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Episode 22- Natasha from Ohio GM Tech who has lots of experience working on different vehicles(just not EV's) :p
62 Plays1 month ago
Brand new podcast hosted by a Shop owner and a Shop owner/Technician . Natasha from Ohio speaks to us on being a GM tech. Great conversation from another very experienced technician. Give this one a listen for sure, you won't be dissapointed!
Visit our Facebook page at The Shop N Tread Talk Podcast!
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Transcript
Introduction & Guest Introduction
00:00:00
Frank Wiebe
okay No? All right.
00:00:01
Aniz Lavji
Welcome everyone to the Shop and Tread Talk podcast. My name is Anis and as usual, we've got Frank with us. Frank, how are you doing?
00:00:09
Frank Wiebe
Whoa, I'm doing very good. Very good today. I just came home from a massage, so I feel really good.
00:00:12
Aniz Lavji
just work There you go.
00:00:15
Aniz Lavji
We just want to remind everyone before we introduce our guests, you can follow us on the Shop and Tread Talk podcast on Facebook. Make sure you share and like and we appreciate it. Frank, why don't you introduce our guest today?
00:00:15
Frank Wiebe
Yep.
00:00:29
Frank Wiebe
Well, today we have Natasha with us today. um She's a GM tech, I think you said. And um we've we met on TikTok and some of the videos she puts out is like, man, I wouldn't want to do that kind of stuff. And I'm like, you know what? Good for you. So, Natasha, tell us a little bit about yourself, how you came to be in this trade.
00:00:53
Frank Wiebe
And ah we'll just ah continue the conversation from there.
00:00:58
Tasha
I'm going to say sorry for my voice again, getting over it.
00:01:00
Frank Wiebe
ah
00:01:01
Tasha
but
00:01:01
Frank Wiebe
It's all good. We've been there.
00:01:03
Tasha
ah um So I actually started working on cars with my dad and grandpa in the backyard. And so I ended up going to a vocational high school and did that for two years. Then I went to college for the General Motors ASAP program for another two years.
00:01:19
Aniz Lavji
Oh, wow.
00:01:19
Tasha
And during that time, I was working in my first dealership and I was there for about five and a half years. And then ended up coming home being a stay at home mom for a little while and worked my way back in as a lube tech and now I'm actually a used car tech at a GM dealership.
00:01:36
Tasha
So got two of my ASCs.
00:01:37
Aniz Lavji
OK.
00:01:38
Frank Wiebe
Oh, a used car.
00:01:39
Tasha
Yeah, I like it.
00:01:40
Frank Wiebe
That's cool.
00:01:42
Tasha
It's good. I mean, you kind of work your way up.
00:01:43
Aniz Lavji
something different every day.
00:01:45
Tasha
Yeah, you work your way up to line tech, but um we're pretty full right now. So I'm okay where I'm at. I'm going for my third ASC here soon. So
Importance of ASE Certifications
00:01:54
Aniz Lavji
Wow, that's great.
00:01:55
Frank Wiebe
Very good. yeah You know what I like about being a used car?
00:01:56
Tasha
yeah,
00:01:56
Aniz Lavji
I
00:01:58
Frank Wiebe
I was a used car tech for many years, and there's nobody that complains about stuff. thats That's the best part.
00:02:04
Tasha
Yeah.
00:02:04
Frank Wiebe
you You don't have customer complaints you got to deal with every day.
00:02:07
Tasha
Yeah.
00:02:08
Frank Wiebe
So
00:02:08
Tasha
That is the nice part.
00:02:08
Aniz Lavji
ah love the customer proposal.
00:02:11
Frank Wiebe
you just be like, this is the list of things that got to be fixed. And you just fix that. And off it goes, right?
00:02:17
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:02:17
Tasha
Oh yeah.
00:02:17
Aniz Lavji
and Don't ask me for a boot kit. Don't ask me for caliper pin sliders. You're you not getting it. Whatever's on the list, that's it.
00:02:26
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. So your certification in the US is obviously a lot different than we are here in Canada.
00:02:27
Aniz Lavji
So you're
00:02:33
Frank Wiebe
And when when you guys talk about ASC certification, is that is that a mandatory thing or is that kind of like a um voluntary certification that you can do to just upgrade yourself?
00:02:45
Tasha
So for General Motors, they definitely want you to have it. It's a part of our center of learning. You know, we have all these modules.
00:02:51
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:02:52
Tasha
um So for GM, yeah, they want you to get them. And it affects your dealership, too, how much training you have done.
00:02:55
Frank Wiebe
Okay.
00:02:59
Tasha
So it's it's very much a team thing. so But it it helps. Like, if I wanted to go somewhere else, like Toyota or Honda, that's going to look good for me. So...
00:03:09
Aniz Lavji
For sure. Yes, I think i was talking to a previous guest. I think Melody was even saying the same thing, like the the dealership, she's at Chevy. It's got to have a certain amount of techs that are have certain qualifications, at least here in Canada.
00:03:10
Frank Wiebe
Okay.
Connecting Female Technicians
00:03:25
Aniz Lavji
So in the U.S., it must be the same thing. Like you have to have a certain amount of master techs and certain amount of techs that have ASC certifications to kind of function as a dealership, right? Because i know it's very different with the dealership in the States compared to Canada, that's for sure.
00:03:35
Tasha
Yeah.
00:03:39
Tasha
Yeah. I kind of learned that with watching Melody's podcast with you guys.
00:03:42
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:03:43
Tasha
I was like, Whoa, what are they saying? But yeah, I think we're friends on Tik TOK.
00:03:45
Aniz Lavji
She's awesome. we You two should connect for sure. Nice.
00:03:50
Tasha
I have to double check, but yeah, I think we are.
00:03:51
Aniz Lavji
OK. Oh, she's awesome.
00:03:53
Frank Wiebe
That's really cool. i think I think that is really cool that through the through this podcast here, we've been able to connect quite a few people and especially female techs that didn't know each other at all and were able to connect it.
00:04:03
Aniz Lavji
Mm-hmm.
00:04:06
Frank Wiebe
So um I think that you are our third, fourth.
00:04:13
Aniz Lavji
Third or no fourth. If you add.
00:04:16
Frank Wiebe
female female guests so that it's really cool so i i kind of feel like maybe our podcast is kind of gearing towards uh finding and interviewing uh female texts which i think is phenomenal yeah well i met i met a we met a girl at um at tools and she's from philly they run uh
00:04:16
Aniz Lavji
um
00:04:29
Aniz Lavji
love it. i then We need more.
00:04:41
Frank Wiebe
ah forget what it's called, car clinic or something like that. And
Balancing Work and Family
00:04:45
Frank Wiebe
so we'll be having them on later. But I think i think having female texts is phenomenal. So many, there's so much, I don't know what the word to say, but people think that, oh, it's a girl working on a car like Melody. If you heard Melody's podcast where she was working on a car or on a truck and a guy's like, nope,
00:05:04
Frank Wiebe
take it off the hoist, run it out. I don't want I'm like, you know what? If somebody did that to me, it's like, you know what? I will take it off the hoist, but we're going to put it on a tow truck and you take it to the other side of town and don't ever come back. That's exactly what would happen if that would be like, or I'd be just like, you know what?
00:05:19
Frank Wiebe
Go sit in a corner, shut up. We'll let her finish her work.
00:05:23
Tasha
Yeah.
00:05:23
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:05:23
Frank Wiebe
One or two.
00:05:26
Aniz Lavji
So the current place you're at, how long have you been there, Tasha?
00:05:30
Tasha
ah Four years this August.
00:05:32
Aniz Lavji
Four years this August, okay.
00:05:33
Tasha
So, yep.
