I'm a salaried tech. My boss gets to tell me what he needs me to do for about 44 hours a week, and I do my best to comply. In return, he pays me the same amount no matter what I end up doing, whether it's inspecting cars, diagnosing them, repairing them, sweeping the floor, pulling weeds, taking out the garbage, taxiing customers, hanging signs, twiddling my thumbs ... it doesn't matter to me, although I can actually feel myself getting stupider for some of the more menial tasks. This arrangement has worked for 13 years and counting.

My customer service skills are a bit limited, and we both know that, so he usually doesn't ask me to help behind the counter or on the phone, and I'm okay with that.

Michael Barry
Technician
Quick Stop Smog & More
Sacramento, California, USA