A recent post on iATN brought this to mind. The writer was discussing ASE certification from a shop owner's perspective, but his thoughts apply here, too. He wrote, "I look at ASE as only a test for minimum competence...to help separate someone who might be a real mechanic from the backyard DIY." The public is learning that a backyard mechanic can't really do much anymore. When a warning light glows on the instrument panel, few people expect an amateur to have "the machine" that can read the code or turn off the light. And since simply adjusting tire pressure can turn on a warning light, people are beginning to realize they need a pro for just about everything. (Warning lights truly are becoming what some techs call "money lights.")

The writer also said, "A certificate on the wall and a patch on the sleeve does not mean that a person is more qualified than someone without them. It does mean that the person shows the passion and drive to want to be better and be proud of what they do."

Most of us have heard this before, and I think customers who notice the patch would agree. But I also think their perception is influenced by a tech's apparent age. The patch represents training, while age (or maturity, if you prefer) implies experience. Both are important, but to a customer, experience in this field is training, and often they're right. As the writer pointed out, some techs are so skilled that "ASE seems like a kindergarten entrance exam. It's not a validation of skills." So while the patch has marketing value, by itself it's not enough for your customer, just as it isn't for you.

Unfortunately, there aren't any consumer products that have been approved by certified automotive technicians. The exposure a customer has to our certifications, ASE or otherwise, is most likely hanging on the wall behind a service counter.

And that's the other point. My certifications are valuable to me as a technical writer because they tell you that I know something about your profession, but you already know what those certifications mean. What do your certifications tell your customers, who know nothing about your profession? Remember, they're the people who pump money into this $200 billion industry, the reason both you and I are able to make a living in it.

To a customer, our certifications mean whatever people in this industry tell them they mean, not with patches or certificates, but in how the people wearing the patches — and the people who support them — meet each and every customer's expectations. That's quite a responsibility for all of us.