Job at MB dealership? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 06-21-2002, 08:54 PM

I'm 17 (will turn 18 in 2 weeks) and i'm wondering about getting a job at a MB dealership. I don't really have any experience in anything, but I was thinking maybe I could wash the cars or move them or do whatever small tasks and then maybe work my way up (I don't want to be a salesman, just work my way up so I can have some decent money during college). Anyone have any tips, suggestions? It would be great if I could get a job like this because I would love it because I would be around MB's all day. Also, it's a great business environment to be in. But I don't know how to approach it. Do you think they would hire me? Anyways, any help would be appreciated.

Also I live in LA where there are at least 20 MB dealers around.

Ashman · #2 06-21-2002, 10:27 PM

SV, funnily enough I was contemplating inquiring about a job at an MB dealer today as I am getting out of the computer biz, and wanted to do something else.

I would think it wouldn't hurt to ask the dealers.

Alon

ymsin · #3 06-22-2002, 12:33 AM

What better place to work than in the Autowerks?

Mr. BILL · #4 06-22-2002, 12:39 AM

The best thing to do would be:
1.Clean yourself up like you'd spiff up your car for a show.
2.Go in and ask for the general manager.
3.Tell the gen mgr (or whomever you get to see) how much you love Mercedes, that you have one and would be willing to start anywhere to "break in".

Have a positive, cheerful but sincere attitude. Let him know you are reliable and mature beyong your years and can work hard and learn fast. Tell him that today you are more interested in an opportunity than money.

Most important, be yourself. When I ran a big retal store, I would hire a willing person with a good attitude over an older experienced one with a surly or know it all attitude.

Good luck,

omegabenz · #5 06-22-2002, 12:46 AM

Autoworks is on the East side. they are on the westside man.

I am 19. I was talking to the mercedes sales guy David at a mercedes dealer, and he said talk to this guy Harold, but it turns out that you have to be ASE certified and all this other junk to even be around the mechinics. I found that as an insult to me because he doesnt even care about my previous car experince.

To be honest I think that sometimes non certified people know more than certified people. I have seen mecedes mechanics at the dealer change the tranny oil and they let it glug glug glug over everything when they are draining the converter, and you just say why dont you loosen that cooler line. They say I dont need you to tel me what to do. Walk back in five minutes, its loosened and its draining perfectly. haha.

You can easily get a job washing cars down at the dealers. THey said they'd hire me for around $8 per hour, you can probably get one down in LA for like 10 or more. Plus you get to hot rod, I mean drive around new benzes if you get to drive an SL500 new, man you got to tell us about it. You should do it.

Go for it, what do you have to loose, you have everything to gain.

David that I was talking about, started as a washer, now he sells them, and he's like 20 something.

Give it a shot,

Austin

robbyd · #6 06-22-2002, 12:56 AM

Well I am 18 now and I have been working at this local import shop in my hometown for about 2 months now. I love it. My main duties are to wash and detail cars. Occasionally I will get to go pick up customers in their cars which is great. Even driving some of the ones we have around the lot is great fun. Sometimes after work the owner will take me on some rides. I got to ride in a Jaguar XJ220, a Porsche 911 turbo and a 69 Corvette Stingray with a modified 502 chevy big block in it. Oh yeah we also have some pretty nice Mercedes around. Just the other day there was a Renntech modified E500 getting an ASR defeat switch installed. I am slowly being trained to be a Saturday technician, doing oil changes, alignments, wheel balancing and simple tasks. I have about got it all down. If you are as much of a car enthusiast as I am you will LOVE a job at a Mercedes dealership, and the discount on my car repairs is nice too.

Robert

elau · #7 06-22-2002, 01:18 AM

Forget about just washing and moving cars around. You will not learn much. I recommend trying out the parts department. Believe it or not, I was a parts guy once when I fresh out of college. It was the day when you needed a part, you had to go through manuals that lined the length of the room. Computer was still couple of years away. As a matter of fact working in the parts department was really my first introduction to computer when the dealer started to order parts from the GM depot in NJ, I was the only one who knew how to type.

Another benefit being a parts guy. If you take good care of the mechanics, they will help you out on your car. I got plenty of free labor for my '69 Camaro back in those days.

omegabenz · #8 06-22-2002, 01:29 AM

parts guy is way better than washing cars.

Austin

engatwork · #9 06-22-2002, 07:02 AM

I have a friend that is in the car business on the service side. I think he is the service manager for an Infinity dealership. Really good person and very knowledgeable.
Good advice from Mr Bill - attitude is everything no matter what you do, have a good attitude and you will succeed

.

BenzOnline · #10 06-22-2002, 08:26 AM

I tried last summer but no luck. My job would have been to take the cars to the car wash where I work now!!

Maybe they didtn hire me because there was already a kid working there and doing that.

#11 06-22-2002, 01:40 PM

I also started out in the parts dept back before computers and still doing parts today but on the aftermarket side. Also agree its the best place to start. Most parts managers are always looking for a Shipping and reciving guy or a driver. Gona take some time most likely to get up on the counter where every one wants to be. I can't complain the parts business has been very very good to me. And remeber if you can't dazzle them with brillance baffle them with BS.

#12 06-22-2002, 04:46 PM

Great advice guys. I was thinking about the parts department too, but I would think you need to have some sort of experience to be working around there. But I'll give it a shot.

omegabenz · #13 06-22-2002, 05:05 PM

Just memorize common body styles R129, W123, W124, W126, W140, W210, etc...most of their best parts guys done even know that.

Just make some stuff up. Pretend that you know what you are doing.

M103 is the older 300E engines,
119 is the 400E and 500E engine along with the SL500 of that vintage,

th 117 is the 3.8l, 4.5l, 5.0 l, 5.6 l engines of that vintage, they just have different bores and strokes and 5.6 has ther biggest valves.

Get some mercedes cds and learn it up.

You can do it, just try.

Austin

Gilly · #14 06-22-2002, 10:24 PM

If you're young and want to start out working on Mercedes the RIGHT way, what you should do is go to tech school for 2 years then try to get into the ELITE program. This is a 16 week program taught by UTI which covers the basics of working on Mercedes, including how to look up info in a dealers shop. Hands-on stuff.
I have been participating in a forum here at MercedesShop called "BMW STEPping out", do a search on "elite" and you'll find it. You should contact someone at UTI's "Custom Training Group" to find out if there is a tech school near you that they work with for a prerequisite for getting into ELITE training.
Or enter "mercedes elite training" in your web browser and you'll get a bunch of info also.
ELITE training also helps place you at a dealership, and assuming everything goes according to plan, the program will be free to the trainee, the hiring dealer pays the tuition for ELITE.
It's really a good program, the last 2 hires at our small dealership have been ELITE grads.
Gilly

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