CMS Mechanical Services

[phase24]

When i got hired there, First i already had a job and i was looking to move on to a different co. The previous one i was there for ten years. So the manager that interviewed me was so full of it, i did not realize it at the time. When i met him he made it sound like he was with this company for years and how good they were and so on. I took his word for it and boy that was a mistake. So come to find out the manager was only there for a week before i was hired so he had no clue about the company and the way they did things. And the funny thing is this company that he was talking proud about canned him after 2 months. So i wished i had some advice before i made the decision to work there but i was so eager to work elsewhere (i don't know why) i did not research them enough. And another thing that ticked me off, I always had newer vans in good condition, they gave me this thing on wheels they called a van with 400,000 miles on it,
so right then i knew i would not be there long, and the techs that were starting out and still learning service got a brand new van.. Go Figure on that one.

[emsdad]

There has got to be somebody that is currently employed at CMS keeping up with this thread.. If it is and things are currently different for you then please share.

Ive been there three weeks. no problems so far. Pays good and lots of work. I ve been told we are behind, work as much as I can. there working with my schedule. And I was also told to try to find adds on but I don't change parts that aren't bad. They give you time to do a good pm. I do quote some little things but i write it up and its up to them to approve it or not. So far I like it there. I like the ot and don't mind windshield time. If you don't want ot. Keep looking. I think some of the negative experiences are from a big company with growing pains.

[mikmike4]

Ive been there three weeks. no problems so far. Pays good and lots of work. I ve been told we are behind, work as much as I can. there working with my schedule. And I was also told to try to find adds on but I don't change parts that aren't bad. They give you time to do a good pm. I do quote some little things but i write it up and its up to them to approve it or not. So far I like it there. I like the ot and don't mind windshield time. If you don't want ot. Keep looking. I think some of the negative experiences are from a big company with growing pains.

Give it a couple of months. I had the same feeling at first, then it all changes. As far as just trying to find PM adds, you better do more than "try" because they expect to see a minimum of 50 percent PM add rate and that is approved work only. The stuff you write up that doesn't get approved does not count toward your 50 percent. If you don't hit the numbers they want you to hit, you can expect some dollars out of your pocket at your review.

[phase24]

Ive been there three weeks. no problems so far. Pays good and lots of work. I ve been told we are behind, work as much as I can. there working with my schedule. And I was also told to try to find adds on but I don't change parts that aren't bad. They give you time to do a good pm. I do quote some little things but i write it up and its up to them to approve it or not. So far I like it there. I like the ot and don't mind windshield time. If you don't want ot. Keep looking. I think some of the negative experiences are from a big company with growing pains.

Wait to Nov.1 Hits boom you were getting 40+ hours, that will drop to maybe 10-20 hrs a week until march and they wont give two licks if you sit at home. I was happy the first couple months because there was plenty of work. The funny thing was the other techs would warn me wait until oct or nov you will not get any hours. Now that being said SOME companies when they get slow may still pay you at least 30 hrs regardless if they want to keep you around.

[phase24]

And another thing, if you did something they did not like, for instance not using the store phone to ivr in or out, even though the ivr would not work from the store sometimes, and if you forgot to do something dumb like get a part# off a board even though you have the m# & S/N to get the correct part. They would actually call you chew you out and then tell the tech to drive back to the job ON YOUR OWN TIME. Who would actually do that? They told me and at least 3 other techs to do that. This was next tech/cms in MD/VA. I do not know who was behind all that crap, but thats just wrong.

[danstewart]

Ive been there three weeks. no problems so far. Pays good and lots of work. I ve been told we are behind, work as much as I can. there working with my schedule. And I was also told to try to find adds on but I don't change parts that aren't bad. They give you time to do a good pm. I do quote some little things but i write it up and its up to them to approve it or not. So far I like it there. I like the ot and don't mind windshield time. If you don't want ot. Keep looking. I think some of the negative experiences are from a big company with growing pains.

U still in the honeymoon stage. Give it a few months and check back. I wish ya the best.

[DE J-man04]

I spent some time there its not going to change. I was at Nextech always said the van is waiting for the next tech to come in seems 3 yrs is most time people are there.
I also heard managers say " Techs are a dime a dozen" and ' Techs are like a pair of shoes you can always get another pair" always had another all 4 u to run.


