Pros and Cons of Working at Chain and Tires Stores

Today I talk about what it is really like to work for Chain/Tire stores
Sorry if the audio has to much background technical issues with my external mic set up
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[@frugalprepper]

My local chain store does and excellent job. I got a complete blinker fluid change the other day and they let me know that my second transmission completely failed and I was running only on the first one. I never would have known.

[@flatratemaster]

LMFAO!

[@andrewvillanueva4222]

FrugalPrepper you should never good to change store like Sears firestone etc....

[@metalmaster624]

Hahahaha that's a classic 😂🤣

[@jinxed_rx8554]

lmao

[@efreeze287]

Hmm, did the comprehensive blinker fluid change include high speed AND low speed blinker fluid? Gotta be sure you get both . . . Also make sure your muffler bearing is repacked with grease regularly, typically with every wiper blade rotation.

[@celestinnt]

😂😂😂😂🤣 those sirens were perfectly timed!!!! 😂😂🤣

[@silviasteeve]

25 years at a chain store. and i can confirm that if you do it honest, do it like it matters (like it was your grandmas car on the line), and don't sweat it too much when you get hacks or when you miss out on one job, in the long term it will pay off.

[@gordonfreeman5434]

Chain and tire shops = keeping dealerships and independents in business for many years

[@flatratemaster]

LOL

[@Mike-yq7ce]

unfortunately true. I work at one and I about pull my hair out on a daily basis. I am however one that does make decent money at one. I do it honestly.

[@ethansmith8813]

Yup. And we do it proudly

[@davidfarmer1736]

The more I watch the more I agree. I am a lucky one, I saw the writing on the wall at the dealership I worked for (closed doors) and went to work for a small chain store. We have a Top notch manager, a great assistant manager, and a mostly good sales staff. Our tire techs, oil change techs, and the mainline techs are golden-hearted. I have seen the worst of most shops and dealers and can identify with everything said on this channel.

[@mattcee7113]

I think one advantage for chain stores is that if you are the senior tech, you can reject jobs like diag and only do simple gravy jobs and bill a ton of money. One disadvantage is if you are a new tech making hourly, you will only be doing oil changes and tires and only have very little to progress since the flat rate techs need the hours.

[@Nick912OK]

20 years ago I was working at a dealer and I was starving. I went to a tire store and instantly started taking home 1000 a week. And that was in like 2000-2001.

[@matthannah4621]

I work at NTB in VA and the biggest thing I have issue with setting aside corporate BS... is the amount of tires you will do... no matter your skill level. After 16 or so tires and only having one alignment rack to check alignments, you end up standing around for a while...

[@dougbrook6223]

The point was made with "check alignments" lol either they sell an alignment or they dont. No Tech should be "checking"

[@danielandrado6943]

Thank you so much for that info. I work at firestone n I see everything you talk about. Your 100% right about everything.

[@ashleyc8303]

Lmao I work at Firestone now and omg it sucks even more now. Now they created a SSS roll which is nice if your a starting out mechanic but not if you don't know nothing about cars since it requires you to work on vehicles and they provide tools even though some tools are missing its not a bad start just annoying when you been in the service writing position for 2 years and all of a sudden they make you work on cars or get a pay cut with no bonus.

[@Jason607]

My advise for anyone who works for a corporate store, especially a chain, is to get a copy of the Employee Handbook and any other documents on policy and study it until you know it by heart. This will lay out what you can and cannot do. If you are smart, you can manipulate these policies in your favor.

[@flatratemaster]

Good tip!

[@davidwhite7162]

I worked at a chain store for about 2 years before moving to a dealership as a used car tech, it wasn’t bad... but the parts are cheap... from the box, brakes often had to be resurfaced prior to install because well... they are cheap and warped from the start. That’s one of the reasons I left. I felt it was wrong that customers bought new brakes and they had to be turned before they ever got any wear on them.

[@cheekanuble]

been working at a chain now for a couple years. Gotta say, the junk parts hit home haha. Changed an alternator.. wouldn't charge, put in another one, bearing was going out, put in ANOTHER one (higher quality)... wouldn't charge... ended up doing the job 5 times. Yesterday I was doing rear shocks on a mazda 2, go test drive it, it's fine, client comes back 2 hours later - shock is completely blown. Same day, coworker's doing a starter on a rio5, 3 damn starters it took. 3!!! that's just in the last week. It really eats up your time in the long run. And you can't really tell 'em to go OE for parts because they mark up any part coming from other stores 40%... ends up being ridiculous. I started working there caring about what I do, but after getting treated the way I get treated, by customers AND the managers, I just stopped caring. Shitty conditions, barely any advantages, lousy pay during slow weeks, but during tire changing time I can put out 50-70 hours on the regular and make a whole lot of money... Basically, I'm just there to learn and then I'll find myself a slower paced shop where I can finally breathe and take my time to do things right, my way. Love your channel, I really look up to you

[@flatratemaster]

+Cheekanuble thank you! And that sucks!

