Industry Advice Ask Mike: How Can Shops Maximize the Value of Their OEM Certifications?

with Mike Anderson

This month, we “Ask Mike” to share his thoughts on best practices for leveraging OEM certifications. We at Hammer & Dolly hope you find the following exