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Under The Hood
Is the shop heated? Air conditioned?
The shop is heated and has vertical air movers in the ceiling for the summer months.
What is the size of the team I’d be working with?
Currently we have eight Journeyman technicians, one semi-skilled technician and three apprentices.
What are the shop hours and what are the shift timeframes?
The shop is open from seven in the morning till six in the evening Monday through Friday and from eight in the morning till four in the afternoon on Saturday. Sundays we are closed. Shift will be from eight to five four days during the week and from eight till four on Saturdays with one day off during the week.
What tools does the shop provide that are available for all technicians to use?
All special tools required are supplied by the dealership. A full size will tool box is also supplied for the technicians by the dealership. Technician just needs to have the normal range of tools required for and mechanical position and an iPad for training purposes.
What type of break room facility is provided?
We have a full breakroom that can fit the entire shop in it if needed, in the breakroom is a full oven/stove top, microwave, full size refrigerator and sink.
How many bays does your shop have?
Twenty lifts and an alignment lift.
How many repair orders do you average per month?
900-1100 repair orders per month.
What is your parts ordering process?
Any parts sold on a regular basis are automatically ordered as supply is used such as brake parts, oil filters, etc. Any other parts are either ordered from the local warehouse for next day delivery, another warehouse in the country for delivery a few days later, or directly from Germany on any back ordered parts. We also utilize other dealers in the area to run and pick up parts for same day repairs when available.
What is your policy on side work?
Side work is not permitted, only work on an employee's vehicle or a direct family member's vehicle are allowed with an open repair order.
Are there any other unique features of the work environment worth noting?
We have two gas grills in the shop that we do multiple cook outs for lunch per year for the employees.
Do you offer any skills training or continuing education opportunities?
Per Audi of America we offer a vast supply of online web based and independent training in all aspects of Audi vehicle repair and maintenance. There is also in person training at the Audi of America training center located in Buffalo Grove which is about a half an hour from the shop. This type of training usually happens once a year for two to five days of paid training.
Can you describe opportunities for career growth at your business?
Technicians with the correct aptitude and training have the ability to reach Master status in the shop.
Can you describe your performance review process?
Performance reviews are performed throughout the year.
What type of safety training is required?
We so several safety training meetings throughout the year in conjunction with our insurance company that is specific to each area of the dealership.
Can you describe how Techs work with and mentor younger techs?
Our senior and Master technicians work as mentors for incoming apprentices. All hours booked by the apprentice is paid to the Journeyman technician that is teaching him. Every quarter, depending on how many apprentices there are, they switch mentors for the next quarter to see the different approaches to fixing and maintaining our client's vehicles.
How does your shop get involved with the local community?
We support the local high school sports teams, provide vehicles for shows at certain functions within the community and host monthly events at the dealership for a cars and coffee type gathering.
Do you do anything with local high schools or tech schools to encourage more students to enter the profession?
The Service Director has a working relationship with the automotive shop teacher at Hoffman Estates High School and meets with students there to peak their interests in the field. The right candidates from the classes are offered apprenticeship opportunities once meetings have been had with the student, their parents and the shop teacher.
Do you phone screen applicants before doing in-person interviews?
No, we can talk on the phone as a preliminary interview but its not a necessity.
What do your in-person interviews entail?
Basically a ten to fifteen minute fact finding interview to make sure the potential new employee will be a good fit for us, and be able to work well with the other employees.
Do you perform background checks, drug screening, or personality tests before hiring an applicant?
None of the above are required for employment.
Do you perform a skill assessment before hiring an applicant? If yes, what does it entail?
We do not, skill can only be measured over time with a hands on approach.
After an in-person interview, approximately how long should I expect to wait for a rejection or an offer?
No more than one day.
Approximately how long does the full hiring process take from submitting the application to the time of the hiring decision?
Depends on how soon the potential employee can be here for the interview, then no more than one day after that.
A Level Technician
Pay Range: $85,000.00 - $175,000.00/year
We have a progressive pay plan that increases the hourly flat rate based on how well the technician performs week to week. Anything over 40.0 flat rate hours per week starts the tiers and goes up from there, with a possibility to make $3.50 per hour over your base hourly rate. Technicians currently average over 50.0 flat rate hours per week each.
B Level Technician
Pay Range: $55,000.00 - $125,000.00/year
We have a progressive pay plan that increases the hourly flat rate based on how well the technician performs week to week. Anything over 40.0 flat rate hours per week starts the tiers and goes up from there, with a possibility to make $3.50 per hour over your base hourly rate. Technicians currently average over 50.0 flat rate hours per week each.
Service Advisor
Pay Range: $90,000.00 - $105,000.00/year
Weekly salary provided (not a draw from commission), plus commissions based on performance in the areas of teamwork, sales, CSI and spiffs. Saturdays are a must a few times per month on a rotating schedule with the other Consultants and you get a day off during the following week when you work a Saturday (either a Monday or a Friday).
- Health Insurance Offered
- We offer Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance in both HMO and PPO plans with a $3500.00 deductible. We also have a medical reimbursement plan where the employee is responsible for the first $500.00 of their deductible and only ten percent of the remaining $3000.00 after that for a total of $800.00 out of pocket.
- Dental Insurance Offered
- We offer dental insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield.
- Vision Insurance Offered
- Limited vision insurance is offered with our HMO Blue Cross Blue Shield health care plans.
- Retirement Plan Offered
- We do offer a Simple Plan for retirement savings, which is very similar to a 401k plan.
- Sick Leave Offered
- Full Journeymen technicians receive five full paid days of PTO.
- Vacation Offered
- Vacation is earned over time, one week after one year, two weeks after three years, three weeks after ten years and four weeks after sixteen years.
- Paid Holidays Offered
- New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are all paid holidays.
- ST / LT Disability Offered
- FMLA is offered as per state of Illinois guidelines.
- Life Insurance Offered
- All active full time employees receive a $25,000 life insurance policy at no cost to them.
- Uniforms Offered
- Technician uniforms are supplied at no cost to the employee.
- Other Not Offered
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