Dan's Auto Centre

About Us

At Dan's, we take pride in the quality of work we put out and the caliber of people in our shop. We believe in having a fun place to work, treating our customers right and having a team that takes pride in working here. Our schedule is family friendly as we don't work nights or weekends. Our pay and benefits are very competitive. We know that our team is what makes this business successful and we do everything we can to make their lives better.

Photos

Under The Hood

Is the shop heated? Air conditioned?

We do our best to keep our team comfortable all year! The shop is nice and warm during the cold winter months and air conditioned during the hot summer months. One other thing that is nice is that our shop is a pretty good size, so in those winter months you can bring a car in and let it thaw out. Nobody likes snow melting on them and it's nice to prevent that when possible.

What is the size of the team I’d be working with?

4 Technicians 1 Service Advisor 1 Service Manager 1 Accounting / HR 1 Owner

What are the shop hours and what are the shift timeframes?

Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM Tech Shifts 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, with 30 Minute Lunch OR 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with 30 Minute Lunch Office Personnel work from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM

What tools does the shop provide that are available for all technicians to use?

Shop provides all specialty required tools. Hand tools are supplied by tech. Such as brake line kit, fuel line kit, ball joint kit, wheel bearing kit, etc. Up to date name brand (Snap-On) aftermarket and factory (Ford/GM) diagnostic tools Snap-On tire changer, balancer and alignment machine Fluid exchange machines (coolant, power steering, brake fluid, differential/ transfer case, transmission) Exhaust bender/expander Hydraulic press Parts washer

What type of break room facility is provided?

We have a great break room for the team to use whenever they need. The Table, microwave, refrigerator/freezer, toaster, pizza oven Complimentary soda Plates, napkins, utensils

How many bays does your shop have?

5 - 2 Post Hoist 2 - 4 Post Drive On Hoists (1 Alignment Rack) 1 ½ - Open Bays

How many repair orders do you average per month?

210

What is your parts ordering process?

In our system, a technician never has to order parts, as parts are ordered by the Service Manager and Service Advisor. We feel that it’s important for technicians to focus on diagnosing and repairing vehicles that we bring in, and don’t want to burden them with looking through parts catalogs. We only stock essential parts such as oil, oil filters, light bulbs, and wiper blades. All other parts are pulled from local parts stores or dealers, most of which we get same day delivery from. We also have additional staff to do parts runs where needed.

What is your policy on side work?

Nothing in the shop on non-personal vehicles. No work on customer vehicles outside of regular hours. Okay to work on family and friends vehicles elsewhere.

Are there any other unique features of the work environment worth noting?

Laid back, no time clock, flexible schedule, company provided meals a couple times a month.

Do you offer any skills training or continuing education opportunities?

Online technical & management classes Classroom options available

Can you describe opportunities for career growth at your business?

Yes. As a smaller shop, we look at our employees like family, and we want to make sure each member is always growing his or her skills. We want to see C level techs become B, and then A. As we grow the business, we want our team to grow with us in terms of skills, knowledge, and compensation

Can you describe your performance review process?

Annual performance review on hiring date anniversary each year

What type of safety training is required?

Nothing formal.

Can you describe how Techs work with and mentor younger techs?

No formal process, but because we’re a smaller shop, management takes a lead role in mentorship. Each person in the shop helps each other out. Because we’re not a flat rate shop, we’re able to truly help each other where needed. With younger techs, it really depends on how much experience the younger technician has. We recently had a very inexperienced tech start with us, and we had him shadow one of our experienced technicians for a month. After that, we put him on his own, under close supervision from the Service Manager, to answer questions and offer technical advice where needed. Each person is different, and we treat each training situation as such.

How does your shop get involved with the local community?

2 team members active with community fire departments. Owner is a retired fire chief. Sponsorship of many local events.

Do you do anything with local high schools or tech schools to encourage more students to enter the profession?

Will speak to high school classes about industry periodically.

Is there anything else you’d like to mention about career development and community?

Do you phone screen applicants before doing in-person interviews?

What do your in-person interviews entail?

