VIP Tires & Service (Portland, ME) - Technician Jobs in Portland, ME

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Under The Hood

Is the shop heated? Air conditioned?

Yes the shop is heated.

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

Typically 3 people on the counter staff (Manager, Assistant Manager & Service Writer) and 6 people in the shop (3 ASE Technicians and 3 Tire/Lube/Maintenance Technicians).

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

Monday thru Saturday 7:30am - 6:00pm and Sunday 9:00am - 4:00pm. Each hourly employee is scheduled to work 5 days, 40 hours per week. Managers create weekly schedules to accommodate and balance the needs of employees and customer needs/convenience.

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

Too numerous to list. Shop scan tool (AUTEL). Fully stocked shop tool cabinet. All Preventive Maintenance equipment. TPMS Tool. Battery tester. Torque sticks. etc.

What type of break room facility is provided?

This shop does not have a dedicated Break Room. There are a few areas available for breaks (Manager’s Desk, Tire Room, or at tool box in shop).

How many bays does your shop have?

Eight (8) bays. 7 mechanical lifts and 1 alignment rack.

How many repair orders do you average per month?

500 to 600 repair orders per month.

What is your parts ordering process?

Our shop management system is integrated directly to O'Reilly Auto Parts, who shares our facility with us. We rarely wait more than 5 or 10 minutes for them to walk the parts over to our counter.

What is your policy on side work?

VIP Technicians are not prohibited from doing 'side work' out of their home garage. VIP Technicians are forbidden to talk about their side work to any VIP customer.

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

At VIP, communication and employee involvement are key parts of our work environment. From shop team meetings every other week, or our annual employee survey and our annual All-Associates Meetings, VIP listens to its employees and takes their feedback to continually make it a better place to work.

Do you offer any skills training or continuing education opportunities?

VIP offers many forms of hands-on training, instructor-led training, and computer-based training. From our industry-best ASE preparation and certification program, to Mentor Technicians, to our in-house Learning Management System (LMS), at VIP our Associates are always learning and advancing their careers.

Can you describe opportunities for career growth at your business?

VIP has structured 7-step Career Paths for both the Technician as well as the Desk. Our Technician career path begins with our Installation Technician program, which includes four levels. Advancement and pay increases are achieved based on acquiring ASE certifications, State Inspection License, and experience. The top three levels of our Technician career path are.

Can you describe your performance review process?

Service Managers have a coaching session with each Associate on a bi-monthly basis to review performance, set objectives, create improvement plans, and discuss career goals.

What type of safety training is required?

Several LMS computer training modules regarding safety. VIP also makes sure that every Associate becomes TIA Certified (Tire Industry Association) which includes lift operation safety. Each location has a designated Safety Monitor who conducts a Safety Audit each month.

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

VIP has a formal Mentor Technician program where a Certified Master Technician can work directly with a junior-level Technician as a training mentor. Additionally, VIP's focus on learning, team culture and work environment promotes lots of daily interactions between our most experienced Technicians and less experienced Technicians.

How does your shop get involved with the local community?

VIP's primary community support activity is its annual drive for MAKE-A-WISH. The Owner of VIP matches every dollar that is donated. In 2019 our total donation to MAKE-A-WISH was almost $100,000. VIP's marketing team also sponsors many local events and organizations. In fact, VIP will sponsor and support any organization that a VIP employee is directly involved in.

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

VIP has partnerships with many Tech Schools and High School Automotive programs.

Where do you see the shop in five years?

VIP is in growth mode.

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

Among VIP's 500 employees, approximately 120 are promoted annually.

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

Yes find the link to the VIP application on VIP's careers page of our website. https://www.vipauto.com/careers/

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

We typically do in-person interviews after a qualifying application is received and reviewed. Phone screens can be done when an applicant lives out of the region.

What do your in-person interviews entail?

VIP employs a General Scripted Interview (GSI) process, so that questions to candidates are consistent, reducing variation. Interviews are typically performed by the District Manager or Service Manager.

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

VIP performs background checks and requires candidates to pass a drug screen. The Predictive Index (PI Worldwide) is a brief behavioral survey that is completed for applicants for desk positions only.

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

No skills assessment is performed prior to hire.

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

VIP's District Manager or Service Manager will be in touch with you typically within 48 to 72 hours after your interview.

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

Most hiring decisions are made within a week or two from the time of application.

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

We encourage all applicants to reach out to the Service Manager at the VIP location after they have submitted their application through the online application portal.

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: $75,000 - $130,000/year

VIP's Technicians are on VIP's Flat Rate Plus+ pay program that includes all the benefits of a traditional Flat Rate Pay Program (pay based on hours billed) plus two major enhancements unique to VIP. (1) a "Safety Net" at 80% productive in any given week(working 32 out of 40 hours in a week), you'll be paid for 100% of your hours worked. (2) a "Kicker Bonus" at 100% productivity(worked 40 hours or more in the week). Meaning that when you are 100% productive or higher in any given week, you'll get paid a 10% kicker bonus that week.

