Training / Education

Well-trained employees are safer, better prepared to deal with people, able to implement the latest technologies and always seeking performance improvement.

CARSTAR University Online, the first Internet-based training program in the collision repair industry, provides instant access to training and testing materials for general managers, customer service representatives, appraisers and office managers. Some of the online courses currently offered are:

• Office Administration,
• Bookkeeping,
• Customer Service,
• Parts Management and
• Cycle Time.

In addition to standardizing operations, CARSTAR University Online delivers four fundamental benefits:

• Immediacy. The system provides training and testing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
• Integrity. The electronic medium will ensure consistent training and testing. There will be no instructor variations; all CARSTAR associates will receive exactly the same information and material.
• Flexibility. CARSTAR can update the entire system instantly. This guarantees efficient, cost-effective roll-out of new training and testing materials.
• Efficiency. The Internet training program reduces or eliminates travel and seminar costs. It also allows CARSTAR franchisees and their staff to balance work and training without extended absences for out-of-town training classes.

Computerized components, air bag modules and advances in unibody construction make collision repairs more complex. At Concordia CARSTAR Collision , we continue to raise the bar for quality with ongoing certifications and training. In fact, Concordia CARSTAR Collision owners and staff must earn a required number of educational credits each year to retain their status in our organization. These courses include:

	Use of state-of-the-art equipment
	Learning the latest repair techniques
	Understanding insurance relations
	Technical skills training
	Improving customer service
	Enhanced administrative efficiency
	Improving production systems

Personal safety is a priority with Concordia CARSTAR Collision. Properly trained employees are better prepared for the rigors of this labour intensive industry. Personnel must be well prepared to work safely in the industrialized garage with its hydraulics, heavy equipment, solvents and hazardous materials. Concordia CARSTAR Collision has an excellent safety record, due in part to priority placed upon having a well-trained personnel.

Effective relations with clients, suppliers and industry officials are important to Concordia CARSTAR Collision's success. Concordia CARSTAR Collision personnel have received training in effective methods for politely and effectively working with all individuals, both in person and on the phone.

Technical competences both on the shop floor and in new computer applications are part of Concordia CARSTAR Collision's efforts. Training is provided for everything from the latest paint applications to the most modern computerized estimating software.

Concordia CARSTAR Collision also makes efforts to train industry officials about auto body industry. This year alone (2000) Concordia put on a seminar series that was endorsed by the Registered Insurance Brokers Association and was attended by approximately 150 industry personnel.

On-going training is a necessity in the collision repair industry. As vehicle design becomes more complex, repairing them requires more technical expertise than ever before. Today's cars are some of the safest and most efficient ever built. But they are also some of the most complicated.

In addition, Concordia CARSTAR Collision personnel are encouraged to participate in courses sponsored by the Inter-Industry Conference on Collision Repair (I-CAR).

I-CAR is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality, safety and efficiency of auto collision repair, for the ultimate benefit of the consumer.

Concordia CARSTAR Collision supports I-CAR and their commitment to improving standards in the industry. As the automobile industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace, training is essential to keep up with the technological advances. The I-CAR Gold Class designation helps to assure customers and insurance carriers that a facility's staff is trained in the latest techniques in collision repair.

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