Tech skills intrinsic to successful repairs
Nine out of 10 motor industry professionals say technology skills will be a prerequisite for automotive technicians in the next 10 years.
This is according to research by CitNOW, which found that robotics (48%), remotely accessing and repairing software in cars (49%) and guided diagnostics (46%) were revealed as the most likely to become commonplace in the workshop over the next decade.
More than a third of industry professionals (34%) are also expecting the automated delivery of vehicles via autonomous driving to enter the workshop, which could have significant implications for customer relationships.
As the contact between technicians and customers changes, the use of personalised video to help establish regular remote touch-points and retain trust and transparency will be crucial for workshops and their customers.
Alistair Horsburgh, CitNOW CEO, commented, ‘Technology is revolutionising the workshop as we know it, and technicians need a set of skills stretching further than traditional mechanical know-how in order to match this change.
‘As the workshop develops, customer-friendly tools like personalised video will be crucial for workshops, fostering healthy customer relationships through transparency and trust and being able to visually explain the more complex work required.’
With 42% of workshop professionals highlighting the importance of hybrid and electrical vehicle know-how, technicians will need to be well-versed in EVs as well as technology within the workshop itself.