[@ethansmith8813]

If it makes you feel better i work in a chain store in metro detroit. Its like auto repair. But in a third world country lmao

[@rigsby7255]

Captain Jet holy shit perfectly said. Did a few years at a chain store couldn’t be more true

[@ethansmith8813]

@@rigsby7255 yea. Its a fustercluck. And nobody is actually certified. Everyone barely makes more that minimum wage lol

[@midwestapprentice1904]

I work at a firestone (hence my username) and I've got a really great team great writers and techs and as my first shop job it pays enough to support myself and had a small amount of tools to start but doing tires all day even after getting my certs and learning to do more is very irritating lol

[@enochcheng2741]

There is a chain store in Canada called Canadian tire. It is a good place to work and the shop is attached to there version of Home depot so it was very easy to warranty tools. The tools they sell are gear wrench rebranded it ahs both company logos on the tool and soo cheap on sale

[@flatratemaster]

I have Canadian friends so i know a bit about Canadian tire

[@marquesmaddox4683]

I make 120k at a chain store no school, started from the bottom and now I'm here love my chain store,I do easy, fast work and ship out time consuming jobs to dealers and other places who want to spend time dealing with it

[@wysetech2000]

I worked for a chain several years ago (when i was young and naive) and most of what you said was true at the corporate level. Out of 175 stores across Canada we were No 1 in sales. I was the drivability tech and we had people driving from 2 hours away to have us repair their car . It was a lot of hard work and our store manager was constantly in shit with head office for breaking the rules. He loved to fill his pockets but he always went to bat for the technicians and truly wanted the techs to make money too. Our Italian service writer spoke very broken English and nobody could understand what he was saying but our customers knew that he was looking after their best interests and the work would be done right. We didn't have a huge turn over of techs but it was stressful as hell so some did leave after a time. In the summer months i worked outside rain or shine. I had blisters on my feet sometimes from standing on the hot asphalt all day. The first snow storm of the season we all had to stay until the last customer had their winter tires installed. We all worked together to make it happen. I was there for a little over 5 years when the company decided to franchise all of the stores they could and pulled out of Canada. Most didn't survive..

[@flatratemaster]

Sounds like you had a great place to work before it, they took a dump on it!

[@andrewvillanueva4222]

you are exactly right. find a honest mechanic to install the parts. you buy the parts.

[@colemanbonner]

I’m the exception to the rule here. I’ve worked for one of the big chain stores for nearly 10 years. My “district” is 20 stores spread across Dekalb and Gwinnett counties here in GA. There are THREE good ones. Each of those has a manager who’s been there for 10 years, a master tech there for the same, and a really loyal customer base. Those stores, because of their success, allow their managers huge freedom to run their shop like a mom/pop but with the benefits of a corporate umbrella. My service writer is the best I’ve ever had, she’s literally a genius. My manager is extremely good at what he does, and extremely good to us. He also has a serious backbone when it comes to morality, with pricing and customer service. We order lots of parts thru Worldpac (example, I have an e60 in the bay for a CCV kit, using OE parts.) yes, it’s hard to keep hourly guys, but we’ve had the same crew for 2.5 years now. Each shop is provided a verus/Zeus. It’s not the most money I’ve ever made, but it’s the happiest I’ve been. I know it’s the exception to the rule.

[@bertmollar]

I can confirm a lot of this. I'm a mechanic for a national chain and these are big cons; shop supplies budget directly impacts the service managers bonus check. So we often go without things as basic as hand soap to major things as working tire changers. There is also not very good training. We do these online modules but they really suck and dont teach much. There's only a few guys that do actual training classes for the entire company nationwide. The pay is also garbage. I have to work 11 hour shifts often working over 12 or 13. I get paid a flat hourly rate with no overtime. If I do so many RO's that add up to a certain number I start to get a percentage of the total parts and labor sales. So you can make okay money if you stay busy. I get very little for doing tires alignments and oil changes with is 90% of what they have us doing. Most of the time when donget repair work the markup on the repair is so high that the customer declines to fix his car and often has it taken to an indie shop. The only good thing about chain stores is getting your foot in the door and getting your ASEs paid for.

