RVDA’s Fixed Operations Certification Week winds down Saturday. The week highlights fixed operations employees’ benefits to becoming certified.
RVDA said the certifications add knowledge and credibility to dealerships.
RVDA Fixed Operations Consultant Tony Yerman said he wants dealers and dealer employees to realize that training is available to help turn their jobs into careers.
“It is the old thing where you get a job at an RV dealership, starting out washing RVs. Next thing you know, you are fixing them. Next thing you know, you are telling everybody else how to do it,” Yerman said. “That does not necessarily mean that they know what to do and whether they know how to do it safely or not. They are just doing it.”
Yerman said with training, whether through the RV Technical Institute (RVTI) or the Mike Molino Learning Center, the RVDA provides “a basis for their career.”
RVDA offers five fixed operations certifications: service manager, service writer advisor, parts manager, part specialist and warranty administrator.
Yerman said fixed operations certifications are similar to RVTI certifications for service technicians.
“You have got your technicians that are doing the repairs. They have to have the knowledge of the equipment, what tools to use and how to use the tools,” Yerman said. “Somebody has to be there to coordinate those efforts with the concerns of the customer, the requirements of the manufacturers and dealing with the ownership to make sure that these departments are profitable.”
RVDA said the advantages of becoming certified during Fixed Operations Certification Week include a free one-year subscription to RV Fixed Operations Today magazine.
Employees certified this week are recognized in RVDA’s trade publications/website and brought into the Society for Certified RV Professionals.
Yerman said plaques, banners and other signage are available for dealerships to hang in their shops and/or departments to recognize their certified employees.
“The customer sees this, and it gives them more confidence because they know it is not just some person off the street. It is someone who knows what they are doing,” Yerman said. “These people are trained and they have been tested, so the customer can be confident that they know what they are doing with the vehicle that they are working on.”
RV Learning Center Education Director Ally Brown said interested dealerships can visit the RVDA Learning Center’s website for information.
“As dealership operations grow more complex, ongoing education becomes even more important,” Brown said. “Our programs are designed to help professionals stay current, improve performance and build sustainable careers in the RV industry.”
