Technician Training — Separating the Best Shops From the Rest

Episode Description

This week, we welcome Jill Trotta, Vice President/GM, Industry, Sales, and Certification at RepairPal to the podcast. We talk about how the best-in-class shops are providing their technicians with regular training to ensure they’re staying up-to-date on the latest technology in the industry. We also discuss where shops can find training opportunities for their technicians, how to prioritize different types of training, and how to measure the ROI of technician training.

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Episode Highlights

The Importance of Prioritizing Technician Training

Shops need to be investing in technician training. If they’re not, they won’t be around much longer.
Well-trained technicians provide credibility in a shop, and it’s important to showcase that knowledge and value.
The industry is advancing rapidly and constantly changing. It’s crucial that technicians learn the new technology, and perform the repairs right the first time.

“The training that a technician has to do today to be successful is akin to a masters degree…”

Jill Trotta, Vice President/GM, Industry, Sales, and Certification, RepairPal

How to Stay on Top of Technician Training

Create a training plan that is going to keep you organized, and stay on top of past and future training opportunities.
Partner with training programs that will help you maintain a training schedule.
Consistently evaluate employees’ training gaps and create action plans to fill them.

“The dynamic of the industry is changing by the hour. It feels like it is changing so fast.”

Jay Goninen, Co-Founder & President, WrenchWay

The Impact of Training on a Shop

Fixing a car correctly the first time will gain you a lifetime customer.
The best shops are the ones where technicians are going above and beyond to learn on their own.

“The ones [shops] that don’t prioritize training are not going to be around… If that doesn’t hit home, I don’t know what else will.”

Jay Goninen, Co-Founder & President, WrenchWay

Where to Look For Technician Training Opportunities

Shops can look into larger conference training events to stay up to date on the advances in the industry:
- Vision
- SPX
- NAPA Expo
Regularly take time to do online training, as it has become a lot more interactive and a cheaper option.
Sit down and have really honest evaluations of the skill gaps to figure out what needs to be improved.