The problem dealing with dealers...

xr4ticlone said:

This goes all the way to manufactures as well. Talked to one last week that commented that all their best people are 45 yo-70 yo & they don't see the new guys with the drive, ambition, or willingness to become leaders.

On the other side I hear employers complain about available help pools. Then I see them fire top people to replace them with younger, inexperienced help for less money.

What most mean is they'd love to have top people at low pay.

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I could go on for hours... they want driven loyal employees but every business cycle drives home the point that you are just a number, something to be squeezed until dry, to take benefits away from in order to cut costs so they can pay the top level raises and bonuses, and then turf out for cheaper younger workers, or better yet a body from India or Pakistan or China for half wages. The prevalent attitude is that anybody can do it, we're all interchangeable like gears and relays. Where then should we find motivation to excel when the only reward is more work? In decades past you could start at any level and rise to the top ranks, now if you're not a member of "The Club" you are not allowed to move beyond minion stage. Glass ceiling? How about the Class ceiling?

I will have to agree with lantraxco on the last post. I've seen some corporate shenanigans with work that fall in those lines. One thing I have heard from the senior hands is that the reward for hard work is more hard work. Many of the old guys are burned out from years of hard labor. It seems a lot of field mechanics around here have the same or similar problems. They are wore out, divorced or have a broken home, a broken body, and a generally poor attitude from being lied to from customers and management through their career. it's kind of hard to tell the younger generation that this is a great industry to get in to when employers treat skilled hands like welding rod. They burn them out and throw them away for a new one.