car sales executive

automotive technician

auto body technician

automotive service advisor

body shop estimator

Five Star Automotive Group

I came to Westside Toyota after nearly five really successful years selling at another dealership. The culture at Westside is riddled with gossip, drama, backstabbing, and infighting among the sales team (and honestly, some members of management as well).

Moreover, favoritism is seemingly one of the guiding principles of the dealership, at least on the sales side. You're either part of the "clique" that hangs out in the office with the good ol' boys of management throughout much of the day (and therefore, receive preferential treatment), or your not; it's really quite sad and frustrating to watch, and it often took me back to the type of juvenile hierarchy that one may have experienced with peers in middle school and high school.

It wasn't long, maybe a week, before I realized that most of the sales management team seemingly had their moral compass broken somewhere along the way and they care waaaay more about themselves than their team or the customers who essentially pay their salaries and bonuses. I VERY MUCH felt the stereotypical "sleazy used car salesman" vibe from most of the sales management team; something that I really didn't see at my previous dealership.

Finally, the sales team at Westside is REQUIRED to try to upsell EVERY customer - single moms, people on a very limited and fixed income, teenagers buying their first car, elderly folks, disabled veterans - various aftermarket "packages" which retail for about $2k, while only costing the company a couple hundred dollars! This is not optional. You even get to "roll the dice" with your manager and receive a fist bump and an on-the-spot cash bonus if successful in this predatory practice. How shameful! I was tired of compromising my values in this way, the perpetual high school drama, starting each day with dread, and ending each day with a tension headache, so I left. I wouldn't feel comfortable buying a car from this dealership, let alone trying to build a career there.

Everything is about money. This company is so much in debt that the service manager has to pay his service policy with his own personal credit cards, then takes his frustration for having to do so, out on employees. Management act like children, engaging in workplace gossip, throwing things when they don’t get their way, not to mention the way they speak to employees is less than sub-par. Also, you will be promised money and advancement that you will never see. If you “miss too many days” you will be made miserable enough to quit. I had 5 days of excused absence, with doctors notes, due to serious gastrointestinal issues. When I returned to work, I was told I was no longer allowed breaks or lunches for my absence. A week or so later, I came in to find my belongings on my desk thrown away, money stolen out of my drawer, and all of my sales had been closed to another advisor (stealing money that I had earned.) When I confronted management, they ran from my questions and claimed I was being rude. To top it off, they sell services to customers at ridiculously gouged pricing and train employees to “crack customer’s skulls” in order to reach their sales quotas, whether the services are needed or not. You may also find several employees, including the general manager, being very touchy with others in the stairwell of the dealership and hooking up with co-workers (most of which are “married”).

Management only cares about management. They pretend to care about you as long as you are making them a healthy paycheck. And they are lying about state of the art new buildings and air conditioning. There are NONE. But that’s just the beginning of their lies. They will suck your soul right out of you. They want to add additional work but not compensate you for it. Or they decide to tell you they were going to compensate you once the damage has already been done. They expect you to do more than you are paid to do. The managers gang up on you in meetings. One manger has a habit of cussing employees in front of multiple employees AND customers. I guess once you make it to management you are safe from any repercussions. I don’t recommend working here unless you are a lifeless soul already & you like suffocating in the summer. Also management will say something to your face. When you bring it up again if it doesn’t benefit them they are going to say they never said that. If you work there I highly suggest that you communicate with management through email so that you can always go back and reference it. Otherwise it’s their word against yours and they will continue saying they never said it. Protect yourself if you work there. Keep a log of every single thing you talk about and every incident that happens. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
The experience helped me recognize the importance of strong leadership, proper training, and a positive work culture. It motivated me to seek environments where the people/employees are supported and set up for success.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part was operating in an environment where training and consistency were lacking, which made it difficult to meet expectations efficiently. It highlighted the importance of structure and support in the workplace. The General Sales Manager Chris Salinas is assisting well with the decaying of the Five Star Brand. Stay tuned for the ALM takeover! 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The culture was poorly managed, lacked training, and at times felt biased and unprofessional. It created more obstacles than opportunities for employees trying to succeed. The discrimination, the prejudice is REAL but you can’t be blind. Nonetheless, don’t waste your time.

