OFF THE SHELF
OUTDATED TERMINOLOGY IS HURTING OUR INDUSTRY’S POTENTIAL See why adopting the right vocabulary boosts morale, and business. By Bob Greenwood, AMAM
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hange is a concept that appears to be difficult for this industry to embrace. But, if we refuse to change, it’s impossible to evolve and succeed in the new aftermarket that’s inevitably on its way. For businesses to prosper financially, jobbers should have a strategic business plan in place for their day-to-day operations. The terminology that continues to be used to describe the work that shop owners do could use a bit of a tune up, especially when it comes to reinventing a professional image in a profession that’s been inundated with stereotypes. Here’s an example: somebody who expertly diagnoses a vehicle and re-aligns them with OE specifications is no longer a licensed mechanic, but instead, a licensed diagnostic technician. This is an individual who possesses an incredibly 12
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high level of diagnostic capabilities and theoretical knowledge. They spend a tremendous amount of time undergoing new training every month in to take their skillset to the next level. Perhaps, one day soon, the role of the licensed diagnostic technician will evolve to a diagnostic engineer, as that’s the degree of competency required to keep up with our industry, as technology keeps pushing forward. Mechanics are out, and technicians are in, and the terminology that distinguishes the two must be clearly stated moving forward. Referring to an individual as an “installer” is another outdated job description that must go. Although it’s frequently used by a large majority of the manufacturing, WD, and jobber sectors of this industry, it’s an old-fashioned term that simply doesn’t measure up to the true nature of business done today.
