now that they fired their best prius tech there is pretty much no reason to go to this dealership if you own a prius. the way they treat their people is disgusting. they decided that they were sick of my husband and his bad back, but decided to wring as many labor hours as is physically possible out of him.... so they led him on for 4 whole months chasing a promotion that never existed. he cranked out hours and hours every week and came home in agony, proclaiming it would be worth it when they promoted him to the physically easier diagnostic position they'd been telling him about. his direct supervisor constantly assured him they would support him no matter what. then when he took medical leave for 5 work days after a procedure, they almost fired him there but we were armed to the teeth with FMLA law. so they got sneaky, waited a week, and fired him for calling in to work sick and only telling the service writer, not the service coordinator. but not before he diagnosed a repair order this morning so someone else could go fix it. there has been a mass exodus from the service department here for a reason. i suggest people avoid this place. if we could skip town, this would be our prompt to do so. but i'm stuck here in this hell, so he is too. i'm hell on wheels today, folks, so i'm probably not gonna be saying much else on the forums for a while.
Yea, sorry to hear about that. There is no shortage of crappy employers. I hope and trust a good opportunity will come around. Tom
Nikki, this is a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY! DH is eminently qualified to open his own independent repair station specializing on hybrids. If he did it here in the SF bay Area you could live in a style to which you could easily become accustomed. He can charge less and make more than working for someone else. For the first 10 years he will work harder than ever, but after he builds his business and reputation he can 'back off'. By that time you will have advanced in your new career that you two will look back and laugh at this seeming disaster. Best of luck!
ahh if only we weren't stuck here in hell for another who-knows-how-long. if it weren't for my education we would be long gone. maybe over to the west coast, where we could do far better in this business. we thought about going indy, but can't risk anything right now. no, i don't know what's going to happen.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Aug 29 2007, 10:57 AM) [snapback]503794[/snapback]</div> Looks like I picked a bad day to ask you (and hubby) a Prius question. I've got to ask though. We were rear ended and the hatch sill (body) was bent. The body shop ID'd it as an antenna sensor. That makes no sense to me. Any idea what it might be?
Ah, Galaxee, I am so sorry to hear that. I am confident that only good will come of this. Really. It's really awful right now, and things may seem to go from bad to worse, but truly, things really DO work out for the best. Of course, you also might want to take a look at hiring a lawyer.
That truly does suck ! As for going Indy, it is almost always something as this that makes those dreams come true, even when the outlook is unclear you will do the best thing, common instincts kick in. Gotta take that shot sooner or later it just may be sooner than expected. Wish you and DH the best.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(McShemp @ Aug 29 2007, 09:29 AM) [snapback]503809[/snapback]</div> Antenna for the SKS system. There is an antenna for the rear hatch. [attachmentid=11002] Galaxee: Things will work out. Hang in there.
as for going indy, we'd love to if only to take a chunk of their business for ourselves, but the scan tool is nearly $4k even on ebay and i'll be damned if putting him on my insurance won't cost almost as much. (keep your fingers crossed that my borderline-fundable grant gets funded, because that would pay for the insurance. and curse the NIH budget for putting my great application at borderline.) we've got hospital bills up the wazoo from his diagnostic procedure, and haven't gotten a real paycheck since before we left on vacation in july. tonight he doesn't even want to think about it... we have to go pack up his tools and etc and that's about all he can deal with. me, i need stability in my life and want to know what's next. but i'm trying not to bother him about it... at least his car doesn't need major work anymore. i'm thankful for that. sigh... i hate this place.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Aug 29 2007, 02:47 PM) [snapback]503915[/snapback]</div> He actually looks like he's sneering. Mark Jacobson customer survey page. That so sucks. And they are going to be sorry. Does he have a list of his regular customers? He can give them a polite call and let him know he won't be working on their cars anymore. Is there any other dealership he can apply to that needs a highly qualified Prius diagnostician? Now that he's diagnosed, he can look for the appropriate job opportunity. My immediate reaction was also golden opportunity to start his own business. Work the desk and diagnostics and hire for the heavy lifting. And of course contact all of his old customers to let them know he's in business. And Toyota certified. Too bad you are stuck there. How long until the PhD is complete? After that you can move anywhere.....right? Since he was fired and didn't quit....he has his severance pay and he qualifies for unemployment. Gee, he could even be a Toyota salesman, he knows so much about the cars. But...at another dealership. There is another dealership in the area...isn't there?
Sorry to hear what's happened. I noticed this post a couple of weeks ago but had forgotten about it until I read your post. It may not be something for you but here it is in case you did not see it. A hybrid only garage just opened in San Francisco and she had a posting for a mechanic on her site. I will be thinking of you both. I hope things work out for you both real soon. http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=3...luscious+garage
Opposite coast. So the question is...how long does Galaxee have to stay where she is? While a bicoastal marriage is less than ideal, some do it. If you know there's a light at the end of the tunnel, DH *could* take the job in S.F. and Galaxee could join him there when her PhD and work is complete in N.C. Of course, I still think DH should be the boss of his own business, not working for someone else.
oh i'm looking at graduating in mid 2009 and we're the kind of couple that really needs each other around... we kinda feed off each other's energy, i guess is how i'd say it. we're actually looking at moving closer to our home in wi when i finish up, so i don't know what the plans are. so his boss (not the boss's boss) got there while he was packing up tools, and he came over and expressed his surprise and regret. then told him he could get him a job elsewhere. he's going to think it over tomorrow. 2 weeks till we get unemployment, and what severance pay? :lol: man we could use it.
