Where in you hear a service tech complaining do you see a clock cutter.You did it so everyone must?I have to look at myself when I shave in the morning and stealing and cheating my customers is not something I can deal with.Like I said I work for a good company we do have GPS never had a word said to me over stoping by the parts store on way home or the home depot to pick something up.Not driving 10 miles to just if its on the way.Also have took 1 hr lunch look at my clock card its there.I have also worked 12 hrs and put on a lunch when my tale was under a lift all day.Most days I dont take lunch but have to clock it.I dont leave early because I dont want my boss getting heat over a van going home early.They never said your tech didnt take lunch because his van hasnt moved in 12 hrs Yes they have fired techs that were at home when they were clocked at a job.I like what I do, if I worked for a crapy place Id move on.Pride in your work is what puts you over the top if you or a 40 hr a week guy and get home.Look at your work compared to a person who has made this his trade.Im a service tech,for my company or somewhere else.My boss knows that, yes we have less than perfect techs I pitch a fit over because I have to go behind them to fix their nasty crap.Ive said before boss should go look at service done your work shows in what you leave behind.I welcome fresh looks at my service maybe Im overlooking something.I never lost a spindel to lack of lube or a carriage to not having hooks adjusted.I understand some customer dont want things done but you can do a lot on a pm.Spark plugs then wires then cap and rotor.Ive took a beating over that but not form a customer service labor cost less than regular work at our shop.Yes i want my company making money but I also want a customer that wont even look your way when you come in offering cheaper rates.Look at your paper work check your parts per van you will find your slackers every time unless your out golfing on the clock and dont have time.I dont call on customers anymore because I dont need the heat of why were you at this man for 30 min and dont have a bill for them why do you have a bill when I dont have a call.Customers still call me on my phone not company phone because they dont want to talk to the answering service they want a human then I have to call in a service call.Yes crap is spred over that near as I can figure they need the manpower to watch GPS so we need a robot for the phone Im r2d2 leave a message at the beep press 3 for english press 9 for spanish.Management take notice your tech represents you if you have crap in your crew you are crap.If you have good techs your good.Get off your butts and check on them the old fashion way,not with a babby sitter.Now to realy get home are you at the office posting this or at home?Waste is waste get off the computer and do you job.If your at home you now are the tradesman who wants the best for himself which leads to the best for his employer

Our Company takes good care of us, so in return I take care of them.

rob1, I expect that you are possibly in management in one form or another. Here's my question regardless of what position you have. Proshadetree stated that he no longer "courtesy" calls on customers on slow days, possibly out of contempt for the installing of a GPS on his van to monitor him or possibly for other reasons. However, how can you put into numbers good techs courtesy calling on customers? Does the savings offset the employee moral going way down with installing GPS? What if you have a real idiot service manager who badgers the good techs about every hour they bill the company that they don't actually work without taking into consideration all the extra's a good tech brings to the company? Do the savings really equal what you are giving up with customer loyalty and possibly employee loyalty? I know every company will always have slacker techs but there must be other ways to deal with the slackers other than installing GPS?

Proshadetree, roadrat: Both you guys are road techs. I know that some days you just don't feel like working, especially Friday's during great weather and you schedule your day light, like go to one customer and do about 5 PM's to get your day in. You work maybe 5 or 6 hours, bill 8 and are home early beating Friday traffic. Should this be tolerated? Should it be tolerated just for "good" techs? Should GPS be installed to stop this 1 or 2 hour "stealing" from the company? Does GPS bring good techs down to slacker tech level or bring everyone to the same playing field? Thanks so far for the input.

The real issue is ITEGRITY, something that has become a lost art with people these days---Be where you are suppose to be ---Do what you say you are going do---Do the job RIGHT the first time , If you have to be "Watched" by your employer to make sure that you are doing it right, then you need to move on and let someone who will have your Van----

Would I have a problem with GPS?--Not a bit--Have no problem with it. I would not do anything any different than I do now, The only problem I see that there would be is the person doing the monitoring.

