Just a chime....or??

[westgrandboulevard]

If it does much less mileage, it could become an extra bedroom.

[Jerry Oz]

It performed well when I needed to tug the little one home. Much better than hiring a tow truck to move it half a mile, but now I need to get it to a mechanic.

[westgrandboulevard]

Maybe there's a mobile mechanic who someone might recommend? We have one, who is very good, and certainly no more exepensive than garages. If he can't help on something major, he recommends where to go, and who may offer a courtesy car, which he can't. We also have annual subscription with AA recovery service [[which I should quickly add means Automobile Association....!)

[Jerry Oz]

We have AAA in the States. And unfortunately, I don't belong to them... Sadly, there are very few mechanics in Columbus who are known for more than their skills for ripping off customers for whom I can obtain positive reviews.

[westgrandboulevard]

There must be more than a very few competent ones, who charge reasonably....let's just say you're unaware of all the good ones as yet....although I'd agree that maybe only a very few are likely to be particularly good.

[Jerry Oz]

I typically go by word of mouth for doctors and mechanics. I'm sure there are many who are very good, but I've had my fair share of bad ones. Plus, I like to schedule my visit and know that I'll be there for 2-3 hours [[for example) as opposed to arriving at 8:00 AM and leaving at 3:30 PM because they were backed up or because somebody called off from work. Uggghh...

[westgrandboulevard]

If you can find one, it sounds as if a good mobile mechanic would be the ideal solution.

In the meantime, I assume you're not near a good garage. Waiting 2-3 hours is time you could spend better elsewhere.....unless, of course, you sit waiting, but use the time online at SDF...

[Jerry Oz]

I'll have more time in a couple of weeks to get it taken care of. Time to research Angie's List and the Better Business Bureau...

[westgrandboulevard]

Or maybe ask those of your family, friends and colleagues, whose values and opinions you respect, where and by whom their own vehicles are maintained....

[Jerry Oz]

Most take their vehicles to the dealers, which is the safest route. You can't typically ask for your favorite mechanic when you do that because you don't often know who worked on your car...

[westgrandboulevard]

No, you may not know the actual mechanic [[you would if you were to ask, of course, or it is often on the receipt), but I was meaning which garages or which self-employed/mobile mechanics other people had engaged, and how they had found the experience.

Over here, at least, privately owned older cars very often don't go to dealers for that model/maker, as they are out of warranty etc.

The dealers which specialise in particular makes of car are becoming fewer.

By the time the cars have changed hands once or twice, most people just take them to their nearest garage. I'd always prefer to go to one who is accredited and authorised for work on VW, for example, but they may not necessarily sell them.

[Jerry Oz]

And that's my problem: I prefer to take it to a privately owned garage but I'm not getting any good referrals. It used to be a ton of them but almost everybody that I know has more complaints than compliments. Conversations typically follow this general script:
Oz: Do you know a good mechanic? My CRX broke down.
Other Guy: Don't take it to [[fill in the blank).

It doesn't answer the question that was asked, does it?

[westgrandboulevard]

No it certainly doesn't!

Very often, ask someone for their opinion, and they will give a negative response. It's often not an accurate or fair assessment.

I wonder sometimes if people who don't think very much of themselves, are the same when they speak of others.

Maybe the maker's customer service department will have a list of approved garages in your area....? I've often found them quite helpful.

[Jerry Oz]

There is a guy nearby who only services Hondas. He's been in business for years. If he checks out through the BBB and on-line review sites, I'll go with him..

[westgrandboulevard]

Sounds good. Being in business for quite a time says a lot. I always think it strange when I see a business vaunting itself, for example, as "established in 2004". To me, it doesn't seem a long time at all, and a pretentious claim, when I'd be expecting to see decades in business. Then I start to think "in business for 10 years is good going in these times......" . Most new businesses fail before five years has passed....

Personal recommendation is the most valuable and remunerative for businesses, but the response can be much slower in arriving than custom attracted by advertising.

[Jerry Oz]

Customer service cannot be overstated as the number one priority for any business. There's a reason that you thank them for their business. Without it there is no business. I'm shocked at how little people seem to be interested in bringing customers back for more.

[westgrandboulevard]

Those who are self-employed, like myself, see their business as an extension of themselves. They take a keen interest in it, and not just for the revenue. [[that's why I was suggesting you might consider a self-employed, sole proprietor, mobile mechanic) The longer the business runs, the more there is to protect, and the more there is to lose. Personal recommendation is key to the whole enterprise.

Those who are employed generally have a different mentality. They give their time for the money, and are keen to go home - or on paid holiday or retire on a company pension [[self-employed people generally have neither).

The bright ones are working their way up through the company, and/or with an eye on their C.V., and maybe an eye on working for themselves as soon as possible.

