years they just never leave. They moan and complain day in and day out but refuse to leave... and thus nothing changes because the owner and manager must know that their employees will stay even if the techs feel like they are trash to the company.
Yes, the techs feel like second class citizens. All the other areas of the dealer get commission - sales, service advisor, parts, but the techs get no commission and now are selling using the video app for customers and the service advisor gets commission on that.
Sales gets free breakfast every saturday, and the techs might get a free lunch once a month or something.
I like your priotities of having fun and making money, that sounds like my husband he wants to have fun with his job and obvisouly make a lot of moeny which means the company makes money if he does.
I know it takes like 4 million to run the dealership every month and I know the techs bring in a big chunk of profit for the dealership, and obviously sales brings in a lot - they have this one salesman who is amazing and sells like 20-30+ cars per month. I know that COVID definitely hit them back when things shut down but it seems they are recouping well, especially because they keep hiring techs when they don't need to.
I really do appreciate all the feedback, it's been very helpful and gives clarity. Sometimes it's so hard to see something when you're so close to it.
My husband talked to the shop manager about moving to sales at the bmw dealership he works at after talking to the sales manager he is friends with.
The shop manager understood but also seemed to think little things would make a difference etc. (which we know wouldn't)
My husband ended up talking to the Sales Manager and the sales managers boss (who is the owner of the dealerships son) and the chat seemed to go well and they seem to be excited about my husband interviewing.
Right now there are no Client Advisor/Salesmen positions open.
The top salesman is in need of an assistant...that job was mentioned, as well as a potential BDC job (as they said BDC pays well given that is a huge reason my husband is leaving the tech job).
The assistant job with the top sales guy... we don't know what the job exactly entails or pays, but we talked about if the position actually enables him to learn from their top sales guy it might be something to consider if the pay is what is needed.
The top sales guy even went down to the shop to talk to my husband and said he heard he might be his new assistant.
So my husband got his resume together this weekend and is interviewing tomorrow!
I am excited and nervous but hopeful for him to get a good position upstairs in the sales department.
If all else fails my husband heard from one of the techs that his friend used to work at the bmw dealership they are all at and barely made 40 hours a week and moved to a toyota dealership and is always over 50+ hours.... so we also have that as a back up back up.
I just want to again thank everyone for their responses and feedback!
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