Well, well, well...so here we are. Just so you know, it's Rob writing this to you.
The last poster is right, you guys can't change my attitute. The fact that some of you got me fired makes that attitute even stronger. I'm not here to attack your car. That's a waste of space in this medium for sure. I'd like to quote one of the members from the acuramdx.org if I might...
"___Finally, if there is any consolation, I am sure the individuals that contacted your dealership feel just great about themselves right now but will consider their actions a poor choice in the not to distant future. Maybe they should tell their youngest son or daughter at the dinner table tonight that they had someone fired today because they didn’t like what you had to say irregardless of its content. I am not defending your content since I myself believe that you stepped over the line on more than one occasion but I am also sure that his or her children would love to hear the details as to how mommy or daddy had the gall to do what they did to someone simply because they could. The next time they bad mouth their own job assignment; it may just give them reason to pause … I can only hope so anyway."
I'm sure some of you have been monitoring what I've been saying over there, so this quote you've seen already. I would like to direct this to the people that this statement applies to. I know there was more than one complaint about me. So that's why I say people.
You know, there's really a big sign that should be waving near you that says "get a life" when you waste this much time on the internet boosting eachothers' egos up reaffirming that you that your hard (some harder than others) earned 90 grand went to the best sports car available today. Oh I'm sure you talk about problems and when to meet up for track day also, but lets face it, boards like this and most others are just places to blow your horn and say, "Yea! Our car is better than any other!" And enthusiasts for any kind of vehicle, especially NSX owners love to feel this way. And yes, I did say get a life. And I'll freely admit I need to get one too, since I'm on these boards plenty of time as well badmouthing cars and every once in a while giving free advice.
But here's my point. Having said that...now it's one thing to just talk in the internet, expressing opinions. Some you'll agree with, some you don't...so what? It's just words. Here's some more; Steve Wozniak regardless of his net worth or how many vehicles he may have to choose from, buys an NSX, and not just one mind you, and then barely drives it. I'm sure 90k is a drop in the bucket to the guy, but why even buy the thing if it's going to just sit and collect dust most of the time? I've ridden my motorcycle almost as many miles now, and I have only had it since April of this year, and not the several years that "Woz" has had to put some miles on his NSX. I have several bikes to choose from here as well, and I only ride mine maybe once a week if that.
See? There's some words that are not the "nice" opinion to have. Will someone get butt hurt over it? Of course. Probably not even the man it's about. And I'm sure I'll get a reply from someone defending that position from the other way to look at it. I could also say he's one of the ugliest looking guys I've seen in a while. If Steven King were to grow a beard and get 20% uglier, it would be him. Now there's a harsh opinion. And I'm sure that will cause some words to be typed in response.
OK, enough examples... Opinions on the internet is all fine and dandy. We really should all be out doing something more productive, but this is how we turned out. So be it. When someone actually gets so caught up in something they read on the internet, that they feel compelled to make telephone calls first thing in the morning at work (shows me how hard some of you work for the money by the way) complaining about me badmouthing customers (which I did keep fairly anoynomous until you all outed them and myself) and their cars to his boss and demand his termination...wow! I thought I needed to get a life...nope, there's people out there much more pathetic than I.
Sure it's my own fault for giving too many clues to find me. And it's retarded that I had to try and stay anoynomous in the first place. Just because I have a negative opinion about you or your car, when I am OUTSIDE OF WORK I might add, I have to worry that if my location were ever learned it would be used against me. Just pathetic... I don't suppose I can convince any of you that my opinions regarding customers or their cars in no way affected how I worked on them. Even if I had been working next door on exotics and Hummers all day, I'd have treated them no better and no worse. The mindset is this for a mechanic, "IT'S NOT MY CAR! Even if I'd really like to have it, it's not my car. Even if I'd like to drive it off a cliff, it's not my car. Even if I think the owner is the biggest clown in the world, it's not my car." And all that dramatics means that I know I'd eventually get in trouble if I do bad workmanship no matter what my opinion of the car or owner is. So I give 100% on every car. Yes, even the riced up Integras...
Someone who is afraid to service or buy a car there, based on my opinions (even though being a tech adds an extra sting to them I'm sure), fearing that I'll put nails in there tire, leave bolts loose, or some other form of sabotage/bad workmanship is a complete fool.
Also, someone who thinks that a tech is going to do a full detailed inspection for just a quick oil change to try and make sure that the car has nothing else wrong with it, unless it's blatantly obvious just from driving from the parking lot to the shop, and maybe give you a call personally in a week to check up on you, send you Christmas cards, and just kiss your ass in general...is also a complete fool.
Ok, so maybe the Christmas card is a bit extreme, but don't think that just because the car costs an arm and a leg means you get more service than some college kid starting out who spent every dime they had on an RSX. And don't think you get less than someone who thinks they have the "inside hookup" like a friend of the manager. The fact is that I performed my job quite well. If you all think I was such a liability for the dealer to employ, why were my customer satisfaction percentages above the national Acura tech average?
I'm not here to threaten the people who got me fired. Beating one of you up would only add to the long list of mental problems you have. I'm not here to make the people feel guilty. All that, "You took away my livelyhood" crap. I worked at Los Gatos strictly because it was an easy job. Like many of you white collar folks, I too have the desire to not want to break my back. I also don't want to sit on my ass either, so that's why my collar is still blue. But I still like turning wrenchs. Regardless of what the brand name on the back of the car says. I didn't come to Los Gatos for the money. Matter of fact, I passed on a GM dealer job that would start me at $24 an hour, just two months after I started at Los Gatos. I will be seeing if that lead is still available now. What did I make at Los Gatos? I have no shame in admitting it. At $17.50 an hour...you just gotta know that a Master Tech can do better at most other dealer around here. The "policy" was that they couldn't tell me what my rate would be until after I was "hired" which meant going through the drug test, and filling out papers. Any person driven by money would have walked out the door upon hearing this ridiculous policy, but I stuck with it because it looked like a nice place to work. And it was. I will miss my co-workers. They were a fun bunch of guys. And I did not deserve to be fired, but since enough people with money called in threatening to take their business elsewhere because they are so butt hurt over something they READ ON THE INTERNET, the dealership, which is driven by money had to do the only thing possible. The popular Mustang tech did deserve to be fired because he was not doing his job properly. The "violation of company confidentiality policy" reason for my termination is just the money driven dealership's way of covering it's ass against a wrognful termination suit. Which I have no intention of persuing, because job like that, for that pay, are a dime a dozen.
So I leave you with this. While I'm sure that most of you will dismiss this post as a bitter man venting, I'd like to think that some of you read that quote from the acuramdx.org member, the few meager words I typed as well, and maybe you all need to "learn something from your conduct" as the last post said.
Master Tech, and a better human being than some of you,
Rob
