The Jaded Mechanic Podcast

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In this episode, Jeff Compton sits down with Kansas technician Eric Schoenberger of Holt Motor Company. Having grown up around Chrysler dealerships alongside his father, a veteran drivability and transmission specialist, Eric shares his experiences in dealer life and why he ultimately transitioned to the independent repair world. The conversation explores flat-rate frustrations, warranty and recall work, shop politics, diagnostic strategies, transmission repairs, evolving technology, and the value of ongoing training. Eric also discusses how independent shops offer less stress, and a different approach to customer service and technician growth.

Timestamps:
00:00 Podcast Welcome and Holiday
00:45 Kansas Guest and Vision Talk
01:30 Shop Intro and Dealer Roots
06:03 Family Influence and Career Path
08:12 Flat Rate and Recall Frustrations
17:25 Favorite Dealer Work and Transmissions
23:03 PT Cruiser Love-Hate Jobs
25:35 Diagnostics and Techline Support
27:49 Dealer Life and Shop Politics
32:37 Misfires, Burnt Valves, and Borescopes
36:31 Pentastar Problems and Tips
41:26 Diesel Disasters
44:04 Recall Work Realities
49:21 Hybrid Battery Discussion
52:37 Leaving the Dealer World
55:47 Advisors, DVI, and Communication
01:01:38 Training Great Advisors
01:08:35 Transmission Service Debate
01:14:38 Moving to Independent Shops
01:16:27 Learning Through Service Information
01:18:46 Oddball Repairs and Old Mopars
01:27:05 Caravan Rear A/C Repairs
01:33:05 Training Events and Mentors
01:38:49 Shop Culture and Dispatching
01:40:44 A/C Diagnostics and Leak Testing
01:47:37 Parts Support Challenges
01:54:02 Technician Pay and Flat Rate
01:56:23 Gravy Work vs. Diagnostics
02:02:27 Independent Shop Mindset
02:12:28 Training and Networking
02:20:06 Final Thanks and Wrap Up

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In this Jaded Mechanic Podcast episode, Jeff sits down with Canadian technician Daniel Whitey to discuss his journey through the automotive trade. Daniel shares how a Chrysler co-op program at Centennial College led to an apprenticeship, dealership experience, and eventually a move into fleet maintenance. They discuss the realities of flat rate pay, mentorship, shop culture, tool investments, diagnostics, and why Daniel ultimately chose the stability of a straight-time fleet position. The conversation also explores technician mental health, career development, and advice for new technicians entering the industry.

Timestamps
00:00 Welcome 
00:51 Meet Daniel Whitey
03:48 Career Origins and Licensing
09:09 Centennial Chrysler Co-op
10:58 Chrysler Dealer Experience
21:30 Mentorship and Flat Rate Life
35:12 Diagnostic War Stories
42:04 Hybrids and EV Discussion
44:15 Leaving Chrysler
50:46 Transition to Hyundai
56:45 Hyundai Challenges
01:01:34 Fleet Shop Life and Benefits
01:08:38 Daily Fleet Pressures
01:18:53 Leaving Dealerships Gracefully
01:21:11 Saturday Flat Rate Grind
01:25:35 Recall Day Stories
01:35:46 Advice for New Technicians
01:46:44 Licensing and Competency
01:52:37 Mental Health and Closing Thoughts

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Recorded at Tools in Hershey, PA, Jeff Compton features Cody Kirkenester of Fadely’s Auto Masters. After 15 years as a technician and shop foreman, Cody transitioned into the service advisor and shop manager role. He shares his journey into the automotive industry, the training culture that helped shape his career, and a memorable diagnostic breakthrough using a lab scope. Cody also discusses mentoring technicians, managing customer relationships, parts quality challenges, AI in the shop, and one of his fears.

Timestamps
00:00 Meet Cody Kirkenester
00:56 From Tech to Advisor
02:27 Early Car Obsession
04:25 School and First Shops
07:40 Joining Faidley’s Auto
08:33 Training Culture
12:31 Diagnostic Breakthrough
15:08 Corvettes and Specialty Cars
20:16 Team Development and Mentoring
28:09 Moving Into Management
38:45 Challenges of Being a Service Advisor
47:51 Parts Quality Issues
51:43 Recruiting Young Talent
55:55 Scopes and AI Tools
58:44 Succession Planning
01:01:20 Legacy and Leadership
01:07:41 Wrap Up and Next Steps

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Need to update your shop systems and software? Try Tekmetric HERE
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In this episode, Jeff Compton talks with Promotive’s Lisa Coyle and Kat Ayers about what’s changing in technician hiring, including their AI virtual recruiter and how it helps shops with consistency, speed-to-lead, and 24/7 candidate screening. They discuss common hiring bias, why resumes often don’t reflect real skill, how to interpret job hopping, and why following application instructions matters. The episode also covers shop culture and leadership as key retention drivers, how slow follow-up hurts candidate experience, and what Promotive is building next—expanded platform features, more automation, and plans to move into the Canadian market.
Timestamps:
0:00 Podcast Kickoff
00:28 Fishing and Seafood Talk
03:10 Bass Tournaments and Hockey
06:30 What’s New at Promotive
08:06 AI Recruiting Benefits
11:13 Bias and Hiring Fairness
20:03 Resume Gaps and Progress
22:58 Following Instructions Matters
24:43 Job Hopping Explained
29:56 Walk-In Resumes vs Process
34:35 Call Screen Limits
36:23 Tagging Resumes For Future
37:59 Techs Becoming Advisors
42:56 Trade Shows And Outreach
48:26 Cold Calls And Data
52:42 Industry Negativity And AI
01:00:20 Robots Costs And Culture
01:06:41 Leadership Questions And Nepotism
01:10:20 Multi Interview Triangulation
01:12:13 Candidate Experience Matters
01:16:11 Rehiring and Keeping Benches
01:21:27 Job Searching Is Normal
01:24:41 Legacy Over Resentment
01:29:13 Plan B and Hard Questions
01:32:02 What Have You Done Today
01:34:14 Promotive Roadmap and Events
01:37:18 Canada Expansion and Languages
01:39:44 Hockey Talk and Show Circuit
01:44:35 Final Thanks and Wrap Up

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Like the show? Show your support by using our sponsors
Need to update your shop systems and software? Try Tekmetric HERE
Launch your tool game to the next level with Launch Tech USA! HERE

In this episode, Jeff Compton and Greg Hilliard talk about Greg's career spent in dealerships, independent shops, and finally as a one-man owner-operator. Greg pulls no punches about toxic shop dynamics, the true value of a technician’s labor, and the personal costs of striking out on your own. He and Jeff discuss compensation, mental health struggles in the industry, how digital tools like chat GPT are already impacting repair businesses, and why demanding respect is not negotiable for survival.

Timestamps: 
00:00 Feeling valued in engineering role
05:56 Becoming the technical expert
11:52 Buying a used truck at Ford
19:49 Fixing stubborn cab issues
24:57 Avoiding the boss at work
27:52 Discussing fair compensation concerns
35:41 Struggles with retaining mechanics
41:08 Streamlining dental office visits
43:47 Using technology for car repairs
52:54 Struggling to hire a technician
57:37 Choosing entrepreneurship over traditional jobs
59:35 Getting advice from Larry Grogan
01:07:17 Addressing workplace culture issues
01:09:20 Electrician shortage and industry pride

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TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jeffcompton7
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