440 4x4 wrote:
Greg, how is he justifying not paying you? That is crap, and you are being used. I'd have a real issue with showing up for a "job" like that.
He doesn't have a justification. I bring it up, he says, "I'll take care of it" or "talk to Dave" or "I'll have some $$ for you tomorrow when you finish... (insert car)" and walks away and there's no further discussion until next time I bring it up and the cycle starts all over. I raised h3ll with him tonight about it and the excuse was the computer I wrote my timecards on has a bad video card (which is true, it died last shortly after the flood). The BS is, I need to get ahold of another one...
See, Hans is the type of person who says he'll do something, but won't do it until you complain enough about it. This is what got him into trouble on 3si over the years and I've also recently come to find out, he's had other "mechanics" before me whom also have gone thru the same BS I have and moved on.
Believe me, I don't completely let him walk all over me. I refuse to work weekends now and rarely stay past 6:00 regaurdless of how important the job I'm doing is.
440 4x4 wrote:
The backtalking - I've ALWAYS believed in confronting this to the person's face "Look, this is what I'm hearing, please explain...". Give him the opportunity to resolve it. But, he needs to pay you for working.
I've been creative about giving it right back or calling him out on it lately. Many of the people he talks crap to come back and ask me about it. Believe me, there's lots of crap I can bring up too but usually don't...
440 4x4 wrote:
Have you considered just doing it on the side?
You've probably made enough contacts in your time there with all the vehicles that go through.
As a matter of fact, I have been doing side jobs for former GZP customers. At the same time, I've been careful not to rob work from the business but rather "help" people who want to tackle a task by themselves, but want someone knowledgeable there to make things go smoothly.
I've also been using these people to try and find another full time job. Idealy, I'd really would like to stay working for GZP, but only at night/ on weekends. I really do enjoy my job and everything else would be tolerable if the fu<ker would just pay me...
440 4x4 wrote:
I don't know what your long term plans are with the woman, but maybe you and she get a small place with a garage and give it a try??? Certainly plenty of people on the east coast who probably break their sports cars.
We had a long discussion about the best and worst case senerios and how our relationship would work in either case. She's 22 and never lived on her own (except dorms in college, but that's different) and I would like her to at least experience that for a year before inviting her into my home. This way I can see how she handles $$ and her lifestyle. That was the biggest mistake I made with the last one (she moved in with me right our of the nest).
Even though she said she'd hold out for me, the truth is, I don't do long distance relationships, and she wants to finish her schooling (1 more year) before even thinking about moving out of state. So, if I did return home or find a job outside the area, I'd be a free man again. I usually preach that women are disposable, but leaving her would be a hard thing to do for me (yeh, this makes me a hypocrite) as I've never met another woman like her before.
My current place does not have a garage nor can I afford one with this income at this point. My plan is to find another job and work everything else around that.
...and yes, I HATE the new throw out bearing design too on new mitsu cars.
Big smoky mess.
. If it was me, I would give him a date that I expect full restitution to be made, or else. . .(after dropping the hint that it is illegal, I'm sure he could figure it out). The fines that W&H would level on him would make him very sorry he didn't just pay you. The computer deal is bull-shit by the way, there is no reason he can't manually tally the hours and cut you a check and catch the system up when it gets back online. If all else fails we could sneak into his house, tie him to his bed in the middle of the night, and beat on him with baseball bats. I know it's a little extreme, but it would be entertaining, and well worth making the drive down for. I'll keep my eyes peeled for job openings, but West Michigan is in it's worst economic state ever. Also, when you do leave there, make a call to the bbb and file a complaint.