A Toyota Paseo is a small Toyota from the 1990s. It’s the kind of car people often modify, and in this story it’s the first car that got the speaker interested in working on cars.
“Fluid services” means changing or checking the car’s important liquids. These services help the car run smoothly and prevent parts from wearing out too fast.
The Dodge Neon is a small Dodge from the past that’s fairly common. In this episode, it’s just one of the cars the speaker’s school used to teach basic repairs.
Monroe is mentioned as the name of a chain shop the speaker worked at. Chain shops usually have more standardized processes than one-off independent garages.
Suspension work means fixing the parts that help the car ride smoothly and keep the wheels planted on the road. It usually involves things like shocks/struts and other parts that affect steering and tire wear.
Diagnostics is how a mechanic figures out what’s actually wrong with the car. It’s more than guessing—it uses tests and readings to find the real cause before fixing it.
An inspection license is permission to do the official checks required by your state for things like safety (and sometimes emissions). It lets a shop or technician perform those inspections and sign off on them.
Faidley's is the shop the speaker got hired by. They describe it as a well-known local place that had been around for a long time.
Term
pre... That was always
The transcript cuts off mid-sentence, so we can’t tell what specific car-related idea he was referring to. If you share the next line, I can identify and explain the exact term.
A tie rod is part of the steering system that connects components so the wheels turn when you steer. If it breaks, the car may not steer correctly and can be stuck or dangerous to drive.
ABS is the system that helps prevent wheel lock-up during hard braking. A “communication issue” means the ABS computer can’t properly talk to its sensors or other vehicle systems, often because of a bad wire or connector.
A Ford Econoline van is a common work van. Here, it’s important because it had a problem with the ABS system’s communication, and the speaker figured out it was caused by a bad connection.
A lab scope is a tool that lets you “see” electrical signals as waveforms. Mechanics use it to figure out whether a sensor or wiring signal is actually working, not just guessing from symptoms.
Term
scoping the cam lines
“Scoping” means using the electrical test tool to check what’s happening in the wiring. They checked the cam-related signals and found the problem wasn’t the car’s logic—it was a bad connection at the module.
Corrosion is buildup on metal contacts that can stop electricity from flowing reliably. If it’s on a connector, the car may work sometimes and fail other times.
A connector is the plug-and-socket interface that links wiring to a sensor or control module. When connectors develop corrosion or looseness, they can cause intermittent electrical faults—exactly the kind of behavior the speaker described with the ABS communication problem.
A Corvette is a high-performance sports car from Chevrolet. The speaker is saying that while they’re fun to drive, some older Corvettes can be tough to fix because the suspension design makes the work more complicated.
Leaf springs are a suspension part that helps support the car and smooth out bumps. On older cars, they can be harder to work with because they’re bulky and require more effort to remove, position, and reinstall correctly.
This is basically a safety problem: when the car is on a lift, it can shift or move unexpectedly. The speaker is saying that certain suspension work can cause the car to want to move before everything is properly supported.
The DeLorean DMC-12 is a sports car with a very unusual look, including a stainless-steel body. It’s not a common car, so working on it can be more specialized. That’s why mechanics may mention it when they’ve had the chance to work on one.
Service information is the repair manual-style guidance technicians use. It includes the right steps and specs (like what to tighten and in what order), which helps prevent mistakes and makes repairs go correctly.
Torque here means the exact tightening spec for a bolt or wheel fastener. Using the correct torque helps keep parts secure and prevents damage from being too loose or too tight.
“Billed right” means the job is written up and charged in a way that matches the actual work required, often using the shop’s labor guide and the manufacturer’s procedures. In service-advisor conversations, getting billing aligned with the real repair scope helps avoid underpaying the technician for the time and diagnostics needed.
Term
Protoman
“Protoman” sounds like a computer system shops use to look up repair or service details for cars. The speaker is saying that for a Tesla, it didn’t have what they needed listed.
Person
Cody Kirkenester
Cody Kirkenester is the guest in this episode. In this part, he’s talking about how training and modern car technology can help people learn and get excited about working in shops.
A wiring diagram is like a map of the car’s electrical system. It shows which parts are connected and how, so you can track down where a problem might be.
OBD2 is the newer “car computer diagnostics” standard. When something goes wrong, it can store codes that a scan tool can read, making it easier for a shop to figure out what’s happening.
OBD1 is an early computer system in cars that can notice when something is wrong with the engine or emissions. It’s older than today’s systems and usually gives less detailed information to mechanics.
They’re talking about how hands-on training events help people learn faster. Instead of just hearing about tools online, trainees get to see and experience it in real life.
Term
Check Engine Chuck
“Check Engine Chuck” is a fun name for an automotive content creator who talks about the check-engine light. That light comes on when the car’s computer finds a problem and stores a diagnostic code.
Stacey David is a famous car personality from TV and automotive media. The host is basically saying he grew up looking up to guys like him, but now younger people are inspired by newer diagnostic-focused creators.
Scanner Danner is a car YouTuber who focuses on diagnosing problems. The host says they watched his videos to learn how to troubleshoot cars more effectively.
A diagnostic tech is a technician focused on troubleshooting—figuring out what’s wrong by interpreting symptoms, codes, and test results. In the segment, the speaker credits a shop foreman for teaching diagnostic skills.
Keith Perkins is mentioned as someone who did a detailed “case study” showing how a problem was diagnosed. The speaker uses it to explain that other people have found the same cause and documented it online.
TPMS means your car’s tire-pressure monitoring system. The TPMS sensor is a small device in/near the tire that checks tire pressure and reports it to the car. Here, they’re saying that sensor can cause a battery-draining electrical problem.
A parasitic drain is when something in the car keeps using power even after you turn it off. Over time, that can flatten your battery. In this story, a sensor is waking up the car’s systems and causing that drain.
A shop labor rate is what the shop charges per hour for labor. That hourly charge isn’t the same as what the mechanic takes home—shops also pay for tools, training, and running the building. The point here is that the rate has to cover real costs, not just wages.
The skills gap means there aren’t enough well-trained auto mechanics. The host says shops need to show new technicians that training leads to a real career with better pay, otherwise they won’t want to learn. Training is treated like a step-by-step plan, not extra homework.
“Tooling” here means the specialized equipment and tools technicians need to do modern repairs. The host argues that shops expect technicians to invest in expensive tooling over time, and that training and events also cost money. This is used to justify higher labor rates and a structured training plan.
“Mandatory training” is required instruction a shop sets for technicians to keep up with evolving repair procedures and diagnostic methods. The host emphasizes that once technicians are enrolled and the plan is clear, it’s usually not hard to get them to take training. They also connect training participation to shop culture and leadership.
The “bay” is the garage area where the car is brought in for repairs. The counter is where customers talk to the shop staff before the car goes back to be worked on.
A Service Advisor is the person at a car repair shop who talks to you about what’s wrong with your car. They explain the diagnosis, help you understand the options, and keep things moving with the technicians.
The transmission is what helps your car shift gears and transfer power to the wheels. If someone says it needs a transmission, it often means a big repair that can be expensive and complicated.
Kilometers are how distance is measured on the car’s odometer in some countries. The speaker is saying they look at how many kilometers are on the car to judge how much it’s been used.
Miles are how distance is measured on the car’s odometer in some countries. The speaker is saying they check the number of miles to estimate how used the car is.
The Chevrolet Silverado is a common pickup truck. The point here is that, over time, even popular trucks can develop expensive problems—like transmission problems.
A turbocharger is a device that helps the engine make more power. The host is saying that turbos can wear out or fail, and fixing them can get expensive.
Car
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is used here as a shorthand example of a brand that, in the host’s experience, tends to have oil-leak and oil-consumption issues. The segment contrasts leaking oil with burning oil, emphasizing that modern cars can have multiple oil-related failure modes.
Fuel injection is how a car delivers fuel to the engine. A fuel injection service is maintenance that helps keep that system working correctly so the car doesn’t start acting up.
A CVT is a type of automatic transmission that can “shift” smoothly without distinct gears. Some CVTs are known for reliability problems, so the shop advisor is warning customers and trying to set expectations.
The Nissan Rogue is a common SUV you’ll see everywhere. The speaker brings it up because it’s so widespread—especially from rental/fleet use—so it shows up a lot in the shop.
The Nissan Altima is a regular everyday sedan meant for commuting and family use. It’s been used a lot as a rental or fleet car, which means it can accumulate miles fast. Because of that, people often talk about how it holds up and what repairs tend to show up.
Murphy’s Law is the saying that if something bad can happen, it probably will. Here, the advisor is basically telling customers that even with maintenance, problems can still show up later.
They’re talking about being honest when you recommend service. Maintenance can help prevent problems, but if something is already starting to fail, it may not fully correct it.
It means you ask what the customer is hoping will happen after the repair. That way you can diagnose and explain the real problem instead of just guessing what they think it is.
A misfire means one of the engine’s cylinders isn’t burning the fuel correctly. The car can run rough or feel weak, and the computer may log a code that points you toward the wrong problem at first.
An OE part is the “manufacturer-spec” replacement part for your car. It’s meant to match the original part more closely than cheaper alternatives, which can help avoid problems coming back.
A vent solenoid is a small electrically controlled valve. It helps manage fuel vapors and airflow so the car’s emissions system works the way it’s supposed to.
“OE” means the original factory part. It’s the same type of part the car was built with, and it’s often the safest choice when aftermarket options don’t match.
“Aftermarket” parts are made by companies other than the car’s original manufacturer. Sometimes they fit and work great, but other times they’re not available or not compatible with certain cars.
The ABS module is the computer that controls the anti-lock brakes. It’s responsible for preventing wheel lockup during hard braking, and if it can’t be sourced, fixing the car can be a real challenge.
EEPROM is a small memory chip that keeps important settings even when the car is off. If you swap or reuse certain modules, that stored information may have to be copied or programmed so the car works with it.
DVOM is a basic electrical testing tool. Mechanics use it to check things like whether power is present, whether a wire is broken, or whether a component has the right resistance.
An oscilloscope is a tool that shows electrical signals as a graph. Instead of just saying “voltage is there,” it helps you see how the signal changes, which is crucial for diagnosing tricky electrical problems.
A waveform is the visual shape of an electrical signal as it changes over time. When diagnosing cars, waveform patterns can reveal problems like signal dropouts, noise, or incorrect sensor/actuator behavior.
