So work situation is changing again, not my idea, but will see how it goes,,,,

[MonzaRacer]

So I have been at Midas since Feb '12.
Today I get informed by owner he is moving me to different shop because service manager has been playing games.
Our problem tech left, they hired new guy, passable tech BUT he is fast and sloppy. More worried about how many hours he has turned than quality of work.
I have watched more mediocre work leave in last few weeks than I care too, and many of our regular customers DO NOT like new service manager.
Especially his attitude.
Bad thing is my new shop is more Asian/euro centered, not actually my specialty but I will make best of it, maybe even push other shop harder.
My biggest issue has been they kept holding me back on pulling tickets, kept switching me out, "Here do this not that,,,."
My biggest issue is my snap on scanner was stolenxin January, owner helped me buy newer, better scanner. Still not fully paid for but well over half paid for.
Then service manager speaks up and asks about scanner, keeps saying he needs newer scanner in shop, wants me to have owner give me money already paid on scanner. This would leave me with no scanner, still a Snap on bill for my other unit. Still have bill for getting my lab scope fixed from previous lame ass tech letting it drop on floor.
I decided I am gonna make lemonade out of lemons.
I am not gonna let them take my replacement scanner. Gonna push to make enough to pay last $725 off.

[Ishmael]

It sounds trite but keep your chin up.

[MonzaRacer]

Well chin up didnt stay and now boss had moved me even farther,,,to laying me off before we even got chance to really start building more business.

Should have figured something like this would happen.

[dirty rick]

Sounds like typical dealership politics. That is why I won't work for one any longer.

Oh! You said Midas, I'd be embarrassed to put that on my resume! They have a bad rep on the West Coast

At your next position keep your head down and don't talk/worry about **** that goes down outside your stall.

At a cutthroat outfit like that I would not loan out ****, if you don't have the tools you should not be assigned the RO. Scan This!!!!!!

I would not deny it's use but it would be used by me and I'd be flagging time on the ticket. Or they can go pound sand.

[MonzaRacer]

Well the shop was pretty cool attitude before. The only issue I saw was the owner. Decent enough guy but he is Indian, and to me his mentality was expecting a much larger profit margin than the community can handle. I mean if you live in area where EVERYONE is making $100k a year you can price your work little higher. Now I dont think thats really a great way to do business but hey if you can get away with it.
But in our area there are lots of people who are willing to pay a reasonable price for work but are in a lower tax bracket.
I have worked in several shops that were much larger, much more profitable and they only ran 40-50% mark up. and they prosper.
I never understood why a guy who wants to make money would rather send paying customer away because he wont make a certain mark up and let a bay sit empty and a tech with no work.
He also kept saying if he didnt make a larger mark up he couldnt pay our pay check YET shop rate in the area is $89 and even if in first tier of flat rate which is $19 FRH, And hourly guarantee was only $10hr, I just dont get the correlation.
I have been around this business for long time and I just dont get the claim on such huge needs from some people. Sonny kept saying he HAD to make $XXXX amount, yet back in 2011-2012 before I got this job I was figuring out costs to open a shop.
And in the setup I was looking at, insurance, the utilities, rent/loan, etc I was still MUCH lower in weekly costs than I have been told.
I mean I was looking at a three bay shop, had called to verify the utilities,, loan/rent cost, etc and was only looking at about $200-$250 a week to open the doors.
Dont get me wrong this was bare bones opening costs, but I had the tools for the most part.
I figured that considering I was getting started if I turned a $800-$1000 weekly average to stay afloat, paid and actually make a small profit and be able to add/upgrade tools and such. Anything else would be "gravy" profit, possibly letting me hire another tech, buy more equipment, build bigger shop.
I did understand in the Midas the corporate take is 4% of everything that comes in but gee whiz guys thats only $40 per $1000 of business. To me in such a cost is , to me , should be considered advertising as the company name is a draw to some people.
I understand some areas had bad businessmen ripping people off. I also know that a bad reputation hurts all of the franchises. I worked hard to make MY shop honest and do quality work. Its all I can do, my best. And hopefully let my work keep me busy.
A long time ago I found out better work paid better than fast sloppy work,,,, and no I wasnt doing the bad work just witnessing it. And farther on in that shop no one came in asking for that mechanic, but I got lots of return customers,,,and I didnt have lots of comebacks.
Well I know I dont know everything but it seems that after looking into starting my own shop I had better idea of costs/risks. I have done the diagnosis, wrote the tickets, sold the work and finished the work. The only step I havent done was had my name on the door, yet. Maybe now is the time if I can find a building.

[MonzaRacer]

Damn no owner wants me to drive extra mile (84 instead of 45) to his Plainfield Midas shop to work, offering me $20 a day for gas, no miles, no wear and tear allowance. Probably still wants me to leave Snap On Verdict at Bloomington shop.
Im thinking IF I take it as if I dont he could try to deny my unemployment.
But Im thinking of little more on hour for hourly rate, shouldnt have any issue breaking it as Ill be only Lead tech there, know the other guys, not even close to being technicians, just higher rated mechanics.

