The alpha and omega of the car biz.

[Pupik]

For about 6-7 weeks, I've been searching for a new job. I'm not about to move anywhere in my present position, and that's wearing my patience thin. Everyone who's in a higher position than me is related to the family ownership, other than my supervisor, who's been with the company for 6 years. The job's been quite easy, in fact; but nobody wants to give me shot to do more important tasks. That bothers me somewhat...

Maybe they think I'll ask for more pay if I do more important tasks (my pay isn't spectacular, but I'm not fighting off creditors or starving, so I haven't complained since day one.) Despite all that, it's probably the first job I truly regret leaving. Everyone likes being around me (or at least pretends to!), and always appreciate the extra mile I go to help out, even when nobody asks for it.

Well, I feel it's time to do something else. I've been told by many people that the local Lexus dealership treats its employees like royalty compared to anything else. Plus, I've always wanted to get a job related to automobiles, even if it isn't much in the way of driving them. Plus, there's lots of room for advancement throughout the network of dealers it owns.

So I've been hired by the local Lexus dealership, the largest in the world (ahem, North America...but I'm supposed to say "World" since 99% of us know a Lexus is a Toyota by any other name...) I'm going to listen to customer complaints about their car, and write up the paperwork and submit it to the service manager. I also show the "customers" to the waiting rooms. But it's not like anyother waiting room at your local dealership...leather sofas and chairs, two big-screen TVs with satellite dishes. High-speed Internet access at a couple of stations; al the beverages and snacks they can drink, and a complimentary newspaper. I show them that auto service isn't a bad thing.

In short, earlier to rise, and I'm not going to be at a computer for much of my day. The days are longer (10-12 hours), so I'm probably just going to veg out at the end of the day.

I want a challenge, and to be challenged. I also want a job that I think I'll appreciate and maybe even like to do. On April 30th, I get the chance to prove myself in a more competitive environment.

I'm not completely disappearing, because with an increase in pay, I can finally get that PS2 (as well as pay for student loans). Who knows how much time I will find, maybe a moment here and a momment there, but I'll no longer have the opportunity to place orders for books and school supplies while GTPing...

Anyway, enough babble...Thanks to everyone...for all the fun and chaos over the past year and so! I appologize for all the mis-spellings, poor grammar, and toes I've stepped on here and there.

 

[Red Eye Racer]

Congrats,.... 👍

I envy you,... I wish I had a job that kept me busy enough to spend less time here.

 

[RVDNuT374]

I spend way too much time here. Maybe a job would fix that.

 

[Belda_Da_Hun]

i have 2 get a job this summer, i need money to restore and further sup-up an old 1974 duster in my grauge. and i need to get one this summer or sooner if i want it on the road by the time i get my licence.

---> see the "rotten" thread in auto pic and videos forum.

 

[DGB454]

Congratulations. Good luck on the new job.

 

[Matrixhasu77]

Good luck man. I know I spend far to much time on GTP than I should.. That's why I plan to find a job (Already doing that too).

 

[Pupik]

Alright, now I've started some sort of support group.

GTP-Anonymous?

 

[Sage]

Congrats! (And what's wrong with being GTP for several hours each day? )

 

[Flerbizky]

Originally posted by youth_cycler
Congrats! (And what's wrong with being GTP for several hours each day? )

That I wondered myself ?... Beats being at work thats for sure
(and being one of the A.holes that can be at GTplanet when being at work I guess I should consider myself lucky )

 

[space]

Good Luck, Pupik

 

[Psxgamer27]

im at work now and on here...so.....rofl

 

[Pupik]

Things are going slow right now; I thought I'd share a little about my new job right now.

I work for JM Lexus' serive department, and it's the largest Lexus dealership in the world. They sell about 700 cars a month, and I help advise people to maintain their cars; take them around the facility, and pick-up the owner's car and replace them with loaner cars.

It's a lot of fun, but the hours are long. Twelve-hour days, lots of paperwork in between, but everyone gets along quite well, so it's a lot of fun. I get commission bonuses on cars I don't even sell, not to mention benefits from the labor performed on the car.

So the pay is significantlly better than before; in a year, I get a discount on a Lexus. But for now, I do have a name badge and a parking sticker!

