Anyone actually like being a tech?

[George J]

I'm having a bit of a hard time myself at the moment.

Don't get me wrong, the job as such is pretty sweet, but dealing with a boss who doesn't acknowledge that his graveyard parts and inferior knock off parts are making matters worse, coupled with a useless dispatcher, hostile clients and a complete lack of training and support what so ever .... It seems that the only way to communicate are shouting and making threats.

Having to beg for parts that in the best case are only slightly less worse than the ones you are trying to replace, while all the while you are trying to meet some really irrelevant quota.


It's becoming a bit too much for me

[jmaister]

This last week has been, wake up, work, come home, sleep. rinse and repeat.

I do my best to keep clients happy, no improvement in the office where nothing is really good enough. Had to clean up two jobs where the "amature" as I like to call it, didnt finish. I'm being criticized for one repeat that I was simply there to replace one component. Dont blame the guy when the diagnose didnt come from me.

idiots.


going through a burntout phase...


Dont get me wrong, i still like being a f[censored] tech.

[zulufan1]

Well, I must say that reading this thread has given me a good laugh or two, and actually...a bit of a new outlook on my job. Even though I work for IKON, and this has really evolved into a Shit job some / most days, It could certainly be a lot worse.


My biggest complaint is that we are essentially being forced to work overtime without compensation. This is done through assigning too many machines / too big of territory to a single tech, and asking them to manage it all, plus backup other techs that are out, plus do all the other administrative tasks associated with this job such as Shipping / Rec. parts, e-mails etc.

They just say get it done, and there is no overtime allowed, and make sure you hit your parts budget, and retain your customers, and try and sell them a whole bunch of new shit while you are there too.

Give me a break. I too have 25 years in the industry, and all my fellow technicians are miserable. They put on a fake smile most of the time for the customers and our management, but if you got a beer in them, they would tell you straight out...

The company only cares about $$$..not the Tech's , or The Customer. The only way a tech can protect His / Her sanity is to develop an " i don't give a shit" attutude.

[linuxxpwin]

I was born a field tech, I grew up being a field, I eat and sleep tech, and sure enough I will die a field tech.

Hey I will even be a field tech in heaven.

[zulufan1]

Sounds like a John Cougar song.....

" I was born a copier tech,"
Probably die a Copier Tech,
With a copier's where they'll bury me!"

[Rob Sandberg]

I love being a tech.


But I also like whips and chains.

Rob S

[KEVIN900]

I recently started a new job at a different dealership. I thought a lack of a raise these last few years was my reason for looking. Actually, my former employer was getting a little carried away with cost-saving measures. No raises devolved to no trunk stock, then no parts in-house, then not even overnighting parts for down machines. My job went from always getting what I needed to keep my customers happy, to sheepishly returning a week or more after the original call date. And I just loved having to strip a lease return for feed rollers. Fine in an emergency, but stop gaps are not repairs, long term. Customers started asking "What happened to your company ?". If you loved this job, but now can't face it; perhaps a new venue is all you need. When I interviewed for my new job, I made sure to get a nice tour of the facilities. Clean and Organized. Smiling faces. New decor. Trophy Case. Candy Dishes everywhere, not for my sweet-tooth, to see if folks are nice and generous to each other. Nice cars in employee parking lot. Hugh parts department. Recessions over. Make a new resume'. Or go become a bartender. My summer bartender gig keeps me happy, in shape, and laid. Or consider volunteering just a few hours every other week or so. Helping those less fortunate with your time always lifts the spirits.

[ZOOTECH]

I recently started a new job at a different dealership. I thought a lack of a raise these last few years was my reason for looking. Actually, my former employer was getting a little carried away with cost-saving measures. No raises devolved to no trunk stock, then no parts in-house, then not even overnighting parts for down machines. My job went from always getting what I needed to keep my customers happy, to sheepishly returning a week or more after the original call date. And I just loved having to strip a lease return for feed rollers. Fine in an emergency, but stop gaps are not repairs, long term. Customers started asking "What happened to your company ?". If you loved this job, but now can't face it; perhaps a new venue is all you need. When I interviewed for my new job, I made sure to get a nice tour of the facilities. Clean and Organized. Smiling faces. New decor. Trophy Case. Candy Dishes everywhere, not for my sweet-tooth, to see if folks are nice and generous to each other. Nice cars in employee parking lot. Hugh parts department. Recessions over. Make a new resume'. Or go become a bartender. My summer bartender gig keeps me happy, in shape, and laid. Or consider volunteering just a few hours every other week or so. Helping those less fortunate with your time always lifts the spirits.

BRAVO, sounds like you made a good move.

[gwaddle]

I've had worse jobs.

[jonhiker]

I've had worse jobs.

yep. try riding around at 10:00PM on a machine sweeping parking lots.

[Shadow1]

yep. try riding around at 10:00PM on a machine sweeping parking lots.

Try doing that with a broom. Not that I have - just sayin' it can always get worse.

[KenB]

I recently started a new job at a different dealership. I thought a lack of a raise these last few years was my reason for looking. Actually, my former employer was getting a little carried away with cost-saving measures. No raises devolved to no trunk stock, then no parts in-house, then not even overnighting parts for down machines. My job went from always getting what I needed to keep my customers happy, to sheepishly returning a week or more after the original call date. And I just loved having to strip a lease return for feed rollers. Fine in an emergency, but stop gaps are not repairs, long term. Customers started asking "What happened to your company ?". If you loved this job, but now can't face it; perhaps a new venue is all you need. When I interviewed for my new job, I made sure to get a nice tour of the facilities. Clean and Organized. Smiling faces. New decor. Trophy Case. Candy Dishes everywhere, not for my sweet-tooth, to see if folks are nice and generous to each other. Nice cars in employee parking lot. Hugh parts department. Recessions over. Make a new resume'. Or go become a bartender. My summer bartender gig keeps me happy, in shape, and laid. Or consider volunteering just a few hours every other week or so. Helping those less fortunate with your time always lifts the spirits.

Yep, I guess a bartender would get to lift (and pour) a LOT of spirits.

[Hemlock]

Try doing that with a broom.

I see you've met my ex.

[lolicar]

[Ricoh_Suave]

Re: Anyone actually like being a tech?

I came here for something else, but couldn't resist putting in my 2 cents on this one. When I was a printer tech, I really enjoyed it for the first few years, then, by the end of the 6th year (like you) it made me physically ill thinking about how much I hated my job. While I enjoyed the diagnostics and sense of accomplishment in a repair, I hated that my company would continually add more and more lines of printers for only a handful of techs to service, without any consideration for how diluted our experience pool was becoming as we had to work across more and more manufacturers, Rather than focusing on, making real partnerships, and truly understanding all the nuances of a couple brands.

Additional, I didn't like that the job was being dumbed down. I'd isolate the problem down to a fan with a low RPM, and rather than replace the fan, we'd have to replace a $400 board that the fan sat on. Rather than replace a $12 motor, we HAD to replace a $250 service station. I didn't like it at all.

These days I'm a sys admin instead, much less stressful, and much more rewarding.