00:05:34
Aniz Lavji
Close to home or is it kind of a long commute you have every day?
00:05:39
Tasha
It's roughly 30 minutes if I didn't have kids and daycare and school.
00:05:41
Aniz Lavji
Okay.
00:05:44
Aniz Lavji
how How many kids you got?
00:05:46
Tasha
I got two little girls.
00:05:47
Aniz Lavji
Two little girls. Okay.
00:05:48
Frank Wiebe
Oh, cool.
00:05:48
Tasha
Yeah. They're great.
00:05:50
Aniz Lavji
That keeps you a little busy. A little bit.
00:05:52
Tasha
So, so busy it's non-stop but it's good i i love them they're the best thing that's ever happened in my life
00:05:59
Frank Wiebe
oddly
00:06:01
Aniz Lavji
that's why we all work, right? For our our families and kids, right? the You walk into work, you finish your work and your priority is always ah always your children and your family, right? so work is always going to be secondary. It's a means to take care of yourself and your family, right?
00:06:17
Tasha
absolutely i mean i clock out like i'm late to get home
00:06:20
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:06:21
Frank Wiebe
Exactly. And you know, that doesn't change. Like how you live your life for your kids doesn't change, even when they're grown up. And like we're
Dealership Culture and Work Dynamics
00:06:30
Frank Wiebe
we've been empty nesters now for like four years or something like that. But still, if they call and they want to do something, you know what? We're right there. Let's do it. Right.
00:06:39
Frank Wiebe
Make plans. We've got something going on in the weekend. My son's like, hey, can I come home a little earlier so we can go work in the woodshop? Let's do it. You know what? I don't have any plans. Let's go. So that does that never changes. Even even as I grow up, life and circumstance changes, but they will always be your number one and should always be your number one priority. And I think that's phenomenal. It's phenomenal that you can balance that work. You got work and you've got your your kids and that you can still take the time for them. And um like you said, you're being you were a stay at home mom for a while and back to work now. That's that's a tough goal, I'm sure.
00:07:13
Frank Wiebe
But good for you for for making that step and and
00:07:13
Tasha
Yeah.
00:07:17
Frank Wiebe
being able to to achieve that and go forward with that.
00:07:21
Tasha
Thank you.
00:07:22
Aniz Lavji
are are your girlss the oh sorry go ahead i say Are your girls interested in automotive mechanics at all?
00:07:22
Tasha
I have a really good family. No, go ahead.
00:07:31
Aniz Lavji
are they? how old are they and they should have asked that
00:07:35
Tasha
So eight and six, my eight year old is she is a girly girl through and through and I love it. It's adorable. My youngest is a tomboy. I mean, i don't know if she wants to work on cars, but she likes to be there when I am.
00:07:49
Tasha
So we'll see how that goes.
00:07:50
Aniz Lavji
Okay, so me maybe maybe she'll be getting the wrench set from Toys R Us sooner or later, right?
00:07:56
Tasha
oh yeah.
00:07:59
Aniz Lavji
Oh, that's great.
00:07:59
Frank Wiebe
yeah
00:07:59
Frank Wiebe
You know, one of my favorite pictures from many years ago, and I just today talked to the guy who gave me my first job in in the industry, and he's actually coming back Thursday to get his air conditioning fixed. 90 years old, this guy is. Wonderful old man. And my favorite picture from when I was at his shop is my son, probably...
00:08:24
Frank Wiebe
Wow, you would have been two, maybe two, three years old on a bicycle with training wheels. And he's just outside the shop. And I was working and i and I took a picture of him and he's just sitting there watching daddy work. And I'm like, you know what? It's it's such a precious picture. I love it. It's it's so nice.
00:08:41
Frank Wiebe
and And having those kind of memories, having memories of like, oh, shit, I'm working and my kids, whatever.
00:08:41
Aniz Lavji
It's a small Are you pushing quite a few hours every week or you able to get out on time like for your schedule and everything?
00:08:47
Frank Wiebe
But having those memories of they appreciate you, those are real nice to have.
00:08:53
Tasha
Oh, yeah. ah So it it seems like it's week by week right now. Like last pay period, I hit 136 hours.
00:09:09
Aniz Lavji
There you go.
00:09:09
Tasha
Awesome.
00:09:10
Tasha
Today I left. It's we're on our second week of the pay period. I left with 44 hours. So I'm hoping to turn it
00:09:15
Aniz Lavji
Yeah. You're still getting
Managing Workload and Job Satisfaction
00:09:17
Aniz Lavji
your 40-ish hours, right?
00:09:17
Tasha
around.
00:09:19
Tasha
What was that?
00:09:20
Aniz Lavji
Yeah. So you're you're getting your 40-ish hours every week, right? And I'm assuming it's flat rate, right?
00:09:23
Tasha
Yeah, I mean, I know I'm, yeah, I'm flat rate.
00:09:25
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:09:26
Tasha
I mean, I know I'm going to get there. Like, I like to, my base 100. Like, that's my bare minimum that I want to hit.
00:09:31
Frank Wiebe
Okay.
00:09:31
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:09:32
Tasha
So, i had to leave work early last week because my kid was sick.
00:09:33
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:09:37
Tasha
So, I'm hoping I can make that up. I work this Saturday. So, typically, I hit between 100 and 115-ish.
00:09:45
Tasha
So, mean,
00:09:45
Aniz Lavji
But the hours are there, right? So you don't have to worry about that at least, right?
00:09:48
Tasha
yeah nah for the most part we're pretty i mean we're really busy. Like we didn't really have much of a slow season this year past season.
00:09:55
Aniz Lavji
Okay, that's good.
00:09:57
Frank Wiebe
That's good.
00:09:57
Tasha
oh
00:09:58
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, well, hitting 100 or 100, 110 hours, that's that's doing really well, especially especially doing used cars like that, because some sometimes this you're you're picking that little weird stuff that is like just going to, you know, a half hour here and a half hour there or some kind of stuff like that.
00:10:04
Tasha
Yeah.
00:10:17
Frank Wiebe
But then when you get big stuff like that last video I saw where you're taking a steering rack out, you know, that's that's pretty decent money like that when you can do that.
00:10:23
Tasha
oh
00:10:26
Tasha
Yeah, I like the big job sometimes.
00:10:27
Frank Wiebe
and Yeah, and using that purse as a hammer, I mean, that that'll make it work a lot faster anyways.
00:10:33
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:10:34
Tasha
Those were so funny. i don't know. They cracked me up. I loved it
00:10:38
Frank Wiebe
i was I was just watching that little bit now again, and I was thinking, you know what? wonder if it's going to be one of those things that's going to continue where it's like, oh, no, use ah use a toothbrush or use a hairbrush or something like that, and then you're just going to make this whole series about ah how different ways to knock a rotor or a wheel off or something like that.
00:10:55
Tasha
So me and my coworkers are actually joking about that the other day. He's like, you're going to start the video with an armful of stuff. Okay.
00:11:01
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, exactly.
00:11:03
Aniz Lavji
At the dealership, what's the culture like there? Like if you need help with something, are your coworkers willing to give you a hand? Because I know with flat rate, again, I'm just assuming that everyone's trying to get their hours. So some people may or may not want to give you a hand with something. Like what's the culture like at your shop right now?
00:11:23
Tasha
um For the most part,
Thoughts on EVs and Diesel Engines
00:11:25
Tasha
everybody's most everybody's willing to jump in and help. And i mean, it's honestly, I've worked in two, technically three different dealerships.
00:11:35
Tasha
I worked at a sister dealership to my first one.
00:11:36
Aniz Lavji
Okay.
