Being a Stay at Home Mom is like...

 

I’ve been doing the SAHM gig about 90 days now which is a healthy probationary break-in period for most jobs and people have been asking how it’s going. We’ve had our fantastic days, a few really terrible ones and overall I think I have the gist of what the job entails. As a fan of analogy and cross application, and drawing from the professional industry I just left, I’d say it’s like being a service advisor on a crazy busy quick service drive.

You better be there with your running shoes tied tight first thing because there could be 10 cars waiting and you’re on your own, or it might be crickets but you just don’t know when that first rush is going to start. So sip your coffee while you can, hopefully you have a well-insulated mug otherwise it will be tepid by the time you get around to it.

When the clients do start trickling in it’s physical work- greeting them at the car with a smile on your face, walking back to the desk, back to the car, back to the techs around the corner, telling the new customer you’ll be right with them, pulling up another client’s vehicle, and so on. Maybe you’re into a pedometer and maybe you’re not but I assure you you’re getting the steps. As physical as it is for your body so it is for your mouth- so.much.talking.

The tasks are overall pretty simple and limited. We’re not talking rebuilding transmissions, sneaky error codes the master tech can’t diagnose or dealing with the woes of trying to claim something under warranty but the factory keeps denying it and it drags on for months. Those things might come up but for most SAHM’s it won’t be your bread and butter. No- you’re doing oil change, after oil change, after oil change. You’ll do some brakes, sell some tires and throw in a few fluid exchanges for good measure. Most jobs will be completed and billed that day.

Since you’re doing mostly the same thing on repeat, consistency is rewarded. Those who really nail the word tracks and review the MPI’s (multi point inspections) with their clients and technicians will be rewarded with good relationships, trust, a good routine with accurate expectations and overall pleasant experiences. Those who do not will probably encounter distrust, frustration, miscommunication, maybe even outbursts. I mean, all moms will get the outbursts at some point ha!

I said you’re doing the same thing over and over but that does not mean every day is the same- a lot of the allure of your side of the shop is that appointments might be allowed but drop-ins are the big draw. So maybe you allow for 3 of 4 appointments a day- that leaves a whole lot of blank space that might fill up in any number of configurations. Or maybe you are a shop that only accepts appointments or none at all- that will depend on your shop and capacity therein.

While maintenance work doesn’t seem all that impressive or interesting it’s super important for the protection of the investment. How a vehicle is maintained determines its longevity, performance and overall condition. People get oil changes and tire rotations a heck of a lot more often than buying a new car so being a quality quick lube advisor is more than a trifle. It means really helping clients take care of their unique vehicle- not just printing off the general manufacturer recommended service intervals they could find online (I mean that’s part of it for sure) for year/make/model but also the wear and tear of components on that specific vehicle based on driving habits or conditions or whatever. Just pencil whipping an MPI form could lead to missing red flags or trying to upsell something that isn’t really necessary. So again, a quick lube advisor who is really paying attention is almost invaluable anymore.

Some days there is just so much whining from customers and techs alike that beyond being fine with him or her talking to your manager you’d frankly like to have a word with the boss yourself. You crave the chance to sneak away and sit in your car while staring at your phone for 20 minutes. Maybe you’re nibbling on a PB&J you brought from home or maybe you scarf down some fast food because there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

When the waiting room clears out you don’t really have a break- that’s when you need to refill the printer paper, clean up the coffee station that’s littered with dirty napkins, quarter filled cups and chewed stirring straws, brew a fresh pot, straighten out the chairs and track down a sales manager to figure out who threw a set of keys on your desk and what they heck you’re supposed to do with them.

Finally—and I don’t mean this from direct experience, my husband is fantastic and supportive—a lot of people who work in different departments think your job is pretty easy.

I don’t mean this to be a moan piece or portray myself as some martyr. I love the work I’m doing now. Being able to just be with my children and devote most of my headspace to them and taking care of our home is really a gift and feels tangible and important. When I was in a hiring role though I always liked to lead with the crappy parts of the job because there’s no sense selling a false impression and maybe there’s a little false perception floating around out there that being a stay at home mom means endless weekends and just hanging out. I guess it might be that way for some, but hasn’t been my experience.  

So, let me know if you need a translation-  I used customer, tech and vehicle interchangeably as "child." For whatever it’s worth I know if I was still trying to recruit and hire quick lube advisors I’d be tailoring my ads way more towards former stay at home moms trying to get back into the workforce. You can teach them the information but you can’t always cultivate that raw ability!