sales professional

automotive technician

service advisor

parts advisor

technician

Leith Automotive Group

It didn't take long for me to discover that the veteran salespeople get more leads, more help in the finance office, and better trade values for their clients trading cars.  Because of this fact, new talented sales people would earn the highest grossing deals, but those deals would be limited to a volume that prevented a decent wage and ultimately costing the customer additional monies than if they had been working with a tenured sales person.

I endured this environment as Audi Raleigh's "yes man" for many years in hopes that all the ridiculous hours and obviously discriminative management behavior would earn me a  successful career eventually, in an industry that I enjoy.

About 2.5 years in, I started making a journal of Management's actions, new policies, pay plan changes and discriminative and unprofessional behaviors.  During that time I documented 14 employees, in the sales department only, that discontinued working at Audi Raleigh and left Leith Inc. because they were not able to tolerate the treatment from management, the pay, the hours, and the empty promises and contradictions encountered on a daily basis. I also documented 6 new hires that never showed after their second interview with management.

Quotes include but not limited too....
"I told you to go take your drug test first"  Yelled across the showroom floor in front of co-workers.
 "I'll fire everyone",  
"Shut up" yelled by the GM in a sales meeting.   
" You don't sell enough cars to ask questions about my Management Style".

I notified HR, as did many other salespeople, and they laughed out loud.  I have 3 journals filled with quotes, decisions, invasions of privacy,  and actions from management that can easily be deemed as less than professional.  Apparently the Car business has developed a reputation for itself such that this type of behavior can be easily overlooked as long as the dealership is turning a profit.

Working at Audi Raleigh

Typical day at work- @11 hrs  55-70 hr work week.

I've learned that I can tolerate almost any abuse without over-reacting. I can handle be spoken too like a dog that has just messed on the carpet because its owner neglected to let it out.

Management:  Like the mob, once your in, your in. Abusive, merciless, answers to and listens to no one. 

Co-Workers:  Revolving Door,  I watched people that moved to NC, that sold Audi come to work for Audi Raleigh and quickly discover that they couldn't earn a living and remain sane working working for this management team.

Hardest Part:  Walking in the door each morning, wondering if this is the day you will finally have respect enough for yourself to find somewhere else to work. Explaining to customers the behaviors of management in hopes that one can still earn a sale and maintain a client relationship despite the reluctance of management to "do right" by our customers.

The most enjoyable part:  Being around a great product with a customer experience based business philosophy that I can stand behind.

Company tells you they have great benefits but I beg to differ. They don’t tell you until AFTER you are hired that there are no yearly review or pay raises. It’s only mentioned in the employee handbook. They also don’t mention before signing up for the HSA that there is a monthly fee unless you maintain the minimum balance requirement (which is $5000). Health insurance is confusing to figure out. And the vacation benefits are behind the times. Departments are disorganized and if you approach someone with a problem you are usually told “not my problem”. This goes all the way up to the GM. GM makes it obvious that spending money on up keep of facility and grounds would come from his bottom line. Just all around disappointing. 

Leigh is a good company overall but here is the problem. They have old people and they have their people. Those few managers cma get away with anything. They aren't willing to change. They think they know it all. If you want to be successful at any Leigh spree make sure you get to know the manager you will be working with. Because if for some reason you don't work well together even though you may get a good fit in another store, he or she will make sure you don't go. He will take it personal. Moreover, racismis preset un the work place but, you can't say a thing about it. It's a very Toxic management. The car industry needs a big make over. With new and leadership. 







dealership that you will be a right fit.

They give you paid training. They require a drug screening but once you are hired it’s only if an accident happens. They have a tiered commission. 10 cars 15% 15 cars 20% etc. They require you to hook your cell phone up with their computer call system and record the calls and they will listen later. So you click a name and # and it calls your cell and then connects you to your call number. Similar with texting. It’s pretty laid back at our dealership but Leith has like 20 some dealerships and some are very rigid. 

Audi Raleigh - Sales managers are good and reasonable, GM is not. Changes bonus plan every month and waits to tell you what it will be until a week or two in to see how the month is going as keep any one from capitalizing on a good sales month. Long list of qualifiers that will lose you your bonus and constantly threatens bonus pay as the only means of motivation. Without the bonus, pay is not even close to competitive. If you ask too many questions, push back, or mention any distaste, you will find yourself in a 1-2 hour meeting.  Morale is extremely low. Turnover is high. 4 of the 5 last sales hires all quit within a month or 2.

If you're looking for a car sales job that you can realistically earn $35-$60k a year, I would say that is the case here.  If you're extremely focused and at the right dealership and put in a lot of hours you could earn more than $75,000 a year.   I have found over the last few years the dealerships are overloaded with sales people which makes it much harder to get the fresh opportunities.
If you're willing to work 60 + hours a week, you can make a living, but the work/life balance will get old quick.

I worked as an internet sales coordinator and truly enjoyed my time. I was instantly accepted as a part of the team and everyone was more than helpful to help me get the hang of things. Management is very patient  and assures you there is no such thing as a stupid question. I would go back any time! I started with a base pay and you make commissions as well, and there is no "if you dont make this many sales you dont get paid" sketchy-ness involved.

Overall a great career with opportunities to advance. The job is stressful. You will constantly be on your toes going back and forth and trying to set expectations. Things are especially difficult during these times. If you mess up, chances are it will come from your paycheck. The work is stressful, and it's not uncommon for coworkers to take their stress out on one another, causing a toxic working environment. If you work hard and always try to go above and beyond, you can easily move up. 

I found that the Benefits where good  at leith. Being a tech had a lot more downs than ups. Top 3 store out of several stores… had 70-100k vehicles sitting of very old service lifts. Our powertrain table sits outside to rust. All the focus is on the sales staff. It was hard to envision a full career at a place where the sales bathroom was gorgeous but the tech bathroom was dirty, broken and barely lit. The small things add up.    

The food provided was always good. I felt that if you worked you got paid well. 

One great thing about Leith company is the training in the beginning.  The company does want you prepared.  No other dealership does training like this . Once in the floor it’s the same anywhere. Established long term people get bone deals. If you have no morals or ethics and cheat you will be promoted.  Promotion is not based on your how well you sell a car but how many cars you sell, or just a good kiss up

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Sales professional 93 salaries reported	$61,156 per year
Automotive technician 2 salaries reported	$58,750 per year
Service advisor 22 salaries reported	$67,523 per year
Parts advisor 4 salaries reported	$40,000 per year
Technician 7 salaries reported	$53,571 per year

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