Here are some suggestions to give the Mobile Electronics Certified Professional (MECP) program more muscle and to offer retailers more incentive to adopt it.
As we stated earlier this month, with new technology entering car audio, like advanced driver safety products, the aftermarket needs a robust certification program for installers to protect its ability to work on cars in the future.
Todd Ramsey who helps lead the MECP program suggested that suppliers offer better (longer-term) warranties for retailers who hire MECP certified installers. “The need for actual warranty is less when the installation is done correctly…So if the manufacturer is building a great product and it’s wiling to stand by the product with a two year warranty, why not make it 3 years if the install was done by an MECP tech,” said Ramsey.
Each MECP tech is assigned a license number that could be entered and verified by the supplier.
Second, those dealers with MECP techs could receive advanced replacement of return items. So instead of waiting for a defective product to be shipped back to the supplier, repaired and then returned, the supplier would issue a replacement part immediately. The reasoning is that with an MECP-certified tech, “The manufacturer could have a reasonable expectation that there really is some issue with the product,” Ramsey said.
A third suggestion involves remote starters. Suppliers get a lot of tech support calls in remote start season. But those techs with Advanced or Master MECP certification could get a special tech support line to avoid wait times. This might help the supplier too because the seasoned tech would call mainly about newer cars that aren’t covered by firmware and thereby helping the tech support department acquire knowledge about the newer car, said Ramsey.
There are currently about 3,500 MECP certified installers.
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Best Buy likely uses the MECP certification program for their installers as a defense against the potential for negligence claims in liability litigations that may occur. Perhaps they may have therefore convinced their insurance provider to offer a discounted rate.
TO BE SURE… MECP plays a negligible, if any, role in the rate of returned product from consumer to Best Buy and/or Best Buy to vendor.
Perhaps we can/should encourage the CTA (a significant lobbyist in Washington DC) to help lend some muscle to the MECP by advocating for (dare I say it…) government mandate/registration/regulation… With the advent of self driving cars and the associated risks, regulations, restrictions, challenges and opportunities; there WILL BE RULES that we will have to abide by and be subject to and/or victim of. Perhaps we could find a way to get out in front and the CTA could take a “regulatory” role.
One way or another RULES WILL BE IMPOSED by somebody. We ought to at least want to be a part of team writing the rules…
Another revealing discussion. MECP is a program that whether useful in teaching or not, a different conversation, is volunteer based in participation and not mandated by any sanctioning body recognized by consumers, the industry or anybody as being able to certify that because of this participation an individual or a business is a better or more reliable, or guaranteed or participates in an organized body that can provide remedy for wrong doing or incompetence. That said… MECP represents the start of an opportunity for installing retailers to differentiate from other retailers, suggest to consumers that the retailer pays attention to some installation standard and helps retailers to qualify potential staff. In its current state the MECP may not represent a perfect solution BUT used properly by a retailer IT IS a lot better than the available alternatives. We have three choices…
ONE: Use and improve the current MECP mechanism
TWO: Do something different that is positive for individual retailers and the industry at large
THREE: Complain
the mecp certs do not have the “tools” knowledge wise to work at my shop to do more than sweep the floor. same with former best buy “install managers”. I have let them go rather than retrain them.
Hold on here, I disagree with this quite fiercely. I’ve heard from multiple sources that Best Buy generates more returns with “no problem found” than anyone else. But they’re all MECP! So how is that possible? Could it be that having a patch stuck on your arm actually does not always create an actual better tech in the real world?
Not at all true Luke. “I’ve heard.(fill in urban myth)…….” is not fact-based. And be sure to clarify in any statements you make that returns of product by consumers is something else than actual installation-based returns/warranties. Those are two very different items.
If Best Buy, Car Toys or other independent retailer employers who broadly support MECP certification for their technicians were not seeing cost savings or residual benefits on other aspects of their business (such as reduction in damage claims or lack of employee turnover), they wouldn’t be doing it.
You may not individually be a candidate for supporting or even acknowledging MECP certification, but the industry-at-large has many opportunities to provide career development for technicians and consumer awareness that will continue to provide growth opportunities to installing retailers. This is the bigger picture.
That is because they (best buy) have their oun “MECP” test. It about like a kindergarten entrance test…
Also not at all true. Best Buy has their own internal practice exams, which are the very same as MECP practice exams available at MECP.com – Best Buy licenses the use of them from MECP. As far as testing, all of their folks go through the same testing process as anyone else taking MECP exams. The rampant urban myth is completely untrue. It’s a shame people in the industry would be so short sighted as to buy into those myths.
It bears repeating as well – MECP has three levels of certification: Basic, Advanced and Master. The Basic level of certification has no experience prerequisite. It’s intended to be an entry-level, apprentice-like credential. Just saying “MECP test” without clarifying a level is a little bit ambiguous. MECP Advanced and Master levels are more experience-based credentials and what the basis of this article were about.
A mobile test facility could be a great idea to be able to reach everyone.
One thing that MECP could do to help shops get their techs certified is to make the testing a little easier. For example, our shop is 3 hours away from the only testing facility in our entire state. I understand that we can reach out to our local schools or libraries to help proctor the exam, but that can be a challenge in itself finding out who the right person is to talk to about this. I know it would be tough, but it would be nice if MECP could do some of this for us. I don’t want to sound like the owner that is too busy to do this, but I am. As most owners, I am doing hiring, promotions, managing, bookkeeping, sales and in some cases installs. I don’t have time to sit on the phone for 30-60 minutes trying to figure out who to talk to about setting up testing. I want my guys to be certified. It’s just a struggle making this happen due to time.
Many sales reps who already call on independent retailer shops are actually MECP proctors as well. That’s an ideal situation to engage that resource. And if a rep is not already a proctor, it’s a very easy process for a willing rep to get set up by emailing [email protected] to request getting on board.
To view the current proctor listing, head over to MECP.com or go right to the listing (link to: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OCyC41hLD9NHlaQurzJiWmWzFZZwlZjcujwA_EsZOhA/edit#gid=0)