MAY 2016VOLUME 40, NO. 10

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its MAP-QualifiedTechnician program, all forthe benefit of the consumer.

“Our organization’s pri-mary goal is to promotewhat is in the best interestof the motoring public,”Henmueller said.

AMRA provides infor-mation to consumersthrough www.motorist.organd through literatureavailable at shops provid-ing a variety of consumer-requested topics dealingwith their automotive main-tenance and repair-serviceexperiences.

Why AMRA/MAP was formedAMRA came about as a result of

poor communications betweenshops and consumers, Henmuellersaid. State regulators accusedsome auto repair shops of over-selling, with the shops defendingthemselves saying they were doingtheir very best to provide the high-est quality of service and repairpossible.

“That was right after all themedia frenzies, where TV news‘undercover stings’ targeted auto-motive-repair shops,” Henmuellersaid. “It became obvious thatshops weren’t able to communi-cate the ‘value’ of what they wereselling.”

In most of the instances, shopoperators and motorists alikelacked the communications skillsto explain and/or understandwhat was taking place during thebusiness transaction, he said.

Whether a technician is tack-ling a tough diagnostic pro-

cedure or changing oil, the ruleshave changed when providing ser-vices for motorists. And one of thebiggest changes is communica-tions.

The Automotive MaintenanceRepair Association (AMRA) andits Motorist Assurance Program(MAP), under the leadership of itsPresident and Chief OperatingOfficer Joseph Henmueller, isdoing its part to provide industrystandards and communicationprocedures designed to help keepshops and consumers on goodterms with each other.

AMRA is a not-for-profit tradeassociation founded in 1994 repre-senting the interests, commonpolicies and purposes of compa-nies engaged in providing auto-motive maintenance and repairservices when dealing with con-sumers.

The main purpose of AMRA isto provide consumer communica-tion programs like its MotoristAssurance Program, MAPParticipating Facility program and

“Back then many shops didn’teven try to explain the diagnosisor the repair process to customers;they just made the repairs,”Henmueller said. “Mobile societiesbrought a move to national-chainoperations resulting in motoristsno longer dealing with individualshop owners, but with retailershaving outlets with ever-changingpersonnel across the country.Those outlets tried to develop pro-cesses that could be followed andmimicked in every shop so a cus-tomer got a similar experience.However, much of that individualcommunication was lost in thatprocess.”

So, instead of having jurisdic-tions filing numerous lawsuits ormandating state-by-state auto-re-pair regulations and licensing, theindustry met with the NationalAssociation of States AttorneysGeneral (NAAG) proposing an as-sociation that would benefit mo-

torists and provide standards tothe automotive industry.

“As early as 1992, a group ofconcerned industry stakeholderswere meeting and developingguidelines for exhaust, brakes andsuspension repairs. They listed in-dividual components, noting allthe conditions a technician mightfind, and ‘reason-for-repair’ codesthat could be communicated backto the motorist,” he said.

“Those original guidelines be-came the model for MAP UniformInspection and CommunicationStandards, (UICS)” he said.

Today, AMRA has about 21,000members, with more than 80,000MAP-qualified technicians work-ing in nearly 95,000 service bays.Members include owners of two-bay shops, national chains andfranchises, along with educators,technical schools and providers ofautomotive parts, tools, equipmentand services.

Later MAP moved on to othersystems – electrical, engine perfor-mance and maintenance, heatingand air conditioning and steering.These systems mimic the ASE cate-gories used for technician testingand certification.

“We’ve had a strong relation-ship with ASE since 1993. They’veplayed a major role in the process.With today’s technologies and ve-hicles, those ‘system’ lines haveblurred, especially with modernelectronics.

“When you consider vehiclesafety systems, such as electronicstability control, which includescomponents that work with thesuspension, steering and brakes, itis less clear to determine which‘system’ a component might be-long to. As a result, the UICStoday are driven by searching onthe actual component rather thanthe type of system they belong to.For example, a yaw-rate sensor canaffect steering, suspension, brak-ing and engine control systems.