00:11:37
Tasha
This is, I would say, by far the most helpful. um The dynamic, it seems like it it changes daily. But but I mean, you know, it's hard doing this job.
00:11:45
Aniz Lavji
Okay.
00:11:48
Tasha
Everybody gets frustrated.
00:11:49
Aniz Lavji
For sure.
00:11:50
Tasha
And some weeks it's just laughing and good. And other weeks it's like, yes.
00:11:54
Aniz Lavji
Why did I do this?
00:11:56
Tasha
Yeah. So, I mean, i'm i'm honestly very lucky for the men that I work with, like sales, service.
00:12:02
Aniz Lavji
great.
00:12:04
Tasha
I mean, it's good compared to a lot of other places.
00:12:08
Aniz Lavji
Are there any other women in the shop with you?
00:12:10
Tasha
No. So I've actually never worked with another female technician.
00:12:12
Aniz Lavji
Okay.
00:12:13
Tasha
Now they did have two before me at different times, but I never worked with one.
00:12:19
Aniz Lavji
Okay. That would be interesting, right? To have another another women working in the same field as you in the in the garage. I don't know what that dynamic would be like for you.
00:12:27
Tasha
Well, so there's these two girls on TikTok I watch. I don't know their names, but they work together and they make such fun videos together. And I would hope it would be like that. like
00:12:36
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:12:37
Frank Wiebe
or Or it could be the exact opposite, where you'd be like, you've buttoned heads so bad.
00:12:42
Tasha
And that's i I fear that.
00:12:42
Frank Wiebe
and
00:12:44
Tasha
I do. Because I wouldn't want that, you know?
00:12:44
Frank Wiebe
well i I could see it going both ways. um Because some some people, do you know what regardless of what gender, some people just don't have just don't have a good dynamic together.
00:12:57
Frank Wiebe
And and i've seen I've seen two guys in a shop, and it's like, no, you know what? You're on that end, you're on that end, and it just doesn't work.
00:13:06
Aniz Lavji
Yeah. Yeah.
00:13:07
Aniz Lavji
I've, I've,
00:13:07
Frank Wiebe
I could see you being like that, but it's good that you've got good coworkers that are willing to help you out when when need be.
00:13:14
Tasha
Oh yeah.
00:13:14
Aniz Lavji
but It goes both ways, right? So if they need a hand, hopefully you'd be more than willing to give them a hand with with their job. So, you know, it's it's ah it's a give and take for sure.
00:13:25
Tasha
Oh yeah. I remember whenever I started in this field, my nickname was foot and hand, small hands and pump the brake pedal.
00:13:31
Aniz Lavji
Oh, man.
00:13:32
Frank Wiebe
Hello, everyone.
00:13:33
Tasha
It was fun.
00:13:33
Aniz Lavji
Yeah. Hmm.
00:13:35
Tasha
But yeah. no
00:13:36
Frank Wiebe
You gotta learn and work your way up to the bigger stuff.
00:13:39
Tasha
Oh yeah. Definitely. You never, you're you're always learning here.
00:13:41
Aniz Lavji
Hmm.
00:13:43
Tasha
Always.
00:13:45
Frank Wiebe
What would you say is your ah favorite job to do
00:13:45
Aniz Lavji
So. Mm-hmm.
00:13:50
Tasha
oh
00:13:52
Tasha
That's a good one. I like i like doing camshafts on like 5.3s, 6.0s, 6.2s. Those are fun for me.
00:13:58
Frank Wiebe
do? you Do you pull the oil pan off to do those and... and
00:14:03
Tasha
I do. Yeah.
00:14:04
Frank Wiebe
okay
00:14:06
Tasha
I know some people are like, oh, you can do this, you can do that. But, well, yeah.
00:14:10
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. that Apparently there is a cheater way so you don't have to pull the pan off where you can get a wrench in there and get the, ah get the pickup tube out and then relocate the pickup tube bolt or something like that.
00:14:21
Frank Wiebe
If I'm not mistaken, you don't do squat.
00:14:23
Aniz Lavji
Yeah, that's what I do, Frank.
00:14:26
Frank Wiebe
Remember you've got a pink seal. but What? I've only ever done one. I've only ever done one camshaft on a 5.3. And I'm like, you know what? The next time I do one, I'm pulling the block.
00:14:39
Frank Wiebe
That was such a lot of work.
00:14:42
Tasha
Yeah. Was it newer?
00:14:45
Frank Wiebe
14, maybe something like that.
00:14:46
Tasha
Okay. So
Insights on the Used Car Business
00:14:47
Tasha
those are those are the, in my opinion, the good years. Those are the fun years.
00:14:51
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. ah I'd way rather do camshaft on ah on a Hemi than on a Chevy. It's, I don't know.
00:14:57
Tasha
Oh, I've never been into this.
00:14:58
Frank Wiebe
i've done I've done quite a few. I think I've done two camshafts on Hemi's, but lots of lifters and head gaskets and stuff like that.
00:15:01
Tasha
and
00:15:05
Frank Wiebe
um But to me, that's that's a much better job than the those Chevys are. Chevys are a lot of work. I used to be a Chevy guy. Now I drive an F-150.
00:15:20
Aniz Lavji
I don't have time to fix your own vehicle.
00:15:22
Frank Wiebe
That's true. i actually pay the guys to do it now because I don't have time. its it
00:15:27
Aniz Lavji
at um At your dealership, you said it's mostly used cars, right, that you're working on at the moment?
00:15:32
Tasha
Yeah, me. Yeah.
00:15:33
Aniz Lavji
OK. So is there a certain variety of cars, or is it the same shake day? the same shake every day
00:15:42
Tasha
It comes in waves. Like, I feel like one week it's just Jeeps, Jeep Wranglers, Jeep, just Jeep. And right now we're in a Jeep phase. So I'm over it.
00:15:51
Aniz Lavji
okay
00:15:52
Tasha
But Jeeps, Fords.
00:15:54
Aniz Lavji
Oh, don't say that too much. Jada Mechanic might listen. And, you know, you're talking too much trash about Jeeps. I don't know.
00:16:00
Frank Wiebe
he he loves he loves his jeep but he got pretty frustrated he when he was leaving tools his abs light came on and of course he scanned it right away and tried to clear the code it wouldn't go out he's like no he's like damn it i'm gonna have to drive this thing all the way home without without cruise control that was
00:16:00
Aniz Lavji
but
00:16:00
Tasha
I can't help it.
00:16:01
Tasha
It's in my genetics.
00:16:03
Aniz Lavji
I know.
00:16:14
Aniz Lavji
That just means you need to work on your abs, Frank. Come on, get it right.
00:16:23
Aniz Lavji
Too bad you guys weren't at ah a conference with a bunch of mechanics. Could have fixed it.
00:16:27
Frank Wiebe
I did say that, but, you know, there wasn't an O'Reilly's nearby to get ah to get an AVS sensor. So, you know, we were out of luck.
00:16:36
Aniz Lavji
That's okay.
00:16:37
Frank Wiebe
so So having all the Jeeps in there, how many oil coolers or rocker rocker arms have you had to do?
00:16:44
Tasha
So oil coolers, it's like changing underwear. So pretty common, but we don't really get into the engines.
00:16:49
Aniz Lavji
Okay.
00:16:52
Tasha
Like if it's a big job on a another brand, we tend to send it back to auction or what have you.
00:16:58
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:16:58
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, makes sense.
00:16:58
Tasha
So they don't want to put that kind of money into it, which is it's fair.
00:17:02
Aniz Lavji
lot of time too, right?
00:17:02
Tasha
I mean, we're trying to make a profit.