A “known good” is a reference point that you trust is correct. Mechanics compare what they’re seeing now to that trusted example to figure out what’s going wrong.
LIVE
Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to another exciting episode of the Jaded Mechanic Podcast. We're still here in Tools at, uh, Hershey, Pennsylvania, and I'm sitting down with one of the people that I've been trying to connect with since last year I was at Tools, Mr. Cody Kirkenester- Yeah ... from Faidley's Auto Masters, which is...
You work with Brett Faidley.
I do, yes. Yeah. Yep. Yep.
How is that?
It's good. Yeah. Um, I enjoy working with Brett. I've been, been with Brett for a long time. Um, it just, couple weeks ago, it's been 15 years that I've been with Brett out of his shop. Oh, man. So-
Congratulations ...
um, yeah, he's great, great to work for.
Yeah. Great guy. Yeah. Um, takes good care of us, so-
Yeah. We- ...
um, we really enjoy it ...
we tried to sit down and do this last year, and then we tried to get... Because Brett came to me and he's like, "You gotta have Cody on, man." Mm-hmm. "He's a super cool guy." And, and here's the thing, people that are, that are listening, you hear me talk all the time about, like, technicians and how I think, like, some of us need to transition out into being the service writer role.
Mm-hmm.
Um, you're kind of his head service writer/shop manager, are you not?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. I, I took, took that role on about a year ago.
Yeah.
Um, little over a year ago. Yeah. Um, so it was a little bit before we seen each other at Tools last year.
Yeah.
Um, so yeah, I made the transition from being a tech, um, you know, work, worked at Faidley since I was, I was a green guy in the shop, you know.
I was a young guy. Um, learned a lot from Brett's dad. His, his parents were involved in the business at the time when I first started. Um, you know, was there for a long time working in the shop. Um, took on different roles as, as years went on.
Uh-huh.
Um, went from, like, the green guy to, you know- S- seems like blink of an eye that I was one of the older guys in the shop.
It
happens.
Um, yeah. Um, and then I sort of worked my way up to, like, being the shop foreman. Um, m- mainly did diagnostics for a long time. Um, and, you know, it was an idea that me and Brett always kicked around, you know, for quite a few years about, you know, maybe transitioning to the business side of things at some point in time.
Mm-hmm. Um, so we had a, a service advisor that left us. Um, and we ended up, you know, Brett said is, you know, "Is this the right time now? Let's do it." Um, so I kinda just jumped right into it- Yeah ... one day. Just started putting estimates together and making phone calls and, you know, learned a lot from him- Yeah
you know, as far as that goes. But, um, just kinda ran with it after that.
Now, how did you get into the working on cars side of this industry? Like, was that... Like, uh, 'cause again, it seems almost everybody with the same kind of personality, right? Mm-hmm. We took apart our bicycle when we were a kid. Yeah.
Couldn't get it back together. We got it back together. Or, you know, we took apart the neighbor's bike and put parts of that on... Like, were you that kind of kid?
I was, definitely. Yeah. Yeah, my, my parents would always get mad at me 'cause I'd get my dad's toolbox and take my toys apart when I was a kid. Yeah.
Um, my dad always used to say, you know, I, "I could tell you were gonna be into cars," when I would wake up as a kid on Saturday morning. Instead of wanting to watch cartoons, I wanted to watch the car shows- Yeah ... that were on, on the TV in the mornings. I- You know?
So many of us grew up on that. Yeah. I can remember, like, the Nashville Network, right?
There's a channel- Yeah ... from way back when, and- Yeah ... you would see all these guys. And I was not like... I was in my... I was, like, 10 when they started coming on the air. Mm-hmm. I'm old. And, uh, and I just would watch that. And then when it became, like- That I was wanting to buy my own car, 16. Mm-hmm. Like, that's all I ever wanted to- Yeah
to watch and read and, like, Hot Rod Magazine and Saturday morning programming for the, you know, on the national network for Gears and Shade Tree Mechanic and all these... Crank and Chrome, all these shows- Yeah ... I grew up watching.
Yeah.
Uh, really impacted me. So you're the same way, eh?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, exact same way.
I mean, I got into those shows and, you know, ever s- right around the time I started driving when I was 16, got my first car. Um, I started tinkering right away, you know, it was- What was your
first car?
It was a '93 Toyota Paseo. Oh, wow. Right on. There ain't many of them left anymore- Oh ... but, um, yeah, it was just what I had at the time.
And then, you know, my, my time of growing up was, you know, like the, the import car days- Mm-hmm ... you know, the Fast and the Furious thing. Yeah. You know, and, um, so I lowered the car, put wheels on it, did all that good stuff, and that was just when I was first starting to get into it- Right ... you know, in high school.
So, um, that's kinda, kinda when the bug bit me and, and, you know, then I figured I wanted to go to school and learn about it.
Right.
Um, so that's what I did my senior year in high school. I, um, I was, played football through high school. I was a sports kid. Right. Um, decided that I wasn't ever gonna make it to the NFL, so I had to figure out what I was gonna do.
Yeah. Um, and I got... Luckily, I got into a dual enrollment program in high school that- Okay ... I'd go to school half a day-
Yeah ...
and go to college half a day to, basically college classes, and I took a automotive technology class. Um, you know, starting to do basic things. The, the class at that time was very... We had, like, three cars.
We had, like, an old Dodge Neon, an old Dodge pickup truck, and a, like, a Plymouth Claim, like K car- Right. Yeah ... or something, you know. Yeah, yeah. And just learned the basic stuff, brakes, you know, oil changes, fluid services, stuff like that.
Yeah. Designed for our automotive industry. It's not just another job-finding website or a search function.
Promotive's recruiters and account managers understand the different roles within your shop. They understand the different pay structures and what great culture in a shop looks like. If you want some expert guidance on your career path, you want to talk to my friends at Promotive today
Um, and Brett's brother actually was my instructor in that program. Okay. Um, so I went on to graduate from there, graduated high school, uh, went to college, um, took a two-year automotive technology, you know, degree, associate's degree, got that finished up. Um, and then I... As, as that was wrapping up, I started work- working in a shop then.
Mm-hmm.
Um, so I went to a local dealership. I got hired in there- Okay ... from, from the program. Worked there for about two months. Um, they hired me on to work in the shop. Spent two months there detailing cars. Yeah. Wasn't really what I wanted to do.
Didn't give you an opportunity.
Nope. Nope. So I left there. Um, I worked in a small, like, chain shop in, in this area.
Okay. They, they, uh, they have, like, three shops in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Okay.
Um, worked there for quite a while. Was just doing tires and brakes and oil changes and stuff like that.
Yeah.
Um, left there, spent three years at a, a Monroe, which is, like, a chain type- Yeah ... type shop.
Yeah.
Was there for quite a few years.
Um- You know, my manager that I worked with there is my lead tech at our shop now. Okay. Um, so I kinda had some connection there, but, um-
Did you get any exposure to anything at the Monroe shop that you didn't at, like, the, the previous?
Yeah. I, I did a little bit more, you know, like suspension-type work. Okay.
Um, you know, I had my inspection license by then. I was doing inspections. Um, you know, it, it, it wasn't a... It, it wasn't a bad place. I didn't leave there because it was bad. Um, but I wanted to do more. Right. I wanted to learn diagnostics. That was always kind of my thing that I was always interested in and- Good
for you, man
um, they didn't get into much, like, check engine light stuff- Yeah ... and you know how that goes. So, um, you know, I, I spent couple years there, and I always wanted to move to... I wanted to... You know, I was always kind of looking. You know, I wasn't looking to leave at the moment. Um, Faidley's had an opportunity.
They called, called me up. They were looking for a guy. Um, and it was... It was Brett's brother, Chad, that was my instructor in college. Mm-hmm. And that's, that's how I got, got connected with Faidley's, um- And
they had a good reputation, a good name in the local area?
Very good name. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. They've been around for a long time.
They're probably one of the long... in our area, one of the longest standing, like, independent shops that, that was around. Um, so, you know, back when I was in high school, Chad would always kick around the idea, "Maybe you'll come work for me someday," you know. Yeah. And then it just happened to all fall in place.
Um, so I went there, you know, 15 years ago and been there ever since.
Yeah.
So they kept me around. Like, it's-
Now, what's... Like, 'cause I kinda know... You know, again, like, you know, I know a couple shop owners that are involved in, in this kind of event, right- Mm-hmm ... in putting this kind of event on, and, and you see them, the ones that are networking in the thing.
But besides that, what makes Brett special as a shop owner?
Um, Brett... So wh- when I say Brett's parents were involved in it, you know, in the business in the beginning, um... They've both since passed, but they, they were really big on teaching and learning. Got it. You know? So right away when I started there, I mean, you know, I w- I was going to training.
Um, you know, Brett's dad, which at that point in time he was... you know, worked on cars for, like, 60 years. You know, he... Just the amount of-
Wealth of knowledge ...
Oh, my God. Yeah. Yeah, the amount of, uh, information and knowledge I've gained from him, just little tips and tricks on, you know, a daily basis and, um...
You know, and that's, that's kinda how Brett still carries it on. Yeah. You know, Brett's big on learning, big on allowing you to grow. Um, you know, he's a very, very understanding, like, family first kind of person. Yeah. Um, and that's, you know, it's definitely been, been a big plus working with him. Um, you know, that's one of the main things is he, he doesn't...
He wants to see you, see you be better, be better- Mm-hmm ... you know what I mean, and grow, grow your, uh- You know, your knowledge and stuff like that. So, you know, that's one thing that makes it special with Brett that I didn't have at the other shops I was working at. Yeah. You know, I was just like, "You're there to work," and that was it.
Yeah. You know what I mean?
And- You know, and not- no political stuff, no-
Yeah ...
nonsense like that. Yeah. Yeah, 'cause we, you know, you hear me talk all the time about, like, you know, and it doesn't surprise me and it makes me angry still that, like, the dealers still, "Oh, we have a person for you."
Mm-hmm.
And they hire you, and they tell you all this stuff, and then they put you in the detailing bay.
Yeah.
No, not running down detail guys. Right. Right?
Right.
But, I mean, I know more detail guys that, like- want to just be a detail guy. Mm-hmm. Than I ever talked to technicians that were like, "I started detailing and I moved into that." I know it happens. Um, uh, Sherwood from Royalty's moved one of his guys a couple up from the detail bay when they show.
