Fix-It With Fred - Technician Jobs in Canton, OH

Top Shop for Technician Jobs in Canton, OH

Photos

  • Our work family at the parts counter
  • Our team by our FIWF Racing Endurance Racecar
  • Shop view from the garage door
  • Shop view from the door that leads to the waiting room
  • Becca  on the phone with a customer
  • The mechanics made a Christmas tree
  • Fred shaking hands with one of our favorite customers.
  • Fred, Dane & Ryan inspecting a vehicle
  • Fred working at his desk
  • Ryan finishing diagnosis on a Mazda
  • One of the waiting room windows
  • Ryan, Becca & Vernon checking out some brakes
  • The technicians above the Mechanic Christmas tree
  • Our team ♥
  • Tyler fixing a car
  • Adam cleaning out a loaner car
  • Fred & Ty checking out a car
  • Daryl explaining something to Fred
  • Daryl working with Ty

Under The Hood

Is the shop heated? Air conditioned?

We have two 400k BTU natural gas furnaces in the shop. We have 12.5" thick glazed ceramic tile walls which offer incredible insulation. Our two bay doors are on the same end of the shop so the shop never gets cold in the winter. There is no wind "cutting through" the shop ever.

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

We have 3 full-time technicians and one service advisor.

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

Monday through Thursday 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM. We don't open extra days on holiday weeks. That means a 3 day weekend is a MINIMUM at Fix-it With Fred. We normally have 3 or 4 four day weekends per year.

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

We have a large cabinet that is full of vehicle-specific special tools. We also have a Snap-on ball joint press, torque wrenches, taps, dies, thread chasers, compression tester, leak down tester, brake special tools, and many more. We like to make sure that our technicians are equipped for success. We have multiple pieces of diagnostic equipment supplied by the shop. We have a Snap-On Zeus, Snap-on Solus Edge, Snap-on Vantage Pro, Maxidas Maxisys, Maxidas DS708, Snap-on Wifi Widescreen Thermal Imaging Camera that auto-uploads to the cloud, and a few different borescopes.

What type of break room facility is provided?

The technicians have a locker room and bathroom. The entrance is in the shop. It is heated and air-conditioned by our office HVAC system. In the cold winter, the shop bathroom is around 80 degrees. In the hot summer, our shop bathroom is around 63 degrees. Fred also supplies Gatorade all summer long to keep the technicians hydrated. This bathroom has two separate stalls, a urinal, and two clean sinks with hand soap. There is a separate sink in the shop for the technicians to wash with hand cleaner. There are several lockers, a fridge/freezer, a microwave, a recliner, and two shower stalls. This area is maintained by the business and is built to be what our technicians want. There is a kitchen area in the office for the advisors. This area has cabinets, a kitchen sink, a fridge/freezer, a microwave, and a counter space for making lunch. This means that there are two fridges for our team. We also have a mini-fridge in the waiting room for our customers. We like to keep everyone happy and comfortable.

How many bays does your shop have?

We have 6 forward two-post lifts in a row. We also have a Hunter RX-9 scissor lift with air jacks for alignments and a bigger 2 post truck lift to lift pickups safely. We have a Bend Pack 4-post drive-on lift with air scissor jacks. We also have a Hunter DSP600 alignment machine.

How many repair orders do you average per month?

We averaged about 120 cars per month with an ARO of $730.54 and 2.97 average hours per RO for 2021 with between 3 and 4 technicians.

What is your parts ordering process?

We electronically order parts from all of our aftermarket suppliers and some of our dealership suppliers. We use POs to track parts ordering in Shop-Ware. When we order a part, a message is sent to the technician's tablet to let them know that the part is on order. When the part arrives, there is a message sent that lets the technician know that the part has arrived. The part is put on that technician's shelf in the dispatch area of the office or brought to the technician in their bay depending on when they need that part.

What is your policy on side work?

Our technicians don't need to do side work. We allow our technicians to work on the vehicles in their households after hours. Every employee at FIWF has keys and an alarm code. Our technicians choose to have their oil changed through our shop so they can inspect each other's vehicles to keep each other safe.

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

Our four-day workweek. We don't work on Fridays. Ever. We get more work done is fewer days. We have at least 50 more days off than people who work Monday through Friday.

Do you offer any skills training or continuing education opportunities?

We offer training through many different suppliers. During bi-weekly 1-on-1 meetings, Fred discusses what training is available and what area each person needs training in. We know that training is necessary to succeed.

Can you describe opportunities for career growth at your business?

We train everyone to succeed in their career at Fix-it With Fred. ALL of our team members are satisfied with the progress that they're making in their careers according to our last two quarterly reviews. There is no limit on how far you can advance. Keeping all of our goals aligned is an important part of our culture.

Can you describe your performance review process?