They always wanted pm adds if you couldnt find one they tell you what to change. By the way CMS bucks and the trip are long gone
nothing for the tech. managers think you should be happy to work there. On call @ weeks a month and than want u to work weekends
in summer. Winter comes your on standby.

just saying what i saw, and when techs leave they act like its no big deal they will find more techs
all about numbers for job profits and pm adds

Get out if you are there and dont go it is not going to change.
you get nothing but a pay check

[danstewart]

^^^^^^he is right^^^^^^^

[dartbyu]

Ok , is CMS the same as CM Service? Here on west coast its CM Service and FM Service?

[ibrac54]

Wow....I am glad I decided to do a little research on this place. I just talked to a regional manager tonight and we are planning to meet sometime next week. I don't need to find a new job, I am just looking at options at this point. I have a feeling that this isn't going to be a good option! Thank god for google searches!

[danstewart]

:-)

[timebuilder]

Ok , is CMS the same as CM Service? Here on west coast its CM Service and FM Service?

If it's the FM based in Connecticut, run.

[HvAckid82]

What about Roth Bros?

[dartbyu]

Timebuilder,.well we relocated the Sacramento area(we live in the Sierra foothills),so I thought I would give them a try, thinking my experience might be different. Interview went well, got same pay rate as last company, and that's were the honeymoon ended. All of what has been said about this place is true. I've been in the field for 16+ years and should have known better, but its better to try and not succeed than to never try at all. . I got home the first day and started sending out more resumes, now that should tell ya how it went.
Very driven to "find things " on your P.M. routes ,or you will not have any hours to carry the week or even month. I will not sell stuff that is not needed. Funny thing is all the P.M. routes I did the LONG two weeks I was there ,most had new capacitors and contactors, a quick easy thing to sell and change with little effort to get hours. DO NOT DRINK THE COOL AID. that was my little time in hell

[timebuilder]

What about Roth Bros?

I haven't heard of them.

I had a meeting (two meetings, actually) with a guy who runs a fairly large outfit in my part of Pa. I asked him where he thought the techs would come from when guys like he and I are gone. He didn't know.

I explained that if this industry refuses to pay wages that will continue to attract men like me (no, I am NOT politically correct) then they will reap what they sew.

Talented young guys would much rather write apps for the smart phones then learn an entire group of disciplines that are executed with real work. And, in the future that is coming our way, the industry will suffer because of it.

And you will end up with a bunch of guys who can change a cap because it puts money in their check, and only a few that actually understand the machine that surrounds that cap.

It's sad, really, but they are brining it on themselves with a race to the bottom, created by a dwindling base of retail stores and their "we can do it for you cheaper" service brokers.

Very sad.

[cavalieri85]

Wonder when people that read this will stop saying to themselves. Maybe it will be different for me. I have actually had two people pm me and ask about cms. I explained in detail and they said ok. Some time later they PM me again, This time they say oh my god everything you said was true. What a terrible place to work. For anyone reading spare yourself the agony that some of us have had to go through and stay away from cms or and any of there affiliated companies.

[Ammonianite]

[QUOTE=timebuilder;16030891]I haven't heard of them.

I had a meeting (two meetings, actually) with a guy who runs a fairly large outfit in my part of Pa. I asked him where he thought the techs would come from when guys like he and I are gone. He didn't know.

Why do you think they want all the "undocumented workers" in this country?

[hvac wiz 79]

What about Roth Bros?

They suck.

[Ammonianite]

Companies that perpetually have ads posted in the newspaper or online should raise red flags. In this economy, it is doubtful that they are growing at such a pace where they have to advertise every other month for service technicians. CMS is one of those companies that I've seen advertise frequently over the past several years. They seem to be looking for someone every two or three months. Locally they are currently advertising for both a field service supervisor position and for service techs. Sort of makes you wonder if some sort of mass exodus took place. Bottom line- companies that advertise for positions frequently should trigger alarm bells in the mind. At the very least, a modicum of caution should be exercised before ever committing to take a position with such a company.

[mkovack]

I got hired there and after 2 weeks I went back to the company I left not a good place to work and this was 7 years ago