Um, but I mean, again, he's got that kind of reputation- Mm-hmm ... where guys wanna start there-
Yeah ...
and, uh, do that job, fix cars at Royalty, and he starts them there in the, in the detailing bay. When, when the dealerships do it, I know exactly why they do it. Mm-hmm. They're hoping that, like, 'cause they really need a detail guy then-
Yeah
and you can just do a passable detail to get it out, the thing in an order, but, and they're- Mm-hmm ... waiting for something to happen in the shop- Yeah ... then we might try you there. It's not the same. No. It's not the same at all. Yeah. So you, you get to Faye Lee's, more training than you'd ever probably ever had in your career.
Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, more in-depth training. Like I said, I did go through college and stuff like that. Um, but you know, this, this level of training's totally different than what I got at, you know- Yeah ... what I got out of, out of school. You know, that's more like, more like well-rounded education as, you know, the training that, that Brett sends us to and, you know, and we attend is so much more in depth- Yeah
you know, just based on the systems of the cars- Yeah ... and stuff like that. So you're
getting into doing the diagnostics at the, at a pretty good l- rate?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, I got into that pre... That was always, like, something that I enjoyed doing- Mm-hmm ... and people tell me I'm crazy for doing, you
know? Well, they told me that too, right?
Yeah. But I mean, it's, w- we just had a conversation this morning where to me, it just comes back to the basics, right? Mm-hmm.
Like,
I've seen so many people ignore stuff on a car-
Yeah ...
that they don't care about.
Mm-hmm.
Well, a- and I said, like the radio could stop working, a lot of people may not care.
Yeah.
But if that sucker won't start or run, or like if it can't get out of its own way- Mm
that's when people finally seem to break down and bring it in.
Yeah.
And that was just for my always the way of thinking is, like, if I get good at that, I'll always have work.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah. You know? And i- it's true. You can always get good at tires and front end and suspension- Mm-hmm ... but you and I have seen lots of cars where they're on the side of the road with the tie rod b- broke off-
Yeah.
or the brakes are completely hammered.
Yeah.
But if they can't start it, they can't even get to that point of the crash- Yeah ... you know what I mean? So-
Yeah ...
that's how I always approached it. So you get into doing the diag and he's getting you in training.
Mm-hmm.
What's some of the earliest, like when you think back to a car that really taught you a lesson, what did, what was it?
Um-
Or helped refine your process or, you know.
Yeah. One of... I, I had, I had a van, I think it was like an E 250 or 350 Ford Econoline van. Yeah. You know, that was really- I- i- it was, it had ABS communication issue. Um, you know, started doing some ch- checking on it. You know, it seemed like it would come and go, you know, a- and that was probably...
You know, this was quite a few years ago. It was probably one of the first, like, communication issues I, I had- Yeah ... in my bay. And, you know, as I started to sort my way through that, you know, trying different things, I, I was pretty new to a lab scope then. Yeah. Um, you know, I ended up scoping the cam lines, find- you know, finding out that there was a bad connection at the module with, with one of the communication lines.
Popped the, uh, connector off, see... You know, find corrosion in it, which was common on, you know, fairly common on those. After- Mm-hmm ... after I found that one, we started to see more of them. Yeah. Um, but that was, like, really the first one that I was like, "Okay, I could, I could probably do this." Yeah. You know what I mean?
And you see the power of some of the tools, right?
Yeah.
Like lab scope- Yeah ... in the right hands is a very, very, very powerful tool.
Yeah, that and the, just the training and, um, y- you know, it's a, it- that's, like, one of the moments where you're like, "Okay, all that time sitting and listening and taking notes and, you know, really paid off."
Yeah. You know what I mean?
It's a, it's a huge dopamine kick, right? Yeah. When you feel like... Because we all fix cars, but sometimes when we fix that car that, like, the customer either says has been to two other places or-
Mm ...
you, you... Maybe it's a regular customer of ours, but you get into it, and then all of a sudden you realize not everybody would've found that.
Yeah.
Not everybody would've fixed that that way.
Yeah.
Then you can start to really... That can be addictive. You can chase that dragon, right? Yeah. Like, it's like, wow, I, I... And that's, for me, a lot of it was. Like, I, I would even sometimes- Like, I had to know.
Yeah.
So I would lose pay to, I gotta know. Yeah. You know?
Um, and then I, so I s- I, I r- commend people that have that, that drive to, to always push- Mm-hmm ... because I, I feel it. I feel it, like, even when... You know, 'cause we're talking about as you're coming up and, and your body slows down, and things change, and all that kind of stuff. When you have that kind of knowledge-
Mm-hmm
even if something was to happen to you that incapacitates you from being able to physically do the job, you can teach others how to do it.
Yeah.
And that's the, that's the beauty of this industry, so.
Yeah.
Yeah. So you get that kinda under your belt?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah?
Yeah, got that under my belt, and started, you know...
And when we st- when I first started there, Brett's dad was, like, a specialist in Corvettes. Okay. So, like, got to learn a lot of stuff about that. I've, I've had some Corvette problems that, that have came in, and, you know, they've been to other shops, and the other shops don't wanna get into it, or, you know, they misdiagnose it- Mm-hmm
or something like that. Um, you know, and that, that makes you feel good when you got this person that, like, genuinely loves this car- Yeah ... you know, it's like with their life like-
Yeah ...
um, you know, 'cause it's something that they saved up for their whole life to buy and, and they, you know, you fix a problem for them and, and, you know, that's just, you know, that, that means a lot to them.
Yeah. You know what I mean? You take your time and, and figure it out, and, um, when somebody else couldn't, you know? And-
And that's, that's a cool thing because, like, sometimes we look at those enthusiast cars-
Mm-hmm ...
and I, and I've seen it, where, like, I've worked at a shop and they would bring you their older Vette.
So I remember I worked at a shop and it's like- His father-in-law had left it to him, right? Mm-hmm. So it was a '76, not, you know, those kind of vintage, right? Yeah. Nothing too impressive, but I mean, it is, it's a Corvette, right?
Yeah.
And I remember them bringing it to us and having these grandiose expectations.
Mm-hmm.
But then their regular cars, their dailies-
Mm-hmm ...
like they just went somewhere else for that. Mm-hmm. And that always really rubbed me the wrong way, right? Because it was like, why am I killing myself on your- Yeah ... toy?
Yeah.
Right? If I can't have all the work that you're... Like, I want all the vehicles in the family household.
That's just the way I am, right? Yeah. And I would think that a lot of business owners would be thinking that way.
Hey there, I've gotta tell you about something new for our industry, TechTonic 2026, presented by TechMetric. This isn't just a user conference. It's built for the whole shop. Owners, advisors, and techs each have sessions designed for what they actually do every day.
It's three days in Houston, Texas, filled with workshops, panels. We're expecting over 1,000 people from around the country. You don't have to be a TechMetric user or customer to attend. Tap the link in the show notes to check out TechTonic 2026. Grab early bird pricing while you still can.
Yeah.
But are you a Corvette guy?
Like, do you really enjoy them or does it kinda-
Um-
They're challenging ...
yeah, because I've worked on so many of them- Yeah ... I, I wouldn't personally probably want one. Uh-huh. I mean, I'd love to drive them. Yeah. You know, they're fun to drive, but fixing them, they, they are a challenge. Yeah. I mean, especially the way that some of the suspensions were set up in, back in the day- Mm-hmm
and there's leaf springs and you're fighting them and - Yeah ... the car's wanting to lift off the lift and all that- Yeah ... stuff, you know. Um, but you know, I do enjoy working on... I wouldn't wanna work on that stuff every day.
Mm-hmm.
Um, you know, I'd, I definitely respect the people that do because it, it is a challenge and- Yeah
you know, finding the parts and stuff nowadays and, and all that, you know, quality parts is hard, but- Oh ... you know, especially on an older car like that.
Yeah.
Um, but yeah, I do, I do enjoy that every once in a while. I
know.
Uh, we, we get some, sometimes we get some different things that come into the shop and, you know, I've, I've had chances to work on DeLoreans and like- Really?
odd things like that- Yeah ... that would come in. Um, so that's cool, you know, it's something different and- Yeah ... you know, makes your day go, go by a little differently. Yeah. Yeah. '
Cause we never, I mean, most of us I think in the industry, right, if it's built right, we don't mind.
Mm-hmm.
You know what I mean? Yeah.
It's just gotta be built right and, and you know, again, and then having the proper service information, that's key. Yeah. You know, we were talking this week, I had a conversation about Tesla, and it's like, it just really irks me that you go to ProDemand and there's nothing there. Yeah. Now I'm not saying Tesla locks you out, right?
They'll let you go over to their website and do it, but I mean-
Mm-hmm ...
you know, it would be It'd be a lot easier if it was just like everything else is on Protoman. I say everything else, but not everything.
Yeah.
Mercedes is not, where you can't get a torque- Yeah ... on there too, right? That's true. But at least on a Mercedes I can get a wheel nut torque.
Yeah.
You know what I mean? Yeah. On a, on a, on a Tesla they don't even have that listed in Protoman, and that just- Mm ... frustrates me. So the, you know, I always enjoyed challenges if it was billed right and I had service information. I wasn't expected to work miracles for pennies, right? Yeah. That's the part that always...
If you have the right conversation with a customer, it goes well.
Mm-hmm.
Um, what did the DeLorean need? Anything, do you remember?
Uh, it was a customer of ours that had, he had two of them. Okay. Um, and these things were like mint condition, like 20,000 miles on it. Yeah. He would drive them in parades every now and then.
Okay. Or just take them to, like, Cars and Coffee in- Yeah ... you know, on S- Saturday morning or something. But, um, it, we just did maintenance on them basically. Mm-hmm. I mean, they, we never seen anything on them that were, like, really-
Right ...
you know, bad issues.
Yeah.
Um, but he, he just kept them in the garage and got them out every once in a while, and then, you know, he ended up getting older and, and getting rid of them.
He was an, he was an older customer, but- Right ... that, I still, I have, like, a, a picture that still pops up in my memories from, like, 12 years ago of that car sitting in my bay, you know? Yeah. It's like I'll look back at it and, you know, you know, show the young guys in the shop, "Look at this," you know? Yeah.
You've only ever seen it in the movie. They get a kick out of that. Yeah. Yeah.
Very-
Yeah, they don't even know what it is. I gotta explain it to them.
So there was this movie in '84 that came out. Yeah, it made the whole car.
