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General Motors Service Manager Interview with Lonny Greenwald
Why did you start working for General Motors?
I grew up in a GM town in Michigan. The products were easy to repair and it was a natural thing for me to go there. The car environment seemed very at home to me and I grew up fixing things. I lived on a farm as a child, and was used to all the tractors and motors.
What prior experience did you have with fixing things?
I worked on the neighbor’s cars in junior high and high school and different small engines and things like that. I had an auto-mechanics in high school. Then, when I went to college, I knew what I wanted to do.
Do you believe you make the right amount of money for what you do? Why or why not?
Yeah, I think it’s a fair amount of wage for what I do. Based on the amount of experience I have and the minimal amount of actual “work” I have to do, it’s pretty good pay.
What are your daily duties?
Administering warranty claim, training for technicians, handling customer complaints, and making sure customers are satisfied. I also deal with figuring out how to fix problem cars.
Is this job fulfilling? Why or why not?
Some days it is, some days it isn’t. Some days it’s kind of boring, but that goes along with any other job. The same thing can get boring, but going to different dealers every day it can be really different. There’s always something unexpected that happens, and that’s what makes it exciting.
What are some of the benefits of this job?
Well, the company car. Freedom of time is definitely a benefit. Having personal time and my own work schedule is the biggest benefit though.
How does the time commitment affect your life?
I’d like to be able to run and train for marathons every day, but I have to work, which messes everything up. It’s really not a problem though, because I have a flexible work schedule.
What are some memorable or funny experiences working at GM?
Let’s see, memorable or funny experiences working at GM. We have cars that fall off lifts and crash to the ground. Cars get stolen out of the shop over night. We have customers that threaten to kill people or sue people if they don’t get what they want. Other than that, it’s not too bad. Or, they decide to drive the car through the dealership wall and park inside the service department. Those are always fun.
What advice can you give to someone pursuing this career?
Work at a dealership first and get some experience before you work as a manufacture rep. You would not want to go to college then find out later that you do not like the work environment. That would be a big mistake. Having some experience before your career goes for any job, really.
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