DriveTime Automotive Group Reviews

Pros

The people there are all fun to work with. The majority of the employees are highly intelligent. They are willing to teach, and willing to adapt. My favorite part was the collaborative environment, or SCRUM set up. The entire office is open, allowing you to easily communicate with anyone, from new hires to directors.

Cons

There seems to be zero job security. They fire people without notice or fair warning. You could think you're doing just fine and they let you go. This problem is worst in the IT department. This rapid turnover makes it difficult to move forward with projects.

Advice to Senior Management

Hire people who know what they're doing so you're not having to fire people so constantly. The lack of consistency in the workplace makes it difficult to innovate and improve.

Pros

1) Very open to discussion on employee needs for hours, etc.
2) Good environment/company culture
3) Competitive pay
4) Business transparency

Cons

1) Constantly changing processes are sometimes difficult to keep up with
2) Formal training is lacking in some ways, learn most skills on the job

Advice to Senior Management

Company is great to work for, although keeping up with some of the structure and policy changes is difficult. When leadership changes, positions are switched, or people move without notification, it makes contacting the right people with questions and concerns a little more complicated.

Pros

you get a paycheck plus commissions

co-workers are very nice

Cons

Long hours-(worked 18 hours on a Saturday trying to close a deal)

They are not realistic about the amount of cars you can sell in a given month.

You deal with people who cant get a car anywhere else, but want the world from you at DT

Advice to Senior Management

Pay a decent salary and give realistic comissions for the work.

Pros

Earning potential. Nice base salary plus commission and monthly team bonus.
Advancement oppurtunites are great especially if you are willing to relocate
Job stability is excellent especially in rough economy

Cons

Long hours especially during tax season which lasts from the middle of January through April
Vehicles tend to be very over priced and inventory comes with repair issues as soon as they are delivered. Must be willing to "buy in to DriveTime"

Advice to Senior Management

Offer promotions sooner. You are hiring educated employees now and it doesnt take long to master the Sales Advisor role. Other than that I am enoying my career thoroughly with DriveTIme

Pros

Great pay, work hard and you can make a lot of money.

Cons

No opportunities for females or minorities to advance past GM. Only white guys who say what upper management want to hear and don't make waves. Company asks for ideas, but they do not really want to hear from you.

Advice to Senior Management

Open your eyes to potential talent, women and minorities can also provide talent.

Pros

Hours were reasonable. Pay was adequate. Good activities Networking is great because there are a tremendous amount of newly hired, well educated and very experienced people stuck in DT's ranks because of the down turn of the job market.

Cons

If you haven't worked at a dealership you can't advance. I left voluntarily at the first chance because DriveTime is fairly unstable. You are always worried about getting a tap on the shoulder, saying you loss your job because of the constant restructuring.

Additionally, there is a Good Ole Boy network that is really a good ole, "Boy", "Girl" or anyone who stuck with them since they were Ugly Duckling. They don't provide opportunities for "new hires" to advance. You can't seem to get hired in this company as anything but a worker bee. You're stuck at rock bottom until someone quits or transfers. Terrible for diversity in talent and for those newer employees who worked hard to get a degree & have experience. Once the economy bounces back, DriveTime better look out for the mass exodus!

Advice to Senior Management

Take a chance on breaking the mold of only promoting people who have been there for years. Sometimes it only takes a few months to recognize the potential in someone who took the time to get a degree, get experience and walk in "ready" to lead. This means you may have to bypass a long time employee who's just been sitting there unmotivated with no moves toward enhancing their education. They just happened to have been there forever.

CEO's are hired because they are leaders, not because they can take 130 calls in an 8 hour day. They don't need to perform in every job, they just need to know how to "motivate" those that do!

Pros

Great work environment, adequate benefit package and time off (though I believe the medical plan is being dropped for an HSA option), reasonable pay compared to peers (which means still underpaid given today's prices), and DT keeps up with technology quite well.

Cons

Ran by an old boys club you don't dare cross if you hope to go anywhere. Another major problem at DT is the lack of performance management. A major consideration before joining is the fact that DT is privately owned and company objectives can change overnight, sometimes costing numerous jobs.

Advice to Senior Management

Engage your staff in performance discussions rather than listening to rumors; surprises in this area are unacceptable. When you preach open communication, lead by example.

Pros

Only if you desire a career in sales entry level and want to get some title work and Office experience, this is the place for you.

Cons

For starters, every few months, they are eliminating positions. For an individual freshout of college in need of a job or a semi-seasoned sales associate/manager wanting to spread their wings, DT is for you. For a seasoned or mid-career professional or an individual wanting to get a start in Operations or a tenured salesman or Upper-Management Pro, STAY AWAY. The positions at DT are only unique to DT and ONLY DT! Do NOT be fooled by this Operations Manager title as true Operations are only in the Logistics/Manufacturing industry. If you are NOT into sales, DON'T COME HERE! When you leave DT and try to apply for other jobs in Operations, you will NOT have the qualifications so do NOT waste your time or career!
The Auto industry has the following infrastructure: Sales Associates, Sales Manager, Tag/Title Clerk, Receptionist, F&I Manager, General Manager, Service Advisors and Service Managers. In the 'normal" companies, most individuals have a specific field and duty where at DT, you do EVERYTHING, and now, Sales Associates are cross-trained in Operations, Inventory, etc ... This is not normal and you really are not building skills to transfer anywhere else because you are burnt out and have too many irons in the fire. As an Ops Manager, you are doing title work, underwriting, selling, controlling inventory, customer service, warranty issues, covering for everyone when there is a shortage, training, handling building issues, contracting, a/p, petty cash, cash handling etc ... Too MUCH! It also does not help that most dealerships cultivate petty environments and the GM's and Market Managers look the other way. Please think twice, for the sake of YOUR career!!!!

Advice to Senior Management

Please be more realistic!

Pros

It depends on your career goals. If you are looking to gain entry level sales and management, DT is for you.

Cons

Advancement beyond floor line is going to be extremely impossible as they cut 30-40% staff yearly.
Now they are making relocation manadatory and people up & moving to new cities was not smart because most store employees do not stay long enough for the move to be healthy.
Upper management do NOT want to provide development if it means you moving into their department. HRM's rely too much on gossip and the GM's do NOT do anything but hide in their offices on their cells ALL day while the SM's and OM's are slaving on the floor. The Market manager over all the new stores (guy from Florida) does NOT listen, He talks to hear himself talk and NEVER answers your question directly. The Regional Strategist, how she got into that role, I'm unsure, but I question the competency of the Recruiters who hire these incompetent people, and the Executives who see fit to promote.
Catty environment and too much gossip and hostility. There are training modules but that is about it. A company who shaves off 30-40% of staff yearly, there is no stability and advancement is only in relevant to sales (GM or SM).
The hours are too long and if you are in management, you are expected to work by yourself all day and evening if there is NOT another manager and uppermanagement will NOT come to assist; they hardly answer their phones.
If you anger an SM or GM off, they are QUICK to make a hostile enviorment and DT has allowed too many people to go based on this.
They are opening too many dealerships and cannot keep up as they are severely short-staffed and most managers are burnt out in 6 months or less.

PLEASE do your research and think twice.

Advice to Senior Management

You MUST open the door of opportunity AND equip your people to walk through those doors. Stop setting people up for failure.

Pros

Entry level experience; exposure to registration/title work

Cons

Long hours, unfair management practices