Ksing44,
I couldn't have said it better. You expressed my thoughts pretty well and particularly the part where you get paid well so why shoudn't others. I'm semi retired now and only have a few clients who have been with me for twenty or twenty five years. I can remember in years past when some people asked me if I could do the work for less like on medical doctor comes to mind. He asked if I could give him a break. He was tight on money, because he had heavy bills to pay. He then told me money was tight, because he had one son in law school and one on medical school. To my way of thinking, I just wanted what was coming to me so I could buy shoes so my kids could go to school. Then there are people who act like you just drove a stake through their heart when you tell them it is going to cost several hundred dollars to do needed repairs to the ride they have been flashing around. When you look in their trunk, you see shopping bags from the most expensive department stores in the Bay Area.I really love the people driving around with stop leak in the coolant, half the power windows not working, and A/C not functioning, but the've got $2000 worth of wheels and tires and an incredible sound system. I learned early on as to whom to work for and whom not.
On the other side of the coin, I can fully appreciate car owners frustation in trying to find an honest competent service facility. I don't believe that there are that many shops that are dishonest. I think the biggest problem lies in the fact that too many mechanics have little or no training and fail to read to keep up on technology. Since there are no licensing requirements in the industry, anyone can get a box of cheap tools together and start fixin on cars. As a result too many parts are changed to get to the problem when a proper diagnostic normally uncovers the one defective part. Car owners feel ripped off, because they think all those parts were changed to make a profit when in fact severl parts were changed until the mechanic stumbled onto the right one. I think the real artist in this scenario is the guy who explains the need for all the parts to the car owner.
As I stated in an earlier post, a good deal of the blame lies with high school counselers. Any student taking algebra and chemistry is encouranged to go to college just to go to college. All the stanine level 2 and 3 students are encouraged to go to auto shop. I have a friend who has been teaching auto shop at a Bay Area high school for years. He says it is a zoo wher they keep the animals. It is sad to note that there are thousands of high school auto shops around this country where bright young students could have a career field which would allow them to buy their own home and enjoy a better life. Good mechanics never live under the cloud of corporate down sizing. I have a young friend that I mentor. He is a 30 year old mechanic and has just sold his small 2 bedroom home for $340,000 and buying a larger new home for $430,000. To me that is an awsome burden to take on if your job could be lost or moved. I hope my ramblings spark some interest in seeing the need to bring intelligent new blood to the industry.
Peter