This fall, I-CAR has a new offering for body shops. “It’s a grand slam,” says Rita DeHoyos, Lead Associate, Product Management.
DeHoyos was one of the primary architects of the exciting new launch of the Get to Gold Class package from I-CAR. Intended as a customized training package for shops as they work toward Gold Class recognition, the Get to Gold Class package offers training assessments and curriculum for the shop, including (but certainly not limited to) I-CAR’s industry-leading Hands-On Skills Development™ courses as well as the Steel Welding Training and Certification course.
“It’s designed as a twelve-month plan, but shops will have the opportunity to achieve Gold Class faster than that,” DeHoyos notes. “A spotlight benefit about this package is that it’s a customized and guided experience; if I’m a shop owner who wants to achieve Gold Class, I can purchase this package and our system will evaluate what your shop needs based on its technicians’ training history. It will package everything together, provide a price, and will be one transaction in the shopping cart.”
I-CAR even offers a discount for shops dependent on the payment terms selected, pay in full or monthly, similar to other payment options shops may be used to for running their business, easing the immediate burden on the budget.
What’s in the Get to Gold Class Package?
The package includes I-CAR’s In-Shop Knowledge Assessment™. I-CAR will send an Assessor to the shop to evaluate technicians’ ProLevel® 1 knowledge; should they pass the verbal test, they’ll test out of that portion of the training, offering time savings and an accelerated timeline to reach Gold Class. The package also includes all the live, online and virtual courses that the shop needs to reach Gold Class, including location-level courses which are theory courses from the Electrical/Diagnostic and Mechanical roles, “key components to complete, safe and quality repairs,” according to DeHoyos.
"Another big win is the welding needs for the structural technician are included in the package,” DeHoyos says.
“ProLevel 2 is the new requirement for Gold Class, so if any structural technicians need that, it’s included as well as the two skills courses needed; packaging it all together helps take the work out of the buying process; we evaluate for them.”
A Trained Technician in Every Shop
Part of I-CAR’s vision is to help collision centers across the country provide the safest, most efficient repairs possible. To that end, the Get to Gold Class package helps them do that, especially in the COVID era. “This bundled package will offer the option to pay over 12 months and really open the door to achieve Gold Class,” DeHoyos notes.
She sees three primary realms of improvement in shop efficiencies: employee retention, ROI and cycle time. Some technicians tend to fight training, but DeHoyos is confident the I-CAR style and substance truly helps build long-term knowledge and skills. “The more we focus on educating employees and giving their teams the repair knowledge and skills they need, the more responsible, profitable and valuable they’ll be in the repair market,” she says.
As for ROI and cycle time, that’s a happy side result of Gold Class recognition; as assessors help identify paths to Gold Class, technicians can bolster the blank spots in their skill sets. Assessors are well-rounded candidates who understand front-of-the-shop processes as well as what happens on the shop floor, offering the 10,000-foot-view for what every shop needs.
DeHoyos says I-CAR is committed to building positive relationships through customized service; nothing about the Get to Gold Class package is one-size-fits-all. The customized package quote is specific to each shop depending upon its needs, and the packaged price is specific to each shop’s training history; what works for one will not necessarily work for the next. Different shops have different needs, and I-CAR is ready to help.
“We value the face-to-face relationship and that starts with the on-site presence of the assessors,” she continues. “We’re a trusted advisor to these shops, and once a shop purchases the Get to Gold Class package, we’ll assign them a dedicated Customer Care Representative who will be with them the whole way through. Achieving Gold Class could also open the door to Direct Repair Programs or OEM networks.”
No matter where your shop is, training for the future is something to consider today. Click here to learn more about how I-CAR’s new Get to Gold Class package can change the way you do business.