00:17:06
Aniz Lavji
Yeah, that makes sense. I would just farm that stuff out if I had to. and But yeah, we've done that too. we've had We sell and did sell cars. we We just don't have time to sell cars right now. But if we ever got vehicles in that needed heavy duty work, that thing's going right back to the auction, take the hit and move on to the next car.
00:17:25
Tasha
Yeah.
00:17:25
Frank Wiebe
You got to watch what's going to make money, what's going to lose money.
00:17:30
Tasha
And it it can be a slippery slope. Like you start on something, especially over like 120,000 miles, you'll do whatever to it. And then the next day it's
Tools and Training Support
00:17:39
Tasha
like, well, the check engine lights on. And then it's like, well, this wheel bearings making a noise or the differential.
00:17:43
Tasha
And you're like, I didn't miss it. It's just, it's got a lot of miles. It either sat or somebody drove it. Like it's risky business sometimes.
00:17:50
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:17:53
Aniz Lavji
You guys have a QC person that goes out when the car's all ready?
00:17:53
Tasha
and
00:17:58
Aniz Lavji
Like a quality control person or?
00:17:58
Tasha
ah like after it's completed being worked on.
00:18:03
Aniz Lavji
Yeah, like like say you finished a a large job on it. Do you have like like a GS or someone that would go and drive it and just quality control the work?
00:18:10
Frank Wiebe
Please.
00:18:14
Tasha
So we typically like we'll go and we have like we call it the loop. So we take this car and we take it around the loop. You know, you hit the highway, town, everything.
00:18:21
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:18:22
Tasha
And if it's a bigger job, then We have like CSTs that we, and we'll have them drive them around for a couple of days or something like that.
00:18:31
Aniz Lavji
Okay.
00:18:32
Tasha
But I mean, some cars, I mean, they'll sit for a little while or, i mean, you know how cars are, you know, after 140,000 miles, you're going to get a check engine light after you do something.
00:18:38
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:18:45
Aniz Lavji
Always.
00:18:45
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, no matter what you do, something's going to come back and bite you.
00:18:48
Aniz Lavji
Well, we have a, we have a, like a sonar thing we've mounted on top of our building. So whatever cars drive by, it sets off the check engine lights every, every eight minutes. So it works great for business, you Yeah.
00:18:49
Tasha
Oh yeah.
00:19:01
Tasha
Yeah, I mean, money's got to come from somewhere.
00:19:03
Frank Wiebe
What you need to be doing is throwing these tacks out on the road so people come in for tires.
00:19:07
Aniz Lavji
Frank, Frank, I already do that every Saturday.
00:19:08
Frank Wiebe
There you
00:19:11
Frank Wiebe
What you need to do is get a cop friend and get one of those spike strips. Then you can get back in so no one knows you did it.
00:19:17
Aniz Lavji
ah got the team. I got the team who's special. can get those, no problem.
00:19:23
Frank Wiebe
You've looked into this. I see how it is.
00:19:24
Aniz Lavji
No, I've not i' never looked at a spike strip. I mean, maybe.
00:19:29
Frank Wiebe
You go into your search history. ah How many spike strips can I legally buy?
00:19:36
Aniz Lavji
We don't have to talk legally. I mean, it's if it gets shipped in from China, the box is going to say like croutons or something. Don't worry about it.
00:19:43
Frank Wiebe
ah yeah really yeah
00:19:45
Tasha
This is a thinker.
00:19:48
Aniz Lavji
Back to you um Do you work on any any electric vehicles at all?
00:19:56
Tasha
So I'm keeping my distance for as long as possible.
00:19:59
Frank Wiebe
i
00:20:00
Tasha
I can't stand, I'm not a fan. I've never liked them. I have no interest, but we've got, i think, huh?
00:20:04
Aniz Lavji
Okay. Okay.
00:20:07
Aniz Lavji
Have you had to, though? Have you had to work on any?
00:20:10
Tasha
Yeah.
00:20:12
Aniz Lavji
Okay.
00:20:12
Tasha
Not really. Just like light inspections or something like that. Like nothing EV related really. You know what I mean?
00:20:19
Aniz Lavji
Brakes, suspension, tires kind of stuff.
00:20:21
Tasha
Yeah. So I'm okay with that.
00:20:24
Aniz Lavji
Yeah, they're very...
00:20:24
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, well, you have to be you have to be certified to work on the actual EV part of it anyway, right?
00:20:25
Aniz Lavji
Okay.
00:20:29
Tasha
Yeah.
00:20:30
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, okay. I know that we have to up here to touch that. I mean, first of all, you have to have training in the in the high voltage and then you have to be certified to work on it.
00:20:41
Aniz Lavji
You have all the special screwdrivers and all the gloves and outfit and everything.
00:20:45
Frank Wiebe
Oh, my. Well, not only that, but you have to have a specific bay dedicated with a certain area
00:20:48
Tasha
oh Yeah.
00:20:55
Frank Wiebe
with, oh my gosh, like I would, I would, A, I would never even able to get into it because my shop wouldn't allow it. But I just, I'm the same as you, Tasha. I'd be like, why, why there's enough people that would love to do that.
00:21:09
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:21:09
Frank Wiebe
I wouldn't mind driving one, but getting into that, it really is an awful lot.
00:21:14
Aniz Lavji
I'd
00:21:14
Tasha
yeah
Community and Knowledge Sharing
00:21:15
Aniz Lavji
never touch the battery on those things.
00:21:16
Frank Wiebe
even for Even for a dealership, so if your dealership is certified to work on them, my cousin works at a Chrysler dealership and he said for them to sell the new Challenger,
00:21:29
Frank Wiebe
i Challenger? Electric Challenger. um I think they had to buy $100,000 worth of equipment so that it would be able to service that Challenger if they ever needed to, just so they could sell it.
00:21:43
Frank Wiebe
So let's say he said, let's say we and ever only sell one Challenger.
00:21:44
Aniz Lavji
Huh.
00:21:48
Frank Wiebe
We have to spend $100,000 in equipment just to be able to sell it so that if it ever comes back for service, we have that equipment.
00:21:56
Aniz Lavji
They'd have to give them 50 grand just to buy it. The thing hasn't sold at all. I've seen people trying to give those away. Like they did not do well in that vehicle, apparently.
00:22:05
Frank Wiebe
yeah i don't doubt it so i would imagine something like that would be the same in the gm dealership so that then you have to be certified for to work on it and i'm like
00:22:05
Aniz Lavji
Hmm. Hmm.
00:22:17
Tasha
Yeah. And then like you said, there's, there's a lot of people that want to do it. Like we have our EV slash diesel guy. He is into this stuff. And like you said, he has his own special bay.
00:22:26
Frank Wiebe
i okay
00:22:27
Tasha
It actually used to be an attached car wash. So they remove the car wash and it's a double bay. It's a big door and you you can just block it off. And so he loves it and good for him. Yeah.
00:22:40
Aniz Lavji
To each their own, right? Like the people that love him, love him.
00:22:42
Tasha
Yeah.
00:22:44
Aniz Lavji
But people that don't like him do not like him at all.
00:22:47
Frank Wiebe
So that's the same about diesel.
00:22:47
Tasha
Yeah.
00:22:49
Frank Wiebe
What's your thoughts on diesel stuff?
00:22:51
Tasha
Now, I don't mind working on them. Like, I've done work to them. not Nothing major internal or anything like that. But it's just so much more extra tools.
00:23:02
Tasha
Like, come on.
00:23:03
Frank Wiebe
Mm-hmm.
00:23:04
Tasha
So, again, the diesel guy, he's got a good toolbox I can borrow from.
00:23:05
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:23:05
Frank Wiebe
And...
