Tech just starting out at a dealer

[Tech240]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the forum and to give a little background info, I had no automotive knowledge growing up, at 18 I went to a tech school and after 18 months graduated. I then got a job at a Toyota dealer doing quick lube. After about 6 months turned flat rate and that was about 3 months ago. Anyway I find that I am messing something up about once a week- nothing major, just small stuff and I don't make the same mistakes twice its just amateur mistakes that make me look bad. Anyway I just wanted to hear what people's thoughts are or past experiences, because I'm sure a lot of people have been in similar situations. It just ***** going home at the end of the day feeling bad because you messed something up. So let me know! Thanks

 

[Russianstyle]

No offense but this is a exactly why I don't bring my 35k SUV to dealers for maintenance. No offense tho, we all have to start somewhere

 

[NUTTSGT]

Atleast you're being honest with yourself and have a conscience over screwing something up.

I remember many years ago in bootcamp, our series commander gave us a speech. It was during that speech, he said you could make as many mistakes in life that you wanted, but only make that mistake one.

Learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward.

 

[budl]

An experienced professional is one who has made a whole lot of screw ups and learned something from each one and applied it to the next opportunity.

Been there
Done that
Got the scars

Bud

 

[sdguy55]

Dude I screw up all the time. I have never screwed up something to cause catastrophic failure though and in the end to me that's all that matters. The guys that talk the most **** about your screw ups though are probably the ones that mess up just as much as you do

 

[Alaric.H]

It is normal keep asking what I can do to make sure it will not happen again. Look up the problem on the net or ask a older tech for advice.

 

[Tech240]

Yeah, there is one older guy who helps me out a lot in the shop. It just ***** because he sometimes gives me bad advice- not knowingly but because it is outdated advice (he got out for a while I think)
I also find its the things that can't be measured that I'm screwing up on, like belt tension and brake drum adjustment..idk it just *****

 

[DKerns]

Tech, to most, it all comes with time and experience. The biggest thing to remember...... Even though you are flat rate, double check your work!! You will make more in the end, trust me!!! Mistakes and comebacks are fixed for free!!

Now that being said, I have seen many come and many go in my 17 years in the field. I personally think that you have to be cut out for it to be successful. Not everyone has the mechanical aptitude to grow in the industry. Not being rude, just something I have noticed over time.

 

[Conductor562]

No offense but this is a exactly why I don't bring my 35k SUV to dealers for maintenance. No offense tho, we all have to start somewhere

How do you not take offense to that? "Hey buddy, your inexperienced *** is why I steer clear of places where people like you work. My 35K SUV is too good for the hands of a mere humans" I bet everyone building 200K Ferrari's has 40 years experience and never makes mistakes. According to Ralph Nadar the guy that built your 35K SUV was likely hung over anyway. No matter what shop you go to, wherever it may be, there is someone who is learning. Now that the baby boomers are coming of retirement age this is more true than it's been in a long time. What shop are you going to where everyone is an expert on everything?

Tech240: You aren't going through anything everyone hasn't went through. I'm a Railroad Conductor for going on 10 years and I still learn something new all the time. I'm pretty sure most of the guys that have been at it 30 years will tell you the same thing. There's no shame in learning. It's better to admit to yourself that you're still learning than it is to be one of those guys who sprang from the womb knowing it all.

 

[D.J.]

Hang in there man, some of those come with experience. Good luck and welcome to GJ.

 

[hosz]

Don't beat yourself up too much. I'm not a tech but I made mistakes when I first started my job. It took a couple of years before I got the hang of things and I still make mistakes on occasion, even after 15 years.

It only becomes a problem if you keep making the same mistake. I don't know anything about adjusting drums (never worked on a car with drum brakes) but have you looked at a tool for adjusting belt tension.

I use one of these http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MUTAGS/?tag=atomicindus08-20

It's about $12 and seems to get the job done.

 

[aaronld]

Yea, I adjusted drum brakes too tight when I just started off, I figured it out and became a pro. Then about 5 years later could not get a GMC 2500s drum brakes adjusted for the life of me. You will have those days. Try to watch and learn something everyday. Two more things, take care of your hands, wear the right gloves for the job, and get good safety glasses and put them on when you get out of your truck to go in the shop to work.

 

[mmack66]

How do you not take offense to that? "He buddy, your inexperienced *** is why I steer clear of places where people like you work. My 35K SUV is too good for the hands of a mere humans"

It was so offensive, he had to throw in an extra 'no offense'.

 

[mercman86]

Thats how you learn, dont do it again and move on. We've all been through that.

 

[Rebelphotog]

A lot of truth in this thread... Acknowledging your mistakes and wanting to correct them and keep from repeating them is a big deal. A lot of the techs I know don't care, they're just in it for a paycheck.

I am about 90% self taught (I don't do it for a living though, however I have worked in a few shops to help out friends when they were short staffed). I learned due to my passion for cars, and specifically my passion for my Z28. I find that the best techs are the ones that truly care about what they're doing and genuinely love it. I'm not saying you have to wake up everyday, jumping up and down with excitement of your impending work day. However, having pride in your work and being determined to do a good job is something that will take you very far.