Yeah.
Right on. Very good, man. Very good. Yeah. What, um, so- How many, like, at, at Brett's has there been a...
Like, is it... Tell us a little bit. Is it a big shop, a lot of techs, or-
Um, the, we have three techs in the shop now. Okay. Um, then myself, and then we have a, a receptionist- Yeah ... and, and then Brett. Um, we have five bays. Um, there is an additional building that we have that I think we're gonna possibly look to expand in the future sometime.
Very nice. Me and Brett's talked about it. Um, but, uh, yeah, so we, we keep, keep three guys busy, you know, with five bays. And, um, we have a mixture. We, we have Dan, like, our head tech. Like I say, he's a couple years older than me. He used to be m- my manager at one point in time. Uh-huh, uh-huh. Um, now he works with me.
And then we have two younger guys, um, that came on with us a couple years ago, maybe two years ago or so. Um, and they're doing, doing a great job. Yeah. I mean, you know, they're... Th- they like to get, get their hands dirty and, you know, dig into stuff. And, um, you know, me and Dan kind of guide them a little bit and help them- Yeah
and trying to bring them along, and they're, they're doing great.
And that's hard, Corey, to find the young people that, like, wanna do this. You know what I mean? Mm-hmm. Or, like, sometimes there's all kinds of want, but they just don't have it.
Yeah.
You know what I mean? Yeah. That's the trick, too, i- is finding the, the one that want it and have the ability.
Mm-hmm. And I, I always was, like, on the fence. I think you can teach the aptitude. I really do. Um, some people say you can't teach it, they just either are born with it or not, but I've seen lots of guys that, like, struggle on the nuts and bolts stuff-
Mm-hmm ...
but man, you put, like, data in front of them or you put, like, a wiring diagram in front of them and they're, like, off- Yeah
and they're, they're just killing it, you know? So I think that that's a different type of aptitude that, like, now as the, as the industry's going the way it is-
Mm-hmm ...
like, we're having more and more that I think are going into that, you know? Um- Yeah ... and I think it's, it's making the industry more welcoming, less, instead of less welcoming.
Yeah. I think everybody thinks it's less welcoming, but I don't think so.
Yeah.
You see the kids that are into RC cars and when they're 10. Mm-hmm. Well, that's the kid that at 20 is probably gonna wanna work for, you know- Yeah ... Tesla or work on the EV in the shop. Like, that's the cool thing.
Definitely. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I agree with that. And, you know, these guys are... You know, they're more technology, like, driven, I guess you could say, than, you know, when we, we were coming up and technology started changing from- Yeah ... like OBD1 to OBD2 was like, "Oh my God, what are we gonna do?" You know? Mm-hmm. And, uh, you know, these guys now, they're, they're so...
You know, they've been- You know, I don't know that they even know about people didn't have internet That's right ... you know, right at one point in time. You know what I mean? So it's just a different way of thinking. Yeah. And, uh, you know, we brought them to Tools last year, um, and it was a, it was, it was like a eye-opening experience, you know?
Yeah. We explained to them what, what it was going to these events, like the training. Um, and they've d- they'd done some local training back home, but, uh, once they came last year, it was like a whole different world to them. Yeah. Like, they didn't even know these things existed and, you know, once they got to see it in person, and, you know, they, they follow guys on social media- Yeah
stuff like that, and they're like, "Oh my God, that's Check Engine Chuck," or something. You know what I mean? Yeah. It's just, it's cool to just get to know them people and- Yeah ... and, and get to meet them now, you know, they, you know, they got to shake hands with them. You know?
Oh, yeah. Like I, I can still remember the first time coming to...
It was because I was able to come to, not Tools, but Asta-
Mm-hmm ...
that I got to meet Scanner Danner for the first time.
Yeah.
Right?
Yeah.
That was, like, the coolest thing in the world to me. Yeah. Like, that was like 16-year-old me meeting one of the guys like Stacey David or something, right? Yeah. Um, you know, which i- it's not that I don't have respect for Stacey anymore, but when we, when we go into the more modern things that we're working on now- Mm-hmm
Paul has kind of, you know, come down into that same level of legendary- Mm ... car guy that, you know, people are growing up. Check Engine Chuck's the same thing. Like-
Yeah ...
I call him and consider him a good friend. I talk to him a lot, and it's like he just doesn't know how much impact he's now having on the really young people.
Yeah. 'Cause the young people are like, they might be 12 and 13, and they're on TikTok. They're not even driving yet. Mm-hmm. But they're seeing this guy, but they're into cars. Yeah. And they're seeing these guy, this guy do these incredible things of making, fixing these cars. That's what they, they now wanna grow up and have a service van-
Yeah
you know, and, and, and do mobile mechanics, or they want to, like, work in a shop and solve these problems. Like, that's- Yeah ... that's the gift, man. Yeah. That's what we want in this industry. Yeah. We cried for so long that we didn't have it. Yeah. Now we're glorifying it. I think it's great.
Yeah. Yeah, I spent years and years watching Scanner Danner- Yeah
videos, and, um, m- the, one of the head techs I learned a lot from at Faileys, um, when I first started working there, he, you know, he was, like, the shop foreman and very good diagnostic tech. Yeah. I mean, I learned so much from him. Um, and he put me onto Scanner Danner, and I would just sit at home at night, you know- Mm-hmm
just at night and for an hour just watch videos- Yeah ... o- of Scanner Danner, like, diag videos and, and just do that, like, every other day throughout- Yeah ... the week a- and, and then take it to work and try to do f- what I saw or pull the videos up and, um, you know- Yeah ... see how he's hooked up to things and, and, you know, that, that, that brought me a long way, you know?
And, and then got, you know, got to finally meet him and told him, I was like, "Yeah, you know, you've done more for me than you even know, man." And he-
He's so humble ... he still is, yeah- Yeah ... so humble, right? Yeah. Yeah. I was, but, and it... You know, you're not... You're telling the truth because before I came up to do this interview- Mm-hmm
he released a video today, and I watched it.
Yeah. You know what
I mean? Like, he's just now, when I think back on it, like, as long as he's been on YouTube, it's, like, 15, 16 years- Mm-hmm ... I've been watching his videos. It's become part of my... Like, I hope people with these podcasts and stuff, but it's become part of my routine.
Yeah. Like, it's just, like, when they release a video every week, I'm keyed up. I wanna see it. Yeah. And s- and some are like, "Oh, man, I would've never thought about that." And then others are like, "Oh, yeah, I've been exactly there."
Yeah.
Like, it, it has brought this industry so much together that, like, we don't feel like we're alone anymore.
Mm-hmm. You know? 'Cause I talk all the time, I'm like, and I'm sure Brett can remember this, we used to have a day where you would call the guy at the dealer- Mm-hmm ... and say, like, "Hey, I'm talking to somebody in parts. Are you moving a lot of this?" Or, or, you know, "We've got one down here, and we don't know. We've, we tried tuning it up, and it, and it's still..."
And they, the guy at the dealer would go, "Oh, yeah, we had one, and, and h- here's what you do."
Yeah.
Now we don't have to do that- Yeah ... because not only does the dealer not wanna help us out, they're struggling just to even find talent and do it. Yeah. But the reality is, is, like, I watched a case study yesterday with Keith Perkins.
Mm-hmm.
And Keith goes through his whole case study and shows it, and then he goes There's somebody that already ran into this and did a video of it on YouTube. Mm-hmm. And here's the guy, and here's the video. Yeah. Like now, when you watch it, you can appreciate both because they approach it from a different, um, a method, and they both get to the same result, and it's the same cause.
It's a, it's a TPMS sensor causing the-
Mm-hmm ...
uh, network to wake up and cause a parasitic drain.
Oh my God.
Like you never thought, right? Yeah. Like, but here's the beauty of it. Other people would hold that so closer to chest and never talk about it. Mm-hmm. And there's Keith going, "Yeah, there's a guy on YouTube that is, you know, already has a video."
Like that's incredible to me- Yeah ... how we're now starting to uplift each other-
Mm-hmm ...
and share that. Like that is so important.
Yeah, definitely. You
know what I mean?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah. I mean, there, there's videos out there on just about anything. Oh. I mean, if you really wanna, you know, dig into it. Um, but yeah, it's just, you know, you need that kind of information.
Yeah. You know? And like you said, it could help, you know, help the next guy that runs into that problem. Why not, why not pass that on if you've been there already?
Yeah. Yeah. So for you to make the kind of the transition that Brett's got you doing-
Mm-hmm ...
was it a, was it a physical thing?
Uh, n- not necessarily a physical th- yes and no.
Okay. I, I mean, you know, I definitely m- as I got older, it definitely could feel it. Yeah. You know, when you come home at night or by the end of the week.
Mm-hmm.
Um, you know, and i- I've always sort of been intrigued with like the business side of things- Right ... too. Um, you know, I brought that up to Brett and, you know, he was kind of s- slowly working me into things and, you know, trying to understand numbers and, y- you know, that good, all that good stuff.
Um, and it just kind of with the service advisor leaving that we had, it kind of just opened the opportunity and he's- Right ... he's like, you know, "Are you ready for this?" And, you know, I always told him, you know, I don't wanna turn wrenches for the rest of my life. Yeah. Um, but it, it was just the right time, and it worked out.
And, uh, like I said, I just, just one day I just said, "Uh, I'm done. We're gonna bring another tech in and I'm gonna, you know, move up into the office," and, and we ran with it and-
Your auto repair shop doesn't slow down, and neither should your tools. When diagnostics get more advanced, systems get smarter, and vehicles get more complex, one name keeps shops moving forward: Launch Tech USA.
From powerful diagnostic tools to ADAS calibrations, wheel alignments, TPMS service, even heavy-duty solutions, Launch Tech USA delivers speed, accuracy, and control where it matters most. Faster, smarter, more diagnostics done right the first time Whether you're working on passenger vehicles, fleets, EVs, or advanced driver systems, Launch Tech USA gives your technicians the confidence to tackle anything that rolls into your bays.
Backed by constant software updates, expanding vehicle coverage, and real support from real experts, Launch Tech USA isn't just keeping up. We're pushing the industry forward. If you're ready to work faster, diagnose better, and stay ahead of the curve, visit our website at www.launchtechusa.com.
You know, it's worked out.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And so you're lucky you landed with Brett because he's, again, you know, we come to these shows and you see sometimes they say, oh, you see the same faces, but, like, there's so many shop owners that don't even know their numbers. Mm-hmm. Or, or what the- their KPIs, right? Yeah.
