The Pitfalls of Perfection: Hiring Mechanics Wisely

Many of us have a tendency to obsess over perfection, we go over every little detail and want to make sure everything is just so. Often this can get in the way and we forget that is Good is Good Enough. I get shops calling in every day with a long list of demands that they want for their mechanic, it will often look something like this:

• Minimum 10 years of experience
• Master certification in whatever brand they are working on (i.e. Freightliner, Peterbilt, Ford, GMC, CAT, Komatsu etc.)
• No Jumpy Work History
• Great attitude
• Lives close to the shop
• Valid Driver’s Licenses with a clean driving record
• Willing to accept a job offer below-market rates.

There is probably a candidate out there that will tick all of those boxes but there might only be one of them and it could take you years to find them. What is often forgotten is how expensive is it to have a vacancy in your shop? Not having enough mechanics means:

• Turning away work
• Paying Overtime
• Burning out your technicians

Not having enough technicians has killed a lot of shops, if you turn away a customer and they find a different shop that can do the work quickly, they will likely not return.

There is an old adage that you can have 2 of the following 3: Fast, Cheap, Quality. If you want to find you a mechanic quickly and cheaply they are not going to be a good mechanic. If you want a good mechanic on the cheap it is going to take a long time to find them and if you want someone quickly and they have to be good it is going to cost you.

One thing to consider is, do you really need an all-star or is a general line mechanic going to be good enough? The bread and butter for most shops are the basic repairs that anyone can do, there is rarely a need for that expert diagnostic technician. My recommendation to most shops is to fill up with techs that are good enough and make sure you also employ some Rockstars that can help the rest of the team when they get stuck. Pay your Rockstars handsomely, you will earn the money back and then some if they are good.

Don’t leave yourself short-staffed because you are waiting for that perfect technician to come along, fill up the shop with good techs and you will have a good shop!

If you need assistance finding that Rockstar Diagnostic tech give us a call at 1-833-937-3546 or visit us at www.rockstarmechanics.com for more info. Don’t worry, we can also help you find the good enough techs, I know they are also in short supply.