I think I've been blessed, save the sore feet and lack of GTP participation lately.

 

[MazKid]

Very cool man. Did you have to move for the job?

 

[-Fred-]

Congratulations! That's a good job on so many aspects!

 

[Pupik]

Nope, I'm only about 1.5 miles from my house; which is nice because I can drive home for lunch.

The funny part is how I applied for this job; but was told I was unqualified, so I was offered a lower-paying job in the parts department. So figured, what the heck, I interviewed, thought I did well (so did the parts manager, it tunred out).

So I call back a week later, asking if I have been awarded the parts job...the HR says, "No, but we think you'll make a wonderful Assitant Serive Consultant." I held back my tongue on that one, and a week later, I got the job!

Life is strange sometimes.

 

[milefile]

Can you get me a discount on an IS300? Pretty please?

 

[Pupik]

I'm trying to get one for myself...it's going to be a while, though. I will get Lexus cars (Lexii?) at very near invoice price after a year. I won't go into details, but invoice price isn't as low as you may think. So I'm not getting an IS300 for $13K or anything like that. I just settle for taking the IS or an LS for jaunts to pick up customers.

The tough part is getting into your own ride when the day is though! The A/C isn't automatic, there's no power locks and windows, or leather seating...but when I know it runs, and the customers are worried that their's probably doesn't, it's a better feeling of security hopping into that 10-year-old Corolla.

 

[Blazing20]

Originally posted by pupik
Things are going slow right now; I thought I'd share a little about my new job right now.

I work for JM Lexus' serive department, and it's the largest Lexus dealership in the world. They sell about 700 cars a month, and I help advise people to maintain their cars; take them around the facility, and pick-up the owner's car and replace them with loaner cars.

It's a lot of fun, but the hours are long. Twelve-hour days, lots of paperwork in between, but everyone gets along quite well, so it's a lot of fun. I get commission bonuses on cars I don't even sell, not to mention benefits from the labor performed on the car.

So the pay is significantlly better than before; in a year, I get a discount on a Lexus. But for now, I do have a name badge and a parking sticker!

I think I've been blessed, save the sore feet and lack of GTP participation lately.

That's awesome, and congratulations! 👍

 

[Vasco]

Wow, that rules mate! Nice job

 

[made in holland]

Congratulations on your new job!

But don't tell Boombexus about it, otherwise he will be begging for free repairs on his Lexus.

(BTW, where are the pics you promised me, Boom?)

 

[Gil]

Congrats Pupik,
Have you gotten to drive the LS400 hartop convertible yet?
You lucky dog.

 

[Sage]

Congratulations, pupik!! 👍

I'll gladly take a yellow IS300 within the next year, thank you very much.

 

[Frustrated Palm]

Congrats pupik . Going down the street full of dealerships is heaven enough, but you get to work in one ...

 

[1X83Z]

Sounds like you've got quite the job - how thrilled is the dealer that you drive a Corolla and a CR-V? I guess a Toyota is better than some competitor, though, right?

Oh, and, you don't actually have to try to convince people to buy the ES300, right? I mean, sheesh - have you seen the headlights? How damn long are they? Five feet?

 

[risingson77]

Hey, thats really cool. Congrats. 👍

Now all I need to do is weasel my way into a Lamborghini parts department.

 

[Fallen Blade]

That's a pretty cool job. I'm glad for ya.

 

[rjensen11]

Originally posted by pupik
...it's going to be a while, though. I will get Lexus cars (Lexii?) ....

Now don't you go remembering how to do Latin grammatical and sentence stuff, let me forget it!

 

[Pupik]

I was fired from work on Friday. In short, customers have quite unhappy with my level of service in the past 8 months, and the surveys reflect that. The dealership's scores are sinking (more aptly, they're afraid of losing Elite status for the first time in 15 years). A new boss took over, and he cleaned a few of us out. That's all it takes; several people in my department, and a few other departments, lost their jobs too.

At least there was some small consolation, as both of the members of the firing squad (my bosses) said "we have never had any reason to question your honesty, integrity, and work ethic"..."but the numbers say otherwise, even we know you're good with customers". Small consolation indeed, after 4+ years of hard work for the company. I've never been fired before, although I was once "let go" from a second job (the company wen under in a few months anyhow, so I don't count that).

