Flat Rate Tech Podcast

Your manager calls you into the office and says: "You're not producing enough." Now what? Is the problem you? The shop? Dispatch? The work you're getting? In this episode, we talk about how to handle that conversation, how to look at the numbers, and how to figure out what's really going on before you start blaming everyone or looking for another job. Get the facts. Then d...

www. BayDiagnosticsGroup.com The automotive industry has changed a lot in the last 25 years. Technology has changed. Dealerships have changed. The way technicians work has changed. And so has the pressure on technicians to produce more while dealing with more procedures, more documentation, more delays, and more problems outside of their control. So why are technicians leaving? In this episode, I...

I get emails from technicians who are thinking about quitting. I talk to technicians who are frustrated, burned out, and seriously considering leaving the automotive industry. And a lot of them are good technicians. Technicians with experience, ability, and a lot of potential. The hard part is, I don't always have an argument for them. Because I understand what they're talking about. I&a...

Technicians think management is the problem. Management thinks technicians are the problem. And that disconnect is killing shops. Leadership isn't about a title. It's about trust, communication, accountability, and actually listening to the people doing the work. Because when technicians stop believing their voice matters, they start checking out. And eventually, they leave. Bay Diagnost...

The service drive used to be the bridge between the customer and the technician. The customer had a problem. The advisor listened. The technician diagnosed it. The shop fixed it. Somewhere along the way, that got replaced with numbers. Hours per RO. Effective labor rate. Gross profit. CSI. Retention. Customer pay. There’s nothing wrong with tracking numbers. A dealership has to make money. The pro...

You’ve probably seen it on a repair estimate. Shop Supplies. Maybe it’s $20. Maybe it’s $50. Maybe it’s even more. But have you ever stopped and asked, what you’re actually paying for? In this episode of the Flat Rate Tech Podcast, we take a closer look at one of the most overlooked charges on a repair order. Gloves. Brake cleaner. Shop towels. Chemicals. Electricity. Waste disposal. Equipment. Th...

Why do good technicians stop caring? The automotive industry loves to talk about the technician shortage, but nobody seems to ask why experienced technicians are becoming burned out, frustrated, and ready to walk away. After 25 years in the dealership world, I've seen what happens when technicians lose trust in the system. Training, flat rate pay, master technician programs, production number...

Ever picked up your car from the dealership service drive, only to have the check engine light pop back on before you even made it home? You’re not alone and it’s not an accident. Here’s the truth: most mechanics out there actually give a damn. They want to fix your car right the first time. The problem is, under the current dealership model, doing the job right means taking a financial hit. Betwe...

One of my favorite episodes is back. Recorded back in 24, How to play the game.  Thats all the shop is, a GAME. Play it. The manager plays all day same with the owners and everyone in the building. Play them cause they are playing you.  This was a fun episode I was turning into a video episode for YouTube. I decided to reupload it back onto here again. Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Support the...

Mechanics are in demand everywhere, so why are recruiters and hiring platforms making money off the technician shortage? In this episode, we expose how third-party recruiters, placement fees, and hiring apps profit from the automotive industry while technicians take all the risk. Before you jump to another shop, watch this first. NEW MERCH available on Fourthwall link on my website Support the sho...

Managers feeding good work to the new techs to keep them from quitting, even when they are on a guarantee!  ZERO respect for loyalty. When managers do this they are basically feeding the new techs the good work so they think thats the work they will be getting so they will stay.  Series coming soon.  Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the...

Should you become a mechanic? Everybody online makes this industry sound like a six-figure dream. Trade schools sell it. Managers sell it. Influencers sell it. I’m here to tell you what it actually looks like. Flat rate. Working for free. Buying thousands of dollars in tools. Broken lifts. Shady pay plans. Shop politics. Managers promising the world and delivering bullshit. Watching other industri...

Has your shop manager ever hired in a real scumbag tech? They say "We are a teacher" yet they hire in anyone off the street to join.  And all we have is HOPE. Everybody talks about technician productivity.  Nobody talks about what happens when there is no work. When management fails the techs pay the price. Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Faceboo...

Everybody talks about the technician shortage. But what if there isn't one? What if the real problem is an industry that burns through skilled technicians faster than it can replace them? In this episode, I take a look at the automotive industry's favorite talking point and ask the question nobody seems willing to answer: If the technician shortage is so bad, why does nothing ever change...

Is being a mobile mechanic the way out of this BS and work for yourself? Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetech_podcast Check out the website  Flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com FlatRateTechPodcast@gmail.com Don't Forget To Rate And Review! Thanks For Listening, and Thanks for your support! Tech

This episode you get the Patreon cut. Subscribe Help Support the podcast.  They had this planned the whole time. The technician shortage was a smoke screen for the big VISA takeover. AI can't take our jobs, but importing cheap labor can. And they knew that all along. Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetec...

flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com check out the website, join Patreon.  Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetech_podcast Check out the website  Flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com FlatRateTechPodcast@gmail.com Don't Forget To Rate And Review! Thanks For Listening, and Thanks for your support! Tech

Do you ever ask yourself why you're still a mechanic? I do every day.  Today we shoot the $hit. Some real talk and we make fun of mechanics.  Don't be that old guy eating Salisbury steak frozen dinners while your project car rusts away.  Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetech_podcast Check out the w...

Parts stolen from the factory and also stolen from the dealerships parts employees. Theft everywhere not just from us technicians. Some employees are fighting back LOL.  Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetech_podcast Check out the website  Flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com FlatRateTechPodcast@gmail.com Don'...

Do you ever ask yourself why you're still a mechanic? I do every day.  Today we shoot the $hit. Some real talk and we make fun of mechanics.  Don't be that old guy eating Salisbury steak frozen dinners while your project car rusts away. Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetech_podcast Check out the we...

All that information and knowledge from technicians around the country just taken away. What did they do with it? Thats what we talk about today. If you haven't got the books yet get them.  Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetech_podcast Check out the website  Flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com FlatRateTechPo...

There is no team in a flat rate shop. And training schools are a joke. Why pay $30,000 to start at the bottom anyways.  Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetech_podcast Check out the website  Flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com FlatRateTechPodcast@gmail.com Don't Forget To Rate And Review! Thanks For Listening,...

Join The Patreon Link Below This episode is just real stories. Mechanics. Shop guys. People in the same trade… who lost their shit. Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetech_podcast Check out the website  Flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com FlatRateTechPodcast@gmail.com Don't Forget To Rate And Review! Thanks Fo...

Today there is 2 episodes in one. I been pushing towards getting the YouTube channel going and the episodes have been shorter. I know that sucks for podcasts cause I listen to podcasts all day every day. So soon there will be longer episodes coming. I been working on a lot of for the podcast so hopefully we get back to normal. This episode is about the flat rate effect and how they blame everythin...

Most shops will tell you there’s a technician shortage. But that’s not the truth. The real reason shops are always hiring is because techs keep leaving. In this episode I break down what’s really happening inside the bays. The revolving door of technicians, the broken flat rate system, the paperwork they make you sign just to get the job, and why so many experienced techs are walking away from the...