[@kennethg5460]

Firestone, Pepboys, and Goodyear all offer great benefits, training, and a chance to learn a lot. Locations very. The busiest the shop, and the more experienced you get as a tech the more you make. Obvious if your in a small town your not gonna see the same volume as a chain in a major city. In this trade you push yourself and continue to learn. It takes at least 5 or more years to gain real knowledge and become a Master Technician. With that skill and time in and depending or where you live you should be making at a minimum $25 an hour if your flat rate and flagging at least 60 hours a week . If you want to make a 100k or more the wage and the hours need to be more. 80 to 90k a year in a low cost of living city should be your minimum goal if your single. Married with 1 to 2 kids and a wife that does not work. 100k or more. Heavy Diesel repair is the way to go if your a family man. Higher wages and your paid hourly. No flat rate.

[@tysonrinker5958]

same

[@ryanallen4346]

Like the video. Work at a chain store and make $85,000/year doing wheel alignments, never went to tech school 👌.

[@oldl6655]

Your the man

[@ADDMEONPSN]

Me too just started

[@orchestracelloplayer]

Turn over rate for my chain I work at is over 50%. Mark up is crazy. They at least listen when I say it NEEDS to be oem. Like spark plugs, always oem. Great alignment and tire machines. What's HUGE is you can transfer. We have one tech that's been there 9 years booking 80-100 hours a week(he is there everyday open to close tho). You hit the nail on the HEAD! Have you ever worked for a chain?

[@flatratemaster]

LOL, yes I worked at a Goodyear:(

[@bertmollar]

I've been at my chain store for 4 months now and have seen 3 lube techs come and go, 2 mechanics, a service writer and store manager lol

[@scallen3841]

The two by my house Midas and firebone , have over 100 negitive complaint's on their web sites in the last 8 months . Im surprised they are still have business to be honest but customers never learn . But the techs have huge pretty shiney box's

[@Jpilgrim30]

There are a couple of good chains left out there. Gateway tire and service is mid sized chain store in the south that stretches from Texas to Tennessee. They have excellent customer service and pay their techs extremely well. They've grown a lot but have kept the small chain attitude and stay very busy is our area because of that.

[@flatratemaster]

Yes there are Christian Brothers is another mostly good chain out of Texas too, but they have some bad apples too!

[@lovemym16]

we are not allowed to have a personal scan tool lol

[@shawnz241]

My local chain store is awesome - they have all the issues you mentioned along with some serious hard selling that drives the customers right back to us! That said, you are right - their top guy made serious $$.

[@Nibbie-tm3ot]

I used to work for a chain store, cons- long hours, corporate b.s. and it was a revolving door. Pros... Match a 401k up to 5 percent, equipment is mostly new and updated every 6 months. They pay you for training and you get a lot of it, not like dealership training but you have to work on models a through z. The pay is decent but you only get a guarantee of 30 hours a week if you work 40 yours and you don't hit your goal of 40 plus flag hours per week. ( You could flag 10 hours and get 30 at the end of the week). Some master techs make 35.00 plus per hour depending on skill. The parts could come from anywhere,. Where I was at mostly Napa or advance Auto. The dealer was optional, if there was a good service manager than he knew what to get. Plus the store has a nation wide warranty at 2 years. 24k miles on the repair. It was was not that bad and the insurance and benefits where better than most. A lot cheaper than a dealership or independent. (If the independent even offered benifits). So if you could put up with corporate b.s. than you may consider a chain store. We would not get fired for telling somebody to come back in the morning for a flat repair...we didn't have much waiter customer s because we trained them to leave there vehicles for a while and they do with no issues. Some chain stores are good to work for and some just suck to work for.

[@flatratemaster]

Just like everything in life you mileage may vary:) just a simple thing like a great store manager can completely change the work environment of any shop, from indy to chain to dealership to even fleet work.

[@madmechanic7976]

I love you Bro. Keep making vids please.

[@bobbyu8991]

They stopped putting our names on shirts due to turnover

[@Toyotas_n__Tools]

Few years back I was working on the road up in Seattle Wa, (i live in salem OR) I was getting off of work from doing a contract job at a grocery store remodel in the subarbs and had a flat.. Just so happend to be the same guy in Salem up in Seattle at Discount tire lol! 230 miles away the world is really small, they do have the best prices and service ive found also the workers seem happy.

[@kingkong8974]

I've heard of and seen many horror stories of the one across the street from my house. I've fixed cars that they've broken many times. I kinda appreciate those hack mechanics cause it's getting me stuff to fix

[@TheEdjarino]

In my current 5yrs as a Walmart/ASE technician retail politics plays big role dealing with managers/management

[@jackmendez8579]

speaking of the staying late because of a tire, I was at my first dealership job as lube, we close at 6. I was doing opening to closing shift, the guy who is supposed to stay til 6 left 10 minutes early while I was putting my stuff away in the locker room, I come out and the writer wrote up an oil change and 2 tire replacements 5 minutes before we closed and I still was clocked in. needless to say I milked that OT on the OT.

