Pros and Cons of Working as a Dealer Tech!

Dealer tech life hasn't been bad for me. Great owner great management they all take care of their employees and plenty of work for everyone...I guess you just have to find the right shop.

I worked at 4 dealerships (Porsche, Volvo, Audi, VW) for 27 years, now retired. This is a GREAT vid. Everything said is spot on! Every young person thinking of becoming a mechanic should see this. When I started, it was a good profession to get into. Not now! More complicated cars with a higher percentage of warranty work. Which means YOU WORK FOR FREE!! You can't pay the bills or raise a family when you work 8-10 hours and only get paid for 4! This happens a LOT, and the stealership does't give a damn. Drama, favoritism, incompetent management, and an owner who inherited the stealership from their daddy and doesn't have a clue what he's doing! One thing not mentioned ( because 'Flat Rate Master' is still young) is the physical damage your body endures year after year. Arthritis, carpal tunnel, back problems, cuts and bruises, and who knows how many chemicals your body will absorb! I could go on and on. DON'T BE AN AUTO MECHANIC. You will regret it!!!

Been doing Diesel Fleet maintenance for 20 years. When I wanted to be a mechanic I would visit auto shops and ask to be a apprentice. I had one shop owner tell me to go fleet maintenance and not flat rate. I took his advice. Best thing I ever did.

I have been a master tech at my dealership for 30 year's and you are spot on ! And one of the negatives for new people in the dealership world is punch time. If you forget to punch on and off, you don't get paid for it....

There’s always drama at the dealerships it’s kinda funny it reminds me of high school

Drama, favoritism and noise complaints... god you hit that nail on the head.

Flat rate is the way to go Put the parts on car not in garbage Recalls bring in work Look the vechiles over Drive them before you bring in it Drive them when you finish Stay busy Use more LED lights Up selling and Maintenance is important God bless Us all

The other hilarious aspect of flat rate shops is they expect you to stand around when there isn't any work. The law where I am says that the minimum requirement for compensation is minimum wage if you are being forced to stay in the workplace. Once work comes in, the regular rate then applies. Dealers and independent shops under flat rate hates people that know the law. They then try and play games such as voting to see who goes home.. Etc. Such a joke. I asked, "Anything scheduled in?" The answer no, "See you later then." Shops will try and take advantage of techs any way they can. The industry needs to be completely reformed.

favoritism happens in almost every job.

Every few months I get a message from a friend or past co-workers that work at a new car dealer asking if I want a job because they know I’m a good wrench. Once in s while I go talk to the service manager. They tell me well I can pay you $15 less an hour until you get trained and certified. So I say you guys obviously need a good tech or you wouldn’t have people messaging me on Facebook and if you want to offer more money and more vacation time maybe I will think about working here and I will work flat rate but after I’m certified so I need salary pay like I am currently getting so I have time to adjust to the new cars. They say they can’t do anything like that. I said well I can’t call my mortgage company and tell them i will pay them when my work decides to train me and shake his hand, tell him if anything changes then call me. A few months go by, I get contacted again by the same dealer “hey we can we talk again”? So I say you know what I need to make if you can’t pay me more than that from day one then I’m not interested. They don’t understand that not everyone is 20 years old and can afford a huge pay cut. I work at a European repair shop as a foreman, I don’t work weekends, no late nights, I make 70k per year with healthcare paid for by the owner and no dealership politics. Why would I go to a new car dealer to make less money for how ever long, work late nights, weekends, and deal with bullshit. The last dealer was about 10 more hours per week. Yeah in a few years I might make 100k but I work less hours now so I have more free time to sell cars to make extra money and I don’t have to bust my ass as hard as you do at a new car dealership and I get a good paycheck that never changes. I loved working at a new car dealer but with all the training, going out of town and extra hours it’s a lifestyle change and I would have to be guaranteed to make over 100k per year and no dealerships are going to offer that. I refuse to go back to the bottom when I’m 33 years old. Also when you get to be a really good Independent tech you get smarter at diagnostics, using a lab scope so you learn how to work around not having every factory scan tool.

best things about Automotive machanic is need for our skills .. "Any where in the world " you can always fine a jobs .. great video

I've worked for Subaru and I'm currently at Toyota. Honestly, I love the dealership life, but I understand it isn't for everyone.

Working as a dealer tech basically scared me out of the industry. The dealer is now out of business, but they were every bit of the stereotype that surrounds a scummy stealership. Absolute filth, and I took my tools with me to deep sea diving and then what I do now. Real glad I went to trade school and learned how to fix cars though. Saves a ton of money from paying someone else to fix my old crap.

Very informative for a new tech starting in the field.

I loved it the video, I have been a mechanic for over 25 years I never worked flat rate, flat rate always scared me because they try to pay as little as possible but this video is very encouraging, it always takes me more time then Mitchel gives, I worked in a regular repair shop most of my life not dealer only one time I did and I was paid hourly, older cars always need more attention things are rusty dirty hoses are dry won't come off etc.

You nailed the dealer environment scenarios.. I thought years at a GM dealer was drama, went to a Benz dealer, premadonnas is a understatement. Keep up the great videos.

im a tech at a chevrolet dealer and i love it. been there 3 years with no problems. but thats just me i understand everywhere is different. good vid!

Thanks a lot bro. I've worked as a mechanic most of my life at independent shops. But that changes starting this morning. I start at a dealership that is so big it is a Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler dealership on one side of the highway and a GM dealership on the other. I dropped my tool box off Saturday so I got to meet a few of the mechanics. They seem quite young so I'm thinking I may already have more experience than they. Two of them were doing an oil pan gasket change it looked like and the other was just changing tires. I used to be head mechanic and the trans rebuild guy at one shop I worked at in the early 2000s. Thanks again, I'll definitely subscribe and like.

Good job on the video! I did 10 years learning the trade then 20 on my own. Going solo is a whole different level. You get all the responsibility but you also get all the money. Nice.

The trade is dying. Warranty time is a scam an needs to be made illegal.