Minneapolis Auto Repair

The shop is heated and has central air conditioning.

Currently there are two owners, four technicians, one service advisor and one assistant advisor/shop helper.

The shop business hours of operation are Monday – Friday from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm (No weekends!) The employee shifts are from 8:30 am – 5:30 pm with a one-hour lunch break from Noon – 1:00 pm.

The shop provides specialty diagnostic equipment for the brands we work on, including tech support. We have fluid exchange machines, a Hoffman alignment system as well as other specialty tools and equipment. Techs are expected to have their own toolbox and tools.

The employee break room has a table and chairs, couch, refrigerator/freezer, sink, stove and microwave. There is a private bathroom for employees next to the break room.

The shop has seven bays with hoists and one alignment rack (8 total).

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Employees are allowed to work outside of regular work hours on their own vehicles and close family members’ vehicles, and can buy parts at cost through the shop, with the owners’ advance approval. We do not allow employees to work on side jobs other than what is stated above.

It depends on the situation, but in general, if it was due to a faulty part, we pay the tech for the labor time on the comeback. If it was due to incorrect installation or diagnosis, we consider that on a case-by-case basis.

Technicians are paid by a progressive flat rate compensation plan with regular hourly pay for hours worked, or flat rate hours billed, whichever is greater. Plans are based on the tech’s level of experience. For example, if a tech wrenches under 30 billable/flat rate hours in a week, they are paid at the base rate for regular clock hours worked. If they make 30 or more billable/flat rate hours in a week, they are paid by the billable/flat rate hours instead of the clock hours and their pay incrementally goes up the more billable/flat hours they produce.

Lube and apprentice techs are paid by regular hourly pay, based on their experience. Service writers are paid by commission based on weekly sales.

Uniforms are provided. Employees wear their own work pants/jeans.

Paydays are bi-weekly on Fridays. There are 14 days in a pay period.

Group health and dental insurance is available after the initial 90-day introductory period is completed. (Company pays for half of the employee’s monthly premiums, and the other half is deducted pre-tax from the employee’s paychecks).

Paid time off (PTO), starts accruing from the employee’s start date and is available for use after the initial 90-day introductory period is completed. A minimum of one hour accrues for every 30 hours worked, capped at 48 hours per year and 80 hours overall.

The following holidays are observed and paid after the initial 90-day introductory period is completed: 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), Christmas Day (December 25th).

We pay for our techs to attend technical training when it is available and reimburse ASE testing fees for tests taken and passed while working for our company.

Compensation is based on skill and productivity. We evaluate employees’ performance and can adjust pay plans according to their skill level when they have progressed.

We have employees do a self-assessment and we also do a yearly performance review to measure their performance.

One of the owners has many years of experience and extensive knowledge in European car repair. He works with the less experienced techs to mentor them.

We take employees out to eat for an annual year-end holiday dinner. We have done events together such as running in the CADE Autism 5K race, sponsoring and participating in local city parades, playing paintball, bowling, cookouts, and celebrating staff birthdays.