Why aftermarket techs are also factory trained ones

A technician who has received training directly from a vehicle manufacturer — whether it be a class or by reading an OE book — is considered a factory-trained tech as far as a shop coach and owner is concerned.

A selling point among dealers is they will advertise that their technicians have been trained by the vehicle manufacturer and so they are the only ones who should be working on a customer’s vehicle.

But, Jeremy O’Neal of AdvisorFix pointed out, the same book a technician uses to learn about fixing BMWs, for example, is the same book a tech learning in a BMW-controlled environment is learning from.

“Do you have technicians here who are taking BMW classes?” he asked at the recent Worldpac Supplier and Training Expo in Nashville. “Do you know that that material came from BMW North America, that the books they get are the same that the technicians at BMW get? So your tech is actually getting factory BMW training.”

With dealers coming after more aftermarket business, shop owners need to step up and protect their business. And if automakers are going to push on the fact that their dealer techs are the only ones who can fix their brand’s vehicles, the industry needs to fight back on that narrative.

It was part of a discussion centred around the fact that dealers are moving more into the aftermarket space and this sector can’t rely just on price to be the differentiator.

In fact, price is essentially even in many cases, said the former service advisor of Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche dealers. He’s quizzed customers about why they go to the dealer over an independent shop and he’s been told that the price was basically the same and they thought they’d get better service and parts at the dealership.

“So here’s the biggest challenge with the cost thing: If we’re going to be competing with the dealership, how are we better than that?” he asked during the session, The Essential Laws of The Profitable Shop Manager.

Speed of service is one area where the aftermarket can be better. Warranties were another suggestion from O’Neal. If BMW is offering two years warranty on their vehicles, then a shop specializing in those vehicles should offer three.

“If I offer it on brakes, is that a better warranty than BMW?” he asked. “Might have to warranty some brake jobs — very, very, very few. Maybe 10 or 15 per cent.”

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