Took a job with a moblile company...

A

Allred00535

New member
I ran my own shop in Salt Lake City for the past 5 years and relocated to Arizona...I have had a problem finding shop space and getting started so I was forced to seek employment...



I found a mobile company that does almost all the luxury cars in Scottsdale. It is a very professional company with a huge clientele base of CEO's, Actors and Pro Athletes. Upon first talking to the owner I explained my experience and that I would only accept a lucrative flat rate or hourly in the range of $16-17 per hour for my time. He agreed and set up an interview with me.



He was very impressed in my interview and told me he would give me my own route and van before the summer months. He also told me that he would only be willing to pay me $10 per hour and after one month of work he would pay me $16 per hour once he knew I would fit into his company. He also said he would put the pay agreement in writing and I would have to agree not to tell the other employees my pay rate.



I decided I would trust him on this one month thing and give it a shot. I started last week. I work with a 21 year old kid that does not have a fraction of my knowledge in detailing yet proceeds to call me his helper. Another red flag is that we start work at 6am but are not paid until we arrive at our first job site in the van (usually 730 am)..we also are taken off the clock when we finish our last job (usually 2pm) but we dont get back to the shop until 330pm.



I am unsure whether these practices are illegal or not since I do not know Arizona law... I feel like I am being taken advantage of after only a few days of work. Anyone have any suggestions on this? I have thought of telling the owner I would like my full pay rate and like to be paid from when I arrive to when I leave or I will leave the company.



Those of you who run your own shop know how I must feel...degrated and humiliated..it is a big change from running my own show.



What should I do about this?
 
I am not an attorney so I don't know the laws but if I where you I would invest in some mobile equipment and start your own business.
 
I have most of my own equipment and plan on running a shop here within a year... I have suffered a few setbacks in finding shop space and also some financial troubles or I wouldnt have considered working for this guy.



My first day working there the manager informed me he has had experienced detailers work there only to take his clientele and that they dont have a shot because he always gets them back. I get the feeling they are all fairly intimidated by me, the owner runs another company and is not around but maybe once a week.
 
toyotaguy said:
is a no compete enforceable in AZ???? if so, you might want to leave anyway if you plan on opening up your own shop soon...
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I told the guy I work with that I wasnt sure if it was legal to pay us the way they are... he told me "Its arizona dude, its a non union, non right to work state, they can do whatever they want". He also informed me that it all averages out with tips...which arent claimed. He also said I would be paid under the table for the first six months like he was.....



lol...
 
Bummer. The construction company I used to work for did the same thing. Didn't start paying till you were at the job site. Sometimes it was an hour or more away. That really gets old quick. Like the others have said, I'd say start your own shop. But if you can't do that just yet, stick with it. There all comes times when we have to swallow our pride to earn a living. Plus if you do start your own shop down the road, it will be nice to know how the competition works. Just my two cents. Good luck!
 
Allred00535 said:
I told the guy I work with that I wasnt sure if it was legal to pay us the way they are... he told me "Its arizona dude, its a non union, non right to work state, they can do whatever they want". He also informed me that it all averages out with tips...which arent claimed. He also said I would be paid under the table for the first six months like he was.....



lol...
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He was asking if they can enforce you not to take clients. Like I used to work for an architect and we where not allowed to do drawings for anyone outside of the office. The owner let us so residential drawings though since the office only did commercial.
 
Danase said:
He was asking if they can enforce you not to take clients. Like I used to work for an architect and we where not allowed to do drawings for anyone outside of the office. The owner let us so residential drawings though since the office only did commercial.
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Im not sure. He got a copy of my DL but I didnt sign anything from the company...so I would think its fair game for now.
 
if you havent signed anything, you never worked there....i would suck it up for the time being...at least you have some income, or go out and start your own mobile unit until you can find shop space, besides, all the mobile equipment will be used in the shop anyway, so you are not wasting money...
 
What i understand is you can take clientel from ANYONE at any time and any state and there is nothing a company can do about it.



The paper they make you sign dosent hold up in a court room, its a scare tactic, which is legal.



Call a lawyer and ask, thats what i did and thats what i was told.
 
I get a bad feeling about this. First of all, legalities aside, the kid you're working with has a point that it's a "right-to-work" state and I've had the unfortunate experience to be fired on trumped up reasons for finally getting to the point of laying out black and white proof that they were in violation of the law. You really don't have much of a viable recourse when that happens.



Second, and perhaps even worse, is I have a gut feeling that there's going to be major headaches over customers and competition once you leave this guy and start your own place. You don't need this guy, already established in the area, to be bad-mouthing you once you hang out your own shingle. I hate to say it, but if you can't start on your own right away, then consider something else as a stop-gap measure. You can alway do some mobile detailing on the side.
 
As soon as you get the funds to be able to open your own mobile shop, do it! Get out ASAP, sounds like your getting screwed with this one.
 
Danase said:
I am not an attorney so I don't know the laws but if I where you I would invest in some mobile equipment and start your own business.
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The best advice I've seen or read in years.



Simple.
 
velobard said:
I get a bad feeling about this. First of all, legalities aside, the kid you're working with has a point that it's a "right-to-work" state and I've had the unfortunate experience to be fired on trumped up reasons for finally getting to the point of laying out black and white proof that they were in violation of the law. You really don't have much of a viable recourse when that happens.



Second, and perhaps even worse, is I have a gut feeling that there's going to be major headaches over customers and competition once you leave this guy and start your own place. You don't need this guy, already established in the area, to be bad-mouthing you once you hang out your own shingle. I hate to say it, but if you can't start on your own right away, then consider something else as a stop-gap measure. You can alway do some mobile detailing on the side.
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Very good point... I get that gut feeling too. The manager of the shop handles everything from payroll, to sales, to hands on detailing...the owner doesnt really do much but check his bank account I presume. The manager has been there since the beginning about 5 years ago and has a salary of $36k (this I learned from my interview with the owner).....so I dont really think I will really make any money doing everything possible here.



I guess I will bite the bullet and ride it out for a few weeks until I get everything in line.
 
I agree that you need to find another source of income if you are that disappointed in the situation you find yourself in, also if you decide to stay with the company I would consider having this thread removed, the last thing you would need is one of your coworkers being an Autopian, another issue is the pay rate promised, if he makes good on the $16.00 you'll be very close to the managers' salary...how do you think that will go over? something is not right.
 
If you are going to an office, getting into a company vehicle and driving to a job in said company vehicle, you are working, period. If they call you and dispatch you from your house and you use your own vehicle to get to the job, tats another story. You should get a mileage allowance, which is legally peanuts.



It's up to you if you accept getting paid or not, I believe AZ is a right to work state.
 
jsatek said:
If you are going to an office, getting into a company vehicle and driving to a job in said company vehicle, you are working, period. If they call you and dispatch you from your house and you use your own vehicle to get to the job, tats another story. You should get a mileage allowance, which is legally peanuts.



It's up to you if you accept getting paid or not, I believe AZ is a right to work state.
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I leave for the office at 530am..arrive at 6am and we depart in company van, not to be paid until we arrive at our first job. Also stops of any kind (bathroom, drive thru, drink stop) are to be deducted. My partner says it all adds up with our tips. We will see.
 
Arizona is indeed a right to work state. I know it has to do with labor unions but from what I have seen it is a huge advantage to the employer, not the employee. An example is that you can be fired for any reason at any time. One other thing I have noticed is Tip wages... here you make a couple dollars an hour plus tips, in Seattle they pay you your full hourly value plus tips....



I dont understand it...all the better to get rolling myself..cant let the man hold me down as I did when I first started out.
 
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