So a few coworkers and I have been under a lot of stress about trying to figure out how to deal with some sketchy behavior at the shop we work at. Frankly, I would like the advice of some of the other, more experienced shop monkeys.
Warning, this might get a bit lengthy, but I could use some advice.
So I have been working at this shop for about a year and a half. This other guy, Tim, began work there same time I did. I had a lot of prior experience as a bike mechanic. This Tim had about a half of a year of bike building experience, not a big deal, people learn as they go. The shop manager (not owner, its a chain), informed me that it was company policy that they start all mechanics out as bike builders when hired, and then promote them to full Bike Tech (as well as a substantial increase in pay) after a few months, while they learn company procedures. Again, understandable, so I had no problem with this. So I went on for several months with the managers praising my work ethic, saying they are thrilled to have such an enthusiastic worker. When I am in there on my days off, working on my own bike, or meeting before a ride, I would step in and help them if they needed things done in a hurry. No pay expected, just helping as I was raised to do. I noticed that everyone seemed so surprised when I would do things like this, but I paid it no mind.
Towards about 6 months I was getting a bit impatient, they had me doing repairs and building bikes, but I was still being paid the low wage of bike builder. Mind you, I am not a spiteful or jealous person at all. But I could not help but notice that when Tim came in, he didn't really do anything. He would do a repair every now and again, and he'd chat with the managers, the rest of the time. His repairs were always done half-assed, but the service manager didn't really seem to mind for some reason. So I decided that I must not have been showing my worth quite as well as I should have if they haven't noticed that it is passed the time they had promised to change my title. I decided to ask one of the managers to allow me to hold repair clinics to customers who wanted to learn how to work on their bikes. They allowed me to, and the clinics became very popular. I would teach the students in the clinics everything from flat changes, to gear adjustments, wheel truing, even touched on suspension overhaul. Customers would write letters to corporate saying how much they enjoyed the clinics. I enjoyed them too, I love teaching people. The clinics were also giving tons of business to the shop, often an extra 2k in sales after the clinics, people buying tools, stands, etc. I had asked if they thought I was teaching the customers too much, and they said no, keep up what you are doing.
I was so happy with being able to teach a class about bikes, I hadn't really given the promotion part a thought for a few months after. Suddenly, I saw a severe drop in my hours, and a severe spike in Tim's hours on the schedule. And this is where it all started to boil in my mind. I started watching what he was doing while I was working. Nearly all of his time at work was spent chatting with the managers, even during our busiest times. He rode with them all of the time. He seemed like he was kissing so much ass, his lips might turn brown. I wanted to stop working as hard as I do, but I decided that would be an insult to me. Tim started racing xc for the team, and thats when it all started to get a bit shady. Suddenly Tim had a Custom Titanium xc hardtail, SRAM XX, the works. Total cost had to have been around 6k. The managers began blatantly showing favoritism to all of the racers who worked there, and even those who didn't. I thought that I must be crazy to think the managers only liked the racers, even though they began to completely neglect all of those who did not race. So I raced a couple XC races, and made it seem as though it was something I would love to pursue, and I was showered with praise for it.
After some thought, I asked the managers if I could do some outreach pertaining to my clinics. Email sign up, making pamphlets for the students to take, all of which I was willing to take full responsibility for, and willing to pay for all expenses. (I never got paid to teach the clinics, it was on my own time). They stopped me dead in my tracks and said that they were too busy to help me deal with managing my clinics, and that I should give them a rest during the spring time. Confused, I listened to them and thought nothing of it. I didn't want to make a scene and have them cancel the clinics. Spring went by, and we got a couple of slow weeks, so I decided to ask about the clinics again. I was answered with "we decided it was best that we not hold the clinics anymore, they didn't get enough interest". I felt crushed, and asked if they had not seen all of the people who came to them. They shoo'd me back to the service department. Ever since then, the favoritism has been getting more and more obvious. Tim is being trained for a manager position, more free gear. Our service manager sat down with each of us separately for an evaluation, and he told me he loved my enthusiasm for biking, and that he thought my work ethic far exceeded his expectations. He asked if there is anything I wanted to take ownership over, and become more involved in. And I expressed that I wanted the opportunity to revive my clinics, since their termination had obviously been made under false pretenses. He looked surprised at me and answered that "Tim had been holding them, I thought you knew about that? Didn't you say you weren't going to hold them anymore?"
I really felt just horrible about the whole thing, and it turned from frustration to pure anger with the entire shop. It seems all of the people who work hard there and do their job well, are being forced downward, while the people who kiss ass and do nothing get hurried to the top. I've been on the edge of my comfort zone every time I am in that shop now, I want to scream at the managers for being so dishonest. I don't want to quit, jobs are scarce here and school needs paid for. There are more details in this whole thing, but most center around this distasteful behavior, and if you have read this far, you shouldn't have to read anymore. Thank you for any advice in advanced, this has all gotten me very frustrated and stressed.
