auto body technician

body shop estimator

customer service representative

automotive detailer

auto appraiser

Carstar

This place has an amazing group of people who work there. An incredible sales team, a force actually,  a sales force. They will sell cars before the wheels touch the ground. The service/recon/repair dept. however,  has a long way to grow. while it is a very young new addition to the carstars brand, with some very talented, and experienced technicians. It is unfortunately poorly managed, unstructured, and the technicians whilst all smart and capable in their own right are left to their own choices and decisions about what should/shouldn't be fixed on Recon cars to be sold on the lot and chastised for those choices when the bill for parts comes because the vehicles purchased from auction were overpaid for to begin with.When it comes to customer pay repairs, the diagnostic and repair is decided by the customer most often, then by whomever should draw the lottery ticket for that repair.  Anyone in the industry who knows anything, knows that's how part money and labor hours get wasted. Its also when unqualified technicians who never shouldve been tasked with something out side their skillset should be held responsible for getting wrong or taking too long to figure out. While the staff at carstars does have a talented staff of R&R technicians, there is one person with the experience and knowledge to be trusted with making those decisions . 1:5 that's a losing ratio regardless of the industry. Long story long , carstars is an amazing carlot, and lots of amazing people work there. Would I work there again, or have my car repaired there with those odds, wouldn't bet on it. Also if you leave your employ there and need a few days to pickup your toolboxes, they'll break into them ,steal your stuff and sell them to the snap on guy.

What is the best part of working at the company?
I had the pleasure of working in a great atmosphere under excellent management. Collaborating with a diverse group of professional car enthusiasts allowed me to gain a wealth of knowledge. As a thriving, family-owned and operated business, it fosters a supportive and dynamic environment. I highly recommend this employer to anyone seeking a fulfilling and rewarding workplace.



What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Like any company, there is always room for improvement. With demanding production schedules, effective communication is a crucial factor. Understandably, life happens, and we are all human. Given the many individuals involved in this business daily, basic mistakes are inevitable. However, the dedication and teamwork within this company help to address challenges and maintain a strong operational flow.



What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
This is a positive environment that fosters growth and potential. With strong leadership, consistent employee recognition, and an overall healthy workplace culture, employees are empowered to thrive both professionally and personally.



What is a typical day like for you at the company?
My day varied from extremely busy to having some downtime, which provided a nice balance. This dynamic allowed me to stay productive while also having moments to recharge and reflect.

The Owner at Jordan Road CARSTAR constantly reminds his employees that though everything may be the same, it's always different. This sums up working at Jordan Road CARSTAR. It's an autobody shop that focuses first and foremost on fixing the customers, and then the cars. Each customer has a different circumstance, a different insurance company, different needs and it is our job to accomodate those needs and help make an awful, inconvenient event like a car accident a little more bearable.

It's a very fast paced environment, and I am held responsible for supporting all aspects of operation. I deal a lot with customers and potential clients but I also work to improve the shop's relationship with vendors and insurance companies to help the business grow as an initial point of contact.

The hardest part of the job is ensuring that the customer leaves satisfied. In the tough economy we're in, customer retention is everything so going above and beyond the customer's expectations are crucial. I also enjoy multi-tasking and balancing multiple projects at a time, it keeps things interesting. I truly enjoy assisting in coordinating the multiple events we hold, whether it be fundraisers, tours, luncheons, or holiday parties.

Carstar is my first job that isn't at a restaurant and I've never been happier. 

The franchise owner also owns a car dealership, while I don't love the dealership culture, the people are great and not your usual shady salesmen types.

My GM is extremely knowledgable, helpful and kind- almost to a fault. Employees tend to get away with a little more than they should (including myself, on occasion) because he gets emotionally invested in everyones lives. Kid is sick? Go ahead and stay home, or bring them with you to work if you want. Drs appointment? "Go to the dr, take care of yourself. We need you, I need you!" Goals, hopes, dreams... he genuinely cares. I really admire him.

Any time I've spoken to anyone from corporate it's been a positive experience.

I was hired on as a receptionist, pay is a little lower than the local average, but great for me considering I was used to $2.13/hr. 

I was quickly able to advance my position and now I'm in charge of scheduling/accounts payable and receivable/office organization/flagging technicians/pretty much every aspect of the office side of things etc etc. (I don't know beans about cars.)