What, what to look at, what to track.
Yeah.
They don't even know.
Yeah.
And so you get very fortunate. You've got his dad- Mm-hmm ... who taught you a ton on how to be a mechanic.
Yeah.
And then you have Brett, who taught you, or is teaching you- Mm-hmm ... how to be a great shop owner.
Yeah.
You know what I mean? Yeah. Like, it's fantastic.
Yeah, it's like the best of both worlds. Yeah. I mean, when, when Brett took the shop over, you know, he, he's been there forever. You know, he's worked there since he was a kid, basically. Yeah. Um, you know, when he, he took the shop over full time, you know, after his parents were done with it, um, you know, he, he, he basically just turned it all around.
I mean, it was sort of stuck in, like, the old school type of way- Sure, yeah ... when, when they had it. And Brett, I mean, just, just within a year's time, just totally changed the business. I mean, just money wise- Mm-hmm ... and, and, and updating things and the, the tools and, you know, just, just thinking, you know, of a more, like, updated way of, of thinking about things.
Yeah. And, um, you know, that definitely, definitely changed it for, for the better.
Did it have any growing pains when that happened? Like, did some people leave or ...
Um, no- No? ... everybo- everybody pretty much stayed. Um, the head tech that I was working under at the time, um, for a while it was just us two working in there.
Yeah. Um, he ended up moving out of state. You know, his kids went off to college. Right. Him and his wife wanted to move south and, and, um, you know, that's when it was kinda time. Brett's like, "You know, I need you, I want you to step up, be the head guy now." Um, other than that, I mean, there w- wasn't really any, like, growing pains or anything.
Okay. Just I think because Brett and his brother were there for so long, you know, they were there for so long- Yeah ... all the customers knew who they were. Um, they knew it was a family business. Um, you know, Brett was doing most of the service writing at the time, uh, him and his brother, and his, his brother would leave to still t- teach half the day.
Mm-hmm. Um, so, you know, just it kinda worked out smoothly. Um-
That's good ...
I know there were some, some money things and stuff that Brett had to get figured out. Um, I know he's talked on it on some other shows- Yeah ... and stuff. Yeah. Then, and, uh, you know, he, he just said, you know, "I gotta get this figured out," and he got it all figured out.
Mm-hmm. And took a while.
Yeah.
Um, but, and he's, you know, we're still trying to grow. Yeah.
So. And that's the thing, like, I mean, and, and, uh, you know, we see so many of the, you know, probably his dad's generation-
Mm-hmm ...
where they literally, like- Just bought themselves a job. Yeah. You know what I mean? And, and whatever was enough to cover the expenses, you know, if we own the piece of property and it's been paid off forever- Mm-hmm
you know, maybe we don't really tweak our numbers the way we should, and do this and do that, and maybe we, you know, don't mark up and ... Because they're always thinking about the customer.
Yeah.
And, and it's good to think about your customer, for sure, but, like, you have a duty to be profitable- Mm-hmm ... and you have a responsibility to your people- Yeah
to be profitable and to share that profit. That is what you are ... It's what you're tasked with. I don't ... You know, I catch a lot of flack for that, but I mean, there's ... We in the industry need to realize that the shop owner is entitled to profit.
Mm-hmm.
You know? There's too many people that get online and go, "I can't believe they charge $200 an hour."
Break it all down with what we're paying a tech and what everything costs now. Yeah. $200 is nothing.
Yeah.
It's nothing. And then when you break it in and start looking at what we're actually having to pay the technicians and what they deserve-
Yeah ...
because of the tooling, the training, these events aren't free.
Yeah.
Everybody's just losing their minds over, "I can't believe the door rate costs this much money." Look at what it costs to run a shop. Yeah. It's gonna go up. It isn't 1982 anymore- Yeah ... when they're $70 an hour now. We should be seeing every shop at 150 and up. Mm. Every shop should be, and we should be really knocking on the door of 200 if you really wanna break it down.
So- Yeah ... you know, people get upset, but I'm sitting here standing back going like, "I want this." If we want to fix the skills gap, we have to show them that you're not gonna come in and, and earn $10 an hour changing oil, and we're gonna expect you to buy $50,000 tools in five years- Mm ... and, and still by then you, you're making $13.
So, you know, like, we have to show them a, a, a plan that's gonna be like, "You're going to make six figures doing this." Yeah. "Here's the process to get there. Here's what's gonna be required of you. Here's the mandatory training you're gonna have to take."
Mm-hmm.
And, and that's the thing that th- as soon as you get them signed up and, and like you- Mm-hmm
and I loved to learn this stuff. Mm-hmm. As soon as you get that, plant that seed in them, it's not hard to get them to take training, man. Yeah. It's not. If you've got a technician that's pushing back against training, you've got a bigger culture problem there than just the fact that the training ... Can they fix the car without the training?
Sure. Mm. But j- then you gotta really look into how effectively are they fixh- fixing the car- Mm ... and what is the reluctance to train?
Yeah.
Because, like, you've seen it. Nobody here is putting a bunch of stuff in front of us and saying, "You gotta read and recite this all back to me." Mm-hmm. Like, we were just doing ad reads before you come in, that's the most, before you came in, that's the most frustrating thing for me 'cause I just gotta wing it, right?
Yeah.
And I'm like, if I had the words in front of me, they would come off, but, like, trying to not stammer and stutter over my words-
Yeah ...
when I'm trying to sell something, which is essentially, like, click here to r- you know- Mm ... to watch the podcast or click here to subscribe, that's not natural for me. You and I sitting here like this having a conversation, completely natural.
Yeah.
Don't ... I'm not worried. So- People that have a reluctance to train, I don't know where that comes from. Like, whether it's a, a, so you b- got a touch of the 'tism or you're, you know, dyslexic. Like, you can go and take the class and still come out of there better- Yeah ... and learning what you need to learn.
Yeah.
Sorry, a bit of a rant there, Cody, but you know.
No, I to- I totally agree with you. Um, you know, talking to the young guys that I have with, with, that we're, they're here now. Mm-hmm. Um, you know, i- if you, you're not gonna retain everything. Yeah. You know, you're not gonna go there... A lot of the stuff that you're gonna learn is gonna be over your head.
It's still over my head or, you know, some of these other guys, and- Yeah ... and, you know, these guys presenting these classes are like, you know, like world-class, you know?
They're the 1%-
Yeah ... of
1%.
Yeah. Yeah. And y- you know, you're not gonna retain everything, but if you can take just one piece back with you and use it, you know, if you're gonna be reluctant to training, you know, you know, Brett's sending us out here, t- the shop owners are sending you out here to make you better.
You know what I mean? Yeah. You know, if, if you don't wanna take anything from that and bring it back and put it to use, um, you know, you shouldn't really be there. You know what I mean?
And how long do you think you can possibly last in the industry-
Yeah ...
before you're gonna get left behind? Yeah. And not only that, but there's, there's a contingency of people that they demand top pay, but they won't train.
Yeah.
Or they demand top pay, but they're not improving.
Yep.
They're probably backsliding in terms of their ability and their, their give a damn and all that kind of stuff, right?
Mm-hmm.
Their... Training won't fix attitude-
Yeah ...
but training can instill motivation in people, which can then fix their attitude, right?
Yeah.
There's, there's, there's a collection out there that never got training, and they're resentful of the fact that they never got it now. Mm-hmm. And then there's a contingency out there of people that, like, "I don't want to because I'm, I'm in my lane. I, I'm not getting too many hard cars, and then all of a sudden if I get training, you're gonna lump on me a bunch of really hard stuff that I'm not prepared to do."
That all is solved from conversations of having with your owner, right? Yeah. Like, you can sit down with Brett and go, "Okay, I took that course-
Mm-hmm ...
but I'm not ready all of a sudden to rebuild a Tesla."
Yeah.
You know what I mean? Yeah. It's, it's having conversations, right?
Yeah.
It's important. Yeah. You gotta be able to listen, and you gotta be able to communicate your thought.
Yep.
So.
Yeah, and, you know, there's a lot of, you know, shops in our area that have really good mechanics, and, you know, it, it... But the ones, you know, the, the good shops are the, are the guys that are here. Yeah. You know what I mean? They're, they're the ones that, that go out of their way and spend the money and take, close the shop down and, you know, send their techs, invest in their techs' knowledge and- Mm
you know- That goes a long way with, with, you know, just what you charge in your shop.
Yeah.
You
know? It's- So what were the growing pains, Cody, when you went to write in service?
Oh, so for me, for me the hardest thing was I'm not a very, like, outgoing guy.
Okay.
You know? I'm, I'm sort of quiet and reserved, so- Yeah
kind of had to come out of my shell a little bit. Um, one of the things that helped, though, is that I was there for so long. Mm-hmm. Um, you know, you, you know, you sit through some of these classes and they, you know, they say, like, technicians don't c- make good service advisors, and I, yeah, I totally understand that.
And I definitely had to change my mindset about things when I started talking to customers. Right. Um, you know, I, I was still a familiar face there. Yes. Like, a lot of the customers came in and still known that I, last 15 years I was working on their car. Um, you know, so th- I think that transition, that part of it made it easier for me.
Sure. Um, 'cause a lot of the, the older customers that were regulars and stuff, they, they'd come in and they'd, "What are you doing in the office?" Or, you know, "You, you don't normally dress like that," you know? You know, looking like a mechanic- Yeah ... for all, for so long. Um, but I think that r- that really helped, you know, that I, there was still, like, a sense of, um, like I'm still a familiar face- Yeah
you know what I mean, to them. Um, I, I'd say that was probably, like, the main thing is I had to just-
Yeah ...
you know, especially giving people bad news, you know- Yeah ... about their cars, and that's hard. Um, you know, definitely, you, you know, you gotta be, you need to sympathe- you know, you feel sympathetic for them, you know.
But, you know, other than that, like I said, I was always, always interested in the business side of it. So, um, you know, I think I, you know, doing pretty well understanding it, you know, along with training. You know, I work with a coach, a service advisor coach that's great. I mean, he's, he's amazing. Um, so I, I couldn't, you know, I couldn't ask for anything more.
I mean, Brett gave me the tools to, you know- Yeah ... help me out, you know?
