Wendle Ford

About Us

We have proudly served the Spokane community for over 80 years. We were founded on family values with a passion for customer service. Our success and ability to provide exceptional customer service is due to our most valuable resource ... our employees! It is because of our hardworking Wendle team that we are the business we are today. Come join our #WendleFamily If you have any questions please contact Tony Boyland at tonyb@wendle.com Also, check out our FAST Program: The Ford Accepted Service Training (FAST) Program provides equivalency credits to Technicians based on: – Training received from other OEMs – ASE Professional Certification – Military training ***Qualified Technicians may be closer to Ford certification than you realize

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Under The Hood

Is the shop heated? Air conditioned?

Our shop is heated and very well ventilated. Our state-of-the-art shop is warm in the winter and cool in the summer thanks to our 4 Big Ass fans.

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

Main Shop: 8 Service Advisors 1 Dispatcher 1 Shuttle Driver 29 Technicians (including Lube Technicians) 1 Service Drive Manager 1 Shop Manager 1 Fixed Ops Director Express Team: 2 Express Advisors 5 Express Technicians Our Fixed Ops team is made up of 77 people. Our entire dealership is made up of about 130 amazing teammates!

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

Service Department Hours Monday-Friday 7:30AM – 6:00PM Saturday – 8:00AM - 3:00PM Sunday – Closed Technician Hours 8:00AM – 5:00PM *More hours available to those who want more *4 Tens (4 day 10-hour shifts) available and modified schedules available *Flexible or part-time schedule for those attending school

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

We provide all required and recommended OEM special tools and computers with diagnostic software. We also provide state-of-the-art equipment such as an Alignment Rack and machines, Road Force Tire Balancer, and Tire Machine.

What type of break room facility is provided?

Our large Fixed Ops break room facility has been recently updated. The break room has a tile floor, stainless steel furnishings, and USB plug-ins to charge your devices. It is a clean, climate-controlled break room with vending machines, large glass fridge, TV, microwaves, coffee machine, large sink, toaster, toaster oven, and much more. A technician locker room and bathroom are also provided.

How many bays does your shop have?

42 Bays 8 Flat Stalls

How many repair orders do you average per month?

2,500 Repair Orders

What is your parts ordering process?

Parts are ordered electronically through CDK. We have a parts runner who is tasked with retrieving parts for technicians, as well as loading vehicles into bays to help increase proficiency and make our technicians’ lives easier. For the more difficult jobs, our back parts counters are staffed with experienced parts professionals.

What is your policy on side work?

We have an extremely generous employee discount of $80 per hour (66% off door rate) that can be used for yourself and your immediate family. Ultimately, we aim to keep technicians productive in full and expect high proficiency. After normal business hours, work can be preapproved with management on a case-by-case basis. Work must be for yourself or immediate family only. An open RO is required on every vehicle and must be approved by the parts and service director. **One must refer to the employee handbook to clarify their rights and responsibilities while they're employed with the company**

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

$80 employee labor rate Monthly employee lunch events Parties Mentorship opportunities Learning, growth, and continued education opportunities Family oriented We reward our technicians with BBQs and fun, plus production bonuses Tickets to concerts and sporting events And more

Do you offer any skills training or continuing education opportunities?

When you start at Wendle we will find your desired career path and we will help you achieve what’s desirable by giving you all the “tools” necessary. Whether you want to continue your career as a technician or move into a management role, we will help you find the path and position that is right for you. We pay for: a. ASEs that are fully completed and passed b. MFG training (both on and off-site *travel, lodging, food, time at/for class) c. Tuition reimbursement for our technicians that want to further their training and education d. Independent and manufacturer training We also partner with local skill centers and technical schools.

Can you describe opportunities for career growth at your business?

When there is a job opening at Wendle, we first look to promote from within. We believe in growing, developing, and investing from within. If you have a career path in mind, we will get you there and help in any way we can. How far and where you go just depends on you. When you work hard, are a great teammate, have great determination and drive, and use ethical business practices, your career will take off right before your eyes in pay and opportunities for advancement. We have had numerous technicians with us for 25+ years that have moved up from lube techs, detailers, and porters to master technicians and managers. We are proud of our long-term employees that have grown with the company and essentially helped US grow into what we are and who we are today!

Can you describe your performance review process?

We believe in performance reviews and regular “check-ins.” Some of the metrics discussed are technician proficiency, attitude, attendance, teamwork, CSI, and other key metrics. It can be a great opportunity for you to sit down with your supervisor and communicate what’s going well and what areas you need help with or could use improvement.

What type of safety training is required?