[@flatratemaster]

I would have milked it too! I mean come on that isn't a 5 min job for anyone!

[@ryanwashere21]

Currently trying to get out. Work hourly at a pepboys after graduating tech school but even after nearly 2 years I'm still doing flat repairs, oil changes tires etc. Current job I'm applying is a dodge dealer and they're flat rate. Just hoping I can be fast enough

[@stilltlrforlife]

I'd rather work at a dealership than any independent shop, before I was forced to retire from wrenching due to my back, I made the most money at dealerships, stayed at one for 10 years as a heavy engine and drivability tech. I cannot stand independent shops, sure they are halfway decent, but they lack alot of equipment and rely on the tech to have 6 toolboxes full of specialized tools..nope

[@ykmalachi]

This video series is why I love working for myself. No bullshit boss. No employees other than me. Work 25 hours a week and clear 50k cash tax free.

[@mrturner69]

one thing that sucks about the industry now is that its much harder as a young person to start as a floor sweeper and learn on the job. i started at a lube shop because it was the closest i could get to a shop. i actually had a good experience however, they wanted it done right because the sheer volume meant tons of comebacks if things were not done right. i think it was good because it taught me basic hand tools and basic servicing and inspections. but the quality of work depends highly on who is working at the time

[@flatratemaster]

I am planning to do a show on that very soon, Back in the day all you needed was to have taken shop class in high school and you could get a starter job at a shop, but not any longer, very hard to find shops willing to teach a young kid, with 0 experience!

[@mrturner69]

i agree! i even had a hard time after just coming out of tech school!

[@normansmith7806]

Good video ! Thought for a minute there was another bridge burning in Atlanta :)

[@flatratemaster]

Thank you, No but they are closing Piedmont road tomorrow :( so someone may want to burn something else with the traffic mess that will cause!

[@johnnyk617]

I've worked for 2 state of the art dealerships got tired of flat rate warranty work. Went to a 5 star chain store and it had better equipment than the dealership...plus they pay for ase's stupid high hourly rate plus commission. Honest tech plus high car count equal 6 figures a year

[@flatratemaster]

Glad it is working out for you!

[@Mike-yq7ce]

Flat Rate Master spot on I work at one the corporate bs, the cheap parts, we do have a Solus and a Autel but just the basic package Autel . I do make money at the one Im at. I am honest in how I do it. I have noticed I am significantly higher skilled than a lot of techs in my area in my company. I do get some jobs from one of the other locations that they get in over their head on or have to fix their screw ups. I do how ever push heavily when needed for OE parts

[@txsviking]

Boy is that true about the hacks. 👍

[@flatratemaster]

LOL!

[@1977jelliott]

The deal with these shops from what I can gather is it is vehicle in and vehicle out in the quickest time possible, the more cars through in a day is a positive. Basic service at a dirt cheap price. The closest we have to that in Australia is Lube Mobile or Stealerships or big chains like KMart or Automasters. The biggest hurdle independent repairers here have is there is no R2R, a lot of us have the skills but the stealerships have a monopoly on information and repair procedure that leaves "quicky lubes" for general servicing and stealerships as the "go to" for technical faults. Independents have a hard time in Australia and I see a LOT of good techs earning less than they are worth at a dealer or earning less than they are worth with a big chain company.....

[@scottzig01]

I made $80000 last year at a chain store you can do it if you know what you are doing

[@auxmike]

And I believe this because I read it on the internet, LOL!

[@prevost8686]

scottzig01 I’ve seen the 80K a year tire shop guy’s work. I’ve been cleaning up two of their messes for months. It’s so bad the owners of the tire stores refuse to have their own personal vehicles worked on them there. Stripped oil pan drain plugs, bolts and brackets missing,

[@JamesValentineBaja1000]

Bs

[@scottzig01]

@@JamesValentineBaja1000 not that hard pep boys Pittsburgh $33 for 12 bay shop 1 master tech me and 2 tech A that don’t want to work so I work on 2 or 3 cars at same time most of the day avg 55-65 fr hours and clock 40 it can be done and there is someone like me in every pepboys

[@eric-tr7gf]

@@scottzig01 i also work at a chain. i book 85+ working 50hours and make well into the 6figures. specialize in diag and the subsequent repairs and AC work. Our store is #1 in our region and #3 in the nation though. 8 bay shop and we have 40-50 appts a day booked 3-4 days out. I believe you.

[@ashleyc8303]

Well that explains a lot of what is going on at my shop. The corporate payroll thing and performance is another thing, in order for me to keep a bonus need to sell higher than budget and also flag 3hrs a day if im working 8hrs since they came up with a Sale and Service position this year and if you didn't take the Job then no bonus and pay cut from my previous position which was managing tires since they got rid of that position. It's good if your wanting to work on cars and come from a sales background but not good if your a sales background and don't want to work on cars as much.

