need to vent!

[dealer details]

As you can see by my user name, I detail at a dealership. Have been employed at said dealer for 20 years. The dealership was sold in December to anither owner. S all employees, managers have been a little nervous. The used car lot (which is where 95%of my details come ) from has only been doing 50 to 60 cars a month ,down from 100 to 120.The acting Manager decided he needed a detail done on a black 99 Taurus to deliver at 3:00. I told him it cannot be done, but I would wash,vac,wipe down interior, for delivery,and customer could bring the vehicle back the next day.I did this,(no charge) the uc manger then waited for me to leave for the day, then told my body shop manager that the guy that also details with me are not "getting the job done" My co worker has been off all week with a sprained ankle.

So, my question for you guys is this: How would you handle this situation?

Thanks to all who reply, and happy detailing!

[Bob]

As you can see by my user name, I detail at a dealership. Have been employed at said dealer for 20 years. The dealership was sold in December to anither owner. S all employees, managers have been a little nervous. The used car lot (which is where 95%of my details come ) from has only been doing 50 to 60 cars a month ,down from 100 to 120.The acting Manager decided he needed a detail done on a black 99 Taurus to deliver at 3:00. I told him it cannot be done, but I would wash,vac,wipe down interior, for delivery,and customer could bring the vehicle back the next day.I did this,(no charge) the uc manger then waited for me to leave for the day, then told my body shop manager that the guy that also details with me are not "getting the job done" My co worker has been off all week with a sprained ankle.

So, my question for you guys is this: How would you handle this situation?

Thanks to all who reply, and happy detailing!

Beat the snot out of him and make him detail the cars while you walk around drinking coffee all day. Of course this is just one approach you could take. All I know is that some day I want to be 100% self employeed and not have to work under anyone ever again!

For real though, i would talk to someone ABOVE his head.

[CharlesW]

If it appears that the "acting manager" could become your full time manager, you might want to start looking around for other employment. It doesn`t really sound like he is going to be easy to work with.

One thing in your post I wonder about,
"The used car lot (which is where 95%of my details come ) from has only been doing 50 to 60 cars a month, down from 100 to 120."
Does this mean their sales are off 50%? If this isn`t just the December, January slump that usually occurs, it isn`t a very good reflection on how the dealership is being operated. Another reason to look around a little.

Charles

[maximv1]

i went through a similar situation a few years ago. the edalership i work at was bought out and nobody knew if they were going to be kept or not. i did my normal work and figured if it wasn`t good enough for them, that is their problem. with that much experience finding another dealer job and any detail shop for that matter shouldn`t be hard. i know in my area dealer detail jobs are easy to get.

[JeffM]

The only thing that stays the same is change.

Start advertising, take the offense, improve your situation. I dont let anyone grab my balls and squeeze them.

Your co worker needs to get to work. There is something he can do to help. 2 advils, and wrap the ancle.

[00GREENMACHINE]

if he thinks you are not getting the job done them make him agree to work with you one day. Maybe he will see how much is involved in detailing.

You could just be slow. You know after 20+ years of experence and all (jk) :rolling

[rangermanagment]

I will tell you after working at a dealership for a while (and Im sure you already know this) dealership people are shady and stupid. Not to sound childish with the name calling but most of the managers I worked for would have sold their mothers if they got the chance and they were also very childish. I was only a lot teck for a little over a year but in that year and a half time I was feed up enought to never find a job at a dealership again. I would suggest to just keep doing a good job and do what you can. I would bet that its just the manager trying to find someone to blame to try to save himself from looking bad.

[ShineShop]

Get used to it! Most UCM`s are complete idiots about detailing and have no idea what a good detail job is or how long it should take. We actually had to "fire" a dealership as a customer a few years back that was just burying me in work because they were such pushy, unappreciative jerks. The guy in charge of sending out the details said the following to me "we know that you are the best but if someone else can do even 60% as good a job as you and have it back faster than we are sending it to them". That was that. Bye bye. I now deal only with people that appreciate what we have to offer and if they don`t then they better be paying REALLY well. Sounds like your UCM is the standard idiot that makes lots of promises and wants blood if you can`t deliver - no matter how unreasonable the request. I would just keep doing a fantastic job in the least amount of time possible. Dealers want to detail cars to sell - not enter in a car show. Sometimes it`s hard to think that way but that is what they want and more than likely what they are paying for so give it to them.

[shotime]

I`ve had the same experiences. Managers who don`t care and love to place blame. Like the saying goes, s#!t rolls down hill. Fortunately we have a sales manager who is excellent but all the others in the place are worthless. I`ve had it with the BS at the dealership and brought it up today about me leaving but still doing details under my business. The sales manager was all for it. So I may be 100% on my own very shortly. In the end, there`s a reason there`s always jobs in detailing at dealerships, IT SUCKS!