Episode 77: A Bad Pay Period

On this week’s episode of GTW, we’re talking those weeks where the planets align just right, and you don’t make any money. We all know the reasons and the players in this: a few jobs that you cant “make time” on, plus a few “squeaks and rattles” and diagnosing problems that the customer is well aware of from previous visits, and suddenly you didn’t turn any hours this week! It happens to all of us, some pay periods we get paid for doing the work of 3 people (or at least the hours turned of 3 people) and everything is good. Sometimes you get a terrible deal and the work that comes in the front door doesn’t make you any money. In this episode, we are exploring some of the internal and external factors that result in a down week.

Also Uncle Jimmy defines what a classic episode in the GTW cannon is: lots of yelling and shouting obscenities!

This episode of Grease the Wheels was sponsored by Hemp It Up. Help It Up is Rochester’s finest source for all kinds of CBD products. We especially like the transdermal CBD Balm after a long day of turning wrenches. Hemp it Up has an incredibly knowledgeable staff at their locations in Rochester and Syracuse, or check them out online at Hempitupgifts.com.

This episode of Grease the Wheels was sponsored by listeners like you. Check out our Patreon page for all sorts of GTW swag, extra content, and early access to some of our other projects. Or just drop us a few bucks because you love the show! Patreon.

Episode 76: Toxic Shops

On this week’s episode of GTW, we’re talking about toxic shops. What makes a shop toxic, what can you do about it, what can your management can do about it? There’s a lot of ways shops can become toxic, but there are only really a few solid methods that can fix them. We want to know what has made some of the shops that you’ve been in toxic, and how it made you want to leave. We also talk about some ways to decompress from working in a toxic shop, so you don’t take that toxicity home with you and take it out on your family.

Also Uncle Jimmy recounts going to a pick and pull that looked like the “highway of death” from the first Gulf War.

This episode of Grease the Wheels was sponsored by Hemp It Up. Help It Up is Rochester’s finest source for all kinds of CBD products. We especially like the transdermal CBD Balm after a long day of turning wrenches. Hemp it Up has an incredibly knowledgeable staff at their locations in Rochester and Syracuse, or check them out online at Hempitupgifts.com.

This episode of Grease the Wheels was sponsored by listeners like you. Check out our Patreon page for all sorts of GTW swag, extra content, and early access to some of our other projects. Or just drop us a few bucks because you love the show! .

Episode 75: Praise

In this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, we are giving credit where it is due. There are on the order of 300 million cars roving the roads of the United States, and they continue to do so because of a large segment of our listenership. (We kept it in the US because we have up to date stats on that on the top of mind, but we know our listeners everywhere else are doing a good job as well. A little bit of praise goes a long way in a shop, which more often than not feels like a thankless job despite some of the major problems that we are fixing for the customers. We spread this praise in this episode around too, letting service advisors know that it’s not always their fault as they are dealing with an unknown element in the form of the customer. The parts department is an especially thankless job, and Uncle Jimmy knows this because he was a parts guy for a long time! Either way, all of the people who listen to this podcast, in some way shape or form, are the people responsible for keeping the world moving and making Uncle Jimmy late to work!

Also, Uncle Jimmy talks the greatest works of fiction: Asimov, King, and “I DIDN’T HIT ANYTHING!!!” customers.

This episode was made possible by our listeners, the members of the Grease the Wheels Nation. It was also made possible by donations over at Patreon! We have plans and perks over there for everyone, from the new lot kid at $1/month for basic access to some of our exclusive content and our discord server, to our Master Tech program that gets you all sorts of awesome perks with some of our sponsors and killer swag. We love you all and you’re the reason we keep doing it!

Episode 74: Training

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, we’re talking about training. As technicians, brand specific training is some of the best educational and time investments that you can make. The downside is that many manufacturers are seemingly cutting back on the training that gets offered. Whether this is from dealers who need their techs in the shop making them money every single day, to the lack of instructors available to teach these very hands on, and often quite extensive classes; we are unsure. Either way, it’s still completely worth it because of the value it will provide on repairs that you have to make down the road. We also talk about training other people in the building, that more often than not have less-than-specific training options available, such as lot kids and service writers.