Very often, people employed by partnerships offer the best customer service to the customer in front of them, even if it's the annual bonus which provides the greatest incentive. The training will often be superior to businesses which have a different structure. The morale will be higher, and the partners will stay with the business for much longer.

Just my few pounds worth there, on the subject....



I

[Jerry Oz]

Good input. I often tell people with poor morale that they're cheating three people when they come to a job that doesn't deserve their talents. They're cheating themselves, because obviously if they're worth more then someone else is willing to pay it so they should seek out that job and take it ASAP. They're cheating their spouse/partner/family because they certainly don't want to see them come home beaten and frustrated over the indignity of the workplace. And they're cheating their replacement, who is right outside the door and who will be absolutely thrilled at the chance to do their job at the currently-offered rate of pay and conditions of employment.

They typically don't respond when I tell them that but from the dirty looks they give me, I can tell that they don't appreciate the sentiment. But life is too short. Follow that dream before it fades away or realize that there is a reason to be appreciative of your current job. It ain't that hard if you try.

[westgrandboulevard]

You're getting the dirty looks because they realise you understand them better than they understand themselves...but they don't read it as helpful and on their side, they see it negatively, and up go the defences. Even if they agree with you, they won't tell you. You just can't help some people, so best help yourself......

Your penultimate sentence is good with me. Some days, the dream needs more attention, while other days require keeping the present time firmly in mind. It's all about keeping things moving, and keeping them balanced.

[Jerry Oz]

People need perspective sometimes. When they complain that they have to do some horrible task [[like empty a trash can or load pallets on a trailer with a forklift), I think back to when they first came to the warehouse and how excited they were to do everything. Fast forward a couple of years and they almost want you to beg them to do even the jobs that take little or no physical exertion to accomplish. They wonder why you didn't have somebody else do it, even though you gave them the task because they were talking to that guy and keeping him from doing his assigned task. Makes me want to shake my head sometimes... Or put my hands around their necks and shake theirs...

[westgrandboulevard]

If they leave for jobs elsewhere which they consider better, is it easy to replace them?

[Jerry Oz]

Yes and no. We can have someone brought over through the contract labor agencies within a day or so. However, the general quality of the people who are looking for work these days leaves much to be desired. It's not atypical for someone to come in and have no idea why we have attendance or tardiness rules. They sometimes complain about their first assignment [["I want to drive a forklift."). They break out cell phones during working hours and talk as they attempt to convince us that they can work and talk at the same time. Many bomb out within a week.

We had 87 union employees five years ago and through attrition, we're down to 31 right now. We can have up to 50% as many temps as permanent employees, so back in the day, we had well over 100 total. Realizing [[finally) that we were undermanned, the powers that be decided to permit us to hire six of our 15 contract employees. Of the 15, only three were considered to be worth converting and one of them turned down the offer.

So we can hire a replacement, but even to replace the lower-than-desired production of the person with the salty disposition is a struggle.

[westgrandboulevard]

So is that a viable operation for the company? To improve efficiency and reliability, could people currently employed there be replaced by automation, technology etc...?

It sounds as if the company will, in most cases, only ever attract the less ambitious, less intelligent people to the jobs. People who will work for low pay, be honest and reliable are at a premium, and are mostly working elsewhere.

In the meantime, you are marooned at a desk which represents an oasis of intelligence in a work environment where the prospects look negative.

As you have a great gift for penmanship, the first thing I would suggest you do is immediately prepare a scenario for a novel, set in exactly the work place you are experiencing right now.

Everything that happens each day is then grist for the mill of your novel and, meanwhile, you're being paid for your own research. Most writers receive little or no income. When [[not if) you move on to self-employment [[as you have previously mentioned) or another, better-paid and [[much more importantly) enjoyable and rewarding job, the work on your novel will have prepared you to be as sharp as it will need you to be. Publish the novel yourself, if needs be. Don't waste it. It's your life story, and there's only one of you.

[Jerry Oz]

I would like to write a novel and I've often considered basing it on warehousing and some of the interactions that I've been privy to having. I'm going to have a lot of time to work on it soon because Friday's my last day. And there are limited applications in the facility for automation but tons of opportunity to make efficient changes. One of the most frustrating things about the place is the fact that we still operate like warehouses did 30 years ago.

my first managerial job in 1990 had better ways to measure and manage productivity. For the past 15+ years, I have waged a losing war to bring us into the 1990s [[the 21st century was to much to ask for). It's a shame because there was the potential to do so much more, but to spend $100,000 today in order to save five times that amount over the next two years was almost a laughable concept by those who controlled the purse.

Our processes, our equipment, our hours of operation are all backwards but acceptable to those who should demand more. I finally have up, knowing that I've better opportunities in self-employment. And I feel better for the decision even though I have yet to find my landing short.

