The Cost of Training...and Why Some Shops Still Pay For It

In today's tough economic times, we have to prioritize where we invest our hard-earned cash. We recommend you invest your money in your business or, to be more precise, your future. The two most important investments are capital equipment and technician education. Many shops have antiquated structural realignment equipment (frame machines) and Resistance Spot Welding (RSW) equipment, or a general lack of modern equipment. Equipment upgrades are easy: Choose the proper equipment, pay for it and soon, you should see a return on your investment.

Because of the advancements in new steel usage and vehicle designs used in today's vehicles, most shop owners understand that their equipment purchased 20 some-odd years ago cannot properly repair these advanced construction vehicles. The one thing most shop owners do not understand is that investing in new equipment is only part of the solution. Remember: The most important "equipment" in the shop is the staff. Investing in yourself and your people is as important as upgrading outdated equipment. Still, many shop owners choose not to train. We often hear, "I can't have a tech out for that amount of days," "I can't have my techs at class during business hours, and they will not go at night unless I pay them," "If I pay for training, they'll leave me or want more money because now they are trained," "I just don't have the money," or "I don't need any training; I have been doing this for x years."

Excuses are ways for people to deny the truth that has been told to them. Ensuring your technicians are properly trained is probably the most important investment you can make. Training prevents mistakes through knowing and using the proper procedures. Efficiency and customer satisfaction increase when vehicles are completed on time and without comebacks. When technicians understand how to use the newer equipment and proper repair procedures correctly, success and increased business is almost assured.

Proper repairs ensure that the vehicle will react the way it was designed to in a subsequent collision event, which will ultimately protect your liability. Post Repair Inspections (PRI, better known as Quality of Repair Inspections or QRI) are becoming more and more prevalent as a customer service at many collision repair facilities.

Many of the QRIs require a forensic expert specializing in collision repair-related issues, while others only require a collision repair facility to make the corrective repairs. The difference is who is paying for the re-repairs and/or if this case will develop into litigation. Generally, QRIs that will wind up in court will require a forensic QRI and a lawyer, based on the money at stake. Conversely, if the insurance company agrees to pay for the re-repairs, a forensic QRI is generally not required.

Many Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) have developed specific training programs that cover a specific vehicle or the entire line of vehicles. Many of these courses require the technician to complete some of the training through computer-based training (CBT) or specific I-CAR classes (live or online) prior to attending one of the OEM hands-on courses. Most of the OEM programs require a sponsorship from your local dealership. Some of the courses are free, but you will be responsible for lodging and travel costs; others charge a fee to attend along with the lodging and travel costs. Mercedes Benz, Audi, Porsche, VW, BMW, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Toyota, Lexus, GM (Corvette Z06/ZR1) and Nissan (GT-R) are some of the OEMs that require a dealer sponsorship to attend their specific collision repair programs. GM, Chrysler, Ford and Volvo are some examples of OEMs that require no dealer sponsorship for attending their repair classes (the courses are conducted by I-CAR), but to become a "Certified" or "Authorized" repair facility, a dealer sponsorship is required. Some OEMs have restricted the replacement parts available to the general public and release those restricted parts only to repair facilities that have met the training and equipment requirements and are deemed "Certified" or "Qualified." Without those restricted parts, it is IMPOSSIBLE to repair that vehicle. Not knowing which vehicles and parts are restricted could be disastrous for the repair facility that attempted to repair that vehicle. Audi and Jaguar are two OEMs that restrict the sale of certain parts to non-certified repair facilities.

There are many training programs open to the collision industry that do not require a dealer sponsorship to attend. I-CAR offers a wide range of collision repair programs that cover all of the job positions in a collision repair facility. AMI offers managerial and estimating courses. Paint companies like DuPont, Akzo Nobel and PPG offer refinish, managerial and estimating courses. Mike Anderson of Collision Advice offers managerial, SOP and estimating courses. ASE offers testing for certification in Non-Structural Collision Repair, Structural Collision Repair, Mechanical/Electrical Repair, Collision Refinish Repair and Collision Damage Analysis. VeriFacts Automotive offers in-house coaching, quality control inspections, training clinics and a shop verification program. IACDA (International Association of Collision Damage Analysts) offers collision damage investigation, collision damage analysis, collision photography, Quality Repair Inspections and understanding estimate reports training and certification. P&L Consultants offers collision welding, Estimology, non-structural and structural repair and automotive metallurgy programs. As you can see, there are plenty of courses from which to choose.

You need to ask yourself, "Who do I need to send for training?" "When should I send them?" and, "How often do I send them?" You should first send yourself and your estimator(s), and then your structural repair technicians, followed by your non-structural repair technicians. The most effective choice would be to send everyone throughout the month as the courses are offered. Not sending your technicians to training classes could cost you twice as much as sending them. Technicians who do not want to go for training should be informed that they must, due to one or more of the following: Training is required to be employed at your facility, some of the Direct Repair Programs (DRP) that your shop is on require it, the OEM Program that your shop is on requires it or, my favorite one, "I own the shop. I make the rules and if you do not like it, you can leave and find out why there are wheels on a tool box!"

Hiring a consultant/coach is another good idea. Consultants like Collision Advice, P&L Consultants or VeriFacts can review your staff and their knowledge and give recommendations to what training programs you should attend, and how often.

Here are a few questions that might convince you that you or your technicians might need some training. (Rules: Do not look for the answers online until you answer them, but most will not be there. If you'd like, email me for the answers you cannot find):

• What type of material is required for the outer door panel replacement procedure on the 2010 VW Jetta?
• Where is the sectioning location on the lower front uni-rail of the 2010 Honda Accord?
• What is the strength of DP500?
• What does DP stand for?
• What types of substrates make up DP?
• Which Audi and Jaguar vehicles have restricted parts?
• Which vehicles require specific structural repair equipment?
• Which vehicles require special procedures prior to disconnecting the battery?
• What size hole does Mercedes Benz require when making a plug weld?

One other thing: Almost all of the answers to the above questions can be found at www.AlldataCollision.com. If you have Alldata, use it only after you attempt to answer the questions. If you do not have it...well, maybe you should get it.

Feel free to contact us at any time if you have any questions.