Just got hired - have a question
 

Hey guys,

I just got hired by North Shore Suzuki/Yamaha to be a parts assistant. When they asked me what my expected wage is I said 11-12/hr. After leaving, I thought that I may have undercutted myself. They agreed to that wage without hesitation. I have not yet filled out any paperwork and am starting on Tuesday. After discussing my wage, he said that raises will come when my performance exceeds their expectation. He said that if I bring revenue to the company it will be reflected in my wage.

The owner said that I will not just be handling parts but will be doing some motorcycle sales as well. What should I do?

BTW, if you or anyone you know may want a Suzuki or Yamaha let me know, you may be my first motorcycle sale!!:thumbsup:

TIA.

you should talk to the manager again and ask regarding the sales part of your position. wage of $11 - 12 for parts assistant may still be reasonable but if you are selling motorcycles that is a commission based pay and should be compensated to you. If they are paying you $11-12 to do parts assistant and sales then your definitely getting ripped off.

you do get commission.
just talk to your manager and voice your concern.

That way both you and the manager are on the same page.

talk to your coworkers too cause i know when i got hired for rogers i didn't get commission till the 3rd month in *after probation* it's a company policy type of thing. just get as much info as possible. congrats on the new job.

It depends on how much experience you have and how much profit the company makes. If you have been a parts guy in the automotive trade for atleast 3-4 years, you should be making $15-16/hour plus bonus/commission (if you are good at what you do). Pay for your position really depends on what you can do and how profitable your company is. There's a difference in how willing a company is to give you a raise when their monthly net profit is $50k compared to $70-80k+. If you have little experience in the automotive parts industry, and your knowledge on motorcycles is little to moderate, I'd say $12/hour is reasonable for a starting wage.

Thanks for the responses everyone. This is my first job in the automotive trade industry. I'll ask my boss when I start tomorrow.

To RacingSpirit: When you say 15-16/hr, is that just strictly parts or with motorcycle sales as well?

My boss says I will be doing a little bit of everything including motorcycle sales and if I perform well I will receive bonuses at the end of the year. Should I ask for 12/hr + commission on motorcycle sales?

I'd say you should just do your best and learn as much as you can while applying what you learn to further improve yourself. Be willing to learn and stand above everyone else, that is how you prove that you are worth something to the company. I wouldn't ask for a raise until atleast after your probation. If you do get a raise now, it will be very minimal. If you wait till after your probation, and you can prove to your manager that you are hard working and can make the company money, you will get a much nicer raise.

Just think of your job now as a stepping stone towards a much better paying job. It will probably take you around 2 years (depending on how fast you learn and how smart you are) to excel yourself to a level that your skills are worth decent money. Just remember that your manager may promise you raises before you start, but go back on their words when it's time for your raise. They'll make up bs reasons to prolong your raise and make you fight to get it. That is why you should work yourself like a machine and absorb as much as you can while you are there. So even if you don't get a raise and you want to work for another motorcycle company, you'll have the skills and knowledge in the industry to get a decent starting wage at the new company.

Depending on your sales skills... your success in selling bikes may depend on your customer.

I don't know how knowledgeable you are in terms of motorcycles, but you'll have to deal with customers who are very learned... or just think they are.

I've dealt with both types... and either way, you have to know EVERYTHING there is to know about the bike; or be honest when you don't know something.

Here's something else to consider... if you're going to sell bikes, you have to be licensed by the Vehicle Sales Authority, a governing body that ensures fairness concerning the sales of motor vehicles in BC. Basiclly, if you say the bike does something it doesn't do, knowingly or out of ignorance; and that was a critical feature that affected the decision to buy, the customer can file a complaint and if it's found that the dealer is at fault, the dealer has to compensate the customer. Also, since you didn't have a license, you'd get screwed too... in short you get the boot.

Ask your manager about this... it's your right to be informed. Not to scare you, but the auto sales industry is about making money... and they won't hesitate to use you to their advantage. It's the way the ball rolls unfortunately.