[@Alex-bw7zd]

Well, i start at goodyear this Friday boys, wish me luck. I'm trying to go in with an open mind but my expectations arent very high.

[@erikvelazquez9486]

How is it going for you ? Could you explain how it is like. I’m thinking of applying as a entry level auto tech here in Alabama. Do you have any idea what the pay might be like for this position. I have experience working on cars but no work experience in a shop of any Kind. I used to previously work in Construction

[@Alex-bw7zd]

@@erikvelazquez9486 pay in louisiana is about 11 an hour starting, but ive been at it a few months and i love it. Its better than comission, so when youre slow you arent losing money. Id say go for it.

[@charlesroten937]

I usually make between 10- 13 hours at a chain store. No bullshit repairs or flushes.

[@123kalbrecht]

I work at a chain tire store where we only do tires, the first thing is very true, we will be 10-20 cars deep 10 minutes before close and we will still be taking customers, we work fast but we still end up staying an hour to an hour and a half late every day, We also pay barely above minimum wage

[@infamouz111]

Let me guess discount tire?

[@moparmania86]

I worked at a dunn tire. A regional tire place in NY and pa. It sucked! I would never advise anyone to work there. I think it was on the same level as flipping burgers. Got paid $10 an hour and when it got slow they told you to go home. I was lucky to make $200 a week. Then I was dumb enough to stay there awhile and got laid off! Haha then they had the nerve to call and want me back 2 months later when it picked up.

[@flatratemaster]

Wow, just wow!

[@jeremiasozuna5390]

Entry level diesel mechanic smd i approve this video very true and factual

[@honestmechanic7974]

I have a "Canadian chain" down the block from my own shop and they do a great job bring me business. I get there customers that drive straight out of there parking lot and before they even get to the end of the street are having the same problem they already paid to have fixed. Classic!!! I still don't understand why they still get the volume they do. All ways interested to see how others work.

[@flatratemaster]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@JW-lo1ts]

Can we discuss the theft by FIRESTONE out of customer vehicles??? ..

[@kennethg5460]

He left out you get full medical, dental, 401k, tool insurance, ASE test fees reimbursement, and major discounts on parts and tires for your personal car. Chains are open 7 days a week and later hours so the schedules are more flexible. You get exposed to different brands and their issues which will make you a better tech. If your fresh out of tech school the chains are a great place to gain experience and the more you learn, the better you get, the more you make. At busy Firestone shops top A techs can earn over 100k a year. Dealerships are overrated. Its all up to you.

[@ceo20561]

WOW EVERYTHING U SAYING IS 10000000000000000000000% RIGHT WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ON POINT OE PARTS MAN O MAN

[@HardKnocksForge]

Yep, I took the old ladies merc to a firestone cause her AC pulley flew off while she was driving it home. They tell me it'll be $1400 and they needed to replace the compressor and the dryer and the condenser and new freon etc... I told the service writer that if they have to do all that and didn't have a guy in there that was smart enough to replace the pulley I was going somewhere else. They ended up finding a guy that was smart enough before I hit the door. It ended up being $400, might have been a little high, not sure but I couldn't do it because I didn't have the tools or an AC machine. Chalked that one up as maybe a win and one less place I'll ever visit again.

[@-I-Use-Punctuation]

Damn! were you live, Detroit? LoL always sirens 🚨 in your videos. Must be a hospital near by

[@Nick-oy5fn]

What was the Ron White skit where the chain store "done turned my van into a tripod" lol

[@flatratemaster]

LMFAO, I forgot about that skit!

[@jrbandero4454]

My local chain shop put the wrong air freshener in my car now my cabin filter is setting off the check engine light

[@WalterTheExaltor]

I'm about to start college here soon to become certified as an automotive tech but I was just offered a job from a major automotive tech chain that ill will leave un named but I hear they're "stoned" *wink wink* and was pretty much given an interview for an entry level tech job with no experience. Should I take this and run with it or just wait for school? They've already said they would provide all training, tools and even reimburse my tuition. But id be starting in an entry level position changing oil , tires etc.

