Jobber Hosted DriveClean Clinic Attracts Strong Crowd

More than 140 technicians and shop owners attended a clinic on Ontario’s new DriveClean testing procedure hosted by Paste Auto Parts.

The Bestbuy Distributors shareholder, located in Toronto’s northwest, brought the CARS OnDemand training organization in to deliver the training session, which focused on diagnosing OBD II system readiness flags. Trainer Will Carcone kept the attention of the technicians for nearly two hours, presenting diagnostic issues and taking questions.

The DriveClean emissions testing program moved from a tailpipe emissions test to an OBD II based diagnostic regimen on January 1 of this year.

Paste Auto Parts owner Jacob Yako says it was not an easy event to organize but was important for the technicians.

“It wasn’t easy to put this event together. The reason is that no one is doing any good clinics. So many clinics are just about one company just about sales. Not ours. We need the installers to find out what they’re missing in our automotive industry. All I wanted is to show our installers we are still here to look after them. Most jobbers are fighting over price. I’m fighting over education.”

Yako says there are so many changes in automotive technology it is important to work to keep technician and shop owners current.

“Technology has changed year after year and even though many of our installers have over 20 years of experience, they don’t have the time to study. They need to look how much they have missed in only a few years of automotive technology.”

Yako says that the CARS OnDemand organization said it was the biggest attendance for a jobber clinic they had ever been part of. And, says Yako, the feedback from customers has been great.

“From 7:30 a.m. the next day the phone was ringing with great comment from our installers.” One of the installer said ‘Thank you so much for the showing us how much you care for a smaller shops.’ Others told us it was the best clinic they have ever been to and have asked us to do more.”

Yako says that other jobbers can learn from his experience that it pays to invest in customers.

“It is not about price; it is all about what can you do to be different from others. “