Pros
I started with Discount Tire when I was 19 years old and was an assistant manager by 20. The company took great care of me in my adolescent years while I was figuring out what I wanted to do with life. They give great bonuses in summer and winter and offer incentives like tuition reimbursement. Bruce Halle loved and cared for his employees and it really showed in the incentives he gives out to every employee across 1000 + stores. I have Bruce to thank for helping me get to where I am today.
Cons
For the whole company I’d say the biggest downside is that we’re forced to work so many hours and days with no breaks what so ever. I was lucky to get a lunch every day I worked and you get no other breaks throughout the day. I have asked why we aren’t allowed the same breaks as every other company allowed and they told me we get down time in between cars. This is not true whatsoever though. From 7:45 to 7:00 (if you’re lucky enough to not get held over another hour or two) you will be working hard nonstop with no breaks and usually no bathroom breaks unless you want to get criticized for the rest of the day. Now if anyone has any plans to work for any of the stores in the Toledo area , or even the entire Michigan region, just go ahead and apply at any other competitor or even consider a different profession. I worked at both Toledo stores for over 6 years and I worked under 8 different managers In that time. The region does not interview anyone from the stores or area but will only interview and promote from the most profitable stores in the region. I had a new manger every 6 months to a year because they would send in someone from 2 hours away and we would lose them once a closer to home store opened up. I’ve watched this company lose some great employees and it’s because there is no movement in the company unless you want to uproot and relocate your entire family. I had to fight off and threaten to quit once a year because upper management wants to force you to drive over an hour every day to a store you don’t want to work at. I finally built up the courage to leave a company that I once considered to be a lifetime career. When I left I hoped for someone to reach out to me and ask why someone so high up would just leave but no one called and no one cared. The store I left will lose all of its employees by this time next year because the manager doesn’t trust or care for any one there and they are all miserable. This is not the same company any more. The caring for and cultivating died when Bruce Halle did. It’s a shame because it used to be a great place to work, Now if you work there you will be forced to work long hours with no help, no breaks, and no hope.