tire technician

salesperson

automotive technician

service technician

automotive mechanic

Big O Tires

A typical day at work started with unnecessary work with broken equipment that half the time didn't work properly or was broken completely and we were expected to  continue the use of this equipment even though it was dangerous to use. 

Everything from air compressors to torque guns was either in constant need of repair or broken to the point of not being usable. The overhead garage doors were a danger zone because of the lack of maintenance. Repairs or replacement would be the only solution to such a dangerous situation. There were literally shards of metal hanging from each of the large garage doors that threatened to slice your face and body open upon use.

The jacks that were used in the flat bay with no lift for vehicles were used in caution because of the five of them only two worked properly and one other would slowly fall with the weight of a car on it. jack stands were considered by management to be to slow to use in such a fast paced environment and we were discouraged from using them despite being the safest course of action when hydraulic jacks weren't working properly.

Additionally, the owner was quoted as saying that his workers did not deserve to have the heat turned on in the winter. We had to endure extremely cold conditions and most of the time our business in that particular locations included customers with large trucks that would not fit entirely in the building and the doors were left open. One can only imagine the frigid conditions in which we had to work.

The doors barely opened and closed and you could not trust that your own tools would not get stolen during the night.

The managers policy on how he kept employees was saddening at best. He had a tendency to not put people on the schedule for the purpose of bringing in newer people that he could pay less. Keep in mind though, that he would not fire you because he wanted to always have the opportunity to bring you back when someone quit. He also never fires people. Sounds good right. Not on your life. His motive for this course of action rests with the idea that if he simply refuses to put you on the schedule than your technically NOT fired and now you can't claim any kind of state benefits such as unemployment, nor can you qualify for insurance through the company. In other words you always work for this manager under a ninety day probationary period. Due to this an employee will never have an opportunity to advance within the company.

It is important to keep in mind that all things stated above are just off the top of my head in terms of things that were wrong with the place. There is so much more wrong that it sickens me to even think about it. Take it from someone that worked there. I have never seen a tire shop or any kind of automotive service shop in such utter disarray and horribly ran as Big O Tires in Monument, Colorado. And, I have worked at several throughout the Colorado region. If you are considering employment at this location, you will be making a big mistake.

I will say regardless of all cons, the subject line is quite an amazing quality/noble responsibility to have.
I was homeless and walking the streets and passed by there once. I turned around when I saw the hiring sign, and I said I'd like to be the one you are hiring. They asked if I can do tires and I said yes and asked if I'd show them real quick and handed me a pair of gloves and safety goggles and showed me their in-house  practice wheel, which is a worn steel wheel with a 5 year old tire on it to prove 5 year old tires in our environment are coming of age. I dismounted it, removed it, remounted it, and balanced it on the first try. I started the next day full-time.  Please note: Big O Tires is a great place to compliment or get your foot in the door for newcomers interested in the auto repair industry which opens the door wide to better future endeavors. So if you get an interview, don't feel bad when they ask what you know and the answer is very little to virtually none. Admitting you don't have experience is respected and only serves to help you coupled by your genuine interest. They'd rather know who they're getting so they know where to put you and also seemingly genuinely helpful at gans-on training.

What goes up must come down...sorry...
(I'm not sure if all Big O Tires locations are the same and for all I now can vary significantly in any of these categories)
Benefits --- None (kind of)
Health/life/dental/401k/profit sharing/pension/pay raise/promotion/PTO/Paid Vacation --> NONE!!!

They do let you set a schedule pretty much as long as you're within 40 hours. There is no pay raises. It's the lowest mechanic commission rate that I've seen in a long time at 8%. Even though he does a good job that's still far undercutting what it deserves. Only go up when minimum wage goes up and even that's late. And there is no chance of promotion unless somebody dies or retires. I wish I was joking. But all in all they're pretty human about the whole experience and again it's still those cons are outweighed by the noble service they do to the automotive industry and that is bring newcomers into the door which can be a risky business so that deserves at least a lot of respect in that category probably more so than any other company and that's far out weighing the lack of benefits

I'll admit, it's annoying having to lift tires and do oil changes all day; but not when you have the right group around you.
Anyways, I'll split this into three different sections. Starting with job security. 