For several months prior to my retirement from the United States Air Force I was in communication with the service manager at 5 Star Nissan about entering in to an apprentice position. I was told it was a year long position where my pay at the end of the program would depend on the training I completed while in the program. I was fine with that and started working there while I was on my terminal leave with the military. While I worked there I completed over 100 hours of online computer based training and was sent to a basic automotive electrical course hosted and instructed by Nissan of North America. After working for an average of 60 hours a week  for $525 a week the regional 5 star management thought it would be a good idea to pull me from the program and send me to the 5 Star Chevrolet store. Before they moved me I was promised an increase in pay and told the training was better than at the Nissan store. Both of those promises were lies.

Cares for family situations. Pay structure is very poor. However, the company is very high on continued training and education and promotes within some of the time. Management is sensitive to employees need to take care of family situations. The hardest part of the job is the long hours, which is the nature of the business. Management needs to be fair to all sales crews by allowing everybody to be treated equally without spoon feeding selected few mostly based on nepotism. This is one of the reasons that the company have a very high turn over sales crews. It is like revolving door, Most of the employees stay an average of six month before they quit or fired for lack of production because of tilted, unfair opportunity on the sales floor.

Want to be an apprentice and actually learn how to fix cars? Like having your pay plan change 4 times in 6 months (each time making less)? Want a management team you can count on? Don’t come here. Everything started out well and good when they took over. Been declining ever since. All of us that had apprentices have lost them. These kids basically got told to either go to quick lane, where they won’t learn anything, or go flat rate with no experience. So either stop their career advancement or struggle learning while turning hours. And if we had kept the apprentices, we as the mentor would be paying them from our pocket. 
Other than a select few management is has their hands tied from corporate policies. They can’t do what they need to do in order to help the techs succeed. 
Parts department is a revolving door, and the ones they do have can’t seem to read so getting the right part, or right quantity of parts is a gamble. 
Basically the only ones this company takes care of is the corporate people

What is the best part of working at the company?
A supportive and inclusive culture that fosters collaboration and respect among colleagues.Access to professional development, training programs, and clear career advancement paths. Flexible working hours, remote work options, and policies that support a healthy work-life balance.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Excessive demands and a heavy workload can lead to burnout and stress, especially if deadlines are tight.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Understanding the company's core values and mission can give insight into its priorities and how it operates. A strong alignment with these values can create a sense of purpose and motivation.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Attend a daily stand-up or team meeting to discuss ongoing projects, progress, and any obstacles. This is a common practice in agile environments.
Mid-Morning:

They hire too many salespeople vs. traffic. 15% overall commission if you sell a car with enough profit... otherwise $100 deal . You are paid a draw against sales. For example, if you work 60 hours per week 60 times 7.25 with no ooooo overtime.  So maybe draw $350 after tax. So you have to make over $2300 profit over the money the dealer keeps for himself. There are suckers born every minute , but most negotiate better. You either sell 4 cars per week to break even or they will constantly hang your job over your head. They run through kids like sauce through geese. If you try to learn how the real deal works...you'll be toast. Very few make very good money consistently.  You'll taste a deal that pulls you out of the draw and you feel better again. Avoid this company unless you have had an ethical bypass .

If you will notice they are always posting for a service advisor position . Their dealership is not growing and those in service advisors roles are not being promoted. Regardless what they say they will do in the hiring process they will lie and tell you what sounds good , once you start working for them even if your their top advisor in not only the dealership but across their other dealerships they will walk all over you . You’re just a number and nothing more. Broken promises , no breaks , only a lunch if they feel they can get by without you. Once you’re able to make decent income to provide for your family , they will change the pay plan so you make just enough to squeak by . In the time I was there they changed the pay plan and how we were paid four times . Never for the better . Do not waste your time and effort on this company . 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Car sales executive 33 salaries reported	$100,000 per year
Automotive technician 4 salaries reported	$42.50 per hour
Auto body technician 2 salaries reported	$100,000 per year
Automotive service advisor 14 salaries reported	$87,143 per year
Body shop estimator 5 salaries reported	$77,500 per year

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