00:23:10
Frank Wiebe
Not like if you if you listen to Melody's podcast, she that's what she does. She loves diesel stuff. And I'm like, good for you.
00:23:19
Tasha
It's it's just so tight.
00:23:20
Frank Wiebe
Good for you.
00:23:20
Aniz Lavji
We don't even
00:23:20
Frank Wiebe
and
00:23:21
Tasha
I mean, it's so big and it's so tight nowadays that like don't even want to like I did.
00:23:24
Aniz Lavji
know.
00:23:25
Frank Wiebe
It really is. Yeah, and even though you've got, what did you say, something about your hands before, even though you've got small hands, but you've got to get them down in there, it's nothing.
00:23:33
Tasha
yeah, my hand, they get torn up. I mean, ah i don't like it.
00:23:37
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. what and No. When there's so much more fun work and easier work to do, why work on the diesels? That's what I've always thought. Why why would I pun punish myself?
00:23:46
Tasha
I like how they pay.
00:23:48
Aniz Lavji
Yeah, I'm sure they pay really well, though.
00:23:50
Tasha
They pay really good. So it's like I'm torn. i want to but yeah.
00:23:56
Frank Wiebe
It's just, just you're you're in ah you're in Ohio, so you're still kind of in the rust area. So just you wait until they get to be really rusty. Like the reason, a lot of reasons I don't want to work on the diesel because it don't matter what bolt you touch, it's going to break, especially on the exhaust.
00:24:11
Frank Wiebe
If you have to take a turbo off or something like that, everything breaks.
00:24:12
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:24:14
Frank Wiebe
Everything breaks.
00:24:15
Tasha
Yeah.
00:24:16
Frank Wiebe
and
00:24:17
Aniz Lavji
Wait.
00:24:18
Tasha
<unk> like the one plus about being in a dealership.
00:24:18
Aniz Lavji
Here, I don't think i
00:24:20
Tasha
It's like, normally they're not that bad yet, but we get them.
00:24:23
Aniz Lavji
I'd...
00:24:24
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:24:25
Aniz Lavji
I just feel like i don't think I'd have the clientele that we're willing to like leave the truck and say we'll work on it and we'll call you when it's done. like My clientele, they want it done within the week or within three or four days, right? Stuff like that. I mean, again, we don't work on diesels, but I'm assuming that it's not quick stuff, most of the things, right?
00:24:46
Aniz Lavji
Everything takes time on those.
00:24:46
Tasha
No. Yeah, I mean, just to do the...
00:24:48
Aniz Lavji
Other than breaks and stuff like that, I mean, i would never touch them.
00:24:49
Tasha
and They're big, they're heavy.
00:24:56
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:24:56
Frank Wiebe
Well, everything everything is bigger.
00:24:58
Frank Wiebe
Like, even if you think, like you said, brakes, just a flipping caliper could be the the weight of a whole wheel on on another truck. or Or, like, a drive shaft is 10 times heavier.
00:25:10
Frank Wiebe
it just
00:25:11
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:25:12
Frank Wiebe
It's so much extra your effort. I have a i have a a friend, he's... he's a short little guy and, and he's always worked in the diesel industry. And I'm, always ask him like, how do you do it? said, Oh, i love it. I can get right up in there. It can crawl underneath and climb up it I'm like, probably that's a good thing. But the, the weight of this stuff, like a starter weighs as much as, as a, as a head on a, on a vehicle or something like that. and it's like,
00:25:40
Aniz Lavji
You also need a 12,000 pound hoist, right? Like you can't, most of them are over 10,000, are they not? Right.
00:25:46
Frank Wiebe
Oh, definitely.
00:25:47
Tasha
Uh,
00:25:47
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. ye Yeah.
00:25:49
Aniz Lavji
You're not going to use a regular lift on them with that.
00:25:50
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. You couldn't get away with a 10 or 12,000. Well, even even if you're going to do like ah ah some of the three quarter tons, if it's dually with diesel, right, you might even need a 14,000 pound hoist.
00:26:03
Aniz Lavji
Unless you're in Brampton, everything flies there.
00:26:06
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. They're probably putting dualies on 10,000 hoist or an 8,000 pound hoist.
00:26:12
Aniz Lavji
even.
00:26:15
Aniz Lavji
It's okay, Tasha. You can Google Brampton later and everything will make sense.
00:26:19
Frank Wiebe
oh Brampton is is like your Detroit, I think. is
00:26:25
Tasha
Oh, okay.
00:26:27
Frank Wiebe
yeah Yeah, if you want to equate something, yeah, I think that would be a very equivalent city.
00:26:27
Tasha
That makes sense.
00:26:33
Aniz Lavji
The $99 full window tint special is, yeah.
00:26:39
Frank Wiebe
$200 safety as long as it drives there and back.
00:26:42
Aniz Lavji
Oh, boy, we better stop talking about brand. We're going to start losing listeners here.
00:26:45
Frank Wiebe
If you're from Brampton, we love you as long as you're subscribed to our podcast. yeah
00:26:49
Aniz Lavji
Yeah,
Significance of Training and Conventions
00:26:50
Aniz Lavji
okay. no That's less better.
00:26:51
Frank Wiebe
after
00:26:52
Aniz Lavji
um So, Tasha, what are your what are your plans? like Where do you see yourself know in the future? do you see yourself doing the same thing? Are there any other aspirations that you're striving towards?
00:27:05
Tasha
Um, I probably should put more thought into it, but I guess like for right now, I'm just, I mean, obviously I want to move line tech, but I want the, I want it to be the right time. Like I don't want to jump into line tech, have one rack. And then like most line techs have two racks at our dealership and that's, it's a big difference. So right now we don't have that kind of space.
00:27:30
Aniz Lavji
Okay.
00:27:30
Tasha
And my main goal is to make money for my kids.
00:27:33
Tasha
Like, I mean, Yeah, i guess I guess I'll go where the money goes. Yeah,
00:27:40
Frank Wiebe
like okay I think that's how we all follow it eventually at some point.
00:27:44
Aniz Lavji
Yeah. Yeah. Have you issues with like is like when you're at the dealership, you you don't get to pick your tickets, right?
00:27:54
Aniz Lavji
You get to sign tickets, basically, the r ROs.
00:27:56
Tasha
yeah we don't pick. So, I mean, as far as line techs go, I'm sorry.
00:27:59
Aniz Lavji
Have you had issues with like favoritism, stuff like that?
00:28:04
Tasha
Uh, not really. i mean, ah feel like some guys are just better.
00:28:07
Aniz Lavji
So like the buddy-buddy gets all the big tickets?
00:28:10
Tasha
I'm sorry, what?
00:28:11
Aniz Lavji
Like, you know, sometimes, you know, the guy, the service writer is the buddy of the mechanic and they get fed a lot of the juicy tickets. Nothing like that goes on.
00:28:20
Tasha
i mean, I feel like sometimes it feels like that, you know, but again, it's, it's impressive how well this dealership does with, I mean, again, comparatively, it's impressive.
00:28:23
Aniz Lavji
Yeah. Yeah.
00:28:29
Aniz Lavji
It's great. Great.
00:28:33
Tasha
Like, And, you know, if you do a favor for a service advisor, they'll throw you an oil change or something, you know, like it's you have again, you have days where you're like, is this guy?
00:28:39
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:28:45
Tasha
see
00:28:45
Aniz Lavji
yes
00:28:45
Tasha
you know.
00:28:45
Aniz Lavji
Yeah. And that's why I'm asking because I mean, every, every dealership is different and from the sounds of it, like yours is only up and up, but I've definitely talked to people where they're like, yeah, it's a struggle to get good tickets. I mean, they get fed.
