Wanna buy a new FORD?

[Gary - K7GLD]

Check THIS out...



http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosinsider/0308/03/c01-234479.htm



THEN ask yourself how you, as a customer, would like to approach yer local Ford service department for warrany service!



OR, how would you like to be one of their mechanics, whose INCOME hinges on being paid realistically for work performed...

 

[Smokin 90]

If Ford wants to cut their warranty repair costs then maybe they should make a better product, at least with their diesel engines.



Kurt.

 

[SRadke]

Dealers are particularly sensitive to changes to warranty payments because the improved quality of cars and trucks has led to a decline in repair work. Ford has said its warranty spending is down 20 percent this year, largely because of quality advances

They must have inadvertently left the 6. 0 out of these statistics.



-Scott

 

[FFutch]

Originally posted by SRadke

They must have inadvertently left the 6. 0 out of these statistics.



-Scott

Or they reduce the costs by cutting their techs throat. I used to do a lot of warranty stuff on Kenworth,Cat,Cummins,ect. and if I made time on warranty claims it was a good day. It's funny how you get less time for a warranty repair than you do for the guy who has to pay for it himself ... Doug

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

"Or they reduce the costs by cutting their techs throat. "



OR, they do it by simply telling the customer "oh, that's NORMAL - they ALL do that... " and denying warranty service...



Now where have we heard THAT before...

 

[kentdiesel]

I have often wondered if the automotive mechanics would stand up for themselves someday. Speaking from experience, being a flate rate mechanic is not a easy way to make a living. The warranty rate was always less than customer pay rate. I know from experience the auto makers discourge dealerships from doing warranty work. I was a ASE certified Automotive Master Technican and ASE certified Master Heavy Duty Truck Technican.



13 years ago I got so fed up with the whole field that I took a job in a machine shop and went back to school and got a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I still like pulling wrenches but the dealership life is not for me.

I have always maintained if you think being a customer at a dealership is bad, try working at one and see what happens. I hope the industry starts treating Technicans better because the best ones are the first to leave the dealerships and go out on they're own.

Kent

 

[caryain]

AMEN Kent. I, like you, was an ASE certified Master Automotive Technician but got fed up with the industry and hung up my wrenches. I did this 16 years ago and started working for a pipeline company. I still do a little work on the side but I would never go back to a dealership to turn wrenches.



I just hope the auto makers wake up some day and start treating and paying their techs as they should be. Turning wrenches for a living is very hard and deserves respect.



My hat is off to all of the Technicians on the board and to all Techs just trying to make a living in a tough environment.



Good luck and keep up the good work.

 

[kentdiesel]

Dan,

I like having wrench pulling background, but when you consider the 12 thousand plus in tools (13 years ago), and the dealership atmosphere, I only wish I had made a career change sooner.

I still have friends who are line mechanics and they tell me it's not any better, you made the right choice.

It was alot easier to pay for my calculator at my present job than all those Snap On tools I made payments on for years, now life is good.



Kent

 

[SMorneau]

Hey screw all of these dealers! They charge me more than they are allowed to charge the factory. Why? The dealers charge me according to a flat rate not the level of expertise of the person working on my truck.



And don't even get me started on the parts scamsOo.

 

[The Vetterfarm]

Wellcome back Gary:

 

[MMiller]

Makes me happy to work on Heavy/Ag equipment. Got no flat rate, get paid for the hours on according to the time clock. Still have to work hard, efficient, and few comebacks to make good money, but I expect that. There ain't no way I would do my job on flat rate. Too many variances in my job.



I'm 26 and I have 4 friends that started working a dealerships, and quit. One even went to work for tires plus and made more money than at the dealership. The tire shop could keep him busy-dealership was 22 hr week paychecks when nothing came in the door!! I never will understand how you can make somebody be at work 8 hrs a day 5 days a week and only pay 22 hrs because there is no business!



Michael

 

[EMD Diesel Power]

I was also a ASE Master Medium/Heavy Truck technician. Got fed up with the dealerships and grabbed the railroad job when it was offered. (between the dealer stupidity and my skills being wasted on PMIs, it was time for a change) #@$%! #@$%!



Of course then CN buys out WC and Im out of a job... . tried to get back into the truck field to stay off the unemployment line but the service managers couldn't seem to grasp the concept that a diesel is a diesel... . whether big or small. . Told em all to kiss it and took a job with Seagrave Fire Apparatus building the hydraulic systems and testing/setup on aerial rigs.



I'll stick with Seagrave for awhile... . if a railroad opp. comes up, I'll take it. To h*** with the trucks... . I'll wrench my own and friends rigs and be just as satisfied (plus I can buy my tools when I want and where I want).



I'll never go back to the dealerships for work. :-{} :-{}