After you apply, we will reach out to you with a phone call to schedule an in-person interview. Once scheduled, you will come in to meet with the Service Manager. The Service Manager will then do an informal and relaxed one-on-one to get to know you, your abilities, and to get an idea of what you’re looking for in a shop. Interviews typically take between a half hour and an hour.

Do you perform background checks, drug screening, or personality tests before hiring an applicant?

While we don’t do any formal testing, our interview process helps us get an idea of your skill level and personality. Culture is really important to us, and getting the right personality mix in the shop makes everybody's lives easier, so we really want to focus on understanding if you would fit into our culture.

Do you perform a skill assessment before hiring an applicant? If yes, what does it entail?

We don’t do any physical skill assessment, but we do dive into details with technical skills during the interview process. The Service Manager was promoted from a technician role, and has a good technical understanding. This allows us to have quality conversations around your work experience, education, and training.

After an in-person interview, approximately how long should I expect to wait for a rejection or an offer?

48 hour maximum. It is important to us to clearly communicate where each applicant stands in the process. Our goal is to give an answer even faster than this, but you will hear back from us no later than 48 hours after an interview.

Approximately how long does the full hiring process take from submitting the application to the time of the hiring decision?

1 week maximum. With our management system, the process typically moves along fairly quickly. Once an application is submitted, our management team immediately looks at the applicant and determines if there is a possibility that the person would fit our team.

Is there anything else you’d like to mention about your hiring process?

We put no pressure on candidates to give us an immediate decision, and encourage you to think through an offer, once extended. It’s important to us that you feel it’s a fit and that you want to be a part of our team.

C Level Technician Pay Range: $30,000.00 - $40,000.00/year ($14.42 - $19.23/hr)

Each position is straight hourly at 40 hours per week. For us, the hourly system works better than flat rate because of our work process and management style. The hourly approach allows us to focus on our customers' satisfaction rather than putting pressure on techs to turn out hours.

Lube Technician Pay Range: $25,000.00 - $35,000.00/year

B Level Technician Pay Range: $40,000.00 - $50,000.00/year ($19.23 - $24.04/hr)

Student Tech / Apprentice Pay Range: $12.00 - $15.00/hour

Our Student Tech or Apprentices are paid on an hourly basis. This is an entry level position aimed at getting you exposure to the industry along with giving you a base line of skills needed to succeed after you graduate.

A Level Technician Pay Range: $50,000.00 - $80,000.00/year

Health Insurance Offered: We offer health insurance through Dean Health Plan. We pay 70%, and the employee is responsible for 30%
Dental Insurance Offered: We have a plan available through Aflac.
Vision Insurance Offered: We have a plan available through Aflac.
Retirement Plan Offered: We offer employees a Roth IRA and match 3%.
Sick Leave Offered: 3 days or 24 hours annually
Vacation Offered: -10 days or 80 hours. After 3 years, 15 days or 120 hours. Technicians can take unpaid time off as well, if approved by their manager. We offer flexibility around appointments; Technicians can come in early or stay late to make up hours missed for appointments rather than taking vacation time. - The last week of each year we close. This is paid time off separate from Employee's vacation time. This time is for the Employees to spend the Holiday Season with their families, and get ready for the new year.
Paid Holidays Offered: -7 paid holidays (New Years Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day). If we deem any other day a holiday based on where it falls on the calendar, we will give you the time off and pay you as promised. - The last week of each year we close. This is paid time off separate from Employee's vacation time. This time is for the Employees to spend the Holiday Season with their families, and get ready for the new year.
ST / LT Disability Not Offered
Life Insurance Not Offered
Uniforms Offered: At the start date, the shop provides one hat, two t-shirts, two sweatshirts, and five button up work shirts. We reimburse technicians for work pants.
Other Offered: -Technicians can purchase parts for personal vehicles for cost. They can also use the shop after hours for personal vehicle repair. -Free Lunch on Wednesdays

Shop Talk

Not much better than having the shop doors open on a perfect spring day.

At times, it can be challenging to find good training as an independent repair shop. For us, it’s really important that we take advantage of opportunities to get our Techs to the best training available, whenever we can.