In your free time, study up in the areas where you are a bit rusty, or research different methods of accomplishing different tasks that you perform most often or that you know you will have to deal with at some point. Relying on someone else to inform you on the spot can be dangerous. Learning on your own in a no-pressure situation will allow you to thoroughly research and understand the job at hand and the techniques needed to accomplish it.

In time, you'll have the knowledge and confidence to do the kind of quality work it sounds like you want to be capable of. You'll still make mistakes from time to time or have an "off" day, but hey, we all do do.

 

[Moose02]

I ran a large service operation for almost 25 years service, parts, and body shop with over 70 techs and body men. I went through a lot of new people that would do the job just as good as the older or more experienced tech. The difference being the newer people sometimes wanted to speed up their work too fast and not have the skills to do that right away. Sometimes a flat rate shop shoots themselves in the foot because there are too many short cuts taken. Now that being said if it is a factory paying the bills most of their work is figured out with out air tools and usually at a faster time than a regular flat rate book. Hang in there it will work out in the end. I had several teams set up so the more knowledgeable techs helped the newer ones it worked very well. Remember we all have to start somewhere people don't get great overnight. I also had a shop forman trouble shooter on salary to help all the techs. Buddy up with one of the bright ones help him or her out once in a while with out them asking and you will be amazed at how they will help you DON'T give up the industry need fresh blood

jmho

 

[JakeKohl]

I worked at (and eventually managed) a chain store oil change shop while working my way through college. The day after I received regional employee of the year award for increasing sales and throughput at our store, I was helping in the pit changing the ****** fluid on a heavy duty truck while someone else handled the oil change. I turned the wrong bolt 3/4 turn before I questioned whether I had the right one for the vent plug but it was too late. I had just released some sort of pin in the transmission and permanently engaged reverse. They damn near took my award away.

I also got to witness the aftermath of a guy tasked with changing the oil in a toyota 4x4 truck. He drained the transfer case (thinking it was the engine) and proceeded to add oil and somehow didn't think to check the oil level afterwards. The poor owner drove away with a dry transfer case and an engine with 8 quarts of oil in it....didn't take him long to sputter back into the parking lot and demand a new engine.

 

[dragonballz]

Double and triple check your work.

 

[triple0beretta]

You will get better with time. It's a learning curve that everyone in this profession has to go through. Stick with it and be patient. Pay close attention to your work and the money will follow. I have seen too many young guys get caught up in turning hours and that's when the mistakes start adding up.

 

[KEH]

I've only worked on my own drum brakes but here's a tip: the most difficult time I had removing a rear drum was when the brake shoes had worn a groove in the drum. It took a long time to get the shoes adjusted loose enough to remove them, considering the age and condition of everything, and this is not in the salt belt. Truck was a F 250. Yes, I did replace the drum.

KEH

 

[chuckh_02]

Best advise I ever got was from my father, who started out as a mechanic and ended up building machines for industry in a job shop. He said he seldom heard anyone ***** about a job being a little slow when it was RIGHT. Later, as a medic in the Air Force, my boss's mantra was "Proficiency first; then speed!" Both were very highly respected in thier fields, and both messages are hard for a young man in a hurry to really absorb and apply.
Now I'm a Land Surveyor and guess what? The same principals STILL apply. If you take your time; pay attention to your work and not the clock, you will ALWAYS end up better off and produce work you can be proud of.

 

[Tarheelgarage]

Some tips to keep you focused:


Get a good nights rest
Don't stay up late drinking or smoking weed
Eat a healthy breakfast
Come to work with a positive attitude and don't get sucked into the negative, bull shitters at work

Oh yeah, don't mess around with that hot babe in the front office....

 

[crewchief888]

i had a service manager call me in the office early in my career, i had been at this dealership for just a couple months
from the moment i walked in i knew my *** was in trouble, i pulled some boneheaded mistake, royally f*cked something up

here i am standing in front of the service manager, and 2 lead mechanics...
and quite ready to pack up my tools, i knew i was gonna loose my job

service manger looked up at me and told me,
"if you're not working, you'll never make a mistake, that being said, dont let it happen again, all right guys, lets figure out what we have to do to correct the problem."

 

[Bib Overalls]

Being brutally honest with yourself is one of the great keys to success in life. Making excuses gets you nowhere. I think you have what it takes.

 

[ABADWILLYS]

Somebody told me a along time ago, "a good mechanic has already made all the mistakes"

i still make my living turning wrenches, 30+ years here... guess ive made a few myself..

just try to keep it to the minium, Kid.. listen and learn. Good Luck!

 

[dukes]

Always take responsibility for your actions. I took out the quarter panel of a brand new car that was sold (just came off the truck). I had to tell the owner what happened. He said I am not mad, I said your not?, he nope and ya know why? Because you came and told me. I was 18 and have never forgot that. Try to get a routine. don't move to B unless you know A is done.