I think it makes it easier when the service writer- is somebody that has, is well known and well established in the deal, in the, I almost said in the dealership, but in the shop, period- Yeah ... right? Because they know that, okay, all of a sudden we have never seen Cody in the last six months, and then we come in- Mm-hmm
and he's dressed different. He's behind the counter. The trust is already there that you're gonna take care of it. Yeah. You used to take care of it out in the bay, but now, okay, he's at the counter. Mm-hmm. Are they gonna trust you that it's gonna still be done properly- Yeah ... 'cause you're gonna take care of them?
When, when we have people that all of a sudden, and I think this is why I've been such an advocate that we, I think it works better than people want to necessarily admit, when you take a tech that has that and you, you put them in front of the thing, they may be nervous as heck talking to the customers.
Mm-hmm. And they may be a little, uh, uh, jaded. Mm. They may be a little abrasive, but if the customer is trusting them, that's 90% of the, of the trip is done. Yeah. 90% of the hard work is behind you. You've got the trust already. Whereas you can bring somebody in that can have the greatest smile in the world- Mm-hmm
and, uh, bubbly and personality and all that kind of stuff, if they don't know them-
Mm-hmm ...
they're still not necessarily as trusting.
Yeah.
You know? Yeah. And so people that are listening, when you're thinking about, like, do you have a technician, and you sit there and you shake your head, and, "Oh, I don't have any techs that ever make a Service Advisor," think about that little, that little reality for a second.
Mm-hmm. They already have the customer's trust.
Yeah.
Why would you not try it out?
Yeah.
Yeah. What's, um, when you talk about giving bad news, like that's hard.
Yeah. That's hard, you know, especially when, uh, when you know the customer's not, you know, they express to you that they're not, you know, "I, I hope this is nothing major, you know, I got this going on in my life"- Yeah
and, and it comes in and needs a transmission or- Mm-hmm ... it needs an engine, or, you know, that's, that's hard to deal with, you know. You, you, just to break that news to them, I mean, I've had customers cry to me on the phone, you know. Yeah. You gotta kind of be like a therapist a little bit, you know? Yeah. Um, which is okay.
You know, it's just that, that, that can be a little uncomfortable sometimes. Um-
Or they go and buy something that, you know, you wish you hadn't heard that they bought.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah. Right? And then it's like they bring it in, and you're like, "Crap."
Yeah.
You know? Yeah. It's just like, to pick a name like, you know, "Oh, you went and bought a Mini."
Mm-hmm.
You know- Yeah ... oh, shoot, like how many kilometers are on it? Is... or- Yeah ... it's my Canadian coming out, right? How s- how many miles are on it? And you're like, "Oh, it's got 120,000 miles on it. Ooh, all right. Well, I hope you didn't pay much," right? Yeah. And that's, and then you go from there, and it comes back to having those conversations, right?
Mm-hmm. Like you wanna get- You wanna get them prepared. I'm not... I need to step away from the idea that I tell people, "Don't buy this," because at the end of the day they don't listen to me anyway. They buy what they wanna buy.
Yeah.
Right? But we have to be a little more understanding about, like... And very transparent.
Yeah. Like, this is the car you got. We'll help you-
Yeah ...
navigate this.
Yeah.
But we're not gonna sublet it for you. We're not gonna supplement the, the, the cost- Yeah ... because of, because of empathy. Yeah. We can't do that, you know?
Yeah. And a lot of that comes with just, you know, trying to educate them on what they have.
Mm-hmm. You know, you, they buy a car that you know there's a certain problem with and, and you've seen it before, and just try to, you know, plant that seed that-
That's
right ... you know, this might be coming down the road for you. Yeah. You know, we should get this taken care of first, you know.
You got a Silverado, right, expect at some point- Mm-hmm
you might have a transmission issue. Yeah. Like, you know, you got a Ford, uh, Eco anything, you might be putting some turbos in it at some point- Yeah ... in its life. Like, like there's, there's expensive repairs that come along with this modern stuff. You know, you got a Volkswagen, like, it's gonna leak oil constantly.
Like, it's gonna- Yeah ... burn oil if it ain't leaking it. Like, it might even do both.
Yeah.
You know, and then onward and onward. And, and, and, you know, um, I don't think that, like, we're... I don't think we're necessarily always getting the customer ready for the reality- Mm-hmm ... of what's happening, right? Yeah. With this industry that's changing and, like, you know, you and I can remember where nobody ever probably did a fuel injection service- Yeah
or, you know. And now it's a, it's a critical part of keeping some of these complaints-
Mm-hmm ...
from happening on cars. Yeah. So it's a tough sell sometimes, right?
Yeah.
And it, and it just comes back to education, so.
Yeah.
What, um, what kind of cars do you like to see come in?
Um, do I like to see come in?
Yeah, like from a, from a customer-
standpoint-
Yeah ...
what do you like to see come in?
Um, you know- Eh, uh, uh, I don't wanna knock on, like, European vehicles- Mm-hmm ... or anything like that No, go ahead I don't wanna see them come in. Uh, we do work on some, you know, we do work on them. But, um, you know, from a customer standpoint, I mean, like some of the good, you know, good cars out there, every car has their issues- That's for sure
especially we see them, you know, we see them. So, you know, Toyotas, Hondas- Mm ... you know, that's, uh, uh, and you c- you can't really go wrong buying one of them. Yeah. Um, you know, Nissans, y- you know, they had the CVTs and those things that, you know- Yeah ... um, I try to steer customers away, you know, from them. But, you know, it, uh, you know, they're gonna buy what you w- what they wanna buy.
There's- They're gonna drive ...
a lot of Nissans out there right now. Yeah. Like, I mean, and that, and that's the thing. Like, it's... I talk about the Rogue all the time. Like, the, where the Rogue came from to where it is now is crazy how many of them you see on the road.
Yeah.
It's nuts. Yeah. And, and a lot of it is, like, people talk about that and the Altima, and it's like, well, they're former rental fleet, and yeah, okay.
Mm-hmm. But I mean, rental people always, like, and taxis, we used to joke about taxis, right? Mm-hmm. Taxis, but, like, they only picked the stuff that would last.
Yeah.
And you're seeing a lot more Nissan being used out in fleet operations, and it's like-
Yeah ...
you know, so, uh, and CVT, like, it'd be, it'd be crazy to say that only Nissan have CVT problems.
Well, yeah,
yeah, they all- We know that lots of people have. And I mean- Yeah ... look at, again, back to the Silverado, that's not a CVT, and look at how many transmission issues they have.
Oh, I know.
You know? Ford, the same transmission, right? Like-
Yeah ...
or almost the same transmission. Like, it, it's just part and parcel.
We have to get these people, um, like you said, expecting that, you know, if you keep it long enough- Mm-hmm ... Murphy's Law says this probably will happen.
Yeah.
You know? You, or you do your maintenance, and it still probably will still happen. It'll just happen later.
Yeah.
You know? And, uh, and that's what I say is there's nothing wrong with selling maintenance to a customer, as long as you're clear that if it's already slipping, it probably won't fix it.
Yeah. You know? Yeah. Now, uh, it's up to you. Do you wanna, do you wanna service it and try?
Mm-hmm.
Or, but we cannot any longer just say, "Okay, yep, that'll be $199" and not have a conversation with the customer. You gotta ask them, "What's your expected outcome?"
Yeah. "
Why are you doing it? Why do you think you need it?"
You know?
Mm-hmm.
Because you and I have seen it where it's like they may get in there and say, "I got a transmission fault."
Yeah.
No, and you go and drive it, it's a misfire. Mm-hmm. Right? Yeah. It's going down the road, it's, it feels like a
trans torque converter. Yeah. A misfire. Yeah. Yeah. Well, they're happy.
Mm-hmm.
Like, you could sell them a $600 tune-up. Yeah. They're happy- Yeah ... 'cause they're expecting $6,000 transmission.
Yeah.
You know?
Yeah.
Um, what's, uh, what's some of the challenges right now coming into the shop?
Um, as far as challenges, I mean- For us, uh, one of the big things is, like, uh, I don't wanna say qua- uh, quality of parts- Mm-hmm
but- You can say that ... w- we, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Um, I mean, you know, w- our suppliers are great, but i- there's, you know, w- y- you... If you're gonna do a repair, just go factory, depending on what it is. Mm-hmm. You know what I mean?
Yeah.
Um, you know, that's, since kinda COVID, everything just kinda, it, you know- Gotten worse
tanked on that end. Um, you know, it's good to be backed by somebody that gives a good warranty, you know? And that's, you know, ano- another reason, you know, why I try to explain to people you should, you know, choose our kinda shop because of that. Yeah.
Um- And it's gonna cost more.
Yeah.
We're gonna put an OE part on it.
Yeah.
But you're not gonna have to come back and-
Mm-hmm ...
try another vent solenoid or purge solenoid- Yeah ... or another TP, TP a- uh, I almost said TPS. TPS, yeah, throttle position sensor- Mm-hmm ... which they don't even really use anymore, but you know what I mean. Right. You're not gonna have to try a different throttle body before- Yeah
we finally get the OE one, right? Like-
Yeah ...
stuff like that. It, it, it, it makes me... That's the hardest conversation I have d- because again, when the people are like, "But I saw it online,"
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, that, an online part-
Yeah. There- Like- ... there's a reason why that part costs this much- Yeah ... and this one doesn't.
And that online part, like sometimes it's the same brand-
Yeah ...
but it's not the same line within the brand.
Mm-hmm.
And, and they'll sell that to the DIYer all day long.
Yeah.
But they won't sell it to the parts store. Yeah. Well, if the parts store won't carry it, there's a problem.
Mm-hmm.
You know? And then the OE stuff is like, it's a struggle.
Sometimes they're not... Who was, um... Somebody just did a video and they were talking about... Oh, Ivan from Pine Hollow.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, a 10-year-old, uh, Chrysler Stellantis product- Yeah ... needs an ABS module. Not even supported from the dealer anymore. Yeah. Can't get it.
Yeah.
Like, that's frustrating as heck that, you know...
But there's nothing in the aftermarket, you know? There's workarounds for some of these modules that if you wanna make the They say you can't use a used one, but you can Mm-hmm ... right? EEPROM and all that kind of stuff. But this is all where we're getting into these customers that are just like, "I don't understand."
Like, "I don't understand why that part's not available," or, "I don't know why I can't use this aftermarket part." We have to explain to them like, "I can't stand behind it- Yeah ... and that's why I can't use it."