If you know how to drain the oil, inspect the valve cover for leaks, check the air filter, brake fluid, brakes, and most importantly NOT TO LEAVE FILTERS loose. (Seen it happen too many times, where the car will come back with the filter halfway threaded and then that technician would be let go.) 
You'll be set. (and depending which Big O you work for, there is a 'spiff' program that'll give you $1 for each air filter sold, each tire sold, etc. And if you did an alignment, you'd get $5.)
So you have the potential to earn good money on a weekly basis. 

Tires, well doing tires is easy, just not when a big Chevy truck with 22 inch wheels or big mud terrain 35 tires comes in and asks for new tires. 


Management.

The managers I had never gave me any issue, we'd get along like friends and it made this job that much more enjoyable. 
We could play music through the shop, granted not at a high volume depending on the music. 
Which also added to the job culture. 

Now, if you are to mess up and leave a filter loose. That's a different story. 

Pay. 

Depending what you're getting paid, you have the potential to earn roughly $500-$700 every week. 
Overtime was always there, and what I mean by that is this. 
My service advisors would continue to bring in customers an HOUR before closing. 
So we'd be creeping up on five o'clock and the wall still has about 5-6 that either need tires or oil changes. 
This happens very often, and normally by that time there are usually two GSTs and two mechanics who only do the big jobs. 
So, you're stuck there for awhile longer giving you overtime.

If you're schedule runs from 6:30am to 3:30pm, you could also stay longer if you see the wall full of cars, which again is more OT. 
GRANTED, I worked at a franchise-owned Big O Tires, not a corporate Big O. So take this with a grain of salt. 

The one bad part I say, is the lack of job advancement. Which is why I left the job. 

Overall, the job to me, was easy. I knew what I was doing, I knew what had to be done, and the managers never gave me any trouble.

Every Big O is different but this one works like this. Work in a day always falls back on the ownership and management. If the owner is in some type of mood that day it'll mood impact whatever store gets the outcome. Customers are great but they always ask for the person who gives free stuff and discounts which in return the employees get nagged at for sale numbers being low. Everybody within management talks low about each other to the employees but don't feel safe you'll get ran over by them all at once to cover themselves, no trust established. On a good day they hire you with promised terms and after the lust is gone they turn against you and the terms to mask their failed systems. As dependable and profitable you may be they will still drag you even if you bring in the most sales for the branch. Learn your employment rights as they'll utilize "take me to court" often. Hold yourself to high standards and if you do work here make sure you fire them before they fire you. To conclude pay was cool and all until they add in extra hands into the sales pot. Another thing is without all the commercial accounts you won't make much with customers.

There was a lot of work which was a good thing so there was always something to do. But the work environment was very toxic and unprofessional. The shop was dirty and although some of the coworkers were somewhat chill, a lot of the coworkers would throw each other under the bus when in trouble and very few owned up to their mistakes (little to no integrity and honesty in the shop).  A lot of false promises from management and everyone was heavily under paid for hardwork. And after a couple months of suspicion and logging hours on my own because of those suspicions, I noticed my hours were cut on my paychecks. I calculated how much money I made for the shop and in my time working here I got paid a sliver for the amount of work I performed, I recommend a flat rate shop if you’re good at what you do. Little to no investment on the techs from management… the most enjoyable part about this job was the consistency in the amount of work and the friendly service advisors. A good high school gig or 1st year auto tech gig but would not stay here if you want to pursue a career in the auto industry or learn on the job, hands on from experienced mechanics - kept getting told 3 to 4 different procedures/methods for one thing, no one had a clue about what they were talking about, a bunch of comebacks, and a lot of the senior mechanics would just randomly butt themselves into my work order when I would not need help, which was very annoying and do things differently from what I learned from auto school and dealership training. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part of working at BigO varies from shop to shop. Typically each shop has a great dynamic and comradery and everytime I see a problem it's usually when someone from Leeds West shows up. It used to be that everyone would straighten and be more respectful but in later days it's been "what is corporate gonna change this time? And why?"