 

[srmofo]

small mistakes are okay. Its part of the learning process. Be honest and dont make excuses about it. If you dont know, then ask....just dont make it a habit of asking the same question over and over again. Dont expect the other guys to do it for you either

Making big dangerous mistakes because you were in a hurry are not okay. Leaving a wheel loose or oil out of the engine is inexcusable. Dont let that happen and you'll be alright.

 

[spotco2]

Everyone makes mistakes. That's how we learn.

Usually once you make a mistake and figure out WHY you made the mistake, it's something that sticks in your mind every time you do another similar job and you instantly know what NOT to do.

 

[KPSquared]

So, don't they have an apprentice program or anything?

Getting a mechanic ticket here involves a 4 year commitment of apprenticeship hours and a few months of school each year for all four. When you get done you have a lot of skill as you have been working under a pro for 4 years.

Who checks your work? No experience plus 18 months of school and 6 months of oil changes. . .I would think you'd have someone checking every bolt you twist.

Learn what you can and work your *** off. Some things just take time to get a feel for. Good luck!

 

[HaroRider]

Drum tightness and belt tightness are not that serious.
You learn over time.

As long as you dont overtighten drums they tend to adjust, belts you can get a feel for real quick.

 

[akdiesel]

I find myself double checking my work all the time, even stuff I do all the time like closing the garage. So wrapped up with other things on my mind I guess. A lot of time is wasted because I did not take notice to what I was doing at the time. Mostly on autopilot sotaspeak.
I get pissed at my self but at least I know it was done (the second time).
As was mentioned you are admitting to a problem, you know you can correct it with some vigilant consciousness.

 

[Playwme]

Only 1 stuff up a week and you're less than a year out of school? I'd give you a job. I've had techs who stuff up on a daily basis. Not small ones either. I'm talking leaving motorcycle brake calliper bolts loose and stuff like that. Those guys didn't last very long.

 

[sparky36000]

One of the "senior" guys at our shop has a saying he uses: "I can screw it up and fix it faster than I can do it right the first time"

Accuracy comes with experience, and a good mentor doesn't hurt either.

 

[T-Mac]

I have worked with many apprentices in my 30+ years as an auto tech,all of different abilities and attitudes.The successful ones are the ones who care about the quality of the work they turn out more than how much money they make.Bad advice can come from anyone-you need to decide whats correct.I know lots of "old" techs i wouldnt let work on my lawnmower.You also need to be open to advice.You're more inclined to get good advice if your co-workers like you.I know I wont help an a-hole.Most of us seasoned techs were lucky enough to befriend a more experienced tech who did things the right way early in our carrers to learn from.Good managers are a big help also.I made some mistakes early in my career.I learned from every one-Just keep on pluggin'.There has only been one perfect human and he died over 2000 years ago.Good luck

 

[dragonballz]

So, don't they have an apprentice program or anything?

Getting a mechanic ticket here involves a 4 year commitment of apprenticeship hours and a few months of school each year for all four. When you get done you have a lot of skill as you have been working under a pro for 4 years.

Who checks your work? No experience plus 18 months of school and 6 months of oil changes. . .I would think you'd have someone checking every bolt you twist.

Learn what you can and work your *** off. Some things just take time to get a feel for. Good luck!

No experience legally required to be a professional (paid) mechanic. But you most likely wont find a job without past experience or hands on education.

Many shops will put the new guys with a senior guy. My dealership had the formans perform quality control checks on all the techs' work, including other formens' work.

 

[uncletater]

No offense but this is a exactly why I don't bring my 35k SUV to dealers for maintenance. No offense tho, we all have to start somewhere

What a Douche. I am sure you are perfect and never screwed a thing up. I bet if you need heart surgery you would google it and try it yourself. It would be too bad if the doctor had an intern do the surgery so he could learn.

Tech..
Dont sweat it. We all have to start somewhere. As long as you are learning from your mistakes, keep it up.

At my job I work with a lot of interns that screw up a lot. I always coach them and offer my past experience so they learn. The Jerks like Russianstyle dont last long. We let them go as fast as we can. No one wants to work with someone who thinks they are perfect.

Keep your head up and keep working hard. I am sure your job expects you to have a learning curve. Stay focused and positive. You will be fine.

Good Luck

 

[oilslick]

I try to double check my work when I get distracted and so far it has worked well enough, test drive your work before and after repairs and be very aware of everything about the car it can make you a hero or a zero. Notice things like a u,joints squeaking or sway bar links clunking. Basically I have realized every car I work on is my baby if something goes wrong after I work on it whether true or not. This is your chance to be a hero and find a tire with a nail in it , check lugs on all wheels even though you only pulled off one. Most of all stay focused and keep learning it gets easier and more enjoyable as you have more hero days than zero.

 

[MiloX]

What you are experiencing is normal for any new endeavor. Learn from your mistakes, laugh off the ridicule from your co-workers and become a pro on this dealerships dime.

Once you have achieved a marketable level of competency, leave this place, the a-holes and your "newb" baggage behind. Go to a new employer where you can be an expert, and don't ever forget what it was like when you started out.

This is your time in the barrel. **** it up. Before you know it you will be out of there, and a big-shot somewhere else.