Lithia Motors Reviews

Pros

Everybody in the corporate office seems very nice including the senior management. Middle management is actively working to improve employee engagement. The company has been doing well as the economy recovers and will soon open a new HQ building that will help revitalize the downtown area. They seem to screen new hires well for apptitude and personality fit. I think good things are ahead for Lithia.

Cons

There is a lack of focus and not a clear definition of who Lithia is and why a consumer would want to buy a car from them versus a competitor. Customer service is a low priority as long as cars continue to be sold. The working environment in the dealerships is poor and full of turnover.

Generally speaking, pay is low and benefits are minimal and expensive until you hit management. The 401K match is dismal. General Managers make a good living and are the heros of the company. Why can't everyone be a hero?

Advice to Senior Management

Discuss and decide what it means to be Lithia dealer and then expand that across the dealerships. Follow Jack Welch's advice and either fix, sell, or close poorly performing dealerships. Cover a larger share of the employees contribution for benefits and share profits with those who don't have the luxury of receiving bonuses. Get serious about customer service and customer lifetime value.

Pros

Mandatory paid training program for managers.

Cons

Popularity contest at best.Not military friendly,i was "let go" for downsizing just 2 weeks before I was called up by National Guard for training to be deployed to Iraq.I gave them proper notice and was still let go.Not being one to burn bridges I did not pursue legal action.

Advice to Senior Management

Grow up and stop thinking only of yourselves.

Pros

It has a friendly work environment with a reasonable pay.

Cons

There is not a lot of feedback and people are moved around and laid off with no real warning.

Pros

* discount on vehicle service
* depending on immediate supervisor, flexibility in work schedule

Cons

* drastic differences in how each location was run and managed
* no strong standards across the board for appearance and experience
* lots of nepotism
* status of personal relationships highly influenced career growth

Advice to Senior Management

Management needs to stop utilizing nepotism on a regular basis and truly bring people on because of their experience, skill set and capability to become the kind of dealer group they say they want to be. Additionally, pay should be adjusted to reflect the changing times and if workloads drastically change then on some level pay should be altered.

Pros

Great employees in both sales and service. This particular location has two dealerships on one campus, both high quality imports. Great cars to sell if you have enough inventory.

Cons

Extremely abusive management. Old school sales techniques that belong more on a movie screen. Favortism towards those who are doing very well and degrading comments made during sales meetinings towards those who aren't doing as well. Waiting in line in the Sales Managers office to "work a deal" while he is playing with his smart phone or chatting with another person.
The hours are long and forget about taking a day off. The GM lives and breaths car sales and expects his sales people to do the same. It's a good thing you can't sell cars on Sunday in Iowa otherwise you would not see your family at all.

Advice to Senior Management

Take anger management classes.

Pros

Good Structure, management is fun at times but very snooty and only care about themselves when it comes down to it. Not too much in the Pro section sorry its a truly sucky job.

Cons

Underpaid compared to other companies, old car dog sales people are very dishonest. Everyone backstabs each other to upper management for favoritism in getting a car deal done. Unethical practices are common company wide and are not talked about but are encouraged to keep your job. Hours are usually 60 to 70 hours plus the nights you stay up worrying about things in bed. Corporate sets unattainable goals that MUST be maiintained each month or you get laughed at in front of all management from parts,service,body shop and office in there weekly meeting and then are on the chopping block! Negoitating needs to get out of the 80's people are more informed its time to change the program SID!

Advice to Senior Management

Get off your duffs and help out this is why you gms get 10k a month gsms get 8500 and desk manager get 7k is for you to help out and quit disassociating yourselves with the problems that lower management and sales people comes up with. The whole desk thinks they are gms and they are not! So act like what you get paid!

Pros

Excellent team of Managers. I had never worked in any sales position before working for this company. The management team held weekly sales training programs and gave great insight to the whole process.

Cons

Only that sales can be a little sporadic.

Advice to Senior Management

None

Pros

An entry level job you can get experience in high pressure sales.

Pay is 100% commission. You can make good money in the summer but other then that they promise high wages and tell you each month is going to be a high sales month just to keep you from quitting.

Cons

Crazy 60+ Hour weeks. Makes you want to kill yourself.

You are forced to work most holidays. You are promised a day off during the week and you end up being forced to come in.

Make you wait 3 months to get benefits.

Customers hate you and don't seem to understand its your job to sell them a car.

Management makes it extremely difficult to make car deals. They make unrealistic goals on everything and yell at you when you can't reach them.

It's always your fault when a customer doesn't want to buy on their first trip to the dealership.

You have to pressure people into buying cars and they give you bad survey results afterwords because of it.

They treat employees like their expendable. Avoid working here unless you are extremely desperate.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't have managers that are bipolar. Set realistic goals. Don't micro-manage. Don't force employees to work their "day off". Set up pay plans so that missing bonus isn't the norm.

Pros

I have worked at Lithia for over 3 years, at times I hate it and at other times it is the best job in the world. Sales in the car biz is a real tough job. The customers come in and hate you because of some of the car dealers out there and thier fears of loosing money they don't have too. With Lithia they are a publicly traded company they have to be above boards on everything. I will agree that cars sales is not for everyone more like not for most, but at Lithia at least it is Fun.

Cons

As I said above car sales is not a great job for most. Long hours, customers think you are trash and lie to you, but if you can live with that you can make a lot of money.

Advice to Senior Management

If you want to move up with Lithia they hire from within if possible. You have to get in the company prove yourself and work your way up. They will also hire managers from out side if they can't find in the company who they are looking for.

Pros

You will meet some great people and make a good friend or two. When business is good the possibility to make a descent wage is there.

Cons

The management team has no respect for employee's or customers. They think they are above every body else because they make six figures. They are as fake as a "three dollar bill" and cant be trusted. They expect you to do all the work and if a sale is not made they blame you the sales person. Truth is most deals that are not made is because they don't do their job.

Advice to Senior Management

Just because someone is a good car salesman dose not mean they are a good manager of people. Also this is the year 2010 and you are still using 70's techniques to sell cars. Get with the times.