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: $60,000 - $100,000/year

VIP's Technicians are on VIP's Flat Rate Plus+ pay program that includes all the benefits of a traditional Flat Rate Pay Program (pay based on hours billed) plus two major enhancements unique to VIP. (1) a "Safety Net" at 80% productive in any given week(working 32 out of 40 hours in a week), you'll be paid for 100% of your hours worked. (2) a "Kicker Bonus" at 100% productivity(worked 40 hours or more in the week). Meaning that when you are 100% productive or higher in any given week, you'll get paid a 10% kicker bonus that week.

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: $56,000 - $77,000/year

VIP's Technicians are on VIP's Flat Rate Plus+ pay program that includes all the benefits of a traditional Flat Rate Pay Program (pay based on hours billed) plus two major enhancements unique to VIP. (1) a "Safety Net" at 80% productive in any given week(working 32 out of 40 hours in a week), you'll be paid for 100% of your hours worked. (2) a "Kicker Bonus" at 100% productivity(worked 40 hours or more in the week). Meaning that when you are 100% productive or higher in any given week, you'll get paid a 10% kicker bonus that week.

Lube Technician
Lube Technicians are entry level technicians that focus on routine maintenance such as oil changes, changing tires, and inspections.
Pay Range: $18 - $21/hour

VIP's Installation Technicians (what some may call a Lube Tech) pay is an hourly rate that is based on weekly productivity. Base pay for all level Installation Technicians is $18 an hour. The Pay range is between $18-$21 an hour. This range is based off of weekly productivity. If a tech is over 50% productive they will be paid $19 an hour. If a tech is over 60% productive they will be paid $20 an hour. If a tech is over 70% productive they will be paid $21 an hour. In addition to productivity pay, Installation Technicians (levels 1-3) will receive a $500 bonus each time they achieve the certifications necessary to move onto the next level.

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: $45,000 - $70,000/year

Service Advisors are paid hourly based on hours worked. Typical schedule is 5 days at 8 hours each day, with some exceptions. Monthly bonus opportunity based on store gross margin and team performance metrics.

Service Manager
Service Managers are responsible for management and overall health of the shop. Service Managers are typically focused on running an efficient shop that meets their financial goals. Other responsibilities can include staffing, performance evaluations, and financial analysis amongst many other responsibilities.
Pay Range: $65,000 - $110,000/year

Service Managers are paid a base salary, plus a monthly bonus opportunity based on store gross margin, plus an annual potential to earn a President's Club Bonus. Typical schedule is 50 - 55 hours, open to close 5 days each week, including most Saturdays. (Assistant Manager runs the store the other two days each week when the Manager does not work).

Health Insurance Offered
Harvard Pilgrim program. Three options: (1) Traditional Low Deductible Plan, (2) Lower cost High Deductible Plan with optional Health Savings Account (HSA) and (3) Lowest cost Higher Deductible Plan with optional Health Savings Account (HSA).
Dental Insurance Offered
CIGNA Dental Insurance Plan offered
Vision Insurance Offered
CIGNA Vision Plan offered
Retirement Plan Offered
401K plan offered with company match. Administered through Alerus.
Sick Leave Offered
Paid sick leave is earned at a rate of 16 hours every 12 months. Unused paid sick leave hours are carried over each year, up to a cap of 40 hours.
Vacation Offered
Paid Vacation is earned based on the following schedule. 40 hours of annual paid vacation time is earned after 1 year of service. Annual paid vacation time increases to 80 hours after 3 years of service. Annual paid vacation time increases to 120 hours after 7 years of service. Annual paid vacation time increases to 160 hours after 15 years of service.
Paid Holidays Offered
Six (6) paid holidays annually. (1) Memorial Day, (2) Independence Day, (3) Labor Day, (4) Thanksgiving Day, (5) Christmas Day, (6) New Years Day.
ST / LT Disability Offered
Short Term Disability and Long Term Disability insurance is offered
Life Insurance Offered
Life insurance is offered
Uniforms Offered
VIP has a uniform rental program with Unifirst for shirts, pants, and jackets.
Other Offered
VIP pays up front for all expenses related ASE study guides, tests and certifications, as well as all training expenses.

Shop Talk

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As a WrenchWay Top Shop, we are committed to promoting and improving technician careers!

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Working in a career field that is always changing with technology and best practices means there's always room for more learning and training. At VIP, we didn't want cost to be a barrier for our team members to earn ASEs to advance their careers and expertise, so we decided to pay for everything 100%. Region Director, Paul Boudreau, talks about how VIP's ASE and training compensation plans differ from others in the industry.

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At VIP Tires & Service, we're proud of our culture with our employees and customers. President & CEO Tim Winkeler talks about what our culture means to him.

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At VIP Tires & Service, we have a unique and proven career pathing strategy that puts our technicians in the driving seat of their careers. They control how quickly they advance, how they earn their bonuses and more by following our 7-step career paths. Senior Vice President of Operations and Merchandising, Gary MacCausland, talks about how it sets VIP Tires & Service apart from our competition.