Whats the best way to ask for a raise?

OK... here's the situation... I work for a small 1 location only shop in central maine. I've been there for 3 years this month (october 2005). When I was hired my boss said we'd get a bonus on the amount of labor we generated... 1% for $100-$199, 6% for $600-$699, and anything over $1,000 is 10%. So If I made him like $2,000 in labor i'd get an extra $200 in my check... WHICH IS GREAT! I'm not complaining but we only do that kind of weekly labor for about two months out of the year (december/january)... the rest of the year I average $300-$600 in labor weekly...

I've been there for 3 years and i'm the main installer the other full time guy got done in the end of the 2005 remote start season... So i've been able to gain more knowledge and do even more cars over the summer... Now the other "part time" installer works sales out front and he's been installing for 10 years... He can install with his eyes closed I swear. I would put $50 he could install a starter in a new chevy pick up in under 35 mins... Start to finish... and his installs don't look like crap there neatly taped and tied... He's just FAST.

Maybe its my confidence level when it comes to asking for a raise... I just feel like I have to be better than him in order to get one... I've been making minimum wage since I started there and always looked at my bonus as my "raise". But I thought I saw somewhere in an audio mag a few months ago that new england installer make average of like $10-$12 an hour... I feel as though I have to be "Johnny wishbone installer extrodinare" inorder to get that...

T-Mobile just moved here and there call center is paying like $10.50 an hour starting... but I love my job as an installer. Even if my bay roof leaks and the boss won't turn the furnace on until mid november... lol I'm just trying to find out the nicest approace to asking this question?... I guess i've just let people walk on me my whole life? I'm thinking of getting ahold of him where theres a time when nobody else is around and asking him if we can sit down sometime and go over an employee evaluation for a pay increase... Any help guys?/girls? (if there are any on here?)

It's always tough to ask for a raise because we feel like we'll have to convince someone of our worth, and that's hard to do since we typically undervalue ourselves.  Here's my advice -

Are there any other shops in the area, ideally ones that don't talk to your store manager?  If so, go talk to them about what they'd be willing to pay you for coming aboard.  You've got 3 years of experience & a dependable track record, that's worth a lot.  Then take that info to your manager & put as much confidence as you can into your voice & lay it on the line - "I'm worth x more per hour/week/month at this other shop than here & I'm thinking about leaving.  Can you match it?"  Or  "I've been talking to other shops b/c they pay more.  My research tells me I'm worth x amount b/c I am reliable, experienced & damn good at this.  Can you pay me that?"

Things it's OK to say - "I don't want to leave here but this is a biz decision & it's all about the money."  "The bonus is fine, but limited to a few months a year, so it's not enough"  "You hired me at x rate, but my abilities have improved greatly since that time - that makes me much more productive than when I first started, & therefore I earn more money for you."  Talk about your production, your experience, your value to the company, your value on the open market.  Do NOT talk about what you need ("my aunt needs surgery, my rent went up").

Remember, the only real leverage you have in any negotiation is the power to say no & walk away.  You'll typically have to walk away at least once for the other side to know this & make you a real offer.  If you're not willing to change jobs & can't reasonably fake that willinigness your options are far more limited.  Just be respectful & don't make it personal for your manager.  Be confident in your value & you'll get what you deserve.  Good luck.

be straight up and firm.don NOT use the phrase I think!!!!!!!

J

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BoominRolla.  Send me an email at chris@dbaudioonline.com.  I am looking for a part time installer for my shop in South Paris Maine if your interested.

www.dbaudioonline.com

Go for it...

Installers shouldn't be making min wages. Maybe the ones who leave bare metal and cut strands with bad crimps...but not a real deal installer.

As a customer I wouldn't want a minimum wage employee working on my car except maybe to pump gas, so it's strange that shops want this kind of thing.