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part about working under BigOTires ran by Leeds West is the inconsistencies. One day everything will be running right and another day the entire shop is falling apart. Shop managers have to call the district manager for help and permission to hire and fire. A lot of micromanagement and a lot of tiptoe-ing is involved. Usually a shop doesn't get the attention it deserves, most store managers are forced to be superheroes to make the shop run efficiently.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment is usually very fast paced, most shops are understaffed. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day consists of three or two guys show up for work, have to work overtime because their coworkers didn't show up and there usually no time to eat. Bring your own food and eat while you work because more than likely you're overwhelmed and you have a lot of work ahead of you still.

Most leaders are proud of their position and the company itself. After all, they've put in the time and effort and now find themselves in a position of leadership. All those fortunate enough to be in a position of management should ask themselves a simple question that will make them look at their team differently:
"Are my employees proud of their roles, and the company?" 

If you have to spend too much time thinking about the answer, then you probably have some work to do. It all boils down to one word: culture.

I have worked with many leaders whose teams were fundamentally dispassionate and it affected both their behavior and their performance. This culture affects everyone, regardless of the role. Creating the right culture is a great way to keep your people and guaranteeing you deliver consistent, strong results.
I have used and seen the following three techniques really produce great results: 
1. Recognize achievements regularly.
As a leader, you expect and hope that your employees demonstrate a quality work ethic because it's their job to do so. But a bit of encouragement goes a long way. When you recognize their accomplishments, both privately and publicly, they feel good about what they do and it motivates them to continue striving to be even better.

I had to listen to managers gossip about staff and each other almost daily. HR was never on the same page as the store level, so there was also poor communication regarding important changes/promotions. I learned on the fly, and taught myself by watching others work the system (which is out-dated). The techs threw tantrums quite often when things got busy, but to be honest, i can’t blame them. The equipment they had to work with is basically garbage. I’m not sure how big o expect a tire shop to run without a balancing machine... customer complained almost daily because of wait times even with appointments. My manager spent more time on YouTube then checking inventory. The assistant manager knew less about cars then i did, and focus their efforts on drama more then personal development.

I wouldn’t recommend working for them as a tech or advisor. I was promised bonuses for his sales and promotions i push specifically due the pandemic when businesses were still closed and we were open. I never received anything!!! They also had no protocol to protect their employees. It took over a month to even get masks and gloves. The way they care for their employees, is the way they care for their customers!

I’ve worked for big O tires for almost 15 years under different franchise owners, and I will say I love Big O as a company. Computer systems were a breeze to learn, pay was great if you hit your commissions, but this franchise in particular is ran horribly. A lot of false promises, lack of advancement regardless of what you provide for the company. It was constant belittling. One distract manager in particular was arrogant and disrespectful, you couldn’t go to anyone to discuss work disputes because, frankly, no one cared. The people I worked with were great, the area manager and regional manager were the only issues. If you do as they say, bite your tongue and make them money… the job is fine… if you show any willingness to learn, grow or help in any role, they will take advantage of it and expect it from there on. At that point you’re stuck doing it because the laziness is unparalleled. My only advice with taking a position from this franchise in particular, give them the bare minimum, because that’s all they will give you. 

daily i would start out completeing any leftover work from the pervious day. after that i would move to the tire dept. to do inpections& write estamates so the sales team could focous no sales and new customerswalking in. That was where i picked up a lot of my sales skills. we closed daily at 5pm. but i dont think i ever finnished a day before 7pm or later. but the whole team did this so it seemed normal for this to happen daily. and even though we worked long hard hours all the employes had a smile on their faces. no matter how worn out they'ed get. my self included. and the owner was good to all his employes. with bonuses/ and a spiff on lubes/coil springs and shock absorbers. i would half to say that the hardest part of the job was not stocking enough parts in shop to keep work at constant flow. only because waiting on parts suppliers to deliver always takes to much time. but the best thing was having a coustomer base that would come in and ask for me to be the only tech to service their car. or say if thats what it needs then go head and do it i trust him!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Tire technician 160 salaries reported	$19.05 per hour
Salesperson 103 salaries reported	$53,578 per year
Automotive technician 88 salaries reported	$72,549 per year
Service technician 65 salaries reported	$22.19 per hour
Automotive mechanic 55 salaries reported	$31.38 per hour

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