| Author | Message | ||
     Rageonthedl |
Well crap I got "laid off" after 7 years of working for the same dealer. I used the " " because its their nice way of useing the cold weather to let me go. We got a new service manager about 1.5 years ago. He used be a service manager at a used car lot. Him and his brother ran a "performance" bike shop that went under. And after working for this guy I know why they did, what a hack job this guy is. Harley should have a way to report people like this. It got to the point of me takeing pictures of stuff that was "ok" to cover my ass. But he never knew that. Funny that I was their the longest, Mast of Serv Tech, Buell Tech, Motor Trike Tech and I was the one to go...not the guy that started 4mo ago. Guess I made to much money and called him on his bull shit to many times.....my bad. The other thing that pisses me off is that i had 15 vacation days left to use by march. Funny they wont let us use vacation in the summer because its to busy so we gotta use it in the winter. well now im laid off and cant cash in any of my time till im called back. sorry i just need to vent, im just pissed it went down like this. at least my home shop has all of my tools now, no more back and forth with some of the stuff that i dont have at home.  | ||
| Americanmadexb |
Damn dude that sucks! Do yourself a favor and start your own business doing exactly what you have been doing for "The man" Got two friends that left a HD dealership recently and are doing VERY well on there own! | ||
| Whatever |
You know it is never good to work for someone who is incompetent and treats you like crap... I did it for 2 years and 9 months... looking back now, that was 2 years and 3 months too long... I am heading into my ninth month at a new job that is 100 times better than the old one... it took me almost a year and a half to find it, but I could not be happier... there were a lot of days where I thought my life would never get better... All I can say is, keep your eyes on the prize, and keep as busy as you can. Make your new job to find a new job. Work on it every weekday. I applied to over 300 jobs, started school, had 14 interviews when the miracle happened... good luck!!!  | ||
| Rageonthedl |
yeah i have been really unhappy for the past 2 years. im sure ill end up getting some crap ass job and work on bikes to pay the bills. the part that sucks for me is that working on bikes is the only thing i know how to do. Im only 26, i started at the dealer at 18, went to MMI right after high school. only other jobs i had were BS jobs. I have a 25x50 shop at home, guess i will have to move some stuff around to make room. maybe my miracle will happen haha. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
you might want to check the state laws re: vacation pay. In Illinois, if you have vacation time coming, they have to pay it to you by law. | ||
| 46champ |
Vacation pay has to be paid at layoff in Oregon also. Most states are that way because if your getting vacation pay they don't pay unemployment. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
Sorry to hear it. Too many good workers being let go by crappy management. Vacation has to be paid out here in UT too. | ||
| Britchri10 |
That sucks. Sorry to hear it. Florida awards vacation days when staff are laid off. Chris C | ||
| Court |
CONGRATULATIONS ! Like the day Erik Buell got fired for breaking the top of a glass counter while working on a clutch . . . someone has just removed your greatest impediment to an exciting career and future. You're sitting on a gold mine with your talent and knowledge. Spend the day dealing with the "pissed off'edness" and then get on with it. No one steers your ship but you. Take command. Court | ||
| Rageonthedl |
thanks for all the good words, It is prolly time to do my own thing. I just gotta get the people to me. Maybe its time for a move, who knows. I think I will at least stick it out for the winter here. I already had a few jobs lined up, motors, paint jobs, you know bigger stuff. Even if I have to get a BS job and work on bikes after work. Im sure I will be fine. I put this together last night. I also want to find all of the pictures from my HDU classes (they take a group picture and give it to you at the end of the week) frame them and hag out in my shop.  | ||
| Rocketsprink |
Good idea. I won't go so far as to congradulate you on losing your source of income, because sometimes it's better to have a crappy job than no job. However, with low overhead, you should be able to charge a lower labor rate (maybe) and with you creds, people would be stupid not to use your services. Just get the word out. People may not agree with me, but I'd contact customers you've helped before and let them know the situation. You may be able to steer them in your direction. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Go to your local bike nights to spread the word. I have a friend here in France had exactly the same thing happen a few years back. These days he works freelance to HD dealers that HE's happy to work with, covering when they're busy or somebody's sick. Rest of the time he works on his own customers & picks & chooses the work he wants (you'll not see an IL4 in his place). Takes vacation when he feels like it too. | ||
