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Why I Had To Fire My Best Technican! I Couldn't
Take That Kind Of Talk From Anyone!
by Deputy2 9th February 2001.
"Igor was the best Porsche Tech in America! But he had to go, his attitude was wrong, and he had no respect for anyone!"
Why I Fired My Best Technician
We had a good crew at the dealer-ship in Rockford. Selling and servicing
some of the best cars in the world. My job as service director was
complex to say the least. Not only did I have to make sure everyone was
busy, making money and happy, but I had an obligation to our customers
as well. Our lists of automobiles were the top of the European market.
Porsche, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and MG. They were very expensive
and needed the best of the best to keep them in good running order. To
hire technicians that would be capable of doing the proper job was no
easy task. It took years of training before a person reached the goal and
experience to become a Master Technician, and I had a shop full of them.
All of my guys were Masters, except one and he already has three years
under his belt and is well on his way of becoming one.
A service representative (SR) from each of our lines would visit our shop
at least once a month and on some days I would have to entertain more
than just one. On the day that I fired my best Master Technician, Jim
Brewer, from Audi was the SR.
Jim was from Ireland and was a super guy. We were good friends on and
off of the job. Our families knew and visited with each other on a regular
basis.
Jim was in my office and we were going over the service bulletins,
discussing the changes that had occurred in the last printings concerning
a change in a lock washer being used, instead of a special pin lock device.
However I knew it was an argument that was in vain, you do not tell the
Germans that they are using an incorrect part. It is just not done. They
wrote the book on communications and it's their way, or no way! After all
we were selling their products and it was their money should the device
not work, as it turned out, it did not. Jim had asked me if there were any
problems in the shop and I answered, "of course not. Why do you ask?"
"When I first came in a little while ago, Igor was acting a little strange.
When I said hello to him, he just turned and walked away from me." Jim
said. Igor was without a doubt one of the best Porsche Master
Technicians in America, if not the best. He had worked for the
dealer-ship ten years prior to my coming on board. "Well, it just so
happens that Igor has been fluffing off the last few days. He has been
working all morning on an oil change and installing a block heater in a
Mercedes diesel. The job pays 1.8 per flat rate hours in the book and he
has been on it for 3.5 hours already. He doesn't want to work on any
thing but Porsches." I replied.
The window in my officer faced out into the shop and I could see all of
the technicians as well as the customers when they drove up to the
service write up desk. I looked over Jim's shoulders and saw Igor standing
next to a Jaguar, bull-shitting with Robert Kohlmeyer. Not only was Igor
idle and four stalls away from his work stall, but Robert was now idle too,
due to Igor being present. As my face started to turn bright red, Jim
stopped talking and looked at me, then turned and saw Igor talking to
Robert. We didn't run a slave shop, and we had a break for the guys
every two hours, but enough was enough. Igor needed a talking too and I
was in the correct frame of mind. I picked up my telephone and pressed
the inner-com switch, and pressed the public address, giving me access
to reach the entire building including the outside. "Igor, see me in my
office. Now please!" Jim started to get up to go and I motioned him to
stay seated. Igor, looked at me for a long time, then started to shuffle
himself towards my direction. Oh how I hated that act. He was a super
guy, but could be a hard nose should he so choose. Finally after what
seemed to be twenty minutes, he entered my office.
"Just what the hell is your problem Igor?" I started out. "What? What?" He
asked. "What have I done?" He asked. "That's just it, you haven't done
anything most of the day. That's what this is all about Igor!" I was
fuming. I am a very easygoing person, but he had gotten to me. "Why you
no like what I do?" He asked. " No Igor, I do not like what you are not,
doing. Anyone, even I could do the repairs on the MB, in less than two
hours and you have been on it almost five. Talking to Robert is not the
answer here." I said. "Well, you can kiss my ass then." He said. "Okay,
Igor that's it. Take your tools and get the hell out of my shop. I don't
take that kind of talk from anyone." I answered. Igor turned and walked
out of my office.
Jim looked at me and said, " are you nuts, Igor is the best guy you got!" I
looked Jim right in the eye and said," you know, maybe you should mind
your own business, we could do this another day, if you want." Just then
Igor was seen pushing his toolbox past my window, with his radio, posters
and his little seat on wheels sitting up on top. The toolbox had not been
moved since the day he started twelve years before. There was a knock
at my door and Dyane walked in. He was red faced and wanted to ask me
a question. "Did you just fire Igor?" He asked. "Yes I did and it is none of
your business." I answered. "Well.. Fine then I quit!" Dyane said. He
turned and walked out. "Holy shit, are you crazy, you can't let those two
guys leave." Jim said. "Tell you what, Jim, if you have a problem with this,
then you get your ass out of here and tell Audi to send me a different SR,
I don't need your shit either." I said.
Just then there was another knock on the door. Dyane and Igor walked
into the room. Jim got up to leave. I made a motion for him to stay
seated. "But, I shouldn't be here, you guys should talk." Jim said. We all
three looked at Jim. And I asked him what was the date? "What is the
date, why it's April 1st why?" He asked. The three of us all said, "APRIL
FOOL!" The joke is on you Jim Brewer! HAW, HAW, HAW, HAW, HAW,
HAW.
Jim got beet red and then joined in the laughter. "You S.O.B's.
You got me, really got me." He said. We had planned the whole thing early in the
morning prior to Jim arriving at our shop. He had never had an April fool
joke pulled on him before. He would never have a good one like that ever
again. We had done well the three of us!
© 2001 Deputy2 Feb.09 All Rights Reserved.
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