Is training garages partly the responsibility of the supplier?
As vehicles get ever more complex, do parts suppliers and factors have a responsibility to train garages about the systems that use parts that they sell?
Brian Sanders, Buisness Support Manager at Tenneco says that they do. “We do indeed encourage training throughout the industry, and since its launch in 2007 Tenneco has actually delivered education to 360,000 trainees. Our trainings actively cover technical aspects of our products in both the Ride Performance and Clean Air categories as well as providing soft skills such as sales and negotiation, presentation and communication skills”.
Taking a slightly different angle, Yvette Koehorst from air suspension maker Arnott Europe says: “Arnott believes it’s shared responsibility. We actively try to educate the garage owners and mechanics, especially because replacing air suspension is seen as ‘complicated’ which is not the case” she says. “Anyone that can replace a normal shock absorber can replace air suspension. For example, we have created a ‘tips and trick’ and a ‘most common made mistakes’ sheet which we will also be distributing at Automechanika Birmingham as well”.
VALUABLE INFO
Kevin Price, a Manager at ZF Aftermarket is of the belief that manufacturers cannot provide enough information to garages. “We have long advocated making our technical information freely available to the garages” he says. “If we and other OE quality manufacturers don’t do this, then eventually the IAM business model will collapse. Contradicting the ethos of block exemption, this would limit customer choice and force drivers towards the more expensive main dealer – whether they wanted to or not; as they would be the only ones with the ability and the money to cater for the new and emerging technological system environments in which the components operate.”
“Suppliers must also play their part in ensuring that the manufacturer messages and available resources are passed on in an unbiased way to the garages,” Price adds. “Their business model is such that they have the biggest access to the garages and the means to inf luence decision making”.
For all of this, Price believes that it will ultimately always be the garage owners who will decide how well their workforce are trained. “The garages should take advantage of the training available and embrace it as a vital investment in order to remain competitive and future proof their business” he says.”Of course, this can be difficult in terms of time off versus labour needed to complete the jobs won – and this is where online and remote training comes into its own”.
On that subject, Price’s firm offers a subscription-based workshop concept called ‘Pro Tech’. This allows garages who have joined the scheme access to a number of short courses and training modules. “The courses have a strong practical emphasis that complements the theory, and are continuously updated in line with ZF’s development in its chosen areas of driveline, chassis and steering” explains Price. “The course content ranges from assembly, repair and servicing of power steering units and clutches, to the trouble-shooting of 6HP and 8HP automatic transmissions and torque converters. The modules include the detailed specifics of popular passenger cars sold across the defined markets”.
Arnott’s Koehorst says that her firm has also put some training resources online. “For a growing number of products we also have installation videos where mechanics can literally see step-by-step how a replacement should be done. Most of our products are made as ‘plug & play’ solution so that with the guidance of the manual, any mechanic is able to replace the worn down air suspension part” she says. “Additionally they can always email or call us for technical assistance”.
Tenneco’s Sanders explains that his firm has put its training materials into an online portal, where customers can access all the content in one place. “It is called TADIS (Technicians Advanced Digital Information System) and you can find technical bulletins, fitting instructions, technical videos, and comprehensive product support and cataloguing in one place” he explains.
It seems that these technical resources are more than just added value as they offer useful advice for technicians, which should encourage repeat business and fewer non-faulty returns – plus of course, a nation of delighted motorists. Now isn’t that something we could all subscribe to?
Go to comments