In this episode of What the Fixed Ops?!, hosts Russell Hill and Charity Dunning welcome Josh Arnold, Master Technician and Co-Founder of Within Spec, for an insightful conversation about the automotive technician shortage, technician retention, mentorship, and what dealerships need to do differently to develop the next generation of skilled automotive professionals.
Josh explains why the industry's technician problem may be less about a shortage of young people interested in the trades and more about a shortage of dealerships equipped to develop them. From clearly defined career paths and strong shop leadership to consistent mentorship and follow-up, Josh argues that dealerships must give technicians a reason to see automotive service as a long-term career rather than simply a job.
The conversation also explores the power of video MPI and technician-to-customer communication. After seeing firsthand how customers responded to technician videos, Josh developed his own customer-focused approach and eventually trained approximately 150 technicians on video inspections. Rather than treating video MPI as another tool for selling repairs, Josh believes technicians should use it to educate customers, create transparency, build relationships, and improve long-term service retention.
We talk about:
- Why the technician shortage isn't simply a recruiting problem
- The importance of mentorship for young automotive technicians
- How dealerships can create clearer technician career paths
- Why Master Technicians need opportunities to continue growing
- Recruiting technicians with honesty and real-world expectations
- How dealerships can improve technician training and retention
- Why video MPI should focus on trust instead of selling
- Building stronger technician-to-customer relationships
- Challenging the "that's how we've always done it" mentality
- How Within Spec is building a community for the next generation of technicians
Josh also shares what becoming a teacher and mentor taught him about his own career, why being questioned can make technicians better at their craft, and how the Toyota philosophy of Kaizen—or continuous improvement—continues to shape his approach to automotive service. His message to dealerships is clear: recruiting young talent is only the beginning. Developing, supporting, challenging, and communicating with technicians throughout their careers is what ultimately keeps great people in the industry.
Whether you're a dealer principal, fixed ops director, service manager, shop foreman, technician, advisor, or automotive professional, this episode delivers practical insights into technician recruitment and retention, automotive mentorship, video MPI, customer communication, and building a stronger future for dealership fixed operations.
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