“The way we help shops is byidentifying the hundreds of com-

ponents on a vehicle,” Henmuellersaid. “We then identify each andevery condition that the technicianmight find on that component, andthen we develop a reason-for-re-pair code – either Required orSuggested – and a way to properlycommunicate that back to the con-sumer.”

Shops benefit greatly from thesedocumented industry standards,but you can’t apply the standardswithout using a process, so that iswhy MAP developed standardizedcheck sheets.”

For example, when a customercomes in with a front-brake issue,the technician must examine notjust front brakes, but all the associ-ated system components – brakefluid, hoses, lines, hardware, etc.In this manner, the technician isable to present a clear picture ofthe entire braking system – thingsthat are still OK, things that areRequired and things that are sim-ply Suggested (or optional) at thispoint, and then let the motoristmake an informed decision, hesaid.

What NOT to sayIn today’s litigious society the

word “need” is not the right choicewhen a shop explains that work,he said.

“Need is much tooharsh of a world,”Henmueller noted.“Nobody ‘needs’ todo anything, so we

can’t just tell a customer he ‘needs’brakes. We have to provide infor-mation that is more detailed. Someshops might try to avoid this situa-tion by using the word ‘recom-mend’ – they simply ‘recommend’everything. And again, that’s notenough information for the con-sumer to make an informed choiceabout repairs. It is our belief thatany time a shop offers any repairor service to a motorist they aremaking a professional recommen-dation, not unlike the recommen-dation that you would receivefrom a health professional. So, rec-ommendations themselves mustbe qualified. And to make it sim-ple for the consumer, to help themunderstand, we only have two spe-cific types of recommendations –Required or Suggested.

There are only three reasonsthat anything would be ‘Required’to be replaced or serviced on a ve-hicle.”

A. The part is no longer per-forming its intended function (it’sbroken).

B. It is beyond specification, re-gardless of its performance.(Examples include a discard specifica-tion for a rotor or cranking amperagefor a battery. If it is out of range forthose specifications, replacement is re-quired.)

By Jim WilderUndercar Digest Editor

Mission Statement

AMRA President and CEO Joseph Henmueller (left)explains MAP guidelines to Mike Smith, owner of SmithMuffler Complete Automotive Care, Covington, Ky.,during AutoTECHexpo.

Bobby Basset of Gates(above) and SteveCartwright of Federal-Mogul Motorparts wereguest speakers at MAP’s falltechnical meeting.

C. The component is missing.(The catalytic converter could havebeen removed. The tailpipe might havefallen off. Missing is a very valid con-cern.)

“But we should never confusethe word ‘required’ as meaningthe consumer HAS to do any-thing,” Henmueller stressed. “It’sthe customer’s car. They can leavethe shop with their vehicle in thecondition that it had when theycame in. They can get it fixedsomewhere else, they can fix itthemselves, or they can buy a new

car. They have lots ofoptions.

“What ‘required’means is that theshop, as a profession-al, licensed repair fa-cility, is required toservice or replace thatcomponent in order tobring that system backto its proper operatingcondition. You do notfind ways to cut cor-

ners.”Every other recom-

mendation that is not arequired recommendation be-comes a “Suggested” (optional) re-pair. These recommendations aredesigned as preventive mainte-nance. Even if there is an oil-change interval listed in theowner’s manual, it is not required.The oil is still performing its job.Nothing is beyond specifications.Nothing is missing. You are sim-ply maintaining the vehicle.

“All of that becomes ‘suggestedrepair’ options,” he said. “Whensomething is near the end of itsuseful life, it’s in the maintenanceschedule, it’s something the con-sumer desires, like performancetires, or better shocks or whateverthey choose, shops can confidentlymake suggestions for them, butany suggested part or service is al-ways optional.

Who are MAP members?Shops become MAP members

for different reasons, Henmuellersaid. Sometimes, they get in trou-ble and the judgment against theshop includes a requirement bythe authorities to become part ofMAP and follow the standards.

“Some of our best memberswere introduced to us by the judi-cial system,” he said. “Others, theforward thinking professionals ofthe industry, want to follow thestandards. They want to knowwhat the industry standard is forthe work they are doing.”

Their motivation for under-standing the standards may bepeer pressure among competitors,or it may arise when a technicianmoves from employee to owner.