[westgrandboulevard]

Sounds much more like a beginning, than an ending....

[Jerry Oz]

Trust me when I say that you're right. I used to get wanderlust after a few years on any job and move on to the next. 15 years is easily the longest that I've spent in one place.

[westgrandboulevard]

Well it has proved you can do it, even if it was at least 14 years too long.....

Good luck with the last week of life at your current work, and the first week in preparation for life at your new work.

[Jerry Oz]

In truth, it was probably about five years too long. I'm leaving many good memories and acquaintances behind and I'd be lying to suggest that it wasn't once a great place to be. I'm hoping there won't be too many tears come Friday afternoon... But I expect a few.

[westgrandboulevard]

Do you meet any of your colleagues socially, out of the workplace?

[Jerry Oz]

No, it's best that I avoid building relationships beyond work. That keeps me from being accused of any conflicts of interest when dealing with situations requiring disciplinary action. Other managers have less of an issue with that, deciding to go to the bars with their direct reports and hang out at barbecues with them. God bless them with that, but I prefer the illusion of objectivity to that of favoritism.

[westgrandboulevard]

Yes, it's best to maintain a distance. I never went to work with the priority intention of making friends, and it wasn't so much different even when at college.

It would be nice to think you might be in touch with one or two people there after you've moved on but, by what you say, it sounds unlikely.

[Jerry Oz]

I have two solid offers to meet with soon-to-be-former employees. One of them is a Somali gentleman and the other is from Cambodia. The former wants me to have dinner with him and his family and I am compelled to do it because he is a wonderful person and I'd hate to put him off. The other wants me to be his guest at the Chinese restaurant where he works on the side. The only reason that I'm hesitant is because I have nothing in common with either and I suspect that there will be awkward silences. I'm also concerned about what will be on the menu, but I suppose I can work past that...

[arr&bee]

Psss hey jerry if you take a swig before you go it won't matter what's on the menu.

[westgrandboulevard]

What does 'works on the side' mean, precisely?

Yes, I'd also be concerned about what would be on the menu.

Every time I contemplate a Chinese meal, I wonder why it's been so long since the last one. When I start it, I remember why.

[Jerry Oz]

He works there off the books, meaning he doesn't have taxes withdrawn and isn't recognized as an actual employee. And I like a lot of Chinese food, albeit the kind that's been Americanized [[for example: battered and fried chicken when I ate it, not sauteed). I've never had Somali food, which I've heard is traditionally eaten from the same dish with one's fingers. That may be a myth, but that concept alone will have me lying awake the night before.

Maybe hooch will be necessary... I wonder where I can find some?

[westgrandboulevard]

Unless the Cambodian gentleman is doing voluntary, unpaid work at the restaurant, then your line one sounds like what is known here as 'the black economy',where people are paid cash, no questions asked. It's illegal, and we're having problems with workers who have entered the country illegally - often brought in by their employers and/or 'friends'.

In fact, the Indian restaurant right next to our showroom was visited by a police car and two special vans only a month or two ago....

You wonder where you can find some hooch? How would anyone around here know? Even arr&bee is unsure if it actually exists.....

[Jerry Oz]

VOICE knows where to find it or otherwise how to make more. But his presence on these boards has been scarce lately.

[westgrandboulevard]

VOICE knows where it is, but doesn't approve of arr&bee's interest in hooch, so very unlikely to know how to make more.

VOICE has stayed away for a while, as arr&bee started his own whispering campaign against him.

[Jerry Oz]

That means that trouble is brewing along with the sauce...

[westgrandboulevard]

It's surprising how chatty those unheard voices can be.

[Jerry Oz]

Especially when they're unheard in ALL CAPITAL letters...

[westgrandboulevard]

Yes, indeed......

Positively SHOUTING.

[Jerry Oz]

Am I weird to somehow feel that when I read posts written in capital letters, it reads - well - louder than the rest of the posts? It is just me, isn't it?

Never mind...

[westgrandboulevard]

No, it isn't just you.

I said, "NO, IT ISN'T JUST YOU....."

[Jerry Oz]

Thanks for typing it louder. I am not wearing my seeing aid today and I do hate asking folks "What did you write?" Sooooo embarrassing...

[westgrandboulevard]

"Well, if it was just one to one, it wouldn't be so bad - but all those messages on the other threads in the background are really distracting.

Fortunately, I've recently learned to hear-read, and can understand everything that is being said just by listening to the keys...."

[Jerry Oz]

Did you say that I must try whispering to the bees? What on Earth for?

[arr&bee]

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[westgrandboulevard]

I've just spent all night counting sheep, and now I'm hearing them.

[Jerry Oz]

I saw a sheep walking down the street with headphones on. I believe they were "Bleats" by Dr. Dre...