| Gunut75 |
Dude, don't sweat it. Your at home garage shop looks better equipped than most franchise shops. | ||
| Whatever |
Twenty six!!! You might have several careers in your future!!! I worked blue collar jobs for close to ten years, and then got back into my field I was trained in. Education is never wasted. I would look into the WIA program in your area. It is for dislocated workers, and training is free. Go to your state's unemployment compensation website and move on from there. I would also call an attorney about the vacation time payment. Wisconsin requires a payout upon termination, which I got two weeks of... every bit helps! | ||
| Whatever |
http://jfs.ohio.gov/owd/wia/index.stm | ||
| Greg_e |
Doesn't MMI keep a list of open jobs around the country? Have you considered sending a resume to E B R? There must be a few independent Harley shops in the area, what about working for one of them? | ||
| Bikertrash05 |
If you were closer, I would definitely go to you for service instead of a dealership. Greg_e, I was thinking the same thing. Does E_B_R need a mechanic? | ||
| Iamarchangel |
At 26, my dad decided to quit working at the race track and went to med school. Oh, and get married and have me and three more kids. Graduated at top of class. Moved to Canada to start as GP. Became a psychiatrist and then became Director of one of the biggest regions in Canada. 26 is about the right age. And yes, your home shop is better equipped than many shops I've seen. | ||
| F22raptor |
I ran a FEELER add for Buell service on BadWeb in the area,well equipped shop and 20yrs exp. I can do all the custom ECM programming also..I got ZERO responses on it,so my advise to you is to do some the work you can get at home and find something more stable.And to address the Erik Buell Racing job,good luck as this area is full of very-good terminated Buell employees,as one just sold his house in my subdivision.I had been applying there every couple of years for 10yrs or so and never heard from them.Good luck and I hope you find something that works out for you. | ||
| Rageonthedl |
Yeah MMI may have a list of jobs but thats only if said dealer contacts them. Honestly I dont know if i want to go back to a dealer, im kinda board with it. A guy can only do so many services till he wants to blow his brains out. I would request jobs that needed some kind of diagnostics. I have been emailing with Confederate Motors. Tryin really hard to get in with them. I LOVE working on bikes and im damn good at it. But if im gonna do services, and put on chrome I can do that from home and make bank, not gonna move across the usa to do that at a dealer to maybe make $20hr. Their are a few small shops in the area and they are small and dont ever hire. I need something more.......I think i will send my resume to Erik Buell Racing....never know. (Message edited by rageonthedl on October 02, 2010) | ||
| Greg_e |
Scoffing at $20 an hour? Unless the cost of living is higher than here, that much is a good wage. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
six years at the dealership... I am now working for myself doing consulting for the new Medical Bill, making more in a week than I did in a month. More time to ride, more time to play, no annoying boss, and all the vacation I want, when I want. And as long as this collosas in effect (and nobody has read it; I gots job security) sometimes laid off is a blessing in disguise. Good luck with what you do in the future | ||
| Court |
>>>>sometimes laid off is a blessing in disguise. Nearly always. I have a friend who is an engineer. His company was owned my a mega-corp and jettisoned last year. He's now realizing his dream. I tease him that he would not have had the cajones to walk out had he not been jettisoned. It's all good. | ||
| Reindog |
I kinda, sorta know what you are saying but being laid off for thirteen months did not feel like a blessing in disguise. I do not desire to be Captain of the Enterprise but I am rather fanatical about doing my damnedest to bring value to my employer. Sometimes there just ain't no employers. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I've never been out of work more than a few weeks. Partly lucky, but mostly because I have the self confidence to sell myself to prospective employers, plus I do a good job. The hardest bit is remotivating yourself from the sense of rejection & loss of self-worth, if you understand me. The longer you stay idle, the more the days drag. What I've usually done when between jobs, is to do a little vehicle dealing. Buy something I know, with a problem, cheap, from the local equivalent of Craigslist or whatever, fix it & sell it on. I also study the import market as France is one of the most expensive countries in Europe for used vehicles, & there's a margin to be made importing certain models. It takes time, but it's my time & costs me nothing. There's always a bob to be made somewhere. Keep on kicking! | ||
| Pwnzor |
