Diplomacy isn't my strongsuit

Well this should be interesting. I've been approached by some members of the dealers association to assist them in getting more training programs running in the secondary schools again. They also want my input on exactly what the curriculum should concentrate on. Yea I can do that, but there is a problem. Why should I do that? A couple of posts ago the NVLD (natural vapor leak detection) module was mentioned as a likely cause for the hard to fill fuel tank on the Fiesta. The labor time is .4hrs under warranty. If you really understand a technicians job, that .4 is to get the repair order from the service writer, and find the car. Pull it into the shop and connect the scan tool to retrieve the trouble code and start the diagnostics. The next step is to check the TSB's and then if one is found as mentioned earlier, follow the steps as outlined. Now the tech needs to go to the parts department, (wait his/her turn) and get a new NVLD which they hopefully have in stock, and then replace the part as described. Now the codes get cleared a quick self test is run to make sure no problems occurred as a result of doing the repair, check for any fingerprints/grease marks and park the vehicle back outside. All for a whopping .4hr.

If you have done this a few times, and you don't actually test anything it's likely that you can come close to that time, (.4hrs) but there is no room for any surprises at any point in the exercise. It's pull the code, and slam the part and run to get the next ticket. That is how "flat rate" works. The tech gets paid by the labor time billed. This same repair if it is customer pay would likely have the diagnostic time alone be .5 to .7 hrs and the labor to replace the NVLD is .7. That's a problem because the kids that we need to attract to the trade today, who are smart enough to work on these "robots in the driveway" are also smart enough to know that isn't a fair pay system. You can't pay someone .4 on one car to replace the NVLD, and then turn around and get paid 1.2 on another and call it "flat". That just doesn't pass the sniff test.

What's worse is it encourages a sloppy routine, in fact it rewards it so long as everything goes perfect while it is ready to duly punish the technicians at the first sign of a flaw for any reason .

I often refer back to the NBC sting operation that Mr Reed of Edmunds was involved in. They "exposed" dealer employee's over selling maintanence items. NBC did a second story on that reporting about how it was just dishonest employee's who were no longer employed at the dealerships that got caught. Their intent at that point was to exonerate the dealers from any wrong doing, and that is a load of bull IMO. If the service manager/dispatcher feeds warranty job after warranty job to a given tech then he/she will end up not producing the number of hours that the dealer demands of them and they would lose their job, even though they may be a talented, hard working technician simply by how the numbers look on a spreadsheet. If that same tech gives into the pressure and starts selling the maintenance items, then their productivity rises without them working as hard and they make more money and their job is secure too because now they are producing $$$$. They manipulate the techs into selling and then abandon them if anyone raises a question about it, and that is what NBC actually exposed.

I can see how this is going to go because when I get in front of that room of dealers, one of the first things that I am going to talk about is what I just wrote right here and then I'm going to ask them a few questions and to make a list for me.

One of the questions will be; Would you want your son/daughter to become a technician in your shop? Yes or No

The next question would be would you want your son or daughter to be a technician in someone else's shop? Yes or No.

The next one will likely have some of them wanting to head for the door.

List the reasons why you would, or would not want your son or daughter working as a technician in your shop.

Now list the reasons you would or would not want them working as a tech in someone else's

Think about this, if they wouldn't want their own kids to become techs, why should anyone else? This has been the problem that has been getting swept under the rug for decades and now it's really come back to haunt them. This is a problem that has grown under their watch, its a measure of how poorly they have managed the service and repair side of the operation.

They have to establish a plan to make the job become one that they would want their kids to have, if their kids would want to chose to. Anything short of that and we aren't going to get anywhere, and that's a consumer issue. Before I can commit to helping attract anyone else's kids to this trade for them, it has to become a trade worth entering. As the title says, diplomacy isn't my strong suit. I'll have all of the ugly details laid right out there and they will have to address them up front with a clear plan or I'll be more inclined to stand in their way instead of trying to help them. Hmmm, looks like I already started doing just that