What is your policy when a tech damages a car? It doesn't happen often here but it does happen. windshield washer squiter snaps on an explorer stuff like that. Do you reprimand the tech or just chalk it up to "stuff happens". The money in this bussiness ain't what it use to be to handle more then a few mishaps per year, just wondering if anyone out there has any ideas.

Depends if its a normal Sh#*t happens mess up I will pay. If its a careless you know better or neglegince mess up they pay. If its a "having a bad day but it shouldn't have happened" mess up I split the cost.

Paid employees cannot legally be forced to pay for any unintentional "mistakes" while performing their duties for their employer(s). If they're subcontracted, that's different.
How do you reprimand someone for a cheap-shi# piece of plastic breaking off a car? If they keep hacking dashes or dropping shields on hoods they get reprimanded with the pink slip.

Explorer WS washer snapping off??? THat NEVER happens!

Oh, wait-----we stock three of those at all times.

Never mind.




To answer your question, I agree with the above replies, save with us, one 'dash hack' or one 'windshield on the hood' is grounds for dismissal and possible loss of body parts, as well as financial issues to pay.

A tech would have to break at least three safety rules before that could happen.

Fortunately, those issues have never arisen. I would like to think it's because we train well, and spot those people capable of making such huge mistakes long before we let them out in public with our trust of our customer's cars. However, I also realize that mistakes happen. I judge what situations we have had, small ones thankfully, by the tech's honesty about telling us and the acceptance of responsibility and realization of the gravity of the situation. I also should point out that we always press the issue of quality and safety, for the tech and the vehicle, and rarely have the issue of speed spoken of.

I have three 'trainees' that didn't pass our muster now hired by the big boys, immediately accepted as fully trained installers upon their hire.

Rich, please remember plastic get's old and brittle. Your employee is, in a way like you are of trying to do what he can to do his best and make a living to live and pay his bills and send his kids to school and such,etc... If your tech's are sub-contract, then they should cover mistakes, but only mistakes made by them and not by a material that gets old and is out of his or hers control. I myself have been doing this stuff for just about 20 years and things like this do happen even with all precautions applied. If your employee's are actual employee's, then the company should cover the cost and if the tech has a bad attitude, then he or she should be fired.