All employees are required to complete our online safety training once hired. We have a safety committee on-site, and we offer any safety equipment that is necessary to keep each team member safe. We operate our safety procedures according to OSHA guidelines/procedures/standards. We strive to be a healthy and safe workplace for all.

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

Our senior technicians are afforded the opportunity to mentor new and upcoming techs if they wish to do so. These up-and-coming technicians work side by side with our seasoned technicians to learn from the masters with a hands-on approach. This process will help young technicians evaluate and determine which specific field they want their expertise to be in (i.e., electrical, suspension, diesel). Our Senior technician is compensated for having an apprentice.

How does your shop get involved with the local community?

Wendle Motors has been in business since 1943. It is because of our customers and our community that we continue to succeed. We are committed to our community and strive to help our local organizations. Since the day we opened, we have invested in our community to show our gratitude and to help our community become a healthier and stronger future for us all. A strong community with a high quality of life means safer, healthier lives for you and those around you. All these actions, big and small, move the needle in a positive direction. It is often our communities that support us in hard times, and now it is our turn to support them. Some of our involvement with our local community includes: Hosting blood drives at our dealership Food drives Volunteer as a large group at 2nd Harvest Food Bank Sponsor sports teams (for youths and adults) Donate to organizations that have at least 70% of their expenses devoted to program services and prioritize those that are our employees’ passions and interests. Donate to several local colleges, high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools Volunteer at our local tech school Company-wide United Way donations Veterans' programs School supplies drives Local community centers And much MORE – check out our website under our community tab to look at all the local organizations we have the privilege of serving https://www.wendle.com/community.html

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

YES - We donate to our local high schools and tech schools as well as local colleges, middle schools, and elementary schools! We love to work closely with all schools in our area to enhance the future of all and grow as a community to have a bright future ahead. We also participate in many career fairs hosted by tech schools and high schools. We love to encourage future generations to enter the auto industry to see all that it provides – we love to educate these students on career opportunities available to them.

Where do you see the shop in five years?

At Wendle we constantly strive to improve professionally and personally. We see ourselves continuing to invest in our technicians, equipment, and employees to continue our team members' growth and development. We also see ourselves continuing to serve our communities. As our area continues to grow at an exponential pace we are diligently working to expand and offer an even better customer experience and workplace experience. We see our successes supporting the overall company vision: Business: Wendle Motors will be recognized by its employees, customers, and community as the leading automotive dealership with respect to customer service and sales. Wendle will be recognized as a successful business based on ethics and integrity. Team: Wendle Motors is and will continue to be committed to its employees through continuous education in the latest technology and customer service, top pay plans, and ongoing recognition. Community: Wendle Motors is and will continue to be committed to its customers through superior customer satisfaction and retention provided by the most qualified, exceptional, proficient, ambitious, proactive employees. Wendle Motors is and will continue to be committed to its community by remaining family-owned and oriented and supporting local non-profit agencies.

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

We also use the FAST Program: The Ford Accepted Service Training (FAST) Program provides equivalency credits to Technicians based on: – Training received from other OEMs – ASE Professional Certification – Military training Qualified Technicians may be closer to Ford certification than you realize. We encourage our team to invest in themselves and we will too! Wendle can help you make a job into a career. WENDLE: Winning team: We will act with integrity, a sense of ethics, and keep our commitment to our customers and ourselves. Enthusiasm: The enthusiasm of our winning team creates a welcoming environment for everyone we come in contact with. Our employees are our strength. New ideas: Wendle Motors is committed to continuous education in the latest technology for our employees. By embracing new ideas and technology we can exceed our customer’s needs and expectations now and in the future. Dedication: Each employee will share in the vision of providing customer satisfaction with the pride of dedication, respect, trust, and self-worth. Loyalty: We continue to be open-minded and listen carefully to our customers and employees. Efficiency: Our employees strive to provide exceptional service to our customers in an expedient, accurate, and professional manner.

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

Yes, it takes 5-10 minutes to fill out. We also provide paper applications if one wants to apply in person.

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

Yes, we have a phone screen interviews prior to the in-person interview to discuss culture fit and next steps in the interview process.

What do your in-person interviews entail?

We perform a one-on-one question and answer with the service managers and if time allows, we’ll take you on a tour.

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

At Wendle we complete extensive background checks, drug screening (not including marijuana), and check driving records. Wendle Motors is an equal-opportunity employer with a drug-free workplace. A pre-employment motor vehicle report and criminal background check will be conducted on the chosen candidate prior to employment.

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

We do not perform a skill assessment before hiring an applicant.

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

Typically, 2-3 days, but can be up to 1 week.

