Our founder, Andreas Stihl once said:
“A chain saw is only as good as the service behind it. After-sales advice and repair must be available to the buyer throughout the product’s life. Close cooperation with specially trained dealers is absolutely necessary to guarantee this.”STIHL has been conducting business under these core principals since our humble beginnings in 1926. Everyone at STIHL knows the success of our company is directly related to the level of expertise that is offered by the STIHL Dealer Network. STIHL invests a great deal of time and resources developing in-depth technical training programs to strengthen the dealership’s knowledge base and position in this highly competitive marketplace.
Customers who choose to shop in these establishments are looking for a level of service that is hard to find in today’s throwaway society. We pride ourselves with the knowledge that when a customer decides to purchase a STIHL product, they will benefit from sound advice and a superior buying experience. Not only are we assured that the customer is buying the right machine for the required work, we are also guaranteeing they will receive the highest possible “after sales support” offered in the industry.
STIHL offers our servicing dealers a total of five days of training broken up into three modules across Canada. We have a team of six people conducting this training in every corner of the country. There is no charge to our dealers for any of the training, which includes a catered lunch and some help with accommodations should the travel distance be excessive.
The first two day program, which we call Basics and Beyond, is a general overview of the entire company which includes our policies and procedures, our systems, as well as, a product overview. This program caters to a vast audience from parts counter staff, to sales professionals, to technicians.
The second two day program, referred to as M.S.T. (Master Service Technician), is an in-depth, hands-on training seminar directed at the servicing technician. This program allows the technicians to get their “hands dirty” and learn about troubleshooting techniques and the proper repair of our products. At the end of the second day, students are tested for two and a half hours on what they have learned and must pass with a minimum grade of 75% to obtain their Master Service Technician certification. If the technician passes, they receive a certificate and tool kit along with a special shop labour rate for their dealership.
The third one day program is called an Advanced Update, and it focuses on new products and technologies that have been introduced over the course of a year. This program has a mix of hands-on troubleshooting and new product information. Certified Master Service Technicians must attend the annual one day Advanced Update program in order to retain their certification. This ensures that the technician is always up to speed on the newest products and technologies, as well as, the tools to properly troubleshoot and diagnose our products.
Although time consuming and expensive, we believe that the STIHL Technical Training program is a worthwhile investment and a contributing factor to our growing success. The face-to-face interaction and the information that is shared are crucial to the success of our Dealer Network. The knowledge base and confidence gained throughout the training have a direct positive impact on the dealership’s business. Our customers benefit from the added expertise and professionalism that our servicing dealers offer, and the customer can buy a product knowing that they received the best advice and support the industry has to offer.