I could go on and on, but the short of it is that I plan to retire from this job.

The shop is small and organization and procedures are very crucial for production. The owners of the shop micromanage constantly. They tell new employees that benefits will be given but after several years there are still none and they don’t know when or if they will be any. They don’t pay there journeyman technicians the same pay. Pay is based on how bad they need e tech at the time. There is a very high employee turnover rate due to the lack of pay and benefits. This reduces the amount of work going through the shop and loss of hours for other employees. The employees seem to get along fine but the owner feels the need to constantly preach to everyone about  uplifting your spirits and being happy when the problem is the constant preaching. Overall the micromanaging and no benefits reduces the quality and number of possible employees applying for work and causes the high and consistent employees leaving seeking a better workplace somewhere else.

I loved working with the customers and vehicles, and with the insurance reps... but as for the actual CARSTAR employees, it was a big disappointment. If you want to work with a bunch of immature people who all think they are better than you, you've come to the right place! I was hired on then let go due to "company downsizing" after three months ON my 90 day review with no warning... conveniently right before I needed to help my mother pay for a serious CAT scan (she has an auto immune disease among other serious things)

The "managers" were very unprofessional...  they like to bounce the blame around to everyone but themselves. We had a big problem with cars coming back with issues, but because the managers are buddy buddy, no one was allowed to point out flaws. They would constantly make fun of customers after they left, and would basically act like a cliche in highschool. They made me feel like an idiot, though I assure you I give my 110% at work,. They would not properly explain things that needed to be done, then think i was lying when i told them i had never been told how, or even that I needed to do something, until it made me look bad.

What is the best part of working at the company?
I can't think of a single positive thing about working for this company.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The management is grossly incompetent. Bootlickers with zero industry knowlege get put in charge of multiple shops while not knowing anything about body repair.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Incredibly stressful. It doesn't actually matter how good you are at your job, because the endless tide of complete strangers they pull off the street with no industry experience will pull you down. On top of that, management has totally backwards priorities, nit-picking over non-issues instead of running a bodyshop efficiently. The regional director in particular is petty and stupid.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Walk on eggshells and hope you don't inadvertantly upset the wildly unpredictable banshee they've placed in charge of all of their shops.

Carstar is a franchise company so read this and other reviews knowing that each location is ran very differently.  The location I worked for was great. It took me a bit to settle in, I wasn’t totally satisfied with it at first but the owner was always positive, kept lines of communication open and was always trying to make the business better and a better place to work. That’s very rare and so far the only shop I’ve worked at that was that way. The work hours were great, for the most part everyone got along and helped each other out, the equipment was good and the pay and benefits were good. Overall I had a great experience working there. If we hadn’t hit such a long dry spell where I wasn’t making any money I would still be working there.

A shop being family owned is definitely a double edged sword. Learned some things from the techs that actually want to see you do good and see you willing to learn. I did not care so much for management because they really only care how much money you make them at the end of the day. Of course with these family owned shops they got family members behind a computer screen instead of doing the dirty work. Id say the hardest part about the job was working with a tech that was always protected by management and was never disciplined for his arrogance. The most enjoyable part of the job was coming to work knowing you would learn something new throughout the day. 

A typical day here is like bashing your head into the wall. There is little to no communication, everything is rushed, yelling is sure to happen, and at the end of the day you can't clock out fast enough. On top of that, they allow smoking of cigarettes and other things inside the shop. The owner and management is highly detached from the functions of the shop. Most of the procedures for each department are not followed or enforced, which creates dysfunction. The only thing that is rewarding is the bonus program. This does not outweigh the negativity that goes on daily. I would not recommend working here to anyone unless you're desperate for money. Even then I would recommend continuing to look for another job.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Auto body technician 45 salaries reported	$98,739 per year
Body shop estimator 19 salaries reported	$80,658 per year
Customer service representative 10 salaries reported	$20.05 per hour
Automotive detailer 14 salaries reported	$17.63 per hour
Auto appraiser 2 salaries reported	$78,750 per year

Working at Color Magic: Company Overview and Reviews

Color Magic

Color Magic Ratings

Popular jobs at Color Magic

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected