Mazda Technicians Cool Under Pressure

VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA – November 19, 2010: Mazda technicians have again demonstrated the skills that consistently keeps Mazda service departments across Australia at the forefront of customer satisfaction. Performing in Mazda’s biennial technician skills contest, Maztech, the country’s top eight technicians pitted their considerable experience against each other and a selection of technical challenges devised by Mazda Australia’s technical training team and field staff.

Each state recently held a regional Maztech final in order to find the best local technicians with the top two each from Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria / Tasmania progressing to the national Maztech final along with the best from South Australia and Western Australia. In total, eight technicians from across the five mainland states won through from over 1300 qualified technicians currently employed in the Mazda dealer network.

The final was held this week at Mazda Australia’s Melbourne head office and consisted of a number of practical tests including engine and body electrical fault diagnosis and various on-bench mechanical tests. A further aspect required the technicians to answer 40 questions to test their theoretical knowledge and ability to source information from technical manuals by asking them to provide the answers to 40 questions.

During the contest, all eight finalists demonstrated the skills that had taken them to this stage of Maztech but in the end the title of 2010 MazTech winner went to Brian Bernier of Wippels Autos in Toowoomba. Second place was Nick Ingram of Melville Mazda in Perth and third was Todd Fletcher of West End Mazda in Sydney.

The MazTech contest is an important component of Mazda’s technical training program as Simon Weller, Mazda Australia’s National Learning & Development Manager explains: “MazTech is an opportunity for our best technicians to test the skills and knowledge they have gained from Mazda’s training programs in a series of complex technical and diagnostic challenges. All eight finalists performed exceptionally well and we’re proud to recognise and celebrate the achievements of Mazda’s best.”

“And it’s the customers who service their cars through Mazda dealerships that are the ultimate winners here. They, of course, benefit from the improved diagnostic and repair skills that Mazda’s technicians learn through these training programs.”