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BFS Retail & Commercial Operations, LLC provides a work environment that is respectful and professional. Our top priority is the safety of our teammates. We place high value on diversity in the work force with our commitment to serve a diverse customer population with a diverse team of teammates. We offer ongoing training and education to foster personal and professional growth. We have a history of store modernization and growth, and provide a clean work environment, state-of-the-art equipment, relocation opportunities, a drug-free work place, teammate discounts on tires and services, and discounts for family and friends. We strive to facilitate open communication through store meetings, national newsletters, a work suggestion program, complaint procedures, open-door practices, and advisory boards. You can take pride in knowing that we are a leader in the industry for environmental protection. Plus, you receive the benefits of being part of a large company while actually working with a small group of teammates.
The Associate Assistance Fund is a not-for-profit program set up to help any BFS Retail & Commercial Operations, LLC employed teammate through a financial hardship. It is design to provide emergency financial assistance to any teammate who is unable to meet their daily living expenses or who needs help in recovering from a personal crisis.
Employees are encouraged to make donations to the program via an automatic payroll deduction, which is 100% dependent on the contributions of these teammates.
Your neighborhood is our neighborhood.
We not only work in the communities where Firestone Complete Auto Care stores are located; we live there too. There are many ways in which we participate in our communities. Find ways to
get involved.
To Lead The World, You Must Reflect It.
At BFS Retail & Commercial Operations, LLC, we believe that our work force should be a reflection of our customer base. That's why we recruit talented people from every background and why we've become one of the world's leaders in tire and automotive service retailing. With more than $2 billion in sales and 2,200 Firestone, Tires Plus, Expert Tire and Mark Morris stores nationwide, our future is bright. You can be a part of it. Join us and you'll enjoy all the advantages of working for a company that respects you individuality, recognizes you potential and rewards your dedication. Just ask a few of our teammates.
"I began my career with this company just after graduating, with degrees in business administration and human resources. Since then I've held a variety of positions in sales, vehicle service management, store management, human resources administration and, now, auditing. The opportunities are endless, especially for those willing to consider relocation."
"There is absolutely nothing parallel - at least not in this industry - to the amount and depth of training that is available to teammates. Whether striving to improve skills relevant to your present assignment or seeking advancement, Firestone has the tools you need to achieve your career goals."
~Hector Aguilar, Audit Manager, Western Zone
"I was first hired through a high school co-op program and I've been a Firestone store manager for 17 years. I feel like I've grown up with this organization. My favorite 'perks' are the incentive programs; I love winning trips to exotic places!"
"A career in Firestone's retail organization guarantees a lot of variety and no time for boredom. We enjoy helping customers by solving problems for them, whether it's getting a family back on the road to enjoy their vacation or helping a regular customer find a way to afford unexpected repairs. Every customer is different and every day brings a new challenge."
~Gonzalo Carraman, Store Manager, San Antonio, Texas
"Firestone has been around for a long time. That stability, coupled with a great product line, makes it an excellent choice for employment opportunities, particularly for those seeking careers in sales."
"Store team members cooperate and support one another like family. I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to succeed in my career while raising a family. Not all employers are able to offer to excel both at work and at home."
~Sallie Holguin, Store manager, Carson, California
Roseann Barela
Taking on the role of store manager is always a challenge. Accepting your first store manager assignment at a location previously operated by an independent dealer provides a unique set of challenges as Roseann Barela in Albuquerque, NM, has learned.
Roseann herself was not new to Firestone, having been recruited in 1996 from a parts store that was on its way out of business. Her role had been that of driver and counter person and she was approached about a sales position at Firestone during a parts delivery. Since accepting that first sales position, Roseann has also held MTS and service manager positions.
Still nothing could completely prepare her for the task of converting a dealer location to a Firestone Complete Auto Care Center. First on her "to do" list in December 2002 was to recruit her team. She built it basically from the ground up, although she's very thankful for the MTS and technician who were later transferred to her store from another area FCAC.
In addition to the challenges of recruiting the best candidates, Roseann was faced with the task of overhauling the store - its appearance, the work process, displays...everything. She filled a lot of dumpsters in the process of implementing Firestone Complete Auto Care service. The results, however, have been well worth all her efforts. Customers who experienced both the "before" and "after" continue to compliment her on the customer-friendly store makeover. (Even the former store owner has stopped by to comment on the number of cars in the parking lot.)
One cannot help but wonder if women in our business encounter any prejudicial resistance. "Very, very little," says Roseann. Having put her own team in place, all store teammates knew and accepted that they'd be reporting to a woman before they came on board. And, when asked point-blank during the interview, everyone Roseann hired expressed the same sentiment. Whether a manager was male or female was irrelevant; what mattered to them was a person's competency and integrity. Occasionally, Roseann does encounter resistance from customers but it's easily overcome. They key is to gain their confidence and earn their trust, something Roseann does very well. (And what fun when she gets the opportunity to introduce a reluctant customer to her equally competent female technician!)
In fact, earning her customers' trust and sharing responsibility with her team members for a job "well done" is without question Roseann's greatest reward. Nothing is more satisfying than to hear a customer say, "Nice work. Thank you!"
Kim Faught
If a customer asked to have the family pet spayed or furniture reupholstered, Kim Faught would no doubt get it done. Even among district management, Kim has a reputation for being "the go-to person." When they've got a truckload of tires to move, they call Kim and consider them sold. Out Conroe, TX, managing partner know what is means to Say "Yes" to Business ("...and what else can I do for you today?") and she could write a book on one-stop shopping."
When a customer comes in seeking, for example, a new muffler, Kim does not send the customer to a muffler shop. She takes the order and promises to have the car ready when the customer returns. The customer, trusting Kim to make arrangements with the muffler shop, leaves. Kim then arranges to have the work done and the car back at the store when promised. The muffler shop gives Kim a price break so that she can charge her customers what they would have paid had they gone directly to the muffler shop yet still collect a reasonable markup for her service. If a warranty issue arises, Kim honors the warranty then takes it up with the shop that did the work. "One-stop shopping...It's all about making car care easier for our customers," she explains.
Kim has been with Bridgestone/Firestone for almost seven years and has been a store manager for five. Interested in what appeared to be a worthy challenge, the CPA and former chief financial officer responded to our Central Houston District's classified ad for store manager candidates. She had no experience in the automotive services industry, just a desire for a good opportunity in an environment where she could have an impact.
As for impact, she says, "It's still a man's world" and Kim always enjoys seeing the looks on her customers' faces after they ask if they may please speak with the store manager. Once they get past the initial surprise, however, Kim says they really seem to respond to a woman. They generally lower their defenses and genuinely seem to trust her.
Kim is a native of the Chicago area and says horses brought her to Texas. Not literally, but when an opportunity to purchase a farm in Texas meant that she'd be able to stable her horses on her own property rather than someone else's, she jumped at the chance. She and her horses share the ranch with her husband and they six children.
Most days, though, you will find Kim behind the counter at her store. "What's in it for her?" The greatest reward for her efforts, Kim says, is "a happy customer." She takes great pride in letters sent by her customers, thanking Kim and the rest of her team for doing more than what was expected.
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