On this week's episode of Grease the Wheels, we are taking a deep dive into the methods by which most of us get paid: flat rate. First off, someone at the manufacturer's factory does a specific job to a car using hand tools to determine how long that job is going to take, which refers to the “book time” of a job. However, there are often many jobs that we can “make time” on, where the book time is significantly higher than the actual amount of time it takes to do that job. Whether it be because you've done that job a million times, or it's just that much easier with power tools- there are many circumstances where we can turn 20 hours in an 8 hour workday. However, this system hinges on the ability of service advisors to sell the job, because when the shop is busy it is a win-win situation for both shop ownership and the technicians who are turning the hours. When there is a pandemic or there are poor service advisors the shop still wins because they are not out anything- but the tech loses, because they are not turning hours. Also, we take a deep dive into how the manufacturers would like us to get paid because believe it or not, they want to pay you a salary because it keeps their products in better shape. Also, Uncle Jimmy teases a paradigm shift, weighs the pro’s and cons of the flat rate system, and quotes Fat Boy Slim. This episode is distributed by thewrenchingnetwork.com. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!