Thread: Don't get work done at Walfart.

Ok...I'm surprised that you all are surprised about these "discount centers" doing sub-par work. They pay the "techs" near minimum wage and most have minimal training to work on a vehicle. You get what you pay for.

sven is right ! regretfully i work at walmart in the tire & lube center been there 5 years.i"m one of the greeters. there are people there that are over me ( bay manager) that make way less than me! tech make even less! the only training they provide are cbl's ( short movies) they watch until they get 80% on the tests that follow.then they have to do 6 of everything,tire change ,oil change ,filter & drain oil pan, then upper bay.fill with oil check trans, fill washer fluid bottle.then they're certified!!best advice i can give is that if you're going to walmart to get tires be knowledgeable & let them know that you're not a dumba** tell them to use the torque sticks!they can hammer on it all day won't put anymore torque than the stick is rated for.stay in there & watch them from outside the fence!jimmy

Originally Posted by BillBoost37

Reputable shop...lol.. A lot of mechanics get their start doing oil changes at dealerships. Then as they prove out they can change oil, they move up to brakes etc. Often without any formal training. And to hang an ASE sign in the window..only one guy needs to have passed the tests.

With that said.. some of the guys I've seen do amazing work, have never had any formal schooling. They follow the procedure because it is the best way to do something.

You wanna see a hack.. find guys losing money working flat rate and you'll find some of them doing stuff poorly.

When I worked at the stealership, if you didn't have the accreditation to be touching that part of the car, then you weren't doing it. When I owned my shop, my apprentice tech didn't touch anything I didn't train him how to work on. It's true that flat rate techs that are losing money can become hacks...but that also comes from not giving a damn about your craft as well. I took a lot of pride in my work whether I made money on the job or not...happy customers are more willing to spend money than angry ones.