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

The full hiring process takes 1-2 weeks, depending on your availability.

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

If you become a member of our Wendle family, we will have you join a new hire orientation luncheon. We will tell you about our history and who we are, along with introducing you to our leadership team. What if ONE opportunity could change your life? Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life. We hope we can be that group of people that is your forever home!

A Level Technician Pay Range: $87,360 - $131,040/year

We are a Flat Rate shop. We have a Customer Pay Flat Rate and a Warranty Flat Rate. Wendle pays an additional $5 an hour on all warranty work. Bonuses include, but are not limited to: a. CSI Bonuses b. Holiday Bonuses c. Hourly Production Bonuses We also have paid holidays and training

B Level Technician Pay Range: $81,120 - $121,680/year

C Level Technician Pay Range: $72,800 - $109,200/year

Lube Technician Pay Range: $41,600 - $45,760/year

This is typically an hourly position working towards a Flat Rate Entry Level Technician position (plus performance bonuses). One must be able to perform basic oil changes and basic maintenance. We are also looking for individuals with an interest in more advanced technician training. This is the first step in our apprenticeship to become a trained factory technician.

Service Advisor Pay Range: $70,000 - $105,000/year

This is a salary position + commission + bonuses (below) Bonuses include, but are not limited to: a. CSI Bonuses b. Hours per RO Bonuses c. Effective Labor Rate Bonuses

Student Tech / Apprentice Pay Range: $41,600 - $45,760/year

This is typically an hourly position as an Express Technician working towards a Flat Rate Entry Level Technician position (plus performance bonuses). One must be able to perform basic oil changes and basic maintenance. We are also looking for individuals with an interest in more advanced technician training. This is the first step in our apprenticeship to become a trained factory technician.

Health Insurance Offered: Medical PPO (Premera Blue Cross) with individual and family options. Eligibility begins on the first of the month following the completion of 60 days of employment after your initial 30-day orientation period. We offer a personal wellness program with an insurance premium discount.
Dental Insurance Offered: Wendle Motors pays 100% of our employees’ portion of the dental premium. We offer two choices of Dental plans that have coverage for periodic preventive care and can help with the cost of dental work.
Vision Insurance Offered: Copay: Exam: Plan pays 100%; Materials: Plan pays 100% (reimbursed up to $200) Frequency: Exam: 1 x every 12 months from last date of service; Lenses: 1 x every 12 months from last date of service; Frames: 1 x every 12 months from last date of service; Contacts: 1 x every 12 months from last date of service
Retirement Plan Offered: 1. If you are over 18 years of age, have worked at least 1,000 hours within the calendar year, and have completed a full year of employment, you are eligible to participate in the Wendle Motors Company 1 & 2 401(k) Plan. 2. You may benefit from the plan in three ways: First, through payroll deduction on a pre-tax basis, you may elect to contribute from your paycheck from 1% to 100% of your pay up to the annual maximum set by the IRS each year. Second, in any given year the Company may make a discretionary match* to your 401(k) contribution. The Wendle contributions become vested on a graduated scale according to your number of years of service. The Wendle contributions to your funds become 100% vested after six years of employment. Third, through payroll deduction on a post-tax basis, you may elect to contribute to a ROTH 401(k) from your paycheck from 1% to 100% of your pay up to the annual maximum set by the IRS each year. 3. The plan can also make loans to qualifying participants with repayment through payroll deduction. The plan does not include a hardship withdrawal provision. *Discretionary means the match will be determined annually according to the judgment of management at year-end.
Sick Leave Offered: Sick Leave is built into the PTO plan (see PTO details below).
Vacation Offered: Paid Time Off (PTO) will start to accrue on your first day of employment and can be used after 90 days of continuous employment. After 1 year of service: 64 Hours After 2 years of service: 104 Hours After 11 years of service: 144 Hours After 20 years of service: 184 Hours
Paid Holidays Offered: 7 Holidays eligible for time off WITH pay include: New Year’s Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Eve Day Christmas Day
ST / LT Disability Offered: Our disability income protection insurance provides a benefit for “long-term” or “short-term” disability resulting from a covered injury or sickness. Benefits begin at the end of the elimination period and continue while you are disabled up to the maximum benefit duration. Those eligible include each active, full-time employee working 30 or more hours per week, and earning an annual salary of at least $15,000, except any person working on a temporary or seasonal basis.
Life Insurance Offered: Wendle pays for a life insurance policy on each employee. Eligibility begins on the first of the next month after you have completed 90 days of employment. Voluntary buy-up options are available.
Uniforms Offered: Wendle Motors provides technicians with uniforms and weekly laundry service.
Other Offered: a. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) b. Pre-paid legal c. Employee referral program d. Mentorship program e. Wendle paid training f. Paternity leave g. Generous employee discounts on: Employee appreciation Tickets to concerts/events Vehicle purchases Leases Parts Auction purchases Extended service contracts Employee parts and service accounts We often receive discounts from other companies that we can offer employees. We will post these discounts on the Employee Bulletin Board, in our weekly Wendle Update email, and the Ford Break Room.