Every full-time team member has a bi-weekly 1-on-1 meeting with Fred. It's a time to talk about how they are doing at home and at work. Training and performance are covered during these meetings. They are scheduled at the same time every other week so everyone knows what to expect. We also perform quarterly reviews 4 times per year. We review what was covered in the past 12 1-on-1 meetings, performance for the past quarter, and our comeback report. The quarterly review is one of the times where a team member can move up in job class (Service advisor to the service manager, apprentice technician to journeyman technician, etc) Pay rate changes are commonly done during quarterly reviews but can happen at any time.

What type of safety training is required?

We offer safety training related to each team member's job duties. We offer any safety equipment that is needed. We want to keep each team member safe.

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

We have developed an environment that encourages growth and evolution. That is how more experienced technicians can pass their knowledge and experience down to less experienced technicians. Since we use a team bonus pay plan, it pays everyone more to share their knowledge with their work family. It's common for multiple techs to collaborate on a diagnosis and repair. One of our daily goals is to become 1% better. We accomplish that with training and sharing of knowledge.

How does your shop get involved with the local community?

We sponsor many community programs. We have sponsored the Firefighter Phil program for Watson Elementary in Perry Local Schools for the past 3 years. We've hosted many blood drives at our shop. All of our food drives have been paired with Perry Helping Perry, a local charity. Fred has been hosted Cub Scout den meetings for all of 2021 since the scouts didn't have any place to meet. Our shop has hosted many other Cub Scouting events over the years. We are always looking to help the community that has supported our success.

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

Fred is an active member of many educational advisory boards. He is one of two independent shop owners that are active in Stark State College's automotive program. He also donates cars & core parts to Canton City Schools ACTE Automotive Education program. We host an extern from the ACTE program every year and Fred is a guest speaker there once per year pre-COVID. Jackson High School, Glenoak High School, and RG Drage are some of the schools where he serves as an advisor for. He's working towards joining the advisory board for Canton South High School's automotive program.

Where do you see the shop in five years?

Fix-it With Fred is working towards having multiple locations. We are establishing our team at our main store now, so we can expand into other cities around our area. As we train the leaders at our shop, the growth possibilities are endless.

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

Our shop is commonly called a "Forever home" by our technicians. It's an environment filled with people that love and care about you. When you are surrounded by people that want to help you succeed, it's easier to progress in your career. We keep our goals aligned so everyone succeeds.

Do you have an application form and how long does it typically take to complete?

We can print an application if you want to apply in person. Or you can apply and submit your resume here.

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

Yes. Fred speaks to every applicant before scheduling an in-person interview.

What do your in-person interviews entail?

Our interview process is different from most. They are set up to be a conversation versus a conventional interview. The team interview is the best part of our interview process. It's when the applicant interviews with the technicians as a group, then interview with the service advisors as a group. We then review the results of those interviews during our Wednesday weekly team meeting.

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

We perform a personality test that we call the "Bird Test" on every applicant. It's commonly called the DISC test. We use the bird test to learn what motivates people. Https://www.discprofile.com explains more about how the DISC test helps us. We have made it into a Google Form. It takes less than 10 minutes to fill it out. For service advisors and any other "office" team members, we use the Wonderlic personality test. It's more in-depth than the bird test. It takes 30-40 minutes to complete.

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

This depends on the applicant and the position that they're applying for. For technicians, we have a written test for the higher experienced technicians. For advisors, we have sales scenarios and role-plays that we perform. Often, we offer job shadowing as part of our interview process. We do whatever we need to do to help both parties ensure that the applicant is a great fit for our team.

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

After an in-person interview, you should expect to hear from Fred within a few days. It depends on if you interviewed with one person or a whole department. If you interview with a department, then those team members have to meet to discuss their thoughts about the interview. Feel free to contact Fred directly if you are curious about the status of your application.

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

Our hiring process normally takes 1-2 weeks in total. We don't want to rush making a decision just to find out that the applicant isn't the right fit. It's terrible when a company interviews someone one time and offers them a job. Then the applicant uproots their life to join a new team just to find out that they're not happy with the new job. Then they have to go back on the search again. The business also has to heal from onboarding someone that didn't fit. It all depends on the applicant's schedule and how long it takes for all parties to agree that they're a good fit. Feel free to call the shop and ask our team members why it's worth going through our thorough interview process.

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

Our interview process is designed to be a conversation, not a list of questions. We've found that you get to know the people that you work with as well as your family. We want to get to know the applicant before adding them to our team to protect both parties, our team and the applicant. We've built something special at Fix-it With Fred. That's why we protect it with our interview process. If you join our team, you can help us protect it too.