I shook one of my bosses hand when it was all said and done; after all, he'd hired me in the first place, and promoted me, and we'd always shared a good laugh or story just about every day, despite our 25-or-30 year difference in age. He told me it wasn't his decision. Even if it was, that's business. I didn't keep up my end of the bargain, so that's the breaks.

It's a good thing I actually save money each week, in case of emergencies like these. We're no "2 weeks away from living in a cardboard box" type of family, the way our finances are set up. We're checking in on our health insurance paperwork; one paper says I lose everything immediately, another says I have 30 days. Our life insurance policies are mostly canceled. I can't see my personal physician anymore, and neither can my wife, unless we pay all premiums. I normally wouldn't care, but with a baby, you actually start to worry about these things.

In any case, since there wasn't much of a "golden parachute" for me all along (some profit-sharing stuff that I'll get in 90 days) and corporate policy doesn't allow for demotions (unless your position is destroyed or you become injured), I made sure to work on my resume every 6 months or so, tweaking it here and there, just in case the bottom fell out. I'll probably just stick with the profession I'm in, being a service manager, just because it's still more fun and more rewarding than any other job I've had (despite the headaches).

Anyhow, I shook hands and hugged a lot of colleagues. I suppose it says something for my integrity, since everyone else that's been canned at my work received the obligatory "walk to the car". I packed up the office supplies I had brought to work over the years, some tools, and threw out a lot of stuff with the work logo on it like my business cards and coffee mug. I handed my ten loaner car keys to the fellow at the desk next to me. He's only been there about 3 weeks, but he's a nice guy, but he never has enough cars, he says. So hopefully I made somebody's day.

To top it off, it's a cloudy, rainy day. The weather is typical for an June afternoon in Florida, so I'm not so bothered. But it's now 4pm, so going for a drive to forget my troubles is out of the question. Facing my wife and 5-month-old isn't going to be easy, but since I forgot my cellphone, I truly had to go home anyhow. And my wife took the news like a champ, no anger, no sadness. I was pretty stoic about it all, although a bit confused and a little bit of denial about it all.

On Saturday, I finished up the resume, and had it checked over. On Sunday, I started recording dealerships' addresses and names, plotting them on a map. I mowed the lawn and trimmed the heck out of some bushes like a psychopathic samurai. That felt good, plus it gave me time to think and regroup my courage and confidence, which is back where it was 48 hours ago.

I'm not going to let The Man get me down for long, since I too, was once The Man.

 

[Sage]

Ouch! Good on you though for keeping the finances and resume in order – hopefully that kind of long-term thinking is the sort of thing your next potential employer will see in you.

Strangely enough, just a few hours ago I was looking at the job listings for a local Mazda dealer, because I need a summer job once finals are over.

 

[Touring Mars]

Sorry to hear the news, Josh. But it sounds like you've got your head around the situation very well, which is a tremendous credit to you. As you allude to, most people when faced with this situation would probably not react so calmly or be able to deal with it quite so well... but the fact that you are able to handle it in this way will certainly help you get another job alot quicker.

I work in academia (for the moment) where the threat of a summary sacking is extremely low (unlike the private sector), but even so I know only too well what the stress of a contract termination (even a planned one) can cause, esp. when it involves people who have children. It sounds like you've covered your bases well enough to be able to cope with the immediate aftermath, but I guess the next few weeks might test your patience and your character - however, by the sounds of things, you're up to the task and hopefully you'll not be in limbo for too long.

I've always been skeptical of the private sector after seeing how my Dad was treated by the company he worked for, practically his whole adult life. In the late 1990's, the company essentially made their entire 'middle management' staff redundant. The lack of loyalty they showed towards my Dad and many others like him totally shattered the illusion that I once held that these companies are 'Investors In People' (as they proudly proclaim themselves to be)... But as you are demonstrating (and as my Dad did at the time as well), there is little point in resentment and bitterness towards the company - as you rightly say, "That's business". Atleast you have the benefit of knowing full well what that really means.