[@eric-tr7gf]

the tools part is a lie. the training will be web based modules

[@dougbrook6223]

I just quit a chain store. The general service guys had zero experience. Couldnt even do an inspection. Meanwhile the service writers and store manager would pull codes in the parking lot and sell repairs based on identifix. The lunacy just kept getting more. I was the only technician so i refused to repair any vehicle i didnt diagnose. The next issue was the cheapest parts possible issue.. then when the brakes would squeak these guys would expect me to do them again with no pay. I was reluctant to change jobs again so i tried to wait it out and explain to these guys how backwards this all was. I was still turning 60 to 70 hours a week but honestly was losing 10 hours a week or more from these ridiculous policies. The writers pay plan made it thier best interest to pay me as few hours as possible. After several months of the stress dealing with making sure my hours were correct i couldnt take it anymore. The last straw was replacing a part by customer request. Against my protest of working on the vehicle i installed an ect on a cadillac. I assume it didnt fix it, i have no clue as i didnt check it before or after. Customer complained said part wasnt replaced. I had a service writer expecting me to prove that i had replaced it. I refused. In my opinion the writer or manager needs to handle that. Not the technician. Long story short they refunded the guys money, then back flagged me 1.5 hours. I quit on the spot. Thats stealing and even though my weekly paychecks were actually very good, (2500 or more) i refuse to work for a place that treats the employees this way. I asked one of the GS how they were doing when i turned in my uniforms and he said the store numbers were down 85% in the 2 weeks since i quit. It took me no time to find a new job. This time i had a lot more questions at my interview. Maybe ill make less money, maybe not. But ill never regret walking out of that shop.

[@bigg4454]

Here's an interesting thought! How about doing a vid on how it would feel takin' YOUR car to someplace after YOU been turnin' wrenches for years! I shudder at th' thought, which is why got back into this mess! Only difference is I work for me now. Imagine, re-buyin' a whole rack of tools and boxes except for a few items here an' there that escaped the Craigslist sale block! Second go 'round is quite an experience! Great (and lucky) to be healthy enough to do it!

[@flatratemaster]

When I worked as a Regional Sales Manager for a couple years I couldn't do it! the only thing I let others do on my vehicle or my wives was tires and alignment that was it!

[@bigg4454]

Hah! Knew it! You worse than me haha! Nah, I don't blame you one bit! That's one of the reasons why I came back! I loved what I did and it keeps you on your toes (I guess). I recently took off all my tires on one of my vehicles and took 'em to a place to have new ones mounted. If I had my own alignment machine I'd have done that too! Some places will charge you for a four wheel when they just "set the toe an' let it go"!

[@1337penguinman]

@@flatratemaster I actually took a pay cut to get back to turning wrenches from being management. Was worth it to me.

[@Friebe1000]

I really liked this video i never thought about a lot of this stuff i was wondering why they had so many job postings

[@flatratemaster]

:)

[@ashleyc8303]

Lmao I did too untill I accepted the Job now I know why they kept posting every 1 to 2 years with the shortest person staying 3 months

[@matthewJeanFlasch]

Hello! Nice video. You mentioned you get paid for helping the other tech's. How does that work? Do you get paid on overall shop hours or a combination yours/theirs? Thank you!

[@flatratemaster]

I get a bonus based on overall shop hours

[@GH-oi2jf]

Staying a little bit late to take care of a customer doesn’t seem like a con to me. Without customers you don’t have a business. Taking care of customers is good for business. How long does it take to fix a tire? You have to be paid for your actual time, of course.

[@eric-tr7gf]

till your kid has a recital at 6:30 and a customer walks in at 5:55 (close at 6) and that tire repair becomes unfixable and now he is sold 2/4 tires and align. Happens daily

[@bobbyu8991]

My chain store pays nothing for warranty work and coupons are deducted from tech pay if a guy is in subsidy his hours are shaved lawyers on staff to handle labor board paying a fine is cheaper than paying techs In 600 stores that's the game

[@EXOVCDS]

When I start franchising EXOVCDS Vehicle Care... I'm gonna make sure that quality parts & pricing is at the top of the list! Wanna be the first in Georgia to become a Euro franchisee? =)

[@flatratemaster]

LOL, I can't afford the shop space in Buckhead for an hour let alone a month:( I could retire on what my boss bought the shop property for! not counting his cost in renovating it!

[@chrischiampo8106]

McGee Tire comes to Mind 😎

[@trackingthealgorithm221]

I work at a Mavis I have not even been there two years and have been there longer than everyone else I work with I have learned a lot but now I myself am at the point where I am about to walk and find a better job. It's a great place to learn the business but there is zero incentive to stay long-term

[@thekentuckyhillbillyengine8434]

I'd don't blame you I do the same.

[@flatratemaster]

We have 4 employees from mavis 2 writers 1 tech and our porter is a former tech

[@ONeal397]

Do you still work there

[@steniofernandez824]

hold my beer FRM!!!nees my two hands to applause this video..work for similar company here in PA.same bs.you have a 4 hour job got to finish before clock out.then 4 tire,change over,flat tire.alignment comes in.by the time you done with tires is time to go home...got to deal with this bs everytime..aahh they hire anything that comes thru the door..