00:28:59
Aniz Lavji
you know, bulbs and, you know, test drives and stuff like that. It's hard to make dollars and hours on that, right?
00:29:06
Tasha
Yeah. Warranty is the big, golly, you know, warranty can.
00:29:11
Aniz Lavji
Warranties are the best. They always pay you what you what you deserve right?
00:29:15
Frank Wiebe
To
00:29:15
Tasha
Oh, yeah. I will say there's this one guy I work with. I feel like he gets a lot of warranty and I'm like, you doing okay, dude. But he makes it back, you know, he'll get like, you know, a 30K service, which always pays well.
00:29:32
Tasha
So, I mean, they try, you know, they, I can see where they try.
00:29:34
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:29:36
Tasha
I can see where they probably dropped the ball.
00:29:39
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:29:40
Frank Wiebe
Well, it's a hit and miss everywhere because you're always going to have something ah that somebody isn't going to excel at or or and and then be like, oh, crap, I really didn't make time on that at all. So if your service advisor is real good, they're being like, you know what, I can see that you struggled and here we're going to help you out by doing such and such.
00:30:01
Frank Wiebe
um
00:30:01
Tasha
Yeah. And, and they are really good about that.
00:30:01
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:30:04
Tasha
It's even as like a used car tech, if I'm working a Saturday and the line, we have one used car tech, one line tech on Saturdays.
00:30:06
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:30:11
Aniz Lavji
Okay.
00:30:11
Tasha
So if the line tech's getting like overwhelmed, you know, the used car techs will help with the customer work and whatnot.
00:30:17
Tasha
And sometimes the, you know, they'll help out the used car tech too, you know, like, well, here, here's four tires and an alignment.
00:30:18
Aniz Lavji
There
00:30:23
Tasha
Thank you.
00:30:24
Aniz Lavji
you go. Yeah, and the front of house and the back of house have to work together, right?
00:30:25
Frank Wiebe
Mm-hmm.
00:30:28
Aniz Lavji
To make the whole thing flow, right?
00:30:30
Tasha
Yeah, it does.
00:30:31
Aniz Lavji
new Do was gonna say you guys, but do you all um have morning meetings weekly or how does that work?
00:30:41
Tasha
So, yeah, so my service manager, he'll do, I forget what day of the week it is, but he does it with the advisors. And then on Fridays, he does it with our group.
00:30:51
Aniz Lavji
Like a huddle, right?
00:30:51
Tasha
And then ah Yeah, and then all the managers get together and do their little chit chat. And so it is weekly.
00:30:57
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:30:58
Tasha
And I will say I like that.
00:30:59
Aniz Lavji
Okay.
00:31:00
Tasha
Some some days you're like, I don't want to hear it. But
00:31:03
Aniz Lavji
It's early too, right? it's because It's before you open and everything, right?
00:31:07
Tasha
it's that's a little bit after. Like, it just depends on how the day goes.
00:31:10
Aniz Lavji
Okay.
00:31:12
Tasha
But typically, I'm not showing up before 8 o'clock. Like, so...
00:31:17
Aniz Lavji
Does it help?
00:31:17
Frank Wiebe
That's that real here.
00:31:18
Frank Wiebe
You've got you've got kids you've got to get up and get dressed. They ain't no getting work at 7 a.m. m
00:31:23
Tasha
Yeah, no, no.
00:31:25
Aniz Lavji
Does it help the whole like work dynamic though? do Do you find it to be helpful?
00:31:31
Tasha
I, yeah. So I worked at another dealership for a short time. And that was one of the things whenever I was leaving that they brought up that they didn't like is that they didn't have meetings.
00:31:43
Tasha
So going into my new dealership, I actually asked before the interview, i was like, do you guys talk about things weekly?
00:31:43
Aniz Lavji
I
00:31:50
Tasha
And they do. So I think it makes a big difference.
00:31:54
Aniz Lavji
i think it's is's quite important. We try to do these meetings, but i have I've only got like three and a half guys right now. So we're so slammed dave day in, day out that we just don't have the time to have that meeting. But once it slows down, which I hope it doesn't, but once we get some time, like I really love having those meetings because you get to talk about stuff that you can't really talk about on the fly, right? When you're in the middle of stuff.
00:32:22
Aniz Lavji
So I think that's great that you're having those meetings once a week.
00:32:22
Tasha
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
00:32:25
Aniz Lavji
that's quite important.
00:32:27
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, it's something that we've talked about in our shop too, but I i find, again, that just to take that time to have that meeting doesn't work. But it but it works up pretty good with me. Like I'm still working on the floor and I've got the other two guys working with me.
00:32:39
Frank Wiebe
So usually I'm like, when something arises, then we're like, hey guys, okay, come on.
00:32:40
Aniz Lavji
Yep. Yep.
00:32:45
Frank Wiebe
We'll have a little chat. We'll have a little powwow and talk about things. And then once we've discussed it, then we can get on with our day again. Sometimes I feel like writing it down and then waiting till the end of the week and then being like, okay, this and this and this we need to chat about. It's like, you know what? That was four days ago.
00:33:05
Aniz Lavji
yeahp
00:33:05
Frank Wiebe
We've got about it.
00:33:06
Frank Wiebe
We move on. But one thing that we learned at tools this week is that you need to celebrate your wins and discuss your losses, right? So that everyone can be like, oh, you know what? We did really good on that.
00:33:19
Frank Wiebe
Let's celebrate that. So I think doing that is going to be real important. Something that we're going implement um just to help encourage, right? So as long as we always encouraging each other, working in this industry, that's how we're always going to improve.
00:33:36
Aniz Lavji
Does does
Family Influence on Career Choice
00:33:37
Aniz Lavji
your did your work send you for training at all, Sasha?
00:33:41
Tasha
ah Yeah, so I'm actually really lucky. One of the training centers is very close to my dealership. It's actually where I went to college, so that's cool.
00:33:47
Aniz Lavji
OK. Nice.
00:33:49
Tasha
But um ah yeah, they'll send you, they'll pay for it, you know, and then my only thing is like, ah especially with like the diesel or EV training, you have to like go far and...
00:33:54
Aniz Lavji
OK.
00:34:01
Aniz Lavji
Yeah, but you love the EV training, so you'll go you go as far as you as far as you can to go for those those trainings, right?
00:34:04
Frank Wiebe
And
00:34:08
Tasha
Oh, yeah, definitely no. So, but I mean, most of, and and I typically only sign up for the one nearest because I've, again, with the kids, I just, I mean, my parents are, I'm very blessed with the parents that I have, but they're not raising kids anymore.
00:34:18
Aniz Lavji
With the kids, yeah, yeah.
00:34:24
Tasha
Like their lives are different now, so they can't take on that role.
00:34:27
Aniz Lavji
Yeah, I can relate. It's not the same like it was years ago.
00:34:30
Frank Wiebe
and they shouldn't have to, right?
00:34:32
Tasha
Yeah, no. But.
00:34:36
Aniz Lavji
No, I can imagine like going for those trainings is a little bit of a project, right? There's a lot of lot of organization that goes into that, not just for you. Like you have to arrange for your kids. and Because they're not they' if they're a little far away, usually do you stay overnight or is it just like a day thing?
00:34:55
Tasha
ah So it depends. I think there's like there's like three day training. There's not many of those, but some of them it's like, you know, you go for the night and then you do the training and drive back.
00:35:00
Aniz Lavji
Okay. Okay.
00:35:06
Tasha
And I don't like being far from my kids, so I'm good.
00:35:09
Aniz Lavji
Of course, course. Have you gone to any training, like any of these, kind like Frank just got back from tools?
00:35:18
Aniz Lavji
Have you gone any expos at all?
