ASA training moves west with late July dates

The Automotive Service Association (ASA) has announced it will host three Service Information Workshops in Arizona. The free workshops will be held July 29 in Glendale at the Residence Inn Phoenix Glendale; July 30 in Tucson at the Tucson Marriott University Park; and July 31 in Mesa at the Courtyard Phoenix Mesa. The workshops are designed to educate shop owners and technicians about the availability of service information to automotive repair shops.

“I have been in touch with several repair shop owners and technicians in Arizona, and I have found that there is a pretty wide gap in experience using service information,” says Donny Seyfer, co-owner of Seyfer Automotive, an ASA-member shop in Wheatridge, Colo., and instructor for the upcoming Arizona workshops. “My goal is to bring information that will be helpful to techs just learning to make use of the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) and automaker Web sites. At the same time, I believe the examples I plan to share will also be new information for experienced techs and owners.”

The educational agenda includes discussions on computers and Internet resources available to access service information; manufacturer and third-party Web sites; diagnostic tools that may assist in handling a repair most efficiently; and the role of NASTF. Attendees are encouraged to ask questions to address specific service information issues they have experienced. When space and equipment are available, these meetings may also include the opportunity for attendees to view a live vehicle reprogramming demonstration. Attendees are also eligible to participate in drawings for training videos and subscriptions to OEM service information Web sites.

ASA believes the current voluntary, industry-supported service information process protects independent repairers and consumers by allowing them access to the same information available to manufacturers and dealers. These workshops are part of ASA’s efforts to educate shop owners and technicians about current systems and how they can manage the many service information options available to them.

Additional workshops are scheduled for North Carolina, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Nevada and Florida. For specific dates, locations and times, visit www.ASAshop.org/KEYS.