Was thinking 1: better hourly rate, guaranteed 40 hourly, ie no going home if slow unless I want to. Main reason is drive time and wear and tear on car.
2:Figuring either Mondays off or Saturdays, and I can swap day off If want ot need Sat off.
3:Scanner comes with me to Plainfield he can figure out something else for Bloomington, not my shop anymore, he can buy them a new Launch or update/fix Genisys. Or actually spend some cash on Snap On truck as he has offered him fully updated older Snap on scanner, would do everything Bloomington crew know how to do just fine.
4:Instead of me being laid off last week or part of this week I get my vacation time to allow me to keep full check coming in and moving tools.
5:Gas money cash or on prepaid debit card, turn in receipts weekly/monthly
6: IF say I have mondays off and need to come in cause saturday job not finished and cant wait till Tuesday I get Saturday off instead. No more time working than my 5 days unless absolutely needed.
7: will try XX weeks if not working out scanner is mine, give ample notice and walk away.
So am I unreasonable as its another 75 miles a day through I69 road construction.
Am I missing anything?

[Godbolt]

All sounds fair enough to me. That's a lot of driving every day. Apart from anything else it takes up plenty of your time. Good luck with it. Set it all out in writing I reckon so everyone knows where they stand. People are inherently greedy and if they can exploit someone they will.

[MonzaRacer]

Yeah godbolt, I just sent him an email just while ago with some "extra" compensation requests and terms to go by.
I dont think anything I asked for over the $20 extra a day for gas is out of line to compensate for wear and tear on me and car. Help me be able to do things around home by paying someone else to do them.

[Peter Mc Mahon]

Decent enough guy but he is Indian? My wife and daughter are Indian. Should I be concerned?

[MonzaRacer]

No its just some of the Indian business men I know wont keep business open if it doesnt make fairly large profit.
Sonny wants to maintain 60% profit yet attract EVERYBODY.
Hard to believe a guy would pass on a 2.5 hr job over $89 of mark up on a part.
Just one of his foibles.
Never knock man by race, just seen HIS type before. More or less decent but he sure wont go extra mile to do it right rather than make his "proper" markup.

OH and no disrespect ever meant, its more like men like boss. He and few of his fellow countrymen might have made interesting study for someone.
But one of his friends/customer had Indian cafe, made some serious profits, like bought building for cheap with equipment, had low overhead as it was him and couple of family members and I remember Sonny saying he wished his business could net as good of profits as the cafe.
Jokingly told him to buy it as friend was selling building, shutting down and moving away to try different business.
He said if he could cook he would.
Honestly I think Sonny was in mental competition against his fathers past success or supposed success.

[Godbolt]

Decent enough guy but he is Indian? My wife and daughter are Indian. Should I be concerned?

I agree that race is totally irrelevant.

People are inherently greedy and will exploit others if they can. Full stop. My solution is to hate all equally!
(Except Canadians of course)

[Peter Mc Mahon]

No its just some of the Indian business men I know wont keep business open if it doesnt make fairly ...........He and few of his fellow countrymen might have made interesting study for someone.

What does race have to do with any of this? That is racism, involving race. Don't you get it?

[1966mustangconv]

Unfortunately, that is the way men of that nationality does business. If they own a gas station, they are usually 12-20 cents a gallon more than the other merchants. If they owned a motel, they charge for the ice and local telephone calls from their telephone system. If they own property, they will only sell for more than the going market value. I wonder if sometimes if they are just rude by nature or just don't understand what you are saying. I guess this is the american way and free enterprise

[Peter Mc Mahon]

I'm not even sure what to say, maybe we need a new section in the forum called "racist comments". Always intro'd by " I'm not racist, it's just the way those people are"

[MonzaRacer]

Well, made a deal, $20 a day gas money, $1.00 raise, Mondays off, able to switch with other days as needed. And scanner comes with me till paid off.
So third day in, figured something was up, did let me use some of vacation time to fill in days not worked. Started Wednesday, drive not bad, did have issue in when I get paid for gas.
So giving owner a little time to order a scanner. Gave him part numbers, prices etc on Launch, used snap on from eBay, he just won't drop the dime, even gave him part numbers to update his current otc genisys and replace smartcable that's frayed.
Just really needs updated and would-be fine, was 3 yes out of date when I started in 2012.
Figuring on being patient for few more days, then it simply comes up to Plainfield.
I owe less than $600 now. My hope is business picks up bit more, also taking little time to get used to new shops ways.
Heck at Bloomington I had to wait for tickets to be given to me,lately got yelled at if I grabbed one off the wall.
Also new service manager was getting abuse from him and he would drag heels in estimating y tickets, selling the tickets and getting my parts in.
This week I am figuring it as a learning curve, also evaluating tools/ equipment in shop.
At Bloomington had new Alignment rack, new ac machine, and few other tools I got used to.
But got raise and fuel allowance and get to bring scanner up.
Well really need to do some service on car, one of my outer tie rods was loose, so loose I was causing car to shake on way home Wednesday, so did new tie rod and it pulled apart, also do Alignment but due to turntables needing cleaned up and serviced the delrin balls in them were broken in one, main reason my steering wheel came out crooked!
Still need rear quick struts, and radiator and new plugs as cash allows.
Now also will need to get tool bills transfered.
On well just take time to settle in an big box will be brought up tomorrow so should have stuff reorganized soon.
At least they have little more room and if can get Caprice up I should be able to run some exhaust, but probably not before local cruise in.
Neat having Mondays off if don't like situation I can look for different job too.

[MonzaRacer]

On and so far dd car is doing OK managing 27.4 mpg and haven't changed plugs since bought car and I have put 60k on car so far.
Figuring on putting little back for plugs and rad. Maybe tuned up can break 28+, also after fuel situation gets resolved I hope to see if premium hels hurts or just raises costs.
And I also need to replace tires before winter.