Can general observations be drawn about working for the various automotive retailers or does it depend too much on the individual management of each location? E.g. working at NAPA v Autozone v O'Reilly's, etc... ?
Can general observations be drawn about working for the various automotive retailers or does it depend too much on the individual management of each location? E.g. working at NAPA v Autozone v O'Reilly's, etc... ?
The one thing we can determine: Customers suck.
Management varies A LOT. I've worked for Fortune 500's and mom & pop shops. Quick turnover and "what did you do for me last month" is the norm. An employer that values employee retention is a rare bird
I briefly worked as a Toyota mechanic in the early 80s; it was a great experience because I quickly discovered while I may like to tinker with cars I don't like working on them for a living. I disliked being on commission. We also got paid less for warranty work, which to me seemed counterproductive to me.
I also worked as a parts guy at a Honda motorcycle dealer; while I liked that job it paid almost nothing, if it paid a decent wage I might still be there.
It's all about the manager and district manager. In the 15 or so years I worked for O'Reilly/CSK it all depended on how much effort the manager put forth. I felt lucky with the store managers I had. Most of the district managers were trash. Unless you want to blow your brains out I'd suggest going into the wholesale side. Dealing with retail autoparts customers is just painful. Especially with the popularity of the internet.
Retail parts sucks hard. I wouldn't go back to that world unless there was literally no other options to put food on the table. I think I'd consider selling body parts first.
bobzilla said:Retail parts sucks hard. I wouldn't go back to that world unless there was literally no other options to put food on the table. I think I'd consider selling body parts first.
Hmmm......................buy a kidney from Bob and sell it on the open market at 300% mark up. Think of all the tires I could buy.
In reply to calteg :
this x a bazzilion
I spent the majority of my career in the automotive grind. Between Store management at GPC/Napa and AutoZone to Store management at a Goodyear affiliate to Service Management in GM and Nissan dealerships.
Every one of them sucked the life out of me. The only jobs in the group that I remotely enjoyed was counter person at salvage yards, but that paid nothing.
The issue with all of these companies is the ownership believes the only way to make a profit is to reduce pay, increase hours and employ less people. They have proven it in all sectors and in all front line positions in the automotive industry.
I worked as a tech at one of the best VW dealerships (Atlanta) and one of the worst (South Burlington, Vermont). The customer service results backed up my experiences as well. Totally management based. In ATL I felt appreciated and was treated incredibly well. Never asked for a raise but always got one. In VT it was always about the bottom line, no trust or respect that we could do the job we were hired to do. I had a raise taken away because I gave a month's notice.
I worked parts and accessories retail sales at a big regional chain and a small local. Customers suck no matter where you are.
I teach high school DE now and love it. A student gave me a gourmet chocolate bar in appreciation of teachers' week today with a lovely thank you note. I love my job.
My first job, while still in high school, was at a corporate Mobil gas station. It was during the 1973 alleged "Gas Crisis" and people were not happy. There were lines down the busy, one lane, side street, and people got really pissed when we put the "NO GAS" sign out. We put the sign out when the corporate office called and told us to - even when we had plenty of gas and more available. People tried to bribe us with; money, food, and "services". Other people were less than friendly and some thought they could steal fuel.
I have worked as delivery driver , a parts clerk , managed an industrial parts location , moved into being a territory sales manager, a regional operations manager and now as a store owner operator for Napa Auto Parts.
It may be a difficult to fully grasp the variety of working environments within the automotive parts field.
What I will say is that I have worked with some great bosses, some great team members but also others who I would not describe as such.
Some roles were inherently more enjoyable than others. I really enjoyed when as a TSM I could work with new owners and managers and get a store off the ground or revamp and underperforming location but I disliked the high pressure when budgets were down to get the numbers up.
What I will say is that working the counter in a small town is a completely different job from working it in a larger urban center. I really enjoy getting to know the customers I deal with now in my town of 4000ish people. I have also enjoyed getting to know the local shop owners. There are always the one off jerks but most people are great to deal with.
In short I guess I don't always love the industry but I love the people I get to meet and help out.
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