Coworkers....

[muddy]

So as most of you know I work on forklifts for a living. Today I had to work on a truck that was looked at in the road. That's where the rant begins.

Came in for a "leaking radiator, new carburetor and a valve cover gasket". I get it in the shop, start looking at it. Radiator looks fairly recently repaired and dry as a bone. No evidence of leaking. So I pressure test the system and the water pump is pouring coolant out. Grab it and it has play so it needs a water pump NOT a radiator repair.


So I install a new pump, and thermostat. Truck runs good doesn't over heat or anything. So I go to see why we're replacing the carburetor. I'm assuming the complaint was rough running. Well they were running it with no antifreeze which will cause the vaporizer to freeze up. Well supposedly it has play in the butterfly shaft. I find very little play in it not much more than a new one.

Put the new carburetor on because it was already ordered. Aftermarket of course.... And the new carb doesn't work. As in the engine won't run with that carburetor. This isn't the first defective carb we've gotten (that's a whole other rant on parts quality). So I put the old one on with a new diaphragm. Fires right up.

Next the valve cover gasket. Come leak on a lot of forklifts sometimes big leaks that looo like rear main leaks. Other times it's just damp, dirty or hairy. Ok. This time it's the latter.... however after running it for about 5 minutes I spot a puddle of oil under the engine. I look under and the oil pressure sending unit is leaking... Of course they didn't see that....

This kind of misdiagnosis happens all the time. I just don't get the lazyness or incompetence of our road guys. This isn't the first time stuff has like this has happened. And I know it won't be the last. It just blows my mind. We'll get a truck in that was just serviced less then 50 hrs ago and things are just not greased, adjusted or just plain shot. Things you know had to be shot when they were there.

I just think its a horrible image for the company. You send your forklift in for what you think is a simple repair and you get a quote for so many repairs that could have been prevented or done in a timely manner had the guy actually opened his eyes and looked at the machine.


Alright my rants over. Am I over it, no probably never will be.

Thanks for listening


Sent from my Twisted Mind Of The Mudman

[goodfellow]

Lazy and probably incompetent. Most of those guys probably hate their job; hence they don’t give a damn.
I hear it all the time from shops and contractors - some people, and especially younger folks just don’t want to work these days.

[bonneyman]

Unfortunately stories like this have become the norm. Either people just aren't trained like they used to, or they just don't care, or both. Just recently learned of this phenomenon called "quiet quitting", where workers do just the bare minimum to get by. No above and beyond, doing stuff that you see needs to be done, double-checking to make sure your job is done right. Making the company look good and be profitable is out, only doing what I have to to get paid and then I bail. They feel that the bosses make all this money, and they as workers don't get peanuts. So why should they put in extra effort?

It's disgusting. They don't look past the end of their noses, failing to realize if the company loses profitability then it could fail and they'd all be out of a job. No employee loyalty. So shortsighted. But it's the path we've been on for awhile, and I doubt we'll be able to change it now.

[slip knot]

What I see on my end is that the younger folks dont want to repair anything or learn how to troubleshoot it. They dont understand what they're seeing so they just think its broke and needs replacement.

My facility has 6 automated gates that control access to the site. Our VOIP phone system doesn't mesh well with the gate controller, never has. So the gates get left open. The IT kids insist its our gate operators causing the problems because the gates work everywhere else in the system. I tell them to get me a cost figure to put in the budget to get them working. They send me a cut sheet and quote for a new gate controller. I look it over and see that they have the exact same model gate controller quoted as what is already in place. I shoot an email asking if that is correct model etc... "Yup sure is, thats the gate we use everywhere in the system and dont have any trouble with it." I put $7K in the budget for replacement.  New budget comes along and the gate operator actual cost is now $9K but it gets bought, installed AND still doesn't work. The IT kid just walks off mumbling to his boss about the wiring must be bad?

But I got a good spare gate operator. 

[TexasT]

Opposite of the quiet quitting is the quiet firing, where the employer doesn't provide a decent wage, raises or even a review are never given. People aren't fools and going above and beyond rarely results in any extra when it comes to compensation. So, most don't and won't do it. On top of that the boss or supervisor rarely gives any kind of atta boy or even a decent environment to get the work done. I call it acting your wage. People don't quit a job, but they do quit a bad boss.

Things are swinging over to labor and the power to command a decent wage is arriving. The demographic paradigm has swung to the gen z(kids of the Gen X) in it smaller size than the baby boom and millennials who are now getting into their forties. The labor pool is shrinking and these corporations still think they can treat employees poorly and then act like "no one wants to work". If you don't take care of your employees, they will go out and find someone who will. Especially if they have skillz. AI might be the future, but until it gets sorted out ya need warm bodies show up day in and day out. Juts way more profitable if those warm bodies are competent.

[Lookin4_67GalaxieConv]

Opposite of the quiet quitting is the quiet firing, where the employer doesn't provide a decent wage, raises or even a review are never given. People aren't fools and going above and beyond rarely results in any extra when it comes to compensation. So, most don't and won't do it. On top of that the boss or supervisor rarely gives any kind of atta boy or even a decent environment to get the work done. I call it acting your wage. People don't quit a job, but they do quit a bad boss.