Yeah.
You know, it's got a record that I know is gonna be... I'm gonna be chasing my tail on it.
Mm-hmm.
We don't use it.
Yeah. And that's why it costs more.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, I agree. And, and you know, we, it goes back to educating the customer- Mm-hmm ... on what you're doing to their car. Um, you know, most of the time, if you explain that to somebody, they understand. Yeah. Um, but it's just taking the time to explain that, um, I don't wanna put something on your car that you're not gonna be happy with.
Right. And I wouldn't put it on my own vehicle. Yeah. You know, so yeah, that's, that's kind of... I mean, we've been seeing a couple issues with that, but- Mm ... you know, we're working our way through it and -
Yeah. And again, the OE parts, they have failures too.
Yeah, they do.
You know?
Yeah.
Like you've seen that enough by now, right?
Yeah. Yeah. Um, some of it I think is their supply chain and the aftermarket supply chain are not all that different.
Yeah.
Right? There are... But it's, it was somebody explained to me there's a different level of testing that the, the car, the part has to go through to be sold at the dealership. Mm-hmm. Now, during COVID, they threw that all out the window- Yeah
'cause whatever they could get is what they got- Yeah ... 'cause they needed it. I'm not, I'm not mad at them for it, but now I, I don't like that we haven't been able to turn the corner back.
Yeah.
That's what drives me crazy. Yeah. You know, 'cause they're using all this inventory up. Instead of getting rid of it and going, "Hey, there's just too many of them," they're like, "Well, we gotta use it up."
Yeah.
Um, what, uh... How do you find- Um, do you find a challenge of getting young people?
Um-
Like, I know you have two younger ones, but-
Yeah, we, we do have two younger ones. Um, e- there for a while we were- Yeah ... having trouble finding, um, finding some people. Um, you know, I don't know, you know, when I was a kid, you know, it was, you know, Dad would take me out and show me stuff or tinker with the lawn mower.
Mm-hmm. Or like, you know, nowadays, I mean, uh, we, we had a really good young guy that was there before. He ended up leaving. He d- he didn't wanna do cars forever.
Right.
Um, he was super smart. He would've made a really good A-Tech someday. Right. You know, he would just pick up... You know, I show him something one time and, and he'd never ask the same question twice.
Um, great, great kid, very smart. He, he was into trade and day trading stocks, and it's like- Really? ... I'd have never even thought about that at his age, you know? I was, I was doing other stuff, running around, you know- Yeah ... having fun, but, you know, and, and he was making enough money on that, he didn't need to work.
Um- Wow ... so now he's, like, a photographer, a sports photographer, and just does what he likes to do for fun.
Yeah.
And, you know, he's o- he's... I think he might be 22 or 23 now. He still stays in contact with us and stuff. Yeah. Um, great kid, but, you know, it's just, like, just the, it, the, you know, just think of that when you were that young a- and, and do all the research and read and, you know, invest your own money and- Wow
and, you know, it's totally different than what kids are doing, you know, you know, when we were younger, you know? Yeah. It's just the technology's totally different, you know? That's, I think that has a lot to do with it. Um-
10 years ago we were waiting for the next video game to drop, right? Mm-hmm. And then when we weren't playing the video game, we were, "How do I make my car-
sound different or sound like that one on the movie?" And now these guys, I don't know if it's 'cause everybody's going EV or something, they just have no- Like, cars are just tools.
Yeah.
Right? Whereas from our generation- Mm-hmm ... cars were cool as hell, man. Yeah. Like, they were... They said something about you, that it was part of your identity, and I think that we've removed that now, and I don't know necessarily how to get that back because it's not that it's completely gone- Mm-hmm
but it seems to be a very much, like, you have enthusiasts.
Yeah.
Whereas everybody back in the day, like, their car said something about them. Mm-hmm. And now you see people and it's just a, it's just an appliance.
Yeah.
It's just like their cell phone. Yeah. F- three years, it doesn't matter what I- memories I have in this car- Mm-hmm
I'm getting rid of it and going get another one.
Yeah.
And a completely different thing. It's like a cellphone. It's like, ah, you know, whatever- Yeah ... the newest one came out, I'll go try that one.
Yeah.
And I'm thinking, like, I still have the first cellphone I ever owned. Mm-hmm. It sits in a drawer. It don't work no more.
Yeah.
But I mean, like, if we would've... Your father or grandfather probably has a truck sitting out back-
Mm-hmm ...
that they, you know what I mean? Yeah. Like, it-
Yeah ...
it ain't worth nothing to nobody.
Yeah.
But they always had that idea that, like, it's got value and I don't wanna pass it on.
Yeah.
That's crazy to me.
Yeah, it's definitely a different way of thinking, thinking these days.
Yeah.
You know? Um, but-
The young people that you have, they're interested in learning?
They are. Yeah. Like I said, I, I d- I wouldn't say they weren't. You know, they're young and have... The one has a kid, and- Mm-hmm ... and, you know, f- it's hard to get him to go to class at, at- Yeah.
No ... 7:00 at night, and you sit there till almost 10:00 till you get home, and that can be a struggle after- Yeah ... you worked all day. Um, but when they st- started coming to these training events like this, it was just like, now they're hooked. Yeah. You know, now they wanna sit in the classes, and they wanna learn, and they wanna go to Brandon Steckler's class, and they- Yeah
they wanna come back and pick up a lab scope. The one I was talking to this morning, uh, one guy, he goes, "Hey, when we get back, can we pull one of the lender cars in and just, you know, just play around with the lab scope? Can you show me a couple thing?" I'm like, "Yeah, I can do that." You know? Isn't that cool?
Yeah. Yeah. Before they were like, you know, didn't even know what a lab scope was before- Yeah ... they started coming to these events, and, you know, if you're, you, you know, you want me to show you, I'll show you. You know, I'll teach you. And, um, you know, like I said, I don't know everything about them either. I'm- Yeah
you know, but we can learn together.
That's right, and that's the beauty of it, right? There's so much information that wasn't even available to us until a couple people started putting it out there. Like- For what used to be our impact gun, a little four-channel lab scope. Mm-hmm. You know, I saw a guy in a video today, and he, he bought an eight-channel Handtek- Mm-hmm
on Amazon for, like, 100 bucks, and he goes, "Well, it's not the fastest scope in the world," but he says, "For what I need it to do, this parasitic drain, it's perfectly fine."
Yeah.
So he needed eight channels 'cause he's looking at eight different modules waking up at once. That was his thinking, is, "I'm gonna go measure the current draw on each module- It's gonna be...
yeah ... when it comes alive on the, on the CAN." Like, we woulda not even thought about that-
Yeah ...
five years ago.
Yeah.
And there he's like, "I need eight channels at once." Bang, 80 bucks.
Yeah.
Like, what used to be a DVOM was an advanced tool for some of us coming up-
Yeah ...
is now, like, these young kids now, it's not even a DVOM.
Mm-hmm. It's the oscilloscope that they should be picking up first.
Yeah.
You know? Yeah. And then talk into your phone, ChatGPT, "How do I set this up?"
Yeah.
And then ChatGPT gives the answers back, and it's like, holy mother. Like-
Yeah ...
there's so much. Show me a waveform. Show me a known good. There you go.
Yeah.
Like, I understand that, uh, you know, AI is only as good as what we're putting into it, but, uh, I mean, um, Keith Perkins yesterday was like, "If you're not using AI every day right now, you're already behind."
Mm-hmm.
You know? Yeah. He's using it just to show us his slides for his show. Mm-hmm. He's got pictures, and he's just like, "ChatGPT, make me, make me look like I'm frustrated doing something," and, and it creates
it.
And it's on...
It's incredible. Yeah, it is. Like, I'm behind.
Yeah. And
I'm 50, and I'm like, "I'm behind."
Yeah.
So, you know.
Yeah, we've used some of it. Um, you know, some of the AI, they were talking a lot about the AI in the classes- Yeah ... you know, this time around this year. Um, it's c- it's coming. I mean, it's, it's not gonna go away.
Yeah. You know, so why not learn about it? Exactly. You know, I was kinda glad some of the classes were touching on different things, and some of the other shop owners throwing around what they're using for the AI for, and it's like, okay, maybe we'll look into that once we get back and get back to
work.
Well,
you hear some people talk about it, and it's like they're gonna use AI to replace service writers.
Yeah.
You know? I d- I don't think that we're gonna get that far yet.
Yeah.
But you can certainly get them to, like, an automated voice can, can take the phone call-
Yeah ...
and, and book the appointment and, and ask some questions, and it gets smart enough to go, "Okay, so Mrs.
Smith is coming in for an AC complaint," you know? Mm-hmm. Uh, instead of just w- you know, Mrs. Smith is coming in, and we don't know what she's coming in for. Mm-hmm. Do you wanna make an appointment? Now AI is smart enough to be able to say, "Okay, it's coming in for this. All right, anything else?" Like, it can prompt and ask questions.
Like, that's a good thing. Um, ah, my brain was slipping there for a minute. What, um- You kind of have... Brett talked to me this morning before we set this interview up- Mm ... and he was talking with me about, like, his succession plan for the, for, for Fraley's-
Yeah ...
involves you.
Yeah.
What do you think about that?
Yeah, that's, that's something we've t- we've talked about over the years, too. Um, you know, I, you know, I told him that, you know, sort of what I've always dreamed of, that I'd l- love to have my own shop.
Mm-hmm.
You know? And like I said, I was always fascinated with, like, the business side of it. Um, you know, working in the shop for so long, Brett was always, you know, the business side of the shop.
Yeah. Brett, d- Brett'll tell you I, I don't belong anywhere near that shop. I'm not a tech You know? No. You know, so whereas brother was more of, like, the tech, you know, guy, you know, Brett was always, you know, the service advisor in the- Right ... front office. He was always, like, the face that was the customers seen when they came in.
Mm. Um, you know, and get to learn sort of both, best of both worlds from th- from them- Yeah ... too. Um, you know- There's no- there's nobody involved that with Brett's family that wants to take it over, Brett. But for as long as I've been there, I knew Brett's mom and dad and his brother, and, you know, they've gave me an opportunity 15 years ago to come work there.
Um, you know, I'd love to carry that on- Yeah ... for what they built. Um, you know, they got a heck of a reputation. Um, they did things a certain way that made them successful. Um, you know, I would never change the name. You know- Mm-hmm ... that's theirs. They built that. That was nice. Yeah. Yeah. That's theirs. They built that.