Also, Uncle Jimmy mounts a surprisingly effective defense of service writers in reference to their complete lack of training.

This episode was made possible by our listeners, the members of the Grease the Wheels Nation. It was also made possible by donations over at Patreon! We have plans and perks over there for everyone, from the new lot kid at $1/month for basic access to some of our exclusive content and our discord server, to our Master Tech program that gets you all sorts of awesome perks with some of our sponsors and killer swag. We love you all and you’re the reason we keep doing it!

Episode 73: Wrong

Let’s just call it straight out, we’re wrong a lot. We’re wrong so often that we don’t even know how we get it right sometimes. First big thing that we’ve been wrong about is that a lot of techs make over 100k a year. A lot of these guys are in California though, so the cost of living is so insane that it doesn’t really count. The next thing that we’ve been wrong about is our stance on service managers and advisors. We really should give new ones the benefit of the doubt, and their job is very difficult because of the inconsistencies with the customer base. One minute they’re dealing with the best customer in the world, and the next they’re getting stonewalled or screamed at by a complete belligerent. Sometimes we ourselves need to be taken to task because our diagnosis is wrong. It happens, and there’s really nothing that we can do about it except for taking the time to get it right. Finally, we shouldn’t automatically assume that our customers concerns are wrong. Sometimes they tell us things that are wrong with their car that don’t even seem physically possible, yet we go for a ride with them and sure enough, they’re right!

Also, Uncle Jimmy goes over some unwanted details about his conception right on the top of the show.

This episode was made possible by our listeners, the members of the Grease the Wheels Nation. It was also made possible by donations over at Patreon! We have plans and perks over there for everyone, from the new lot kid at $1/month for basic access to some of our exclusive content and our discord server, to our Master Tech program that gets you all sorts of awesome perks with some of our sponsors and killer swag. We love you all and you’re the reason we keep doing it!

Episode 72: The Dumbest Thing We’ve Ever Heard

We’ve been reading articles about the impending doom caused by the lack of automotive technicians, and in our research might have found the dumbest statement ever made by someone on the topic. One article stated that “some service managers are penalizing fast working technicians by not letting them move onto another job until the book time on their previous repair has elapsed.” Have you ever heard of such a thing? That is a serious question actually, have you ever heard of a shop that won’t let a technician work on another car until the book time on one they’re working on presently has elapsed? That would literally be defeating the point of flat rate and we can’t see how any shop that operated in such a way could possibly stay open. At the end of the day, experts need to address the real reasons why people are leaving this industry, or they are completely failing in doing their jobs.

Also Uncle Jimmy references some college majors that shouldn’t exist but actually do.

This episode was made possible by our listeners, the members of the Grease the Wheels Nation. It was also made possible by donations over at Patreon! We have plans and perks over there for everyone, from the new lot kid at $1/month for basic access to some of our exclusive content and our discord server, to our Master Tech program that gets you all sorts of awesome perks with some of our sponsors and killer swag. We love you all and you’re the reason we keep doing it!

Episode 71: Free

If you’re good at something never do it for free, right? So why do people think that they can get their car fixed for free? From service advisors asking if you, “could just scan it and take a look” to customers coming in saying that something worked when it came in when they know very well that it didn’t! Ladies and gents, there is really nothing worse than looking through a pile of spent repair orders and seeing 0’s next to the labor times- so just say no. When someone wants you to do something, make them write up a repair order. Sometimes it works out well for all of the parties involved because there was some warranty that the customer didn’t even know about! The old saying goes that you’re not paying a technician for the time it took to fix it, you also paying them for the time it took for them to learn how to fix it properly- and with some of the schooling and extra brand training out there this stuff is absolutely not free.

Uncle Jimmy congratulates you for fixing cars and making him late to work, and name drops the Open Door Mission in Rochester because if you give your labor away for free you will be homeless.

