Orca Design & Manufacturing, which markets high end car audio brands such as Focal, Mosconi, Gladen and Illusion, has become the first supplier to provide large scale MECP (Mobile Electronics Certified Professional) assistance for its retailers.
Orca announced it will provide MECP study guides and cover exam fees for one employee at each retailer.
The exam fees will be reimbursed once the installer achieves MECP certification.
Once an installer is MECP certified that retailer will get a special icon on Orca’s consumer web site, which may help drive traffic to the retailer.
A set of Focal headphones will also be awarded to the installer who achieves Advanced or Master level MECP certifications.
To qualify for free MECP study guides (total of 4 books), retailers must place a product order with Orca for $3,000. The study guides will ship from Orca with the order.
Orca says it launched the program, effective December 1, to help retailers train and retain qualified installers. And it believes MECP training will help skilled installers further their career and remain in the 12 volt industry.
“Orca endeavors to be part of a comprehensive solution to help retailers retain and grow talented installation technicians. We believe the future for car audio is presenting and selling high value, high profit products to customers that appreciate and expect high quality. To do that with success retailers need capable and motivated technicians…” it said.
Retailers should consult their reps for more information.
For more information on MECP visit http://www.mecp.com/Downloads.aspx
The MECP program is run by the Consumer Technology Association (formerly the Consumer Electronics Association), which recently changed its name to embrace the growing number of technology companies that are not necessarily consumer electronics companies (BMW, Uber, Netflix).
I think you guys are missing the point or maybe I worded it wrong. It would seem more beneficial if more manufacturers got behind MECP and made it part of their warranty programs. Right now, MECP holds very little value to the end user as there isn’t much support for it at a retail level, at least in my area anyway. I’m saying everyone needs to get behind it and make it more valuable. If manufacturers really feel that it has value then they should provide the training and assist with certifications of their dealers. I’m no saying do it for free or provide it to all dealers but how about working with dealers in good, long term standings? Offering it to a dealer that spends a certain amount of money makes it just seem like a sales gimmick rather than what it should really be. Kind of like Kenwood’s Excelon line. It’s supposed to be for the specialty retailer but really it’s just for the dealers that spend the most money.
Matt, I would ask that you reach out to your Regional Orca Representative that handles your account, and voice this, I am sure between them and Orca some type of reasonable agreement could be made in your situation so you can achieve this higher level of expertise with MECP. Let me know If I could help.
Matt, Your observations are understood… BUT a retailer’s purchase decision (not what a manufacturer FORCES him to buy) should be based on over all long term value. If a brand delivers a predictable benefit, over a longer period of time to helps strengthen a retailer’s relationship with his consumer that is a good thing. It is true that $3K might be a significant commitment to inventory. A retailer’s opportunity (responsibility) is to consider what other inventory could that $3K be better invested in as regards building, keeping, and defending the long term profitable relationship with the consumer, which I contend is the only real asset a retailer owns. If you truly feel the ORCA/MECP idea is a good one, I bet between you and the guys at ORCA you can figure a way to participate successfully. Adds value to your long term profitable relationship with your consumers, does not kill your cash flow, and makes ORCA comfortable that their investment in you, pays off for them too…
As much as I like to see manufacturers getting behind something like MECP why force a dealer to purchase your product. If they are already a dealer and you are truly behind and supporting MECP then provide this option to dealers in good standing AND add it to your warranty requirements. I’d like to see more manufacturers do something like this but don’t use it as leverage to sell products. $3k may not sound like much to a lot of dealers but for a smaller dealer with only a few employees that size order can often be hard to swallow all at once.
Congrats to the folks at ORCA. What a brilliant idea! Hopefully other vendors will follow suit. Consumers need to know the benefit of having their vehicle worked on by a retailer that has MECP certified installers on staff.
MECP / ORCA = partners for success!
Fought for this all year- Orca was the first to step up and support our brick and mortar dealers!
BRAVO !!! To the guys at ORCA. Having an MECP certificate for an individual and/or his employer cannot be a bad thing. Improved and/or confirmed skills & knowledge. An opportunity to set one’s self apart from the masses. An opportunity for the retailer to establish a standard that most of his competition can’t meet. It a good thing.