[@flatratemaster]

Glad you agree with the video, it comes from experience:(

[@ekaufman9565]

What business in pa because I aslo lived pa and Jack Williams is crap

[@EzRepairs]

the only good benifit from the chain store i use to work at, was that they paid for ASE as long as you pass them.

[@bigg4454]

+EzRepairs TV - Yep! Just about the ONLY good benefit too! I sure took advantage of it haha! Good point!

[@flatratemaster]

LOL!

[@prevost8686]

I’ve only worked for one chain tire store in my 30 years and I stayed there all of one month. They made Stealerships look like a non profit ministry when it came to screwing people. What they don’t screw the customer on will be done shoddily because technicians with skills don’t stay there. Only the guys that cannot make it anywhere else stay in them long term. Chain tire stores stay busy because whoever their brand tire is on the front of the building gives them the authority to issue lines of credit to their customers for tires AND repairs. The interest rates are astronomical too. That means that they actually screw the customers that can least afford to have their vehicles fixed. I saw them screw old widow women on fixed incomes multiple times in the month that was there. I told the owners that they better enjoy things now cause they were going to fry like sausages in Hell for lying, stealing, and cheating. Personally, there’s no amount of money that would ever cause me to work for those scumbags again. As far as I am concerned, there are no pros to working in one.

[@davebeeny709]

I work at Honda Dealership, been there for two years as a lube tech , should I go to work for a tire and auto repair shop or just stay at the dealership ?

[@flatratemaster]

2 years as a lubbie, i would definitely start looking around at my options

[@ONeal397]

Go apply for fleet diesel

[@guacamoleweiner69]

Fleet HD. Best decision I ever made

[@bobbyu8991]

I worked sixteen years for a chain in nys have seen forty six techs come and go from my store

[@mattcee7113]

30+ chain stores in my city and it’s only one branded chain. Tire/Chain stores are everywhere just like McDonalds!

[@luissandoval9425]

We still use the same machines from 10 years

[@UBBERTANKER]

been at firestone for 5 yrs, first store manager was there 3 yrs before being caught stealing 2nd lasted a year and was a give it all away for free the customer is always right idiot, the current one just quit for a better job and he was the best one ever and they just let him leave over pennies on the dollar lol. 5 yrs and the next closest employee to me has been there maybe 2 years lol

[@UBBERTANKER]

we also stock quick steer suspension parts i put a tierod on on of the writers cars the other day i think our cost was $4 and customer price was like $120 lol

[@flatratemaster]

Just Damn!

[@flatratemaster]

Damn, the shop I work at has a high mark up but a 2 yr/ 24k warranty and use mostly OEM parts, but that is just crazy!

[@UBBERTANKER]

when we get stuff via parts stores its not like that but our inhouse stuff like ball joints tierods and brake pads and rotors the cost is retarded cheap and customer price super high, there is a life time warranty on the parts on pad and suspenion stuff but they pay labor when it fails

[@papi-champoo6033]

UBBERTANKER not a bad company main con is you may get stuck with shady or lazy techs but you do have good ones as well, I too work for BSRO.

[@need4spe3dBeast]

Dang this is all true

[@donerickson7869]

And chain stores just do the gravy work like brakes, frontend,charging and starting systems and tuneup work

[@BMfins]

I work at a chain store and pull in mid to high 50k a year with benefits. Try getting that in a mom and pop shop.

[@tysonrinker5958]

i work for a shop that started off as an independent owner and then got sold to a corporation and the name changed the policies changed everything changed and not for the better for us employees and the customers

[@ayomarvo]

I can’t comment on my corporate store bc I’m being watched 😉

[@captnfloyd]

How much can Auto techs make working for chain stores?

[@eric-tr7gf]

in our shop probably $30kto $130k is the range...and a lot in between. Way more closer to $40k though than $130k. 11 techs, 2 are in 6 figures

[@markmccormack1796]

Nobody can beat the Pep Boys.

[@ZombieCraftSlaya]

I work at firestone and omfg its fucking terrible Im trying to move to an independent

[@jamespsn01]

That payroll shit is too true it's pushing out the first one im working at

[@xenophonBC]

ethics is important..you can have the best gear in the world and it won't mean diddly if you are not happy at your job.

[@DOYLECLEVERLOBE1]

Not all but most of them around here are pretty shady on the unnecessary work and overcharging, plus the sheer incompetence on even basic things. My friend had a coolant light on, empty overflow, so they changed his alternator, for luck I guess. You're dead on about them staying busy, never and empty bay.

[@flatratemaster]

It happens too often!

[@altonbarbee8864]

I have worked at 2 chain stores my whole career and I may not make 100k a year but I do enjoy not doing heavy line work. Also benefits are awesome. I worked 20 years for Sears Auto Centers and I am now at NTB Tire and Service centers. I loved both jobs.

