I've often told myself that following these
"three C's" would lead me to success in most situations. I found in
life however, it's not always so black and white. Life at times comes in shades
of grey and the correct course of action is concealed by a shadow of doubt.
Young automotive professionals need to carry themselves with confidence even when the outcome of a situation is unclear, after all no one wants to take their vehicle to the person who is unsure of themselves and speaks with a shaky voice. In reality, mistakes do get made; I've eaten my fare share of crow and washed it down with pride, but from those mistakes lessons are learned and those lessons are ones that are really hard to forget.
A few
situations constantly stay in my mind as examples of what not to do; mistakes
made by me or things overlooked resulted in outcomes that at the time
were hard to fathom.
For years
I struggled with doubt from customers due to my age and experience level and
for the most part I can't say that I blame them. Young technicians face this
type of stink eye responses when the customer finds out that the person just
out of high school will be receiving the keys to their vehicle. I learned that
the best reaction in the pressures of doubt isn't to submit but to resist; remember the
hand that strikes also blocks. Confidently reply to customers questions while
keeping your composure even if the situation becomes heated and learn to concentrate
on what the conversation is about and what's being said. Assure them that you
are skilled and if experience is minimal tell the customer that you are being
supervised by well trained seasoned veterans of the automotive trenches. Give
them the option of having their technician switched if they still feel uncomfortable
about the young Tech, but also assure them that the guy with grey hair in
the shop started out in the same situation years ago, with
only slight situational differences.
It's been my experience as a young Tech that nothing inspired me more than a completed confident repair and then the day comes when you repair something that the others you work with haven't encountered. Pride and confidence are at an all time high then a mistake is made, sometimes a costly one. Being older now, what is my advice to younger Technicians? Be proud of your success but embrace the failure, for you learn far more from the failures than the success, after all the moral of the young technician's story is to learn and gain experience not be a Secretariat right out of the gate.
The past shows us that the people who are successful in life and business fight the lump in the throat feeling. Examples of this are found everywhere in the pages of history and are not confined to any particular section. From the creation of the Packard Motor Company in response to a challenge from the Winton Motor Carriage Company to Trudeau's “Just watch me” statement in the face of the FLQ crisis, we find defiance in the face of pressure and fear, for this the destruction of doubt and the birth of professionalism resulting in the success of the individual or individuals.
Be proud
young Technicians for you are a member of a profession and not just a trade.
Don't just view yourselves as a mechanic or technician, but as a
professional in the automotive industry specializing in vehicle repair and
customer service. Learn from your mistakes and put those lessons in your tool
box right next to the quarter inch drive ratchet and five eights
wrench so they can remind you of what not to do. Just like boats need buoys to
tell them where to go Technicians need reminders of the danger zones
too. This Technician keeps a bent connecting rod and near fatal ball joint
stud in his work area along with many other buoys I've found in my
automotive industry journey. Just one of the few tricks I've learned.
Matt Armstrong
(Automotive Technician/Sussex Corner New Brunswick
Matt Armstrong
(Automotive Technician/
