I sent my resume to a place in Canberra who had the usual "We are not looking for people at this time blah blah", the next day they rang up and asked when can I start...rob83ke70 wrote:now here begs the question, how easy will it be to land a job at a dealership not advertising for any more staff??
career changes?
-
bobbyjimmy
- Junior Member
- Posts: 273
- Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:54 pm
- Location: ACT
well.....
I no longer work at Ultratune - I was there for 18 months, which was probably 12 months too long. I'm still coming to terms with how many useful skills I've let slide - no interesting diagnostic work at an ultratune.....
I'm back at a dealership - HUGE improvement - proper record keeping, nice workmates and a really nice boss. CLEAN workshop, heaps and heaps of workshop equipment, the right tools and information to do the job properly, and everybody wants to do things properly....
I'd never work for my old boss again, I'd never work for an ultratune again, and I'd be extremely reluctant to work for a small business again - thats how bad it was!!!
Robert.
I no longer work at Ultratune - I was there for 18 months, which was probably 12 months too long. I'm still coming to terms with how many useful skills I've let slide - no interesting diagnostic work at an ultratune.....
I'm back at a dealership - HUGE improvement - proper record keeping, nice workmates and a really nice boss. CLEAN workshop, heaps and heaps of workshop equipment, the right tools and information to do the job properly, and everybody wants to do things properly....
I'd never work for my old boss again, I'd never work for an ultratune again, and I'd be extremely reluctant to work for a small business again - thats how bad it was!!!
Robert.
Dealerships can be good or bad depends on the people,so can small family owned businesses.
Orange is a small country town but beware of what you wish for as plenty of seaside places are also small country towns as well as plenty of big city suburbs.
The only way to avoid that syndrome is to work far enough away from where you live,that can involve working in Bathurst when you live in Orange or working in Parramatta when you live in Hurstville if you get my drift.
I have worked as a BMW Technician a Nissan technician worked on Building Shelby Cobra's Worked in the Motorcycle trade a number of times including as a State Service advisor for Kawasaki,prepared the press fleet bikes for BMW Triumph Kawasaki and Suzuki.Worked at the pointy end in both Motocross and road racing and prepared and driven and navigated in Rallying.
Also been a machinist fitter in a high performance engine shop,worked in the building game and did everything such as framing fixing out,french windows paneling and laying slabs and bricklaying and plumbing.
But the worst job ever was as a dealership service advisor,running a dealership workshop was OK but the service advisor is just the bunny who cops the flack and doesn't have enough power to control his work enviroment effectively.
If you want to move I would suggest going somewhere like the Southern Highlands,there is enough rich Sydney types with interest's down that way the economy is somewhat stable plenty of European vehicles and it is close enough to the coast without the hassles of the city.
You would soon tire of the traffic and brain dead idiots in Prado's and Territories every day in the city,the sheer overpopulation that is now a fact,do not believe the figures the government supplies there are at least half a million more people in Sydney than the official figures.
Canberra would eventually drive you mad as well as too many public service types do not consider themselves responsible for anything and the attitude would get to you sooner or later down there.
The Military is either a love it or hate it scenario,and some who loved it have been stung by those who are ladder climbers who don't care who they step on or sacrifice to further their own goals.
You have though learn't a valuable lesson from what happened,document and cover your arse,I was the first mechanic in NSW to take on consumer affairs and beat them over something similar,as far as government departments are concerned the consumer is always right,they hated it when with the outside expert opinion of an NRMA engineer we proved that it was all a stitch up and consumer affairs had to pay our costs and damages.
The engine in question was stripped and inspected under their supervision in that case.
Dealerships are not necessarily the panacea to your long term goals,some of them have exactly the same issues as you outlined,I remember giving a Subaru dealer the option to fix their stuffup when working in a service station workshop and a late liberty dropped a tensioner bearing 100 km"s after replacement of the cam belts,their service advisor stated they did not replace the idler pulley's because customers complained about the cost,
Remember this type of thinking people when you have your Subaru or any other vehicle serviced if you don't do the job yourself make sure that they are aware you want it done right and are prepared to listen to advice if they think replacement parts are needed other than expected when working on your vehicle.
By all means question and check but do not be penny wise pound foolish as the old saying goes.
Good thing you are out of Ultratune,I worked oposite one and know how they operate and the franchise has to be dodgy just to survive as Ultratune rip of their dealers as well as the customer,giving the operator the choice of a rock and a hard place after sinking the family finances into it before realising their mistake or good fortune to be amongst fellow thieves if they are that way inclined,similar to Midas who have been exposed numerous times by Current Affair etc.
I actually between jobs years ago went to Midas head office and did not get the job because I was not dodgy enough for them can you believe it,I was asked how do you approach a customer with a cheaper quote for an exhaust,the answer they wanted was to tell the customer bring it in put it up on a hoist and then park other customers cars behind it,once you had it on the hoist tell the customer sorry we can't repair your exhaust as we said it needs a full new system and brakes etc etc and they cant easily remove their car due to it being parked in so the customer usually just resigns themselves to leaving the car with Midas,bloody crooks.
