Complaint Review: Les Schwab - Aloha Oregon

6 of how many? But that wasn't my point. I was saying make a list of the guys who worked at THAT store the very last day your husband did, then check back in 5, 10, and 15 years. Only 20% will still be with the company. But, granted, that is a company-wide stat. How many guys at that store the day he left? 20? 30? I can't remember how big a store that one is. The Bookeepers don't count! That's a cushy job! They work open hours only, plus or minus an hour, and rarely in the weather. And do THEY run? From their desks to the counter, ya sure. That's a great thing to be MARRIED to a book keeper, I'll tell you what. Work somewhere else, but enjoy the medical benefits via your wife at LS! Anyhow, we both agree Schwab employs good people, and, from our ex-insiders view point, we both would tell the world LS is an honest outfit that NEVER intentionaly tries do take advantage of any customer. BTW, Jenifer, was your husband by chance an alignment guy? Which, of course, is a whole 'nother story. To anyone reading this: Look for the fat old guys in alignment. The guys not quite good enough for management, or the stress, but good company men all the same. Alignment is the pasture for the non-management company men. They don't run.

Actually, off the top of my head, I can think of 6 guys who my husband worked with who have at least 10, if not 15 or more years with the company who are still working for LS either at the store my husband worked at, or the new store in South Grants Pass. And that's just the ones I can think of off the top of my head (not including the ladies who run the front desk.. I know there are even more.. as well as ones who are now managing or assistant managing their own stores elsewhere. I never said that not having breaks was a great thing, but sometimes that's the way the cookie crumbles, and illegal or not, sometimes it can't be avoided (i.e. in surgery, you don't leave a patient open on the operating table to go have a cup of coffee unless you're insane). Sure some guys burnout, for once reason or another. Some people burnout in any career, so why pick on LS specifically? If people are afraid of hard work or have physical limiations, obviously LS isn't a place they should apply. Enjoy your hat :)

Jennifer, such a dutiful wife. And, mostly, the company line in all you say. Never mind that you admit the company line of no breaks, or few breaks happens often, and you think that's just fine because it happens elsewhere, or everywhere, you seem almost proud of it. Well, sweetheart, that policy is ILLEGAL. But nevermind. A few years ago the company paid out a few million dollars to employee's/ex-employees in a class-action lawsuit over that very issue, remember? But, oh ya, never mind. Mostly I was thinking how that injury of your husbands is likely why you still have such nice things to say. You'll find it hard to find many ex-employee's quite so possitive in their assesments, and it might be interesting to note that there are tens of thousands of ex employee's, far more than the current number of employee's. Most employee's burn out, as your husband would have, eventually had the injury NOT occurred. But if you don't believe me, here's a little test I give to ALL current employee's still brainwashed by the Company: Make a list of all of your husbands fellow employee's the day he was injured/last day worked. Go back 10 years later and inquire how many still work for the company. You'll find, usually, about 20%, or less, still do. Honestly, try that. And in 10 years, come talk to me. Of the 60 or so fellows I worked with, in two stores, over 5 years, in the late 80's/early 90's, about 8 of them still work for the Company. By the way, that includes ALL of my managers and Asst. Managers. Jeff Gattis, Jeff Wick, Gary Wundershied, Matt Thurman, and a few others. But most everyone else is gone, period. Not transferred, just gone. Seperated. Burnt out/pushed out/fired/quit. Your husbands back? Casualty of the business. Call Benefits and ask them how many OTHER backs gave out on the Company dime. By the by, LS IS a great company to do business with, and the people who work there ARE good people, some of the best folks I've ever known. But the company uses it's people, then throws them aside. Lot's of newbies waiting to be used themselves. Usually, they don't know it untill they seperate. Jennifer and her husband never made it there, so she's not a good example. Jennifer, go to your husbands old store and look for the 10, 15, and 20 year(anniversary) folks. If you find more than 3 people there with more than 10 years, I'll eat my hat. Remember, the companies 40 years old. 160 stores, when I started.

Also, as you mentioned, lay offs are common, especially at Les Schwab in the winter time when the business slows down. In the years my husband worked for Les Schwab he was never laid off, while people who worked there longer were. Why? Because they didn't put in 100% all the time, and as you said, if you don't bust a*s, you don't work for them. About the profit sharing, if you took the time to read the portfolio given to all new employees at the training, usually when you're sent to Princeville for new employee orientation, it states specifically in it that you must work for the company for a certain number of years to be considered fully vested and be able to take your retirement with you when you leave the company. The main reason for this I assume is that the employees don't put any money in themselves, Les Schwab generously donates a certain percentage of your earnings and a % for profit sharing into your retirement. If you had read this, then you wouldn't be wondering why you never got it.

Some people just don't have the stamina required to work for a great company like Les Schwab, but don't whine about such a wonderful company just because you can't handle it. My husband worked for Les Schwab for many years and it is like the Navy Seals of the tire industry. Les Schwab has a great reputation for service because they pride themselves on hiring people willing to run their butts off and work hard for the customers. our boss came off as a drill seargant because that's how you keep a tight, well-oiled ship like Les Schwab ahead of the competitors. Not all situations make it possible for breaks when you want them, if that's your priorty go apply at 7eleven. My husband went to work for Les Schwab after being a surgical technologist for years when there were lay offs in the medical field. Believe me, you don't get a break every few hours in surgery either. Some cases take 12 hrs and you get NO break, and either you're cut out for that kind of work, or you aren't. My husband would have been happy staying at Les Schwab until retirement but he hurt his back working there. The company was quick to offer help and took great care of us until his back was healed and his case was closed. We still wouldn't go anywhere else for tires, regardless of sales or promotional pricing other stores may offer, because no one does tires like Les!!