18 Pros and Cons of Working for O'Reilly Auto Parts

O’Reilly Auto Parts is the second largest car parts dealer in the United States, with almost 5,600 stores.

The company has a lot of stores around big cities like Houston, Dallas, and Jacksonville.

The company caters to both backyard mechanics, do-it-yourself people, as well as professional automotive businesses.

You need a basic knowledge of automobiles, but there’s room to move up in a career with this company.

It has a reputation for being an easy, low-stress type of job.

You need to have an interest in cars, and the company offers a lot of training for employees.

Pros of working at O’Reilly Auto Parts

1. Variety of jobs

You could work inside a store, stocking shelves, counter sales, or customer service.

There are also parts delivery positions, and there are part warehouses that need people.

You can try out other jobs while you are on one job.

Stores have some flexibility with jobs, and you could also work part-time in most of them.

There are 77,000 or more employees in the company.

2. Advancement opportunities

The company likes to promote from within, so with a good work record, you can move up the ladder with this company.

You could start out part-time, then go full-time, and finally move to management.

There are also levels of management, such as managing a store or a group of stores.

You could move into managing a distribution center, or work up the corporate ladder.

3. Learn about cars

It helps if you know a little about cars when you start, but you will learn a lot about cars while dealing with customers all day.

You will learn things like how to install battery or windshield wipers.

A part of the job is keeping up with the latest automotive developments, which could be interesting and fun.

Learning how cars work could also be fun and useful in many other job situations.

Knowing about autos can also help you with your own car.

4. Good first job

Working retail at an auto parts store would be a good first job for someone either in high school or just finishing high school.

You would learn a lot about cars, but you would also learn a lot about the retail business in general.

There would be a lot of opportunities to work with people as well.

Many of the things you would do in this job would transfer to other types of jobs easily.

5. Employee discounts

Car repairs are expensive, and parts are expensive if you want to do some things yourself.

Employees get a discount on parts of all kinds, which is like making a little extra money.

Employees get between 15 and 30 percent off on parts.

There are also partner programs where employees get additional discounts with other businesses.

While working there you may learn how to do some things on your own car yourself.

6. Good benefits package

Full-time employees are offered good benefits, like health insurance, and flexible spending accounts for health care.

They have a 401K program, as well as a stock purchase program that employees may utilize.

Education assistance is also available in some cases.

Paid time off is given based on the amount of time employed.

7. Helping people

If you enjoy working with the public, this could be a good job.

Part of the adventure is helping people solve problems.

They may not know what part they need, and you can help them figure it out.

There is a feeling of accomplishment when you help someone solve a problem.

Interaction with customers can be fun if you like working with people.

You can also learn to use some basic diagnostic equipment on cars.

8. Low stress

While there may be an irate customer from time to time, working at O’Reilly Auto Parts is a low-stress job.

There is no deadline pressure.

You can take as long as you need to find the needed part.

There is normally no pressure to do a certain amount of work, just help people find the parts they need for their cars.

Some report a relatively laid-back atmosphere.

9. There is variety

While there is not a lot of stress, there can be something new almost every day.

Automobiles are continually evolving, and you will always need to be learning about new parts or new systems and how they operate.

Customers will come in with unique problems that you can help solve.

It is a fairly easy laid-back job, but there are enough new things to keep it interesting.

Cons of working at O’Reilly Auto Parts

1. Working with the public

This is both a plus and a minus, depending on your personality.

It can be fun to help customers, but you have to put up with difficult customers as well.

Keeping a professional demeanor with someone yelling at you can be hard to do.

Those things are rare, but they do happen.

Working with the public can be fun, but it can also be irritating when they are difficult to deal with.

2. High expectations

Often, a person who is looking for a part is in crisis mode and may be in a very bad mood.

They may expect you to know exactly what they need and how to do the job they want to do.

For the most part, this is a low-pressure job, but sometimes customers have unrealistic expectations.

Knowing, or learning, how to deal with difficult people will be a key in this job.

3. Bad bosses and fellow employees

A lot depends on the people you are around.

A lot of people like relationships with their bosses and fellow employees, but if you happen to get stuck with a bad one, it can be a bad situation.

If you happen to fall in with a bad crew, the job could present some miserable working conditions.

Some auto parts stores have managers who are not highly skilled leaders.

4. Limited time off

There are five or six paid holidays, and you get days off depending on how long you have been with the company.

It takes more than a year to earn one week of vacation.

The benefits package is good, but a lot of people have complained about the lack of days off or vacation available.

You may have to use vacation days if you get sick, which is another drawback.

5. Long hours at times

Certain times of the year have longer working hours. In many operations, overtime is mandatory, which helps with the pay but can wreak havoc with your personal life.

Many reviews say there is a lot of overtime required, and some stories do not have set hours for employees.

Depending on the individual store, the hours can be negative if you are full-time.

6. Feeling overwhelmed

The one big unknown is how many customers you will have, and how many will show up at the same time.

The job is relatively easy, and there is not a lot of stress, but when a lot of people show up at the same time, you will feel shorthanded.

This may not happen every day, but it can still be hard to handle.

It is probably the only time that the stress level rises at the store, and it can be better if you have good leadership.

7. Mediocre pay

A lot depends on the area, the job, and the individual store, but a lot of people complain that the pay is not great.

It seems to be about average for auto parts stores, and some start out at minimum wage.

The benefits are solid, but especially at the entry level, the pay is not better than any other entry-level job.

The pay scale also does not move up rapidly.

Other national auto parts stores have a better pay scale.

8. Uniform

O’Reilly Auto Parks does have a dress code, and some operations and jobs require uniforms.

They are not terribly expensive but you have to pay for them, and they may be deducted from your paycheck.

This can vary widely from store to store, as some only require a certain colored shirt or pants, but either way, you will have to buy your own clothing to work there.

The downside of a uniform, of course, is that you cannot wear it anywhere else.

9. Hours are not flexible

Like many entry-level jobs, the hours are not usually flexible.

Stores run on the fewest number of people possible, so it may be hard to get days off when you are needed for work.

If the store gets busy, you may be expected to keep working even if your time to leave has passed.

You may have to be willing to adjust days off as well.