00:35:18
Frank Wiebe
tool
00:35:20
Tasha
ah No, actually, I saw that and I was like, i didn't even know that was a thing.
00:35:20
Frank Wiebe
have a filter here
00:35:24
Tasha
It's like right next door, you know?
00:35:27
Aniz Lavji
Yeah, yeah.
00:35:27
Frank Wiebe
hey You say that's right next door. You still have a bit of a drive. I met a guy there. He drove every day. He lived an hour away. he did not know about it. He found out about it from Jeff's podcast.
00:35:39
Aniz Lavji
yeah.
00:35:40
Frank Wiebe
and And that's how, and then of course we met there and he met Jeff and it was fantastic. and ah But like the fact that you don't know, you're just, you're, I think, I think I, i think I checked the map cause I was looking at somebody else up in in Ohio there and it's like five or six hour drive or something like that.
00:36:00
Tasha
Yeah.
00:36:00
Frank Wiebe
But yeah, just down the road.
00:36:00
Tasha
Okay.
00:36:02
Frank Wiebe
And, and so we we were talking with the organizer about that and like, how is it that We're coming from Canada to this convention and people that live an hour away or three hours away or four hours away don't know about it.
00:36:19
Frank Wiebe
So it's and he said what it was is that the this particular convention, he said it was pretty much dead. Like I believe what he said, four years or something like that.
00:36:27
Aniz Lavji
Yeah, he revived it completely. he revived it completely. It was really...
00:36:31
Frank Wiebe
He revived it, yeah. and And so now we're just trying to build it up. so So we're going to do our part on this podcast, and Jeff does his part on his podcast, and Tanika and um the other podcast too.
00:36:44
Aniz Lavji
Lucas and everyone, yep.
00:36:45
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. And so the more that we can talk about it, the more we can get people like you on that are interested in going and something like that, um and it's going to become – like it's already a great event, and it's it's going to only get better. Like if if you can –
00:37:01
Frank Wiebe
Any way, shape, or form, go next year, do it. It's so wonderful.
00:37:05
Tasha
I mean, if it's kid friendly, would more than happy to take the kids.
00:37:08
Frank Wiebe
Oh, it totally is.
00:37:08
Tasha
and
00:37:09
Aniz Lavji
This one was.
00:37:09
Frank Wiebe
It's at Hershey.
00:37:10
Frank Wiebe
It's at Hershey Park.
00:37:12
Tasha
Oh, yeah, then I mean, I don't see why we wouldn't.
00:37:12
Frank Wiebe
so
00:37:13
Aniz Lavji
There was water slides and like a Hershey factory and yeah, it was the most kid friendly place period.
00:37:18
Frank Wiebe
Oh, yeah.
00:37:21
Frank Wiebe
ah youd You'd have to bring someone with to to watch your kids while you're in class, but after class and and whenever you're not in class, oh there's there's so much to do there.
00:37:31
Aniz Lavji
And world class training really like trainers that were there.
00:37:31
Frank Wiebe
It's phenomenal training.
00:37:35
Aniz Lavji
The technical training that you'd be able to take there. really, really good technical training that goes on there.
00:37:41
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:37:43
Aniz Lavji
It's is different than what you're going to get from your local training center that you're going to. This is stuff like, I mean, you've got, you've got some huge names that are teaching classes there. Like, you know, Brian Pollack is there and like, these are like geniuses that are teaching these classes that you have access to, which is really cool.
00:38:05
Frank Wiebe
Yep.
00:38:07
Aniz Lavji
But ASTA is coming up in September. And that's in North Carolina. little bit of a flight away. But that might be something, if you can figure out a way, that would be really, really good to go to.
00:38:21
Aniz Lavji
it's That's like a very, I'd say it feels like family. And I've only been there once.
00:38:28
Tasha
Yeah, i'd have to. I'd definitely have to look into that one. That one's, yeah, a little bit farther.
00:38:33
Aniz Lavji
That one's a bit of a hike, yeah.
00:38:35
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. And that's that my understanding is that's a pretty, pretty big event, not as big as the ah vision that you were at, but, or did you go to Vision?
00:38:45
Frank Wiebe
Can't remember if you did.
00:38:46
Aniz Lavji
went to Vision, yeah, in Kansas City.
00:38:47
Frank Wiebe
You went Vision. Yeah. They say Vision's really big. ASTA is not as big. Tools is definitely a smaller, more intimate community, more intimate oh
00:38:58
Aniz Lavji
Vision was like 4,500 people there.
00:38:59
Frank Wiebe
convention.
00:39:02
Frank Wiebe
Where? At Vision?
00:39:03
Aniz Lavji
And Vision was for like 4,500 people.
00:39:05
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, man.
00:39:06
Aniz Lavji
And there was 11...
00:39:07
Frank Wiebe
That's something I wouldn't even want to go to because it would just be like you get lost in the crowd. um Here it was like, I don't know if it was maybe 400, 500 people or something like that.
00:39:17
Aniz Lavji
That's it? i thought there was a lot more, no?
00:39:19
Frank Wiebe
I don't think so. but No, I don't think so.
00:39:22
Aniz Lavji
Wow.
00:39:22
Frank Wiebe
I think it was somewhere around there. I might be wrong, but it was something that.
00:39:24
Aniz Lavji
That's a good one.
00:39:26
Frank Wiebe
But you definitely like... you could find You could find your group pretty quick, like people that you could connect with. um Mia just was sitting in a group with a guy, like in in ah in the same room as a and as a guy. And after class, i was like, hey, what did you think of that?
00:39:45
Frank Wiebe
And we hung out the whole weekend. And I got... I don't know how many phone numbers, new contacts of people that that we're going to be you know staying in regular contact with.
00:39:58
Frank Wiebe
And I think that that in itself, just just the connection that you make with other techs, it's absolutely phenomenal.
00:40:04
Aniz Lavji
Bye.
00:40:06
Frank Wiebe
like like You'll be able to call each other up and be like, hey, I've got this problem. And like if I have a GM problem, i well, i reached out to you about my my wife's aerial.
00:40:18
Frank Wiebe
um
Future Aspirations and Closing Remarks
00:40:19
Frank Wiebe
Thank you. like We actually could listen to the radio all the way there and back. So that that was great. Because I was like, man, this stupid thing, if I have to put a radio in this thing or whatever like that.
00:40:24
Tasha
Good.
00:40:28
Frank Wiebe
But I didn't know. where I could do all kinds of testing. i could Then I could either go put the antenna on or or put a radio in or something like that. But I don't know. i' Never had that experience. So that kind of stuff, you get so much of that from one of these conventions that it's like, it's connections itself.
00:40:44
Aniz Lavji
connections that you make are amazing.
00:40:48
Frank Wiebe
even if Even if you didn't go to any classes, all you did is you went to hang out and meet people and connect with people and go and eat chocolate.
00:40:51
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:40:57
Frank Wiebe
It'd be worth it.
00:40:58
Aniz Lavji
You can put a price on it really.
00:41:01
Frank Wiebe
You can get a price on the chocolate, and it's pretty hefty, but that's that's how I got Margarita to go because I was like, oh, I want to go to this convention. She's like, oh, I don't really know. I don't think i want to do it.
00:41:12
Frank Wiebe
And I said, it's at the Hershey Chocolate Factory. She's like, when are we going? so It
00:41:20
Aniz Lavji
No, but you know, like, like a lot of people say, you know, training doesn't cost it pays. I think it, I think it really, really does.
00:41:26
Frank Wiebe
really does.
00:41:28
Aniz Lavji
And again, you're going to training, which is awesome. And something like one of these conventions, if you were able to make it in the future, I think it would be really beneficial.
