'REV It UP' Nationwide Auto Dealer Technician Contest Helps Instill Consumer Confidence in Auto Repairs; Attracts 6,000 Entrants

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

WHAT:

A thorough inspection of every vehicle that enters an auto dealer service department is vital for both consumer confidence and safety. Mobile Productivity, Inc., (MPi) (www.mpifix.com) a Las Vegas, NV based firm that provides profitability tools for auto dealer service departments, has found that vehicle inspections have not always been consistently done at auto dealerships and last year started a contest to test technician skills nationwide.  "REV It UP" is a series of four races designed to test technicians' skills and speed using MPi's state-of-the-art software system, EDGE, for their vehicle inspection process.  The competition has filled a real need and proven extremely popular; 6,000 technicians entered from 320 auto dealerships across the nation. The final race is being held on Saturday, March 5, at 11:00 am, at the newly opened Lexus of Henderson, a state-of-the-art, LEED certified facility.

Changes in automotive technology over the past 10 years have profoundly changed the way auto dealers now have to work on cars.  The average technician skills today go far beyond the conventional image of the mechanic.  In fact, today there are more computers in a typical new car than there were in the first US lunar landing module. Modern vehicles are very sophisticated, computer-driven machines requiring technicians who can work with cutting-edge high-tech tools. Today, the auto mechanic is truly a technician, and a diagnostic computer is equally important as a wrench.  These skills can go unrecognized, which is part of the reason this contest was developed, to recognize the skills and hard work of these valuable technicians, we all need our cars well cared for.

As well, consistent policies and practices are vital for a proper inspection process to be in place.  Consumers need to be driving vehicles that are operating at an optimum level.  Auto dealers would not want a situation whereby a customer comes in for an oil change, leaves for vacation and their vehicle breaks down the next day, as something simple was missed due to an improper inspection.

One of the positive outcomes of this effort is that it has demonstrated that consistency with vehicle inspections is greatly important to both the auto dealership and the consumer.  It reinforces the consumer confidence that their vehicle is receiving the most complete analysis for both safety and longevity. In addition, it helps the service department management team evaluate their inspection processes and ensure that every vehicle is being inspected every time with the highest quality.

Five technician finalists will be tested in a live scenario, using their skills to diagnosis a purposely debilitated vehicle using the EDGE system. The "REV It UP" national champ will walk away with an 8-lap Rookie Experience with Richard Petty Driving Experience, $5,000 in cash and an OTC Pegisys™ scan tool valued at $5,500.

SOURCE Mobile Productivity, Inc.