Fuel cost down 18%?What went on there.Like I said check your paperwork.The point of customer billing I overlooked.
We have points of service so you should be in you area, close to customer.Insurance I dont have knoledge of but I can see cost reduction in that.I Think I used this post for a vent for diffrent issues than GPS.But like I said it can be bypassed so how do you know tech was there or here.If they are smart enough to be a tech they are smart enough to bypass a system as simple as gps.This to will show in time.Id kind of like to know service tech or service lead/supervisior who make the post.Im a road tech.And like I said before my company wont hold you to the wall for 75 in a 70 or a long lunch ect.GPS never has botherd me I did change what I do in a day when it was installed,Checking on customers not as often.I just think there must be a better way to weed out or keep honest the people who work at a given job.

you are so right easym. gps benefit to us was shown when 1 guy had his van stolen. police recovered within a hour or so ,but no tools inside. so they just retraced all the stop off points with the tracker. then went round to the thief,s friends house and got the lot back. a bit of reassurance. if your honest about your days work you have nothing to hide

The only technicians that I know that have a problem with GPS units are the one's that aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing.

GPS has saved us a ton $$$$$$.

1. Fuel costs dropped 18% magically. We made absolutely no change in policy etc. and yet when GPS went in, lower fuel cost...hmmmm.

2. Insurance. Premiums dropped 15% with proof of GPS installation. You may as well go ahead with GPS on company vehicles, because eventally the insurance companies are going to require it for coverage,

3. Dispatch Time. Service Dept can instantly view all service vehicles and decide which unit is closer. Time from breakdown call to arrival at customer location on average dropped by 1 hour.

4. Billing Issues. Ex. Customers calls and says "you billed me for 3 hours but your tech was only here 1 hour" now you can go back and proove by GPS printout how long your tech was there.

5. Safety. Excessive Speed email alerts can be set at whatever level you desire. We direct these excessive speed alerts directly to the technicians not to the management. This way they don't feel as though Big Brother is watching and they know that we really do care about their safety.

Overall, GPS has been very good for us. If you have good employees, they could care less about GPS on their vehicles. Don't use it as a tool to micro manage...a poor employee will manifest himself or herself in time anyway.

We have gps.Its ok you dont realy see any savings if you have good techs.When Im on the road I cover my time.If im on a job and it isnt done at 12 I dont stop for lunch.I used to spend more time stoping in on customers in the area just as a checkup.Slow day on the way back stop in say hi is all doing well then move on with GPS I dont do that anymore.Lost sales over that.If your there and they think that a travel fee wont be charged they might say I got a oil leak, a miss ect.Also let them know you were on the job looking out for them not hanging around shooting the fat just a checkup.Also Gps in any form can be bypassed.Check the net truckers do it all the time.You will save some if you have techs that cut the clock,take longer on simple jobs spank service ect.Paperwork always tells on them.A service was just done now the carriage is falling out How do you miss that on a service?If your seeing that it needs to be took care of because it will also ruin a good tech if he sees everyone else is not doing crap and I have to go back and fix what they dont want to.You always burn the go to man out dont we?Go fix this go see why that.Then they get to a customer that they normaly dont do only to find a tech was there and serviced truck a week ago.Fan belts broke,Carrage bushings shot,No lube on kingpins.Gps wont fix that they just spend more time goofing off at customers location.Regular inspection of all service techs work and customer feed back is the only way to save money and fuel cost.If you do your homework it pays off.Will it **** a good tech off to have his work checked.I dont think so.I welcome new eyes on my trucks because im only a man.I miss stuff to.We can all learn, its just when you have people who are only ther for 8hrs then home you will find waste.Now that wont count on anyone here because you took the time to learn more off the clock didnt you?Soap box can now be taken I feel so much better.Wait I have to go to work today I feel worse