Quote Originally Posted by BillBoost37 View Post
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.