Edit:

$11-12 tp start in accessories is totally shooting yourself in the foot. It's a pretty demanding position and I wouldn't have said a penny under $15 (at a minimum). I hope you have an understanding of bikes in general. If not, starting reading now... you've got a lot to cover!

If you wonder how I know all this... it's because I did it for a brief period and didn't like it very much. :p

Thanks RunningFree. I'm pretty knowledgeable in terms of sport bikes but not so much cruisers. My plan is to soak up as much info as I can. I love bikes and hope this turns out to be something I can do for a career.

Ah ok, good stuff. I was worried that you may not have been that knowledgeable.

Sales is ok if you can deal with the BS that comes with it... that's like every job, but with vehicle sales, it's sometimes quite bad.

If you can talk sportbikes, you can talk cruisers... the basic rule of thumb is to qualify the customers... make sure you know what their needs and wants are. Build a relationship with them, because you'll see them come in for service, and they'll come see you when they need a part or accessory. That's the cool thing about bikes and that type of camaraderie doesn't happen in the car world too much.

However, you need to be asking for a significant raise after you've started proving your numbers. Track your progress, ask your manager if there's a way you can track how you're doing in terms of sales so you can have something solid to show them, otherwise, they'll be happy to keep you at 11 and replace you if you quit. If you make yourself indispensable you can ask for much more.

BE SURE TO ASK ABOUT THE VSA LICENSE. I can't stress that enough.

Thanks RunningFree. I just finished my first day and it was my last. I talked to the boss this morning and he was going to give me 12/hr with no commission. Raises do not come until the end of the year because that is when they review to see how well the company did for the year. If they are pushing me to be in sales I found that it was bullshit that I wasn't being paid commission for any sales.

I thanked them for giving me the opportunity and there were no hard feelings.

Back on the job hunt again....

When asked what you expect in terms of compensation, the safest answer is usually "what the market offers" or "the industry average". Something along those lines.

Thanks misteranswer. I'll use those next time.

It's best to find out what those figures are instead.

If you know the inside and outs of a motorcycle, and have knowledge in parts sales/ how a parts dept work, you should be asking $15/hr plus a percentage of net profit. You don't want to go into sales... it's a very cut throat position. Because sales is mainly based off commission, all salesmen are back stabbing, lying, cheating assholes. They may seem nice and friendly in the open, but if they ever get a chance to use you as a stepping stool to get ahead, they will.

Good on you for standing up for yourself and knowing when to walk. That's some shitty management right there

Indeed, if you do your homework and they're willing to pay you accordingly to what you said then by all means. But if they're not and you're wrong, you already removed yourself from consideration before they even made you a job offer. I would wait for an offer of employment first and then discuss wage.

Telling them what you want to be making working there is the start of wage negotiations. If you ask for more than what they want to start you off with, they will try to negotiate down from what you asked for. If you have the skills and knowledge that the company values, they will try to offer you a figure that both parties feel it's fair.

For example, if you asked for $18/hr, they may offer you $15/hr for the first 3 months (your probation period, following a review). All companies are businesses, and the less they need to pay you, the more profit they get. Most companies will ask you what you were making at your previous job and offer you a little bit more to start, and a raise when you can show them what you are capable of.

You have to take a step back and think to yourself, are you worth what you are asking for. There's no point in asking to be paid industry standard if you don't meet those standards. Just saying you have the knowledge is not good enough in an employer's eyes, you have to be able to prove it. Starting small, building experience, then moving up to be one of the best is the way to go if you want to pursue a career in the industry and get paid good money because you are good at what you do.

The thing is, negotiations haven't even started. They're still thinking whether or not they should hire you. I would say putting a specific number on what you want your salary to be is giving out too much information too soon. imo, discussion of compensation should be pushed back until they decide they actually want to hire you. It's more to you advantage if they fall in love with the product before they find out how much it cost. :)

Edit: I was thinking the OP was asked this during the interview process. And the reason for giving such an answer is more along the lines of trying to avoid the question. That answer answers the question without really answering it. He could also say something along the lines of "expected to be compensated properly for his experience and the responsibilities for the position".

If they already decided to hire him, then yes, he should be talking numbers and yes, he should damn well do his homework before accept an offer or even making one himself.