have you ever been asked how much is your pay?

[aidil rashidi]

I am quite new in the copier and printer service industry. Give or take 9 years. The first few years I always have the same question from most of my customer...how much is your pay...is a copier tch salary enough to earn a living...this question usually comes from a clerk or a low ranking worker especially government staff.

What are your opinion on this?

Is it not a copier/printer tech also a SKILLED worker?

P/S: For those who don't know, a well skilled tech will earn very good money.

[pjdbm]

Re: have you ever been asked how much is your pay?

I tell them:

I get paid by the week,VERY WEAK...

[mojorolla]

Re: have you ever been asked how much is your pay?

People seem to think that a copy machine is simply a collection of gears and motors. Never taking in to account the "MFP" aspect of the newer machines. With the advent of digital, networking, scanning and faxing, you really need to know your craft nowadays. There is something to be said for a MFP trouble shooter. We sometimes have to wade through many layers of possible causes to finally reach resolution. Not to mention poor trained or inept customers. I do fell that what we do is a very specialized skilled trade. I chuckle to myself everytime I have a machine in pieces and someone walks by and says something like "Wow, that's a lot of wires!" or "I hope you remember where all those parts go!". Not only do I know where all the parts go, I know where all the wires go to.

As for pay, I do not discuss specifics. If someone ask, it will usually depend on the day. If it's a good day, the response is: I do OK. If it's a bad day: Not enough.

[Nachoman4life]

Re: have you ever been asked how much is your pay?

Never been asked by a customer, if one did, they would have to tell me theirs. Its only fair.

[fixthecopier]

Re: have you ever been asked how much is your pay?

People assume that we all make $40 to $50 an hour. I pretty much tell them that I do not make near that amount, but I do not do the job for the money, I do it because I like the job.

[Tricky]

Re: have you ever been asked how much is your pay?

I tell them:

I get paid by the week,VERY WEAK...

I am reminded of an adapted version of the dwarfs marching song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

With apologies to Tom Waits.....

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho
It's off to work we go
We get low pay we work all day
Heigh-ho
Heigh-ho, heigh-ho

[d7guitar]

Re: have you ever been asked how much is your pay?

I guess the job fits me pretty well or i would be doing something different. this job has a lot of perks, being autonomous to a point, traveling, different everyday, challenging, using both our hands and minds it keeps us sharp.
Lets face it, it doesn't pay as much as it should for all we are capable of repairing. God Knows! But it's the world we live in.

I found when i do tell my wage to other co-workers it only ends badly so i wont repeat that! Management seems to pay some techs a lot less than others. you know who they are... the ones on the short list. I just wish management wouldn't make our top pay and goals so un-attainable that i feel like a bunny with a carrot dangling in my face.

[Ollie1981]

Re: have you ever been asked how much is your pay?

It depends on who's doing the asking, I have discussed how much I'm paid with other techs (but not all other techs). I'm not embarrassed by how much I earn but it really depends on what I perceive the other person's motive being in asking.

I will never discuss how much I get paid with customers even if they think they have a benign reason for asking because quite simply it's none of their damn business and not an appropriate conversation to have with a client, besides if they were asking because they were interested in becoming a tech they could quite easily get a figure in the right ballpark simply by doing a jobsearch for copier engineer/technician.

Most of the time, anyone's reason for asking is to benchmark themselves and their job/career against yours. If they find out they make twice what you do, then in very simple terms they are worth two of you.... even though they couldn't figure out how to get a jam out of the photocopier without smashing half the door off

[Ianizer]

Re: have you ever been asked how much is your pay?

I find being asked about my specific wages by a stranger an offputting question and tend to answer cryptically. That said, it's a fair wage, imo, if less than what I could wish for.

Btw, I'd consider nine years respectable tenure. At least it's hardly a fng.

-I

[PietPompies]

Re: have you ever been asked how much is your pay?

Talking about your pay is like talking about sex,maybe their getting more than you