This episode was made possible by our listeners, the members of the Grease the Wheels Nation. It was also made possible by donations over at patreon.com/greasethewheels! We have plans and perks over there for everyone, from the new lot kid at $1/month for basic access to some of our exclusive content and our discord server, to our Master Tech program that gets you all sorts of awesome perks with some of our sponsors and killer swag. We love you all and you’re the reason we keep doing it!

Episode 70: Responsibility of Parts Stores?

We have all seen epic fails on the part of DIY’ers (and in fact, we highly suggest you share them on this post) but how much of it is on the person who did the “repair”? That is a serious question because some of the larger auto parts companies spend a lot of time and money telling people that they can do various repairs themselves. They further enable them by loaning the tools needed to do the job at little to no cost. The bottom line for why this advertising works, and it absolutely does work (just look at how many DIY fails there are out there), is because they are aiming it at an audience that doesn’t want to pay mechanics for things that they think are simple. The next big question is whether or not that person is going to return to you with broken parts because they didn’t know how to install them properly, and the answer is more often than not, yes! So bottom line, if you have no business working on a car, please don’t. If you’re going to anyways, at least let us get to a good vantage point so we can put it on YouTube.

Also Uncle Jimmy proposes the “put something valuable in front of your car after doing a brake job to see how well you did” challenge.

This episode was made possible by our listeners, the members of the Grease the Wheels Nation. It was also made possible by donations over at patreon.com/greasethewheels, because as you can probably tell, this is a long ass episode. It took a lot of storage to get done and it wouldn’t be possible without our patrons, so thank you all so much! We have plans and perks over there for everyone, from the new lot kid at $1/month for basic access to some of our exclusive content and our discord server, to our Master Tech program that gets you all sorts of awesome perks with some of our sponsors and killer swag. Seriously, we love you all and you’re the reason we keep doing it!

The Makes: Oldsmobile

What is the most important automaker of all time? That’s a difficult question when you really break it down and as is so often the case it depends on who you’re asking Some people might argue longevity and heritage. Hardcore petrol/gearheads might argue motorsport success and bringing gobs of power to the masses. Sentimental people might go with something deeply personal, like the fact that their parents always had one, so the nostalgia factor creeps in. Numbers people would probably argue for profitability — how many units were produced and how much of the world they conquered. Big picture people always look for industry-changing innovations that shaped the automotive landscape for years to come. Detail-oriented people will look for things like how the doors shut and the feel of the ride.

All of these people will almost all have different answers to that question posed in the first sentence, but what about a brand that people forgot about? A brand that made cars for 107 years in the heart of Michigan.

Continue reading “The Makes: Oldsmobile”

Episode 69: Money: Then VS. Now

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, we explore the idea that not many jobs have gotten harder over the past 110 years. We find ourselves in a spot where were getting paid less but doing and having to know a lot more in order to successfully do our jobs as mechanics. Early on, knowing how to fix cars was necessary in order to own a car, but the cars have gotten a lot better over the past 110 years. However, this degree of difficulty compounded when there are more brands, new systems, and things that the government makes mandatory such as engine computers and rear view cameras. Now we know that the basics don’t change because you cant really change the laws of physics, but the sheer volume of additional features even on cheap basic cars have made the job significantly harder for mechanics across the board. Despite all of this, the pay has not increased commensurate with the amount of knowledge required to do the job. This is only going to get worse as electric cars become more mainstream, but the fact remains the same: If you’re a technician you need to increase your skill level and making yourself more valuable. Because when your current boss won’t give you a proper raise, you can give yourself one- by greasing the wheels.

Also Uncle Jimmy conceptualizes backup cameras on Ford Pinto’s- so you can watch what’s going to cause your car to burst into flames in 1080p, and discusses the anti-theft properties of the three-on-the-tree manual transmission.

Hey GTW Nation, we have a Patreon! If you love Grease the Wheels, let us know by tossing us a few bucks at patreon.com/greasethewheels! We have exclusive tee shirts, magnets, and other swag for patrons. As well as exclusive offers from some of our partners, and TONS of outtakes and stuff that ended up on the cutting room floor. Also if you donate this week, you get early access to episode one of The Makes; where we go deep into the history, operations, massive successes and utter failures of some of our favorite automobile manufacturers.