I' m an tech who moved into rental/leasing manager, service manager, shop manager and operations manager. The tech job is most satisfying by far. Often as manager you take the wrap for work done by others but the check you cash is often better...so I guess it is a wash. I have seen dealerships try managers from outside of the industry and ot has rarely succeeded, typically from them not undertsanding the position and value of the techs.

Good tech is easy to spot hes the one who kicks himself more than any manager ever could.Bad tech the one who will perform just enough to keep manager off his butt.Watch people they are easy to figure out.Even good techs have problems with customers,Not so much tech as billing why ist this this but the manager has to take care of all that plus.Good employees always show themselfs.My problem was Id wear a good man out and just abide with what ever else I had to to fill work spots.

I totally agree, ED, you have to have some working knowledge of the area you are managing. In our Industry even if it is just a good "Mechanical Apptitude" is better than nothing.

Management or "Coaching" skills are the same no matter what the business is, But the "Specifics" of that business combined with good
"Management/ Coaching skills makes a great manager, especially if he has the willingness to learn the specifics and work with a GOOD TECH.

Response to: proshadetree, Our manager is simular to what you descibed, one differance is only in specific or special circumstances does he want something done in a certain way, other than that, He states what he wants the outcome to be, how you do it is up to you as long as it is Safe and is within Co. protocols. If the way He wants something specifically done "GOES BAD", He backs you up, and does not try to "hang you out to dry"

There are quite a few places that pressure pushes on a manager. One is they want to keep what they view as a well paying job, and they may not have very much control or choice in doing that. A good tech can take his tools and walk to the next dealer, earning pretty much the same benefits and pay (that's what I call the "joy of being underpaid"), but that is not often an option for the manager.
It seems to me, most of the pressure the managers are under is from the idea that you/they have to make more money than the owner (imagines they) would with the same investment in the stock market, or any other investment.
Then, there is keeping customers happy, who may be spoiled rotten with great service for years (and so imagine they would get the same level of service some other company), or have learned that if they complain they may get a better bargain (so they complain about everything, even those things not real ("the chains are all oily", after a PM)
OF COURSE the better, more trustworthy the tech, the easier job the managers have. But having the proper skill set to manage those techs is every bit as important, it's just seems even more rare than good techs.
difference between a wise man and a fool?
fool does not know what he does not know.
wise-man knows what he does not know.
seems like it would be kind of more difficult to know if the tech is a good one or not, unless you knew how to do the job yourself, most major league coaches may not be major league players, but they did play the game.

Anyone who has the personality can be a good manager.I dont because I want to slap the stupid out of some people.You do have to be understanding and firm at the same time.If you have worked on a lift,car or what have you.Makes no diffrence.Then you need judgment, is this right or wrong.The best manager I ever worked for was ex army.He made the call told you what to do and if all heck broke loose he stood there and said I said it and took heat for it.A good people person is what it takes.

Response to: edward T, " Ed, do you feel that a lot of the pressure a manager is under is because of the, "Business Side of his job (and/or ) Keeping up with his workforce?, Also do you feel that the more Responsible and qualified and trustworthy a TECH is ,would it eleviate a large precentage of the pressure and make his job easier?"

Your opinion is valued, Thanx!

well said SAWB, but which side of that stick do you come from?
Have you ever worked for a bad manager who was a tech first (I have, some of the biggest crooks I ever met) or a good manager who was not a tech? how about a bad manger who was not a tech? what makes a manager or a tech "good" or bad in your opinions ("your" being generic, I am not picking on anyone, and I am asking the question of anyone who reads this)
The pressures a manager faces is considerably different than the demands on a tech. neither is an breeze, and both take great personal integrity to do correctly, imho.

A managers job is to manage so it does not matter to some degree what they manage. Being a skilled tech does not qualify you to be a manager any more than being a skilled manager would qualify you to be a tech.

"You are so right, that is the reason I would have a tough time managing and in the past have turned it down.

It takes a person who has the attitude and skills of a "Coach" to do it. I aint there yet!

The company I work for has a current service manager that used to be a tech. As far as branch manager's I don't think any of them were ever techs, most came through the sales department. I don't think a service manager needs to be a tech or even have an understanding of how a forklift works. A service manager will never work on a forklift, he/she will manage. That being said our current service manager does a great job and is a great person, in my book. However, that's my opinion and everybody has their own opinion.

I think it is harder for a road tech to be service manager without micromanaging because a road tech is so used to repairing and troubleshooting everything themselves that it is hard to sit back and watch someone do your job for you. But, being a manager, it's your job to put the right person in the right job to get the job done in the most efficient manner, not look over your tech's shoulder to see exactly how they went about repairing a certain forkift.

I know for me it would be a major hurdle because some tech's drive me insane with their nonsense and I feel like strangling them. However, being a manager you can't go around strangling people, you need to be political and get the job done. So, in the end I think a road tech could be a good service manager, depends on the person.

Ed, I can only recall of 3 TECHS that moved to Branch manager,
One was an IDIOT when he was on the road and became an "Idiot" with authority after moving up.

Second one was a great TECH, worked roadservice for a long time and then took stab at management, but the "Business" side of this Industry kind of knocked him for a loop and he went back on the road.

Third fellow I know started out in the shop, went on the road for good while and then moved into parts, then went to sales and after a while went to branch manager. Now after a few years He is operating two branches in two states at the same time, From what I hear, he is one Great manager.

Most of my experiance with branch managers in the past has not been good.
some were all right, one of the good ones we had years ago was not a Tech or had any real mechanical skills but he was decent and got along good with everyone but retired for health reasons.

My service and branch managers were techs,Branch went to parts then to something else I dont remember then to branch,Service manager went straight to service.I often heard him say he wished he could go back.The branch manager before him thought he could come in and set what went on.Exact words" I win all **** contests".Profits droped because techs just jerked off more than they worked,can we say rework.He didnt last long,harrasment from a female.I would as of yet work for a manager who has been there.Road tech is the job to have if its bad manager deals with it.When its good you deal with it.Less worry and you get a cool van to cruise in.
Well its a van anyway.