Orange is a small country town but beware of what you wish for as plenty of seaside places are also small country towns as well as plenty of big city suburbs.
The only way to avoid that syndrome is to work far enough away from where you live,that can involve working in Bathurst when you live in Orange or working in Parramatta when you live in Hurstville if you get my drift.
I have worked as a BMW Technician a Nissan technician worked on Building Shelby Cobra's Worked in the Motorcycle trade a number of times including as a State Service advisor for Kawasaki,prepared the press fleet bikes for BMW Triumph Kawasaki and Suzuki.Worked at the pointy end in both Motocross and road racing and prepared and driven and navigated in Rallying.
Also been a machinist fitter in a high performance engine shop,worked in the building game and did everything such as framing fixing out,french windows paneling and laying slabs and bricklaying and plumbing.
But the worst job ever was as a dealership service advisor,running a dealership workshop was OK but the service advisor is just the bunny who cops the flack and doesn't have enough power to control his work enviroment effectively.
If you want to move I would suggest going somewhere like the Southern Highlands,there is enough rich Sydney types with interest's down that way the economy is somewhat stable plenty of European vehicles and it is close enough to the coast without the hassles of the city.
You would soon tire of the traffic and brain dead idiots in Prado's and Territories every day in the city,the sheer overpopulation that is now a fact,do not believe the figures the government supplies there are at least half a million more people in Sydney than the official figures.
Canberra would eventually drive you mad as well as too many public service types do not consider themselves responsible for anything and the attitude would get to you sooner or later down there.
The Military is either a love it or hate it scenario,and some who loved it have been stung by those who are ladder climbers who don't care who they step on or sacrifice to further their own goals.
You have though learn't a valuable lesson from what happened,document and cover your arse,I was the first mechanic in NSW to take on consumer affairs and beat them over something similar,as far as government departments are concerned the consumer is always right,they hated it when with the outside expert opinion of an NRMA engineer we proved that it was all a stitch up and consumer affairs had to pay our costs and damages.
The engine in question was stripped and inspected under their supervision in that case.
Dealerships are not necessarily the panacea to your long term goals,some of them have exactly the same issues as you outlined,I remember giving a Subaru dealer the option to fix their stuffup when working in a service station workshop and a late liberty dropped a tensioner bearing 100 km"s after replacement of the cam belts,their service advisor stated they did not replace the idler pulley's because customers complained about the cost,
Remember this type of thinking people when you have your Subaru or any other vehicle serviced if you don't do the job yourself make sure that they are aware you want it done right and are prepared to listen to advice if they think replacement parts are needed other than expected when working on your vehicle.
By all means question and check but do not be penny wise pound foolish as the old saying goes.
Good thing you are out of Ultratune,I worked oposite one and know how they operate and the franchise has to be dodgy just to survive as Ultratune rip of their dealers as well as the customer,giving the operator the choice of a rock and a hard place after sinking the family finances into it before realising their mistake or good fortune to be amongst fellow thieves if they are that way inclined,similar to Midas who have been exposed numerous times by Current Affair etc.
I actually between jobs years ago went to Midas head office and did not get the job because I was not dodgy enough for them can you believe it,I was asked how do you approach a customer with a cheaper quote for an exhaust,the answer they wanted was to tell the customer bring it in put it up on a hoist and then park other customers cars behind it,once you had it on the hoist tell the customer sorry we can't repair your exhaust as we said it needs a full new system and brakes etc etc and they cant easily remove their car due to it being parked in so the customer usually just resigns themselves to leaving the car with Midas,bloody crooks.
- and I've never worked at a place with so much equipment - and the shed is MASSIVE!!-
steptoe
- Master Member
- Posts: 11582
- Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2005 10:00 am
- Location: 14 miles outside Gotham City
WOW, Coxy and Adrian must have met at some writing class!!
Dealerships can provide good training and technical support and equipment. Small workshops that work on generally anything have to keep paying for information sometimes useless to them and keep upgrading old diagnostic equipment FOR ALL MAKES AND MODELS. If they cannot keep themselves or their staff up to date with everything (when?) things can slide.
Don't know how many guys will be up to date with all these common rail Diesels, but at least they have gone more electronic like petrol efi and diagnostics should be easier to the trained.
Good to see you have made a change and for the better - make sure it stays that way
Dealerships can provide good training and technical support and equipment. Small workshops that work on generally anything have to keep paying for information sometimes useless to them and keep upgrading old diagnostic equipment FOR ALL MAKES AND MODELS. If they cannot keep themselves or their staff up to date with everything (when?) things can slide.
Don't know how many guys will be up to date with all these common rail Diesels, but at least they have gone more electronic like petrol efi and diagnostics should be easier to the trained.
Good to see you have made a change and for the better - make sure it stays that way