Things are swinging over to labor and the power to command a decent wage is arriving. The demographic paradigm has swung to the gen z(kids of the Gen X) in it smaller size than the baby boom and millennials who are now getting into their forties. The labor pool is shrinking and these corporations still think they can treat employees poorly and then act like "no one wants to work". If you don't take care of your employees, they will go out and find someone who will. Especially if they have skillz. AI might be the future, but until it gets sorted out ya need warm bodies show up day in and day out. Juts way more profitable if those warm bodies are competent.

There's some truth to this for sure, but in industries where the skills are learned and not particularly hard to get, I tend to believe it's the laziness and entitlement of labor causing the issues.

[fatfillup]

Tim, techs like that shouldn't be on the road and they really need to be shown their errors so they can correct them.  But that is on management to do.

Keep your head down and doing your job.  If the bosses don't care, you shouldn't either

[bonneyman]

Tim, techs like that shouldn't be on the road and they really need to be shown their errors so they can correct them.  But that is on management to do.

Keep your head down and doing your job.  If the bosses don't care, you shouldn't either

All I would add to this is document, document, document. Keep a record of everything done, said, and written. Cover the bases. Not that it will make any difference, but - if something comes back on you - you have documentation.

[stokester]

There's some truth to this for sure, but in industries where the skills are learned and not particularly hard to get, I tend to believe it's the laziness and entitlement of labor causing the issues.

San Francisco raised the minimum wage for all workers who work two or more hours per week starting 1 July to $18.07.

No wonder many of the entry-level service jobs are going to kiosks and on-line ordering in an attempt to keep prices down.  It has now become cheaper to implement technology than hire those who need initial work experience.

[muddy]

Tim, techs like that shouldn't be on the road and they really need to be shown their errors so they can correct them.  But that is on management to do.

Keep your head down and doing your job.  If the bosses don't care, you shouldn't either

That is a big problem. No one brings them in and smacks their hand and asks why there throwing parts at it and show them what the real problem is.

Our service manager is basically a service advisor. Doesn't know much.



Sent from my Twisted Mind Of The Mudman

[muddy]

Here's another one.

We have a new guy in the shop. Not really new, actually probably going on a year here soon.

Just doesn't seem to get it. I understand the part of being new and not having the hang of it. But he makes mistakes in jobs he's done the same work in already.

Some of it I chalk up to inexperience. However it seems he's just not picking it up. He does things out of order or makes more work for himself then should be. We do try to help, but a lot of times he asks for our advice then does what he wants anyway. 

He also seems to refuse to buy tools. He's always borrowing tools out of the owners toolbox. (Which is allowed as long as it comes back in same or better condition)

But these are tools he's using on almost every job. Like for example he's done almost a dozen brake jobs and still has to borrow a brake spoon for adjusting brakes. Also a simple 15/16 deep socket everytime he adjusts lift chains. If your using them on almost every job you'd think maybe you should get your own.

Not sure if his last job supplied tools and he feels he shouldn't have to or what. Kinda surprised he's lasted this long.

Oh well word has it we have a new road guy starting some time soon we'll see what that adds to our circus. I'll just keep my nose to the grindstone and do my job.

Sent from my Twisted Mind Of The Mudman

[goodfellow]

 
.............Oh well word has it we have a new road guy starting some time soon we'll see what that adds to our circus. I'll just keep my nose to the grindstone and do my job.

Sent from my Twisted Mind Of The Mudman

That's the best path forward in the long run Tim. Keep your mouth shut, do your job, and don't create more controversy. There are exceptions to this strategy, but in most all cases you come out a winner on the other end if you follow that simple set of rules. 

[Uncle Buck]

 
.............Oh well word has it we have a new road guy starting some time soon we'll see what that adds to our circus. I'll just keep my nose to the grindstone and do my job.

Sent from my Twisted Mind Of The Mudman

That's the best path forward in the long run Tim. Keep your mouth shut, do your job, and don't create more controversy. There are exceptions to this strategy, but in most all cases you come out a winner on the other end if you follow that simple set of rules.

GF nailed it. Put your blinders on and pay no attention to their crap as long as it is not leaking on you or your work. Given enough time and mistakes on his part and he will be gone and the situation will sort itself out. As long as you are not part of the scenery of the problem you will not be seen as a screaming bearing that needs replaced!

[TR]

Well,I hate to pile on but.....operating heavy equipment in today's era is just as bad.We cant anyone that wants to work or feels they need to work!The local union hall cant seem to get anyone to apply for the apprenticeship.The Hall is more or less just sell cards to people.
 I'm now "one" of the old operators,so the ask me to finish grade and to get things done quicker than "Timmy" who is on his cell phone all day ........I can't wait to retire from this !!!!

TR

[bonneyman]

Went into the big Ace Hardware in town over the weekend and actually found a guy who knew what the heck he was talking about. Seems like Ace has been doing a better than average job in getting some good people in there.

Now if they would only stay!