Episode Description

In this week’s episode of Beyond the Wrench, Loren Meija, BMW Technician, MBI Motors joined us to give his perspective on how technicians are different, what the future of the industry looks like, and pain points within the industry.

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Technician Differences

  • All technicians have different interests and hobbies. Just because they enjoy working on cars, doesn’t mean they will have similar interests outside of working on cars.
  • A lot of technicians get into this career because working on cars is a hobby for them. It’s important to step out of your comfort zone to find different hobbies and not have this career become your whole life.
  • There are different opinions on being called a mechanic or a technician. Most people look at a mechanic as someone who is great under the car and a technician as someone who is great at diagnostics.

Future of the Industry

  • Some technicians get worried about the future of the industry because of the advancement of electric vehicles. Those cars still break and will always need repairs. Technicians will have to adapt to the changes happening in the industry.
  • The shift in technology is going to change the way people look at technicians and the automotive industry. People are leaning towards the job title “technician” because of the technology coming into the industry.
  • Training is an investment and something technicians always need to stay on top of in the future.

Pain Points in the Industry

  • Pain points can change depending on your role or position in the industry. An A-level technician won’t have the same problems as a C-level technician.
  • Offer technicians appropriate benefits so they can take care of themselves and their families.
  • The service department, front-end, and shop all need to be looked at in the same way and work as a collective ecosystem. Techs are professionals just like everyone else in the shop and need to be treated that way.
  • We need to make our industry just as desirable as someone who wants to go develop apps for Google. It’s going to change the market because you’re going to be pulling in that talent. That’s the type of people we need in the automotive industry.
  • In order to move forward in the industry, we have to get these problems out on the table and start talking about the issues.

Show Notes

Resources:

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About Our Host:

Jay Goninen
Co-Founder & President, WrenchWay
jayg@wrenchway.com | 608.716.2122

About Our Guest:

Loren Meija
BMW Technician, MBI Motors
mejialoren@gmail.com

Sponsor:

RepairPal: RepairPal connects consumers with certified trustworthy repair shops. RepairPal’s network of over 2,700 shops nationwide undergoes a rigorous certification process to ensure they are high quality. If you are interested in working or getting your car serviced at a trusted shop in RepairPal’s certified shop network, check out their directory of auto shops at repairpal.com.

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