Advancements in both the technology and materials in new vehicles have continued to accelerate, making collision repairs more complex than ever before. This, in turn, puts more responsibility on collision repair facilities to self-manage the changes. Insurers, OEMs, and fleet partners are also relying on the shop owners to keep their team up to date with the latest training to ensure they are following proper and safe repair procedures.
OEM certifications have also gained more attention in industry headlines through the last few years. While all facilities need to adhere to OEM guidelines to ensure a safe and quality repair, earning manufacturer certifications helps body shops set themselves a part by showing insurers, OEMs, fleet partners, and customers that they know how to provide the most up to date and correct repair. In addition, the OEM certifications allow the staff of the collision repair facility to feel confident that they can handle any repair that comes through their doors.
As a result of this, Fix Auto USA provides training and educational resources for it’s network of owner-operators. This allows the facilities and their employees to maintain stellar relationships with industry partners, provide the best quality of service to its customer, and attract new business into their facilities.
These different certifications are quickly being updated and renewed to keep up with new advancements in vehicles. Managing these changes can be overwhelming. This is why Fix Auto USA has a dedicated team that supports the network of owner-operators with their OEM certifications from on-boarding to certification renewal. The support team works directly with the OEM program contacts, provides additional training opportunities, offers internal resources for OEM certified programs, and much more.
Aside from OEM certifications, there are other accreditations shops can attain to show customers that they are equipped to complete the best possible repair. One of the most well-known and sought-after is the I-CAR Gold Class certification. To become I-CAR Gold, the I-CAR team provides training to help educate shops on how to perform safe repairs. The training pulls information from varying aspects of the collision repair industry to teach shops different processes, helping them stay true to their commitment to providing safe repairs. Another benefit of becoming I-CAR Gold is that many OEM programs require the I-CAR Gold Class certification, so it helps kickstart your OEM certification process.
Being actively involved with the I-CAR committee, Fix Auto USA can offer its facilities additional guidance to help reach the I-CAR Gold status. The Fix Auto USA network of operations coaches offer franchisee owners guidance as they have experience going through the process. This experience allows them to be a great, on-hand resource to aid in the certification process, among many other facets of the industry the operations coaches aid in.
The training opportunities are just a few of the premier network’s resources accessible to those who franchise with Fix Auto USA. Owner-operators have access to educational resources, operational coaches, and peer support from other owners – helping them drive solutions for varying industry challenges. Visit fixautousa.com to learn more or complete this form if you are interested in franchising with Fix Auto USA.