[@donaldpainter628]

It's true no job is perfect you can work for yourself and it's not going to be perfect as long as the bad don't out weigh the good if you like your job you better stay and work it cause the grass may look greener on the other side but you get to the other side and it might be full of wild onions

[@dylankinch2735]

hello flm i was jist wondering when u say your a negative person what do u actually mean by that

[@flatratemaster]

I am a glass is half full type of person, always look at the negatives;) just who I am!

[@dylankinch2735]

then u mean half empty not half full right or do i have it mixed up lol

[@flatratemaster]

LOL, yes half empty been a long day!

[@dylankinch2735]

Yea me too jist finighed doing an alternator on an 02 audi a6. Had to tear the whole dame front off the thing just to get to the tensioner. I gues it there carrier service position of something. Im sure u know better then i do i rarely work on german vehicles. It was the 3.0 quatro. What a pain jist to change the alternator. Im glad i dont see them often

[@flatratemaster]

I hate all the V6 and V8, VW and Audi, the real fun is chasing a vacuum leak on those, find 1 broken brake vacuum hose better get them all because you start moving the 1 the rest will break and they are expensive!

[@autohelix]

If you're okay with screwing people over, and doing unnecessary work go work at a chain store. I remember one time I went to Firestone to get an alignment told me they couldn't do it unless I got new ball joints and tie rods. Guess what I just put new ball joints and tie rod ends on it.

[@inmyexpression19]

High turnover of managers, flat rate, not enough customers, or that manager that takes every customer. I get all the rusty trucks

[@ghostofthedeep]

Ntb/merchant is doing terrible things to customers and treating their staff that in my area

[@stevengensel9679]

Pay does suck, I make 13.50 doing tires and oil. And an Occasional break job. And there’s really no incentive by how many cars you do either.

[@eric-tr7gf]

the first con and the story about having to do Tires no matter what...that places rhymes with myerstone....

[@gcaprice406]

Another Pro I would add is that they will take the average shlub off the street or straight out of tech school. Great place to start until you get some experience/ brains.

[@bigg4454]

Yep! Great points! All true too! I was between "real" jobs one time, so I had to work at one of "those" outfits! Most guys in the shop went for the gravy, but I liked jobs that were a challenge, so no big deal for me. Had a guy that had FOUR (count 'em) four bad alternators on a car! Before they decided to ship it, they gave me this ticket........it was a open at the fusable link! I saved 'em money! Did I get anything for it? Nope! That's okay tho'. Another place ("G" year) I worked at decided they were gonna cut hours! That meant if you were workin' on somethin', they'd take YOU off of it, make YOU punch out, then put somebody else on it! In MY case I was the ONLY one in that shop that did a/c work! They had the customer "bring the vehicle back", when I was right there to finish it that day!!! Talk about tight! $$$tupid tight! The three "boys" would give you ALL the overtime you wanted..............just don't expect time and a half for it haha! On top of that, they want you to walk around the shop with those "back braces" and "safety glasses" ALL the time even when you're out of the shop, in the lunchroom and probably the bathroom too! In conclusion, they treat as if they were paying you $95 an hour real time, when in essence you're getting chicken feed (if that much).

[@flatratemaster]

We have the 3 boys right down the road from us, LOL, some of the stuff I have seen come out of there is crazy! That GY stuff is stupid!

[@richsmith7821]

thats not all true,I had a flat,30 min before close,and wally wouldnt fix it for me,but,they did loan me the tools to fix it myself in the parking lot

[@auxmike]

The letters on the shirt are way too big, chief!

[@Toolaholic7]

The tire and chain stores like to rip off people too and this with the front end alignments.Say a suspension part is bad and is not.Have seen this before,customer brings their vehicle in for a second opinion and find the suspension part is not bad.The cheap parts,last a year and see this with suspension parts.Question is if the customer is still going to own the car,Moog is the better choice for them over cheap for an example.

[@flatratemaster]

We get second option cars in all the time, I just looked at one from the dealer today, they were looking to only suck the gravy off the top, missed the leaking oil pan and P/S rack

[@eric-tr7gf]

The biggest con of working at a corporate chain is they make all their money on parts. Their labor times suck. .6 for 4 tires, .8 for front brake job, 1 hr for rear brake job. they make money with their parts matrix by taking rotors they pay $11 for and charging $120 a piece. The brake jobs cost $450 but the tech gets .8 of an hr.

[@sebbykaiser6466]

What I liked about being a tech at Canadian Tire: - I can buy tools there, without a discount, whenever I need them. - "We aren't a technical shop! I'm not doing that!" - The service manager's wife was the worst service advisor