Can a Technician Become the Boss and Still Fight for Techs? with Josh Farris

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In this episode, Jeff is with Josh Farris, a Mini Cooper dealership technician from Grand Rapids, Michigan, to talk about diagnostics, dealership life, flat rate pay, and career growth. Josh shares his journey from working on a 1995 Lumina to gaining experience at independent shops, Volkswagen, Lexus, and Mini. They discuss electrical and CAN bus diagnostics, corrosion, warranty work, dispatching, advisor training, and the impact of low paying work on technician morale. The conversation also covers why technicians should be paid for DVIs and inspections, how tool costs can create unnecessary pressure, and why strong communication and integrity matter in automotive repair. Josh also shares his goal of moving into leadership so he can advocate for technicians while helping shops remain profitable.

Timestamps:

00:00 Why Diagnostics Matter
00:50 Podcast Intro and ASTA Trip
01:18 Josh Joins Mini Dealer Life
03:49 Mini Electrical Nightmares
04:52 Early Tinkering Origins
06:00 First Big Fix: Lumina
07:23 Apprenticeship and Licensing Path
08:57 Host First Car Story
11:51 Mods and CAN Bus Problems
13:21 Shop Shutdown to Dealership Track
16:27 Pay Gaps and Flat Rate Reality
18:51 Lexus vs. German Engineering
25:15 Warranty Time Controversy
34:01 Advisor Training and DMS Struggles
37:31 Advisor Knowledge Gap
39:31 Train Advisors First
40:50 Bad Explanations Hurt Trust
42:52 Selling Without Division
45:36 Flat Rate Pay Stress
55:21 Stop Doing Freebies
58:34 Becoming the Mini Lead
01:03:25 Advocacy Through Communication
01:05:38 DVIs and Getting Paid
01:08:33 Tools Over Toolboxes
01:15:15 Warranty and Brand Hype
01:19:14 Tool Brand Stigma
01:20:05 Removing Tool Barriers
01:21:09 Five Year Career Goals
01:22:29 Confidence in Diagnostics
01:24:09 Getting Humbled
01:26:38 Management Stress and Advocacy
01:29:31 Customer Communication Matters
01:31:54 Dealer vs. Independent Path
01:35:11 Training and AI Shift
01:38:54 AI Limits and Reality
01:44:52 Building Diagnostic Talent
01:52:36 Accountability and Integrity
01:59:26 Closing Thanks and Sponsors

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