Growing up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, David Skrenes learned basic automotive repair skills but never envisioned it would impact his career here in the Region more than a decade later. Today, he serves as Assistant Manager and Service Advisor at Levin Tire & Service Center in Highland.
Prior to joining the Levin Tire team, the father of three spent nearly a decade in the restaurant industry as a manager. In 2019, Skrenes sought a career change, and that April marked the leap to something new.
“I was really looking for a career that would make better use of my talents, along with my staff management experience,” Skrenes said. “I wanted something more hands-on where I could see my own progress through the work I do on a day-to-day basis, as I do with my position at Levin Tire.”
Skrenes began his career at Levin Tire as a service advisor. Although the automotive repair industry was new territory for him professionally back then, Skrenes knew his management and customer service experience would help earn him this new opportunity.
“I fell in love with the staff, the atmosphere, and the culture. This company has been around for more than 100 years, and in that time they have put together a well-established structure for the people who work here,” he said. “I had some baseline knowledge of cars, but for this position, your number one skill is interpersonal communication. You need to be able to make the customer the number one priority, and reassure them that what we’re suggesting is the best thing for them and their vehicle.”
The first two weeks of Skrenes’ new career at Levin Tire included vigorous training on automotive repair from the best at Levin Tire.
“After that, I spent a lot of time in the shop with the company’s master technicians, learning the ins and outs of the shop and really refining my automotive repair knowledge,” he said.
Skrenes’ thirst for success has played a vital part in his success at the company, leading him to his current assistant manager position.
“When I first started here, my automotive knowledge was very limited and the guys at the counter were great at teaching and sharing their knowledge with me. Now, I can talk the talk when it comes to repairing vehicles,” he said.
Skrenes is committed to providing unmatched customer service to each client.
“We need to make sure the customer knows they’re more than just that. We’ve built relationships and fixed their parents’ or grandparents’ vehicles,” Skrenes said. “We’re fortunate to be part of that aspect of their life. If they’re new to us, then we want them to know that we’ll treat them as part of our family and build that rapport.”
To learn more about the service that Skrenes and his team provide in Highland, or the services available at any Levin Tire & Service Center visit website, or call 1(800)-475-5005.