Um, you know, we've... So you know, it's what I would like to do. You know, I'd, I'd like to do that eventually. Me and Brett have, have talked about it. Um, you know, if Brett'll come to me and say, "You know, I'm not getting any younger," you know? Mm-hmm. You know, he don't wanna do it forever either- Yeah ... you know?
Yeah. Um, but, but yeah, it's something that, that we've planned and, and something that I'm interested in with him. Um, you know, we've had quite a few conversations. Good. So I'm hoping that progresses, you know, in the next few years or- How old
are you now, Cody?
I'm 37.
37.
Yeah. Okay. Yeah.
Good for you. Good for
you.
Um, so, you know, I, I was pro- you know, I, I could be turning wrenches right now, you know? Right. But I think better for me to learn the business side of things- Yeah ... um, you know, while I'm still young and while, while I still wanna do it, you know?
I, yeah, and, uh, again, I, I think, like, if I had been at 30, like mid-30s, like-
Mm
and I'm 50, if I'd have been mid-30s and somebody offered me that opportunity, I'd have jumped all over it right then too. Mm-hmm. 'Cause it, it's, I... and it's not about making buckets of cash. Right. It's not about that, right? It's about being able to step away from the, the grind on the body, and then really see the other side-
Yeah
you know, and appreciate it more. Like, that's the thing is I, man, I used to not have very nice things to say about a lot of shop owners. Mm-hmm. I didn't have it. And then once I started to network with more and more of them, I realized that a lot of them are really, really special people.
Yeah.
You know what I mean?
It, it takes... N- there's, there's bad apples in every bushel.
Mm-hmm.
But they're, for the most part, the people that we're here with are truly some of the most incredible people I've ever met in my life, and it, and it's because they get it. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, they now, this generation- They understand, like, we have a duty to serve the community and our customers.
Mm-hmm. But we also have a responsibility to the people that work for us.
Yeah.
And I think that that's where some back in the day a little, got a little bit lost, you know? Mm-hmm. It was like everybody just threw up their hands and go, "Well, it's always been that way." Like, you know, y- y- you worked in a, in a shop and had the gas pump out front, and you, and you, you know, you made a living, but that was it.
Mm-hmm.
And now I think it's like they're seeing that this is really complex stuff.
Yeah.
And, you know, we're still tasked with keeping our c- community mobile on the road, but, like, by God- Mm-hmm ... you know, we have to, we have to charge for it. We know, have to know our value.
Yeah.
You know? Um, I think that's the only way the industry survives, 'cause you ta- look at other skilled trades, they got replaced.
Yeah.
You know? And, and it's a constantly evolving thing, but it's like when you look at that and you go, "How do we keep that from happening?" Train.
Mm-hmm.
Get better every day. Yeah. You know?
Yeah.
What, um- What scares you?
What scares me business-wise?
All of it.
Um.
Like, not like I'm worried about rattlesnakes or something like that.
Yeah. But you know what I mean? But yeah. Yeah. Business-wise and industry-wise, what scares you?
You know, I'd, I'd say failure.
Yeah?
You know. Um, you know, if you're, if you're, if you're scared enough of it, you're gonna work hard not to, not to fail. Right. You know. Um, you know, it, it, it's, it, it's all in the decisions you make.
You know what I mean? It, it's not necessarily like I'm scared to fail. You're gonna ha- you're gonna have... You're gonna make mistakes. Mm-hmm. You know, you're... It, it's how you, how you learn from them- Yeah ... how, you know, how you fix it. Um, you know, I wasn't always work- perfect working for Brett. You know, fif- after 15 years you, you know, you get to know somebody so much that-
Yeah
you know, but he, you know, he ne- he didn't give up. You know, he, he kept me around for a reason. Yeah. You know, and I stuck around there for a reason 'cause he's, he's, you know, they're a great family to work for. Yeah. Um, but you know, that would be my biggest fear is if, i- if I would take it over, um, you know, I want it to succeed.
I don't wanna- Yeah ... you know, I don't- You don't
wanna tarnish
that, that legacy. Yeah, because, you know, for to have him trust in me enough to, to even consider that, you know, um, you know, definitely means something to me. Mm-hmm. So,
um- That's very cool. I thought like, what I was thinking, I was like, 'cause you have some people talk about like, "I'm scared about information being locked out, and I'm scared-" Mm-hmm
"about the Right to Repair Act, and I'm scared about like am I ever gonna be able to program a set of keys again?"
Right, yeah.
And you went right to the, I think, which is the bigger thing.
Yeah.
Like I'm scared that I'm gonna disappoint somebody- Mm-hmm ... who's invested so much in me.
Yeah.
I think that's a really powerful thing to say, and I think it's very telling of, of how important, you know, Brett is to you- Mm-hmm
and how important you are to him. Like, I think that, like I said, I sat there this morning and had breakfast with him and, and he just raved about you nonstop.
Yeah.
And, uh, and all the times I've talked to him, he just raves about you cra- constantly. Like it's, it's, that's pretty cool to see.
Mm-hmm.
You know, um, because like I've seen lots of dads rave about their sons-
Mm-hmm
but I haven't seen too many shop owners rave about their techs to that level.
Yeah.
And that's pretty, that's pretty cool. It says a lot about you, and it says a lot about him, so.
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'm, uh, I think the industry's going in a really good place.
Yeah.
I really do. I think it's like, you know, yeah, the, the Right to Repair Act is a, is a sketchy thing to navigate right now.
Yeah.
Um, but I mean, it isn't because we don't have people out there like Keith and everybody else that are like advocating for us.
Advocate, yeah.
You know, saying we need to have access to this.
Mm-hmm.
But our, you know, it isn't, they're out there fighting that fight. Um, the scary thing for me is, is can we get enough of the young people to come in, and I think we can.
Yeah. I just think it, it means that we have to like show them that passion that we have for this, and we gotta pay them well, man. Yeah. Like that's just the thing, you know? Like it, it can't be, when I came up, man, it was hard. It was hard to- And it wasn't because, like, it wasn't greed. Mm-hmm. It was just because they, they didn't know how to have the conversation with the customer to say, "No, this is why we can't be $59 an hour.
We have to be 68."
Yeah.
They're learning now how to have that con- And we're like, people are hearing that going, "59 and 68?" Like, yeah.
Yeah.
That's not that long ago. We're talking 20 years ago.
Yeah.
You know? So I mean, w- inflation is one thing, but I find that, like, we're s- we're finally catching up to where we can go along with inflation.
Mm-hmm. I think we were so far behind before. We were way too behind.
Yeah.
Um, it's gonna be tough. I think we're gonna see less people own cars.
Mm-hmm.
Less people that'll drive. Like, I think we're... You know, we used to see maybe they had three cars in the family-
Yeah ...
right? And they had a f- like a Corvette.
Yeah. And then they had two dailies. I think that may go away. Um, and it's gonna suck.
Yeah.
But, I mean, the, the costs are gonna push that to that.
Yeah.
And, um, you know, we have to, again, it doesn't mean that because they... things cost more that we have to be, well, gee, do they eat or do they fix their car? That was never what it's s- should have been about.
It should have been about, uh, I wanna help them-
Mm-hmm ...
but I need to help my people that work for me, and that means that they have to be able to eat-
Yeah ...
which means I have to charge you.
Yeah.
And then go on from there, you know?
Yeah.
Um, I wanna thank you for being here, man. I was really looking forward to this, and like- Yeah
you know, I know you're a little nervous, but you killed it. You're doing great. I was. So, um, and that's the thing, like, to be scared of, of this industry or what you were afraid of happening in it-
Mm-hmm ...
that's one of the best inter, uh, answers I've heard in a long, long time.
Thank
you. You know? Is, is to say I'm, I'm...
I wanna preserve that legacy. That's what I'm worried- Mm-hmm ... was letting people down, so good on you, man. Thank you very much, Cody.
I appreciate it. So- Thank you for having me.
Yeah, man. Uh, reach out to any of us any time. Cody- Yeah ... love to have you back on. Yeah. People that hear this and you have a similar story, that's what we're trying to really delve into, is how do we move from a technician head space and a position in a shop to a service advisor role?
If you have that kinda insight on that, what you wanna see or, or if you've done it, please reach out to me, man, because I think it's something that we have to go f- going forward. We're gonna have to have that conversation a lot more, so. Yeah. Cody, thank you, man.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Yeah. We'll talk to yous all soon.
Yep.
So thank you again for watching that episode of the Jaded Mechanic Podcast. If you wanna watch the next episode that we have coming up, you need to click right here. And if you wanna join us on this wonderful journey of changing the industry, become part of the family, click right here. Thank you.
About this episode
Cody Kirkenester walks through his shift from diagnostics technician to service writer and shop leadership at Faidley’s Auto Masters, including how he started by “putting estimates together and making phone calls.” The conversation connects training and shop culture to better diagnostics, from using wiring diagrams and oscilloscope-first thinking to handling intermittent electrical faults. Hosts also dig into service-advisor communication, customer trust, and setting realistic expectations—plus why pricing, OE parts, and navigating the Right to Repair Act matter for recruiting the next generation.
Launch your tool game to the next level with Launch Tech USA! HERE
Recorded at Tools in Hershey, PA, Jeff Compton features Cody Kirkenester of Fadely’s Auto Masters. After 15 years as a technician and shop foreman, Cody transitioned into the service advisor and shop manager role. He shares his journey into the automotive industry, the training culture that helped shape his career, and a memorable diagnostic breakthrough using a lab scope. Cody also discusses mentoring technicians, managing customer relationships, parts quality challenges, AI in the shop, and one of his fears.
Timestamps 00:00 Meet Cody Kirkenester 00:56 From Tech to Advisor 02:27 Early Car Obsession 04:25 School and First Shops 07:40 Joining Faidley’s Auto 08:33 Training Culture 12:31 Diagnostic Breakthrough 15:08 Corvettes and Specialty Cars 20:16 Team Development and Mentoring 28:09 Moving Into Management 38:45 Challenges of Being a Service Advisor 47:51 Parts Quality Issues 51:43 Recruiting Young Talent 55:55 Scopes and AI Tools 58:44 Succession Planning 01:01:20 Legacy and Leadership 01:07:41 Wrap Up and Next Steps
Follow/Subscribe to the show on social media! TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jeffcompton7 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheJadedMechanic Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091347564232