My suggestion: If you start up your own biz, offer pick-up and delivery within maybe 20 mile radius for free. Charge like $2 a mile after that, and advertise on Craigslist, etc. I know a guy in California that is making a killing by doing this. That extra bit of service really brings in the customers for him since people don't have to get picked up at the shop, or load the bike in a truck or whatever. With all your skills and tools and that nice home workshop you should be able to do quite well. | ||
| Birdy |
Well if you start working for yourself let me know as I'd bring MY Buell to you to look at. Rather pay you than the type of clowns I see that most stealerships. Heck I'm only 80 miles away and I had to go that far to the dealer I got my bike from. | ||
| Rageonthedl |
I guess im not pissed that i got laid off. Im pissed that the manager can lay me off for personal reaseons, Not that I do a bad job, late all the time, call in sick, i never have a come back job. you know what i mean. yeah im about 100% shure ill be doing my own thing. It maybe at home. for almost a year i have been doing bike work at a Automotive shop. He had been thinking about moving to a diffrent shop that has a "bike area", parts counter and a small show room.... Birdy Id be more than happy to work on your bike. just let me know. | ||
| Whatever |
The job I got laid off from a job in 2008 that was so bad it put me in the hospital from a stress induced health breakdown... then I hung on another three months, which felt totally humiliating at the time. They told me Aug 1st it was coming and then by Nov 3 when it happened I was just freakin' releived. Every time I turned around they were writing me up for some bullsh*t crap... reading the paper behind the drill rig (when the field supervisor sat in her truck and played sudoko all day)... swearing, when I was pulling 80 hour weeks and commuting from Wisconsin to Arizona... and then, the kicker, working 'too slow' and then replacing me with a technician (I have a professional degreee and had 7+ years experience at the time)... he made 7 bucks an hour less than me... I spent the first six months at my new job busting my a** and thinking the other shoe was going to drop. It hasn't. I do research on fascinating stuff and write these massive reports. My boss is a grump but he is a good person. I get a few e-mails a day and a few phone calls a month. I am not running half way across the country managing 3000 permits a year or all over Milwaukee managing 30 separate programs myself. I could not be happier. But, like I said, you have to get serious about the job hunt and do whatever you can do to continue your career development even if you are doing some crap job to get by. It was a great day when I told a nasty coffee house manager I was going off to make 400% of what she payed me, and I was going to be working four days a week. (I was making 25 cents over minimum, and closing Fri, Sat and Sunday nights). Life is just great! Just keep the faith and hang close to those that will support you no matter what. If you only have two or three people who truly love you, wether you are sick or destitute or rolling in the greenbacks, then you ar a lucky guy... | ||
| Panhead_dan |
I ride and I know lots of folks who ride. A lot. I will stick my neck out a little and state that every single one of them simply hates to take his pride and joy to a dealer for anything. When the subject of an indy shop comes up, their ears prick up and they pay close attention. What they want to hear is that the proprietor is a very good wrench and his prices are less than a dealer. They also want to hear that this indy won't be storing their pride and joy for 6 months with the flimsy excuse that he is waiting on parts. Now if I was you and you were around here with that nice garage, I would get a business liscense, insurance and a sign. Meet the above critera and set your per-hour prices low. As demand heats up, raise your prices to the point where you are comfy with the demand and banking about $50 an hour. At 26 and with a good sense of business, you would be looking at a nice early retirement. | ||
| Greg_e |
Insurance is a HUGELY important thing, especially if you are going to pickup a customers machine. One idiot texting on their phone could cost you the price of whatever you are hauling. | ||
| 86129squids |
My $.02... Dude- research your local market for MC techs, if things look green, do what you have to do to get legit, and go for it!! My mechanic was an original hire at the dealership (as was myself) back when they first opened- he had run his own shop on the side long before the dealership opened and continued to do so- this would cause his boss to give him grief about the "non-compete" issue with the dealership from time to time (TOTAL BS IMHO)- after 5 years there with NO pay raise, in fact they CUT his pay and then hired 2 new techs- he was finally laid off. Word got out. Within 24 hours, someone anonymously posted a Craigslist ad announcing what had happened, that local HD riders should go see him... He's doing fine now, without the constant stress and drag of working for genuine A-holes. Good luck!! |