00:41:38
Tasha
I mean, yeah. i mean it Again, i've I've never heard of these things, so it's definitely a new world and it sounds cool
00:41:45
Aniz Lavji
Yeah. in In the middle of, I didn't get to go to tool i was trying to, it just wasn't working out for me, but I ended up messaging at least five to eight people. And I was like, okay, when you're, when you go, go find Frank, go find Margarita and you know, make sure you introduce yourself. Cause i want to make sure like my buddies, they know more people than they come back with. Well, whatever it takes. And everyone, I think that I told to come see you, they're all real friendly and chill and i think I think you guys enjoyed their company as well.
00:42:17
Frank Wiebe
Yeah, it was it was great. it just Just meeting people was phenomenal. and now now i i feel like I have friends south of the border, which I really never did before.
00:42:27
Aniz Lavji
Yep.
00:42:28
Frank Wiebe
So um I feel like now I can cross the border and and go in all these different directions be like, you know what, I'm going to head that way a little bit and and meet up somebody.
00:42:39
Frank Wiebe
or But that just just making those connections from people in other areas of life makes makes it all worthwhile.
00:42:52
Aniz Lavji
i think I think that's awesome, ah Frank, that you were able to able to make it. Tasha, one one last thing i was going ask you, i don't think we got to is what made you want to become a mechanic?
00:43:06
Tasha
Um, my, just working with my dad and my grandpa, like I had no like direction in life. I was 15 you know, 15 year olds. And so but one day my mom's like, get out there, go help your dad.
00:43:15
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:43:20
Tasha
And that was probably the best thing I've ever, you know, first step to the right direction in life. yeah.
00:43:26
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:43:27
Frank Wiebe
That's amazing.
00:43:28
Tasha
Yeah.
00:43:28
Aniz Lavji
You ended up getting a snap-on tool truck and that was the end of it? or
00:43:36
Tasha
Uh, it took me a while to get on to Snap-on. I was very much a craftsman girl, but uh...
00:43:39
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:43:42
Aniz Lavji
Okay.
00:43:43
Frank Wiebe
You got to remember, Anise, they have much better options. Sorry.
00:43:47
Aniz Lavji
They've got Harbor Freight, I know.
00:43:48
Frank Wiebe
They have a much different options in the US than we do here. Like I can imagine. so i we stopped at Harbor Freight on the way on our trip this weekend. And I imagine that you probably got a Harbor freight nearby and you get a regular visit there.
00:44:03
Tasha
Yes, actually, we just got one in our town rather than up north.
00:44:03
Frank Wiebe
Yeah.
00:44:06
Aniz Lavji
Oh,
00:44:07
Tasha
So i took my girls there for the grand opening and it was actually my old skate park.
00:44:11
Aniz Lavji
wow.
00:44:12
Tasha
So like it this building's grown with me. It was my skate park. Now it's my tool parts. So.
00:44:17
Aniz Lavji
Oh, wow.
00:44:18
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. yeah That's fantastic. When you say craftsman, that brings me back to so many years ago, Sears.
00:44:22
Aniz Lavji
Sears. I'm going to Sears. Yeah.
00:44:25
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. and And that's what, you know what, I started out, when I when i started out, i ah worked for a I worked in tobacco for a guy who used to be a mechanic.
00:44:27
Tasha
Yep.
00:44:37
Frank Wiebe
and he had a toolbox full of Snap-on and Mac tools. And he said, Frank, you know, if I could ever do this over again, i would not go and buy all Snap-on and Mac right off the hop. He said, it's it's so expensive.
00:44:51
Frank Wiebe
So there's so many better options. And and the option back then was either Mastercraft from Canadian Tire or Craftsman from Sears.
00:44:58
Aniz Lavji
Yeah.
00:44:59
Frank Wiebe
So I ended up buying a bunch of, uh, Well, some craftsmen, but both see Mastercraft. And I totally get what he meant because like you can you can do the job fairly well um for a lot of years and not have to make this massive investment at the start.
00:45:16
Frank Wiebe
And then you can work towards putting Snap-on and Mac tools or Matco into your box to replace the older stuff that's wearing out. But I feel bad for these young techs that got to go in and then spending all of this money just to start.
00:45:33
Aniz Lavji
someone gets suckered into the tool truck and they walk out with a box and, you know, 15 grand, 20 grand worth of tools in a box because, you know, they pass your credit check and there you go.
00:45:33
Tasha
Yeah.
00:45:33
Tasha
Yep.
00:45:43
Aniz Lavji
That's the worst.
00:45:45
Frank Wiebe
that's That's a car payment. That's a mortgage payment. That's...
00:45:47
Aniz Lavji
And then they decide two months later that, you know what, I don't really want to do this. And now they've got payments and then they're going to sell the box for pennies on the dollar and they'll still be paying for something they don't even have.
00:45:58
Frank Wiebe
Yeah. Especially
00:46:00
Aniz Lavji
But fortunately, a lot of the the tool trucks that we deal with, like the guys are pretty good. they They'll actually tell my techs like, look, you don't need this right now. You don't need a box. Go buy something.
00:46:12
Aniz Lavji
I'll sell you some tools, but I'm not going to load you up with five or 10 grand worth of crap you don't need. Right. So that's why I even let them come to the shop because I don't want anyone to come in there trying to load them up on stuff that they don't need or you know can't afford.
00:46:25
Aniz Lavji
Right.
00:46:26
Tasha
Yeah.
00:46:26
Aniz Lavji
That puts a lot of stress on the techs. Right.
00:46:29
Tasha
Oh yeah.
00:46:32
Aniz Lavji
No, that's great. Tasha, thank you so much for joining us this evening. Sorry it was it was late. ah I'm going to definitely let my kids know that it was a big inconvenience, but and they're going to say I don't care.
00:46:47
Tasha
Yep.
00:46:48
Aniz Lavji
But yeah, I'm sure you can relate with having two little ones. Bedtime does get a bit crazy.
00:46:54
Tasha
It does, yeah. We'll have to do this again when my voice doesn't sound like an 80 year old.
00:46:58
Aniz Lavji
No, you and I are in the same boat. I haven't lost it yet. i just don't have time to lose it. I'm going to probably lose it in about three weeks. i'm gonna book it in
00:47:05
Aniz Lavji
But yeah, no, I really appreciate
00:47:05
Tasha
Yeah.
00:47:08
Frank Wiebe
No one would have known if you wouldn't have said nothing. It's all good.
00:47:11
Aniz Lavji
No, honestly, yeah, no, your voice sounds fine.
00:47:13
Aniz Lavji
Don't worry about it.
00:47:13
Frank Wiebe
But you did but you did you did great.
00:47:15
Frank Wiebe
So this the I think this worked out really well. and
00:47:18
Aniz Lavji
That was great.
00:47:19
Frank Wiebe
But yeah, but definitely definitely have you on again. we'll but ah
00:47:23
Aniz Lavji
Yes.
00:47:24
Frank Wiebe
what what What I think what we should do one day is we should have this this massive group podcast and have like a panel of techs just talking about stuff.
00:47:36
Frank Wiebe
I think that'd be real cool.
00:47:37
Aniz Lavji
I think that'd be great. Yeah. Let's set it up.
00:47:37
Tasha
That would be cool.
00:47:39
Frank Wiebe
Maybe we'll blow up the internet or crash the internet if we do that. but
00:47:43
Tasha
Either way.
00:47:44
Aniz Lavji
Either way, either way.
00:47:45
Frank Wiebe
It's fun anyway to try
00:47:47
Aniz Lavji
Thanks Tasha. And just hang on a second here, but everyone, thank you for listening. And again, follow us on Facebook, the shop and tread talk podcast signing off.