tire technician

greeter

locator

automotive technician

automotive service manager

Virginia Tire & Auto

I worked here for 10 years, and it used to be a great place to work. People who know nothing about automotive took control and over expanded the brand while letting quality crumble. They chased out any competent managers so they could micromanage from the top. General managers are idiots and yes men. If you are a master tech you will be overworked and have to fix lesser techs comebacks while they keep throwing parts at cars next to you. As a tech you are required to do everything but call customers. They had their own software made which is possibly one of the worst things to ever be created for production. Owners are in denial of how bad it is even though there has been a mass exodus after it was installed. They refuse to update any of their factory scan tools or purchase new equipment necessary for a shop to function. The atmosphere nowadays could only be described as hostile at best and depressing at worst. They decided that a qualified service department was unnecessary(money) when they can just shovel that burden on to techs and Gs with no raise. If you need a ticket sold, hours will go by because the front counter is dealing with customers walking in and checking them for an Inspection takes 20 min with there amazing new software. If your job does get sold you can only hope that they explained it properly and didn't just tell them whatever was necessary to get their commission. If angry customers/coworkers, no nothing short staffed front counter, no service department, and depression setting in everytime you arrive to work is what you are looking for please apply.

Initially when first working here you were always expected to take care of the customer. Now you are always expected to try and sell them a credit card. The corporate office is detached from reality when it comes to the actual store employees that make them their money. Constantly changing policies and cutting budget and costs anywhere they can (I didn't know that there was a ply below 1 ply of toilet paper). It doesn't matter how much money you make the shop if you aren't meeting their flavor of the month goal then you are a failure of an employee in their eyes. Every single store is understaffed. Veteran employees are quitting or being fired left and right. Pay is terrible for this line of work (significantly below median). Everyone's job becomes your job since they can't staff a store. The CEO is a sociopath. He doesn't see you as a person just a number. If you are in a regular conversation he will flip the switch and start yelling and screaming out you for ridiculous things (marks on a wall, leaves in a shop in fall, stacked tires) and then the next second he is back to normal. If you NEED to get your foot in the door to the automotive world then sure give them a shot. If you are self respecting and see yourself as a human and not a robot then steer clear and find a different car shop. These are no longer any different than the shady car shops that you hear so much about.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best parts of the company were the facts that they would hire people with little to no experience and train them on the basics. The other best part being that there was usually a good amount of work brought in.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The management frequently changing the pay scale to suit non-shop employees better, and willingness to overextend themselves for the customer. It would very often lead to problems with getting behind the work schedule, especially when understaffed.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Usually the direct coworkers were friendly enough, but the managers always felt like they were being told to trim the fat around the shop. Obviously this changes from location to location, but I had worked at 2 of them.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
It was usually very busy. I was working on cars, cleaning the shop, organizing tires, driving customers around, always stopping to help people with air pressure issues, and driving to pickup or deliver parts. There was always an abundance of work, which often led to staying late; much to they dismay of the upper management.

The people who work there are usually pretty good, fun to talk with and will gladly help when you need it. Store managers can be a 50/50. Sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re not. The thing is that they turn over so often that it doesn’t really matter. Upper management is atrocious. They make unreasonable demands on their best employees and don’t give them anything in return. Our best service advisor was told he’d be manager by the end of the year, and this was 2 years ago he was told this. He’s still a service advisor, yet he more or less does the job of manager since they all turn over so often. It’s been a good experience seeing what kinds of cars I like to work on and what kinds I don’t and I’ve learned a lot, but the terrible treatment of employees in terms of work life balance and they clear favoritism from corporate towards people who suck up to them makes me hesitant to recommend them. The worse thing for me as a mechanic is that I have to pay for my own labor if I work on my own car which is stupid. 

In short, the people at a local level are great, but at a corporate level most of them are terrible (a few good apples here and there, but definitely outnumbered).  

As a front counter sales associate at Virginia Tire and Auto, I've heard nearly every story one could think of that would get you stranded on the side of the road. My position part time during school also lent me to significant alterations of my initial work requirements. One day I would be shuttling customers to and from the store, the next I would be in the bays doing the actual maintenance on the cars myself. 