The learning curveSome professionals initially

think it’s going to be difficult ortime consuming to inspect anddocument everything properly, be-cause technicians rely a lot on theirown experiences.

“But we liken the process to theairline pilot who knows his air-plane, but he always, always, fol-lows his pre-flight checklist andfills that form out before he movesthe airplane,” Henmueller said.

The typical shop can familiarizeitself with the program in less thana month, he said. A membershipfee pays for itself over and overagain simply by using the MAPprocess, because when doing com-plete inspections you find moreservice opportunities.

“When you give customerschoices, they tend to buy more be-cause without choices, customerssimply focus on price and will al-ways go looking for a better price.It also reduces comebacks because

you’ve done a more thorough in-spection. Your customer-satisfac-tion index and customer-retentionindexes also increase.”

In addition, MAP has its owneducational and testing programcalled MAP-Qualified certificationto assist shops.

Educating motoristsIn its early days, AMRA/MAP

developed printed brochures or in-formational bulletins that shopshanded to consumers to help ex-plain the process and what theymight find. Since 1998,AMRA/MAP has provided infor-mation online at its consumer-edu-

cation website, www.mo-torist.org.

Every August, MAPmember shops take part insponsoring Brake SafetyAwareness Monthsm. Itstarted in 2007 as a week-long program, but becauseof its success, it evolvedinto a month-long pro-gram.

AMRA & regulatorsTo help write effective,

consumer-oriented stan-dards, AMRA works closely

with the regulatory and education-al communities, Henmueller said.

Partner agencies includeNational Association of AttorneysGeneral (NAAG), NationalAssociation of Consumer AgencyAdministrators (NACAA), NorthAmerican Consumer ProtectionInvestigators (NACPI), NorthAmerican Council of AutomotiveTeachers (NACAT), AutomotiveTraining Managers Council(ATMC), and the NationalAutomotive Service Task Force(NASTF).

In addition, AMRA has workedclosely with the California Bureauof Automotive Repair and has co-authored papers for the Society ofAutomotive Engineers (SAE).AMRA also provides MAP stan-dards free of charge to all regula-tory agencies whether a city,county, state, provincial or federalagency.

And while AMRA does notwork with the country, evenMalaysia has accepted MAP prac-tices.

The AMRA/MAP quest“Our goal is to change the in-

dustry from within,” Henmuellersaid. “As long as membershipgrows, we know that we are help-ing achieve that goal. But untilevery licensed repair facility reli-giously operates under MAPStandards, our mission is not com-plete.”

The association team includesonly four paid employees andHenmueller noted that as a not-for-profit, the group puts as muchof its membership dollars backinto programs as possible. This isaccomplished because board mem-bers and technical committees vol-unteer their services. Membershelp sponsor programs, provideno-charge exhibit booths at tradeshows and conferences and pro-vide assistance when needed.

“We are the only automotive af-termarket association dedicatedentirely to consumer-orientated in-spection, documentation and com-munication standards,”Henmueller said. “The flip side ofthat is we have no typical member-ship or association programs thatprovide buying-group deals foruniforms, credit-card processingor financing, etc. Our organizationhas a singular mission – to educateshops and motorists about auto-motive repairs.

“AMRA/MAP is strictly a com-pliance tool that benefits the con-sumer.” ■

Timothy Hatcher, AMRA/MAP manager, technicaloperations, reviews the organization’s UniformInspection and Communication Standards.

AMRA/MAP725 E Dundee Road, Suite #206

Arlington Heights, IL 60004 847-947-2650

www.amra.orgwww.motorist.org jmh@motorist.org MAP’s Brake Safety Week was so

popular that it was changed to BrakeSafety Awareness MonthSM shortlyafter its inception.

Many companies, such as Tenneco,help sponsor the event by providingposters.

Technician Dave Faucett, Rick’s Automotive,Springfield, Mo., examines a brake system on acustomer’s vehicle during Brake SafetyAwareness MonthSM.

Henmueller said MAP’s UniformInspection and CommunicationStandards are a “must” for repairshops that want to avoid litigationfrom consumer groups and the judicialsystem.

MAP members can display this decal intheir shop windows.