Sorry for the long rant
Warning, this might get a bit lengthy, but I could use some advice.
So I have been working at this shop for about a year and a half. This other guy, Tim, began work there same time I did. I had a lot of prior experience as a bike mechanic. This Tim had about a half of a year of bike building experience, not a big deal, people learn as they go. The shop manager (not owner, its a chain), informed me that it was company policy that they start all mechanics out as bike builders when hired, and then promote them to full Bike Tech (as well as a substantial increase in pay) after a few months, while they learn company procedures. Again, understandable, so I had no problem with this. So I went on for several months with the managers praising my work ethic, saying they are thrilled to have such an enthusiastic worker. When I am in there on my days off, working on my own bike, or meeting before a ride, I would step in and help them if they needed things done in a hurry. No pay expected, just helping as I was raised to do. I noticed that everyone seemed so surprised when I would do things like this, but I paid it no mind.
Towards about 6 months I was getting a bit impatient, they had me doing repairs and building bikes, but I was still being paid the low wage of bike builder. Mind you, I am not a spiteful or jealous person at all. But I could not help but notice that when Tim came in, he didn't really do anything. He would do a repair every now and again, and he'd chat with the managers, the rest of the time. His repairs were always done half-assed, but the service manager didn't really seem to mind for some reason. So I decided that I must not have been showing my worth quite as well as I should have if they haven't noticed that it is passed the time they had promised to change my title. I decided to ask one of the managers to allow me to hold repair clinics to customers who wanted to learn how to work on their bikes. They allowed me to, and the clinics became very popular. I would teach the students in the clinics everything from flat changes, to gear adjustments, wheel truing, even touched on suspension overhaul. Customers would write letters to corporate saying how much they enjoyed the clinics. I enjoyed them too, I love teaching people. The clinics were also giving tons of business to the shop, often an extra 2k in sales after the clinics, people buying tools, stands, etc. I had asked if they thought I was teaching the customers too much, and they said no, keep up what you are doing.
I was so happy with being able to teach a class about bikes, I hadn't really given the promotion part a thought for a few months after. Suddenly, I saw a severe drop in my hours, and a severe spike in Tim's hours on the schedule. And this is where it all started to boil in my mind. I started watching what he was doing while I was working. Nearly all of his time at work was spent chatting with the managers, even during our busiest times. He rode with them all of the time. He seemed like he was kissing so much ass, his lips might turn brown. I wanted to stop working as hard as I do, but I decided that would be an insult to me. Tim started racing xc for the team, and thats when it all started to get a bit shady. Suddenly Tim had a Custom Titanium xc hardtail, SRAM XX, the works. Total cost had to have been around 6k. The managers began blatantly showing favoritism to all of the racers who worked there, and even those who didn't. I thought that I must be crazy to think the managers only liked the racers, even though they began to completely neglect all of those who did not race. So I raced a couple XC races, and made it seem as though it was something I would love to pursue, and I was showered with praise for it.
After some thought, I asked the managers if I could do some outreach pertaining to my clinics. Email sign up, making pamphlets for the students to take, all of which I was willing to take full responsibility for, and willing to pay for all expenses. (I never got paid to teach the clinics, it was on my own time). They stopped me dead in my tracks and said that they were too busy to help me deal with managing my clinics, and that I should give them a rest during the spring time. Confused, I listened to them and thought nothing of it. I didn't want to make a scene and have them cancel the clinics. Spring went by, and we got a couple of slow weeks, so I decided to ask about the clinics again. I was answered with "we decided it was best that we not hold the clinics anymore, they didn't get enough interest". I felt crushed, and asked if they had not seen all of the people who came to them. They shoo'd me back to the service department. Ever since then, the favoritism has been getting more and more obvious. Tim is being trained for a manager position, more free gear. Our service manager sat down with each of us separately for an evaluation, and he told me he loved my enthusiasm for biking, and that he thought my work ethic far exceeded his expectations. He asked if there is anything I wanted to take ownership over, and become more involved in. And I expressed that I wanted the opportunity to revive my clinics, since their termination had obviously been made under false pretenses. He looked surprised at me and answered that "Tim had been holding them, I thought you knew about that? Didn't you say you weren't going to hold them anymore?"
I really felt just horrible about the whole thing, and it turned from frustration to pure anger with the entire shop. It seems all of the people who work hard there and do their job well, are being forced downward, while the people who kiss ass and do nothing get hurried to the top. I've been on the edge of my comfort zone every time I am in that shop now, I want to scream at the managers for being so dishonest. I don't want to quit, jobs are scarce here and school needs paid for. There are more details in this whole thing, but most center around this distasteful behavior, and if you have read this far, you shouldn't have to read anymore. Thank you for any advice in advanced, this has all gotten me very frustrated and stressed.
Sorry for the long rant