It's a position that takes a lot of flexibility and creativity. Sometimes products won't arrive on time, some times you have to tell a customer that there is a significant difference between what they owe and what they think they owe when finishing a commissioned task. This line of work requires patience, constant attention to detail, and complex problem solving beyond asking for a manager.

This company will stab you in the back at any seconds. They have people that never WORK ON THE FIELD  making decisions this is WORST than the dealership. People are leaving left to right every week. So ask your self this questions why are they looking to hire everyday? Why Master techs and Shop Foreman leaving this company?? 
Ask other places and they will tell you the Virginia tire and auto way. 
They will no paid you fairly?? 

Don't even bother on asking day off cause they will tell you NOO there's no life balance at all.
If you decided to come work ASK THEM Why did the entire team in Springfield QUIT?? SAME WITH CENTREVILLE this place is a joke.
They will MOVE YOU out of.you location with out asking you. They will TREAT LIKE A PIECE OF MEAT. 
They don't listen at all to the right people that's why people leave with giving 2 weeks. 
Managers, A techs, etc they all have left with out giving 2 weeks.
Hey but they will put people on the news and PRETEND everything is OK
THIS PLACE IS WORST THAN THE DMV 

A typical day working here is pretty much chaos. If you have no prior experience, the three days training they give you will have you feeling unprepared in every aspect. If you have experience, you quickly pick up on everything they’ve put in place to limit the amount of money you can actually make here. 

Management is poor. They expect everything from you and you get little in return. Management doesn’t care about what you have going on personally. If you tell them you have a family matter to attend to, they’re quick to try and get rid of you. In all reality, they want young staff here with zero responsibility and no experience. They want to simply keep a body in your store for coverage and pay you next to nothing.

The most enjoyable part of the job is the people you work side by side with daily. 

Working as an employee is awesome, tons of different people with different stories.  I wish they focused more on the family part of the business but it is a business so i understand. Every day is different, faced paced meeting time requirements, and trying to satisfy every customer.  The best part of the job is well your there everyday with the same people so you grow and bond with them, and you become family with the members in your own shop.  I wish the corporate side would keep that in mind.  Every one in the shop has each others back and will always do what they can to help.  The hardest part of the job is being there for 10hours a day or more.  90% of the time when you return the next morning its like you were just there.  I do wish that they matched the 401k input i believe it would help boost the employees and help them plan for a future retirement.  It is a great place for people trying to get their foot in the door in the automotive industry.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The coworkers are great guys. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
You don’t get paid till they get paid, go ahead hurry up and close out tickets at the end of the pay period. To try and get a few hours, customer doesn’t pick up till the next day, or they don’t pick up for a month, your paycheck is sitting in the parking lot 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Toxic, management plays favorites and doesn’t care if you starve out as long as their boys get their own 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Come into work, hope to god you can get work, hear how they “love their culture, and you’ll make a lot of money there” struggle to get any work other than service work that they trimmed the time on so much you don’t make any hours be more stressed out leaving then you did coming in wondering how you are gonna pay your bills with no pay

Since the beginning of my time at VTA it was made clear from management, coworkers, and even the training videos that I did not matter to the company. You have no work life balance in this company as they grant very little leave and are not fine with you having to leave early, come late, or miss days for any unforeseen illness, family emergencies, etc. They lie to you about your pay and you have to work off of commission but then management will not account for everything you sell as a Sales Advisor. When they pay you they take out hundreds of dollars from your pay without saying why. The benefits arent worth it and having to lie to customers for a living is not worth it. If you are a female working for this company why dont treat you like human they treat you only like a prop and the men at this company get praised for anything and everything. That is silly for a women owned company. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Tire technician 11 salaries reported	$30.00 per hour
Greeter 27 salaries reported	$30.00 per hour
Locator 19 salaries reported	$30.00 per hour
Automotive technician 4 salaries reported	$35.25 per hour
Automotive service manager 4 salaries reported	$125,000 per year

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