Hey,
Wondering how you guys feel about the flate system,
Most, Ford dealerships are flat rate.
Any Inputs would be help full.
Thinking about going back to aftermarket .

Thanks

 

Paying for it or making a living doing it? Aftermarket? Explain please no comprende.

 

if you work at a decent shop, doing the same stuff over and over, flat rate can be good. I personally think that flatrate on warrenty work sucks all around.

one particular experience stands out, (I worked at a GM/Chrysler dealership for 2 years, but it was one of them that closed down) I was working on a power wagon with the electric locking diffs that would not engage. dodge had me replace the switch, test all the wiring, both actuators, then finally sent me the updated module that fixed it. they paid me 3.5 hours, the truck was in the shop for a week. i about lost it, I had to fight and argue to get more time.

of what I have seen, the guys making money on warranty at dealerships are the guys that have been there 20 years, or the guys that rip everybody off and give the rest of us a bad reputation.

I had an offer to work at a smaller shop, but turned it down to be able to get out of that town, but the sidework that i have done i have always used factory flatrate hours and have made some decent money, and i would think its ok for the customer too cause if the tech is slow you don't have to pay for his lazyness.

 

Flat rate sucks. Why the hell does a head gasket job pay 10.5 hrs for customer pay and then only 8.0 hours when Ford has to pay the bill. Every job is like this, and it is Ford (and Chevy & Dodge) who are screwing over they're own people. I never understood it. I worked flat rate for 5 years and got the hell out. Jobs that carry over screw up a lot of paychecks too, don't get paid till the R.O. is closed. Sure you get a big check, but not till after you get the small one - and miss a house payment because of it. Sure some jobs you can make a killing on but for me it just wasn't worth it.

 

just before i left the dealership they would pay once a month, but on the 15th you could draw 50% of your "estimated" pay. then when your first half of the month was good but the last half sucked, you would end up with only a couple hundered bucks pay at the end of the month.

 

It only pays if you are well experienced, and everything goes right. One broken bolt and it blows your time. I got tired of working 50+ hours and getting paid 32, so I got out and went to welding. It also leads to bickering about the jobs assigned, and whining about somebody else getting all the good jobs. Teamwork tends to go out the window, as they lose pay when they help you on your job.

 

If you are working for a dealership doing warranty work it rots. Example would be Ford paying 12 hours to R&R a 3.8L Taurus engine.

Automotive Technicians | Mechanics | Auto Techs | Auto Advice | Auto Tech Forums | Ford Techs | GM Techs | Chrysler Techs | Toyota Techs | Honda Techs | Nissan Techs | Volvo Techs | Land Rover Techs | Diesel Techs | BMW Techs | Volkswagen Techs | Lex might be a good starting point of research.

 

So, what hapens to your pay if your a Ford tech, for instance, and you repaired a power window regulator under warranty and the vehicle came back with the same issue 6 months later?

Is that work done for free? I can see doing this type of piece work having an ill effect on the overall quality of the job performed.

Likewise, if your doing a 3 hour job by the book and you complete the job in 2 hours, what happens? The customer sure as hell isn't getting a lower price for labor.

Tim

 

The basis of flat rate is very simple.
-The customer cost of each Job is based on a specific amount of time at the hourly shop labor rate..
-Each Job pays the Tech a specific amount of time at his hourly rate.
For example: Front disk brake reline and machine rotors pays 1 Hr.
The customer will pay that price regardless of the actual time the repair takes. 1 hour @ $75 = $75 labor, plus parts, etc.
The Tech will get paid for 1 hour, regardless of the time it takes to complete the repair. $20/HR= $20. If he gets it done in 30 minutes, he gets paid 1 Hr. If it takes him 1.5 Hrs, he only gets paid 1 Hr.

There is a difference in flat rate times between Customer Pay jobs and Warranty jobs (at a dealership). The customer pay times are usually about 20-30% higher that Warranty. This is because the manufacturer dictates what they will pay the shop. Changes in warranty times also affect customer pay times.
Back in the mid-late 90s, Ford absolutely gut ripped their warranty times. Many of the techs in my former shop basically took a 15-25% pay cut. Prior to this, flat rate was a great way to make a living. If you were good and efficient, you could make a good living. Today, you'll likely work your *** off to turn 40 hours.

A 90s Ford Taurus steering rack and 4 wheel alignment once paid 3.6 Hrs under Warranty. When I left the dealership in 2001, the time had been cut to 1.2Hrs.
The other manufacturers adjusted their times back then also, but Ford made the deepest cuts. They also lost a great many good, seasoned Techs in the process.


As far as warranty on a customer pay job (your window motor example), the shop would honor the warranty to the customer. If the part failed, they may claim it through the supplier. If it was poor workmanship, the Tech may have perform the repair for free. The shop may also "eat" the cost of the repair depending on the circumstances. Those cases are handled on an individual basis and, luckily don't actually happen very often.

 

Thanks TSEEKINS........You hit the nail on the head.

Its a honest living.....I used to turn 45-50....hrs in 32hrs.

I lost the job do to personal reasons.....(the dreaded inlaws).

Now I am at a shop that is much smaller....3 Ford Master techs,one rookey oil changer,
and Myself.
They still hand write ROs....offices is way the heck over there,parts is empty,everything has to be ordered,boss checks over every RO.....Slow car count...oh and limited training.
Been waiting for nvh classes...for three months.

Why am I here ....to help the oilchange kid.....

Looking aroundfor a better shop.That will GETme Ford certs.

all web training is complete...oh they stopped paying for those to.

Thanks again for your input.

 

I see you're in Cleveland. Try the Liberty Ford dealerships.
The owner, Jim Herrick, used to insist that his Techs were fully trained in all areas, they paid well and it was a good place to work all around.
That may have changed in light of the economy, but that's how it was when I left in 2002. It would be worth looking into.