Shop Talk

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Top Shop Challenge: Friday, March 3rd is Employee Appreciation Day. Give a shout out to one or more of your team members that go above and beyond.

Shout out to DANIEL!! We wanted to shoutout Daniel this week! He continues to keep us laughing and is always down for "fun" videos (maybe not "fun" for him, but definitely for the rest of us). We love to joke around and have fun in the shop. Sometime diagnostics are easy ... "AINT GOT NO GAS INNIT"

Top Shop Challenge: Can you share any examples of technician perks or policies you have added? We're not looking for the traditional ones like health insurance or 401k. Instead we want to hear about changes you've made based on technician feedback.

We have recently updated our Technician breakroom! We know our technicians at Wendle are reliable, hard workers, and problem solvers, so we wanted to reward them with somewhere they could recharge and relax– a combination that brings a greater level of productivity, job satisfaction and general health! We have found that people who take breaks are more productive, have more energy, and are more engaged. We wanted to provide a place where our technicians can enjoy some downtime to temporarily disengage from the steady stream of daily tasks. This break room helps break up the long workdays with a comfortable space for them to grab a cup of coffee, sit down and unwind. We understand that work doesn’t need to be all work and no play. By having a place for some levity, we can help reduce some pain points that can come up in a typical workday! Here is some of the perks we have in our break room: Large commercial glass door refrigerator Different seating options with counterspace and tables USB chargers Coffee machine Toaster ovens Toaster Ice machine Microwave Flat screen TV Large stainless steal sink This break room has tile floor, and it is a very clean, and climate-controlled area. We also provide a separate technician locker room, technician restrooms, and something we refer to the “snack shack” (which includes various snacks, drinks, candy, and food).

Top Shop Challenge: In honor of Valentine's day, please share what you love most about the industry and working at your shop. The more specific, the better!

We love that each day brings a new challenge with something different to do! We also love that: 1. We have an ability to keep learning and growing. 2. Our skills we have learned are lifelong. 3. Our profession involves a lot of problem solving. Why Wendle … simply because we LOVE our team. We have a really fun group here at Wendle and am awesome work environment. We take pride in taking care of our customers!

Top Shop Challenge: Who has the coolest toolbox in your shop? Tell us about it. Better yet, show us some pics.

Our best toolbox goes to MARK! Mark has been a crucial part of team Wendle for 9,592 days … over 26 years! He has a large 4 section Snap-on toolbox that is about 15 years old filled with various tools, supplies, and even some refrigerated snacks. We all know a technician’s toolbox not only says a lot about who they are, but the work they do as well. Mark keeps his toolbox organized and stocked with all the right tools, which is a great reflection of his experience, success, organization, and work ethic! We appreciate all of Mark’s hard work (and cool toolbox) that has helped him meet so many of our customers’ needs over the years. Thank you for letting us showcase your kick-ass toolbox, Mark!

Top Shop Challenge: What do you feel needs to change in order to attract more kids into our industry?

To answer this question, we asked a couple of our younger technicians in the shop, Daniel and Josh. They think getting involved earlier could be beneficial - making sure kids know that obtaining a college degree isn’t for everyone and that there are other options out there! We need to change the perception of society (and some educators) on a technician’s career. We should normalize going into the trades and be honest … you do NOT need a college degree to make a good living. Kids should know the advantages to a trade career, especially as technicians! So, with that said, we think it is important we show kids what it is like being a technician in the automotive industry. They should know the jobs are in high demand right now, that the pay is excellent (and increases as knowledge and skills expand), that there is paid on-the-job training and mentors are on site to learn from, that your skills you learn are lifelong, that it’s a very rewarding career, and that the career involves a lot of problem solving. A lot of people don't realize the successes being a technician can bring nor the opportunity for growth and career advancement. We would also love to see manufacturers getting more involved at the Middle school and Highschool level as well as freshly out of Highschool and Trades School (or any secondary school). Some manufacturers provide discounts on tools for aspiring technicians that are learning the trade, but we wish they would do more for technicians once they are in the industry and trying to get established as a new technician.

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

Wendle Ford - Technician Jobs in Spokane, WA

Top Shop for Technician Jobs in Spokane, WA