A Level Technician
A Level Technicians are highly skilled technicians that have strengths in their diagnostic and mechanical ability. This level of technician typically has many years of experience and education. We view an A Level Technician as the highest skilled technician in a shop
Pay Range: $55,000.00 - $95,000.00/year ($26.44 - $45.67/hr)

We use a compensation method that is different from other shops and promotes a fluid team environment. We all succeed together. FIWF uses a weekly profit-sharing bonus based on shop performance as a whole. The entire team hits bonus together. The bonus is based on the employee's hourly rate and the number of hours worked for the week. This motivates each team member to put their best foot forward and contribute to the common goal. This also encourages employees to complete tasks as a team instead of watching someone struggle. Team output is the goal for ALL of us. Our team tested this method for over 3 months and unanimously agreed that being rewarded for teamwork is the best motivator. When the business profits, you profit.

B Level Technician
B Level Technicians are skilled in mechanical repair and, while not their specialty, have some diagnostic skills. B Level Technicians generally have a fair amount of experience and can be trusted to handle most repairs.
Pay Range: $45,000.00 - $65,000.00/year ($21.63 - $31.25/hr)

We use a compensation method that is different from other shops and promotes a fluid team environment. We all succeed together. FIWF uses a weekly profit-sharing bonus based on shop performance as a whole. The entire team hits bonus together. The bonus is based on the employee's hourly rate and the number of hours worked for the week. This motivates each team member to put their best foot forward and contribute to the common goal. This also encourages employees to complete tasks as a team instead of watching someone struggle. Team output is the goal for ALL of us. Our team tested this method for over 3 months and unanimously agreed that being rewarded for teamwork is the best motivator. When the business profits, you profit.

C Level Technician
C Level Technicians are more of entry level technicians. C Level Technicians’ responsibilities typically include basic maintenance, alignments, brake and suspension work, along with other base level repairs.
Pay Range: $34,000.00 - $50,000.00/year ($16.35 - $24.04/hr)

We use a compensation method that is different from other shops and promotes a fluid team environment. We all succeed together. FIWF uses a weekly profit-sharing bonus based on shop performance as a whole. The entire team hits bonus together. The bonus is based on the employee's hourly rate and the number of hours worked for the week. This motivates each team member to put their best foot forward and contribute to the common goal. This also encourages employees to complete tasks as a team instead of watching someone struggle. Team output is the goal for ALL of us. Our team tested this method for over 3 months and unanimously agreed that being rewarded for teamwork is the best motivator. When the business profits, you profit.

Service Advisor
Service Advisors are primarily customer focused and, as one of the faces of the shop, they are critical in keeping customers happy. Service Advisors are frequently focused on taking customer calls, relaying information to technicians, and selling repair jobs. Both technical and sales experience are helpful for this position.
Pay Range: $40,000.00 - $60,000.00/year ($19.23 - $28.85/hr)

We use a compensation method that is different from other shops and promotes a fluid team environment. We all succeed together. FIWF uses a weekly profit-sharing bonus based on shop performance as a whole. The entire team hits bonus together. The bonus is based on the employee's hourly rate and the number of hours worked for the week. This motivates each team member to put their best foot forward and contribute to the common goal. This also encourages employees to complete tasks as a team instead of watching someone struggle. Team output is the goal for ALL of us. Our team tested this method for over 3 months and unanimously agreed that being rewarded for teamwork is the best motivator. When the business profits, you profit.

Health Insurance Offered
We offer medical insurance. The company pays for half of the cost of the insurance policy for a single policy.
Dental Insurance Not Offered
Vision Insurance Offered
We have an Optical discounting program with a local, family-owned vision care center. Employees are eligible for this benefit after 90 days.
Retirement Plan Offered
We offer a SIMPLE IRA through Charles Schwab. We match up to 3%. Employees are eligible for this benefit after 90 days.
Sick Leave Offered
We offer 2 wellness days per year. It's like a sick day that you can cash in at the end of the year. Employees are eligible for this benefit after one year.
Vacation Offered
Here is our vacation benefit schedule from our employee handbook. After one year, we give 5 days After three years, we give 7 days After five years, we give 10 days After 10 years, we give 15 days Vacation benefits reset on the team member's hire date
Paid Holidays Offered
Here are the holidays that we are closed for. ALL of these holidays are paid. New Year's Day (January 1st) Memorial Day (Last Monday in May) Independence Day (July 4th) Labor Day (First Monday in September) Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November) Black Friday (Fourth Friday in November) Christmas Eve (December 24th) - HALF DAY Christmas Day (December 25th) New Year's Eve (January 31st) - HALF DAY Our team members get 7 paid holidays off every year, even if the holiday is on a weekend. We take a weekday off to celebrate with our families.
ST / LT Disability Not Offered
Life Insurance Not Offered
Uniforms Offered
We offer company-funded uniforms. For technicians, we provide pants and shirts that are laundered by a local company. For service advisors, we provide shirts. Service advisors are responsible for laundering their own uniforms.
Other Offered
We offer accidental death and dismemberment insurance We also offer critical illness insurance These are both through Allstate and are employee-funded.