MONEY! Pay is low, $16 hour to start out as a repair tech. Even if you advance to level two, each step is only $1 raise. Mandatory OT, including weekends. They will give you bonus per unit repaired over the weekly quota BUT that's almost impossible if you are actually doing good work. The only way it makes sense, if you cant find a higher paying job and live close to the depot. Commuting then you are really making about $10 an hour after fuel and tolls, not including travel time lost. There really is not a path for higher advancement. The quota system seems simple enough, problem is too many variables outside of your control exist. Lets say you work on laptops, they require a five day turn around. That doesn't mean you get the laptop on day one. You may get it on day three of five. These are often destroyed units with multiple component failures. Lets say it takes you an hour to diagnose the needed parts then place the order. No parts will be delivered until all are in stock which may take a day or more so now you have ten plus laptops that finally get parts on day five. There is no way you can successfully repair all ten, plus diagnose ten more in the same day. Most of those will be distributed to other techs to complete and get the quota credit for. Keeping in mind once you get the parts, may find further issues or the parts received are defective. My assumption is that second shift techs meet quota easier because they get the due units from first. Any and all performance reviews are based off attendance and quota compliance, nothing else matters. My observation is SMS has about an 20% weekly attrition rate. They will hire anyone off the street but zero investment in them.
