the yearly review

[yoderge2]

So sorry if this isn't the right thread for this topic. I know people probably don't like to talk money/compensation, but I don't get to talk to many other installers so I need your guys help.

So I'm a tint/ppf/vinyl wrap installer. I've worked in one shop my whole career so about three years in the same shop. This shop trained me and I really enjoy the shop and the people I work with.

I hand cut all of my tint patterns and install a lot of air 80 windshields. There's really no car I can't tint at this point. Corvette, golf gti, 55 bel air, 90's trans am, dirty old 80's pick up I really feel like I've seen it all. I'm also quite proficient and can safely remove just about any door panel.

For ppf I install llumar and xpel ultimate. The same with the window tint I feel like I am quite proficient with the ppf if not even better than my tinting. I do a lot of high end cars, but I'll do pick ups, motorcycles and such. I can custom cut my own patterns too without damaging the vehicles paint. My crown achievement lately was wrapping a Porsche macan in one piece of 60 inch material with only two seams at the bottom of the headlights.

Vinyl is kind of another thing. I've done 5 full color swap wraps jams and everything on the side, but not in my shop. My service manager likes to desperately cling to vinyl like he's the man. The thing is my job never does full color swaps. We've done some stripes and of course he's gotta do them because he's the man. I always post heat my edges and use hexxis vinyl.

So like I've said I've worked in this same shop for three years now. My review in April will be my fourth year. I started at 13 an hour. They hired some guy fresh out of the pen 2 years ago and gave him 15 an hr plus 10% commission on anything he touched. This dude was a complete hack and ended up quitting. Shortly after I got bumped up to 15 an hour.

So now two years later and my skills are just top notch I think. I mean I'm a three tool player and can do all three really well. I'm layed back I'm coachable I'm ALWAYS at work hardly ever miss a day. So more or less I'm making 15 an hr I do get 3 weeks vacation which is nice, but I kinda feel like I'm getting cheated. I feel like since they trained me in house they think well he doesn't know any better lets just give him 15. What do you ladies and gentlemen think? Like I said any input would be so valuable, I don't get to socialize with my professional peers much.

[baloochow82]

I can't speak about PPF/vinyl pay, although I do both but with tinting I can, I've never been lucky enough to get paid by the hour except when I first started and that was so many years ago. having owned my own shops theres a lot involved with pay, do you work 40 hours a week? is the shop busy enough to keep you in work those full 40 hours? how many cars can you tint (wrap/ppf) in a day without redo's coming back? is the only thing you do is install or do you know how design the wraps and use a plotter? that's all stuff your boss will take into account at your review.

 

So you know it's very rare that we get paid what we think we are worth, 15-20 years ago it was easy to walk into a shop and get what you wanted but times have changed, One thing I always look at when going into a review is if I ask for a big raise or if quit will I be able to find something better or would I be taking a step backwards. There are a lot of shops out there but let me tell you it's hard going into a shop and being the bottom guy especially if your more talented and also a lot of shops are not busy all the time so you have to take all that into account to. I don't know what area your in but that also plays a part.

 

My best advice is build your reputation up where everyone in your surrounding area knows who you are and you will never have to worry about what you make because there will always be someone out there that will want you at better pay and when you know that then the cards are in your hand when you go for your reviews. just remember don't price yourself out of a job.

[Guest tintguy93]

I say be happy with your 15/h im in the same boat and only make $11.50/h. Been with the company for 2/2.5 years and do tinting mainly and ppf. Ppf ive only been doing for a year though plus we dont do a ton of ppf to keep me busy with it full time.

[alexiac]

I am a business owner and I hire tinters. I would ask for a raise.  We train employees for dealerships and tint shops from all over.  As an owner I appreciate a good tinter/ppf  installer and employee.  They are hard to find.  Do not get greedy.  I do not know what part of the country you are in and different parts charge different prices for work done.  So the per hour pay is going to reflect the economic area you are in.  Then I would suggest you do side jobs if you do not have an agreement not to do so.  Build your reputation and go from there.  You can do side jobs without stepping on your employers toes.  I encourage my employees to do side work.  I let them do it at the shop after hours and they give me a little for using the shop so its a win win situation for us all.  My employees have been with me for a very long time.  My newest one has been here 3 1/2 years.

[Midtown Houston]

Come on down to Houston Texas....I will pay you $18 per hour plus commission.....

[yoderge2]

Really appreciate the replys guys. I wasn't sure how touchy of a subject this would be, but really appreciate the feedback. Tintguy 11.50 seems obscenely low for a quality installer. Are you in a small town or something? I'd just as soon work in a warehouse and forego the stress of tinting for that lol.

A little more about my situation though. I'm in a pretty affluent suburb of columbus so plenty of money to be had here. I always have work here. I mean sometimes it will slow down some in the winter, but it really hasn't been like that this winter. I've really carved out a niche as a good ppf installer. So it seems like lately I've been doing 65 percent ppf 45 percent tint.

It's kinda hard to narrow down just how much I can do a day. Mainly because I'm constantly jumping between tint and ppf. My manager has my goal at 1000 a day which I regularly meet and exceed. Today I did a 24 inch hood fender kit on a ram 3500 dually with some really big like splash guards on the bed. (800) Then I did a custom cut bumper on this guys aftermarket infinity g35 bumper. Would have been cake but the guy brought it in detached from the car. So I had to prop it up on a windshield stand and cut the pattern out by hand.(500) So that's 1300 today. Tomorrow I'm doing a brand new Harley Electra glide the the guy is getting everything painted ppf'd. Of course my cutting software has no motorcycle patterns so I'll have to bulk cut everything on that.(3000) that will end up taking me all day and some of Friday morning to double check all the edges. Earlier in the week I did Vivienne Campbell from def leopards Porsche gt3. Full hood fender mirror bumper kit plus two full rear fender pieces (1800)

An ideal tint day would be prolly three cars. I work by myself so I have to do all the prep work, cutting the patterns and installing. However we do a lot of air 80 windshields which we charge 250 for. I hate doing windshields in air 80. It's so hard to get those things perfect, and they have to be close to perfect since customer is gonna be looking through them constantly.

So I guess the best way to say how much I do in a day is by my goal. 1000 a day like I said I regularly exceed that. Now some days it may be slow and slightly lower but it's overwhelmingly over the mark.

I've thought about moving to the tint hot beds Kirby. Florida and Texas no income tax ftw. I've heard it's quite the wild west down there though. Lot of hacks whoring the price down.

[Guest tintguy93]

Im 21 so its not terrible bit im getting a decent raise come spring

[Guest tintguy93]

Yoderge you seem like a solid installer, keep it up

[Tinteks]

want to come to CO? I could keep ya busy with tint and pff.

 

sounds like your self sufficient and quality is your goal on each install. which is great!

 

I stay pretty busy doing it by myself, in the summer months it would be nice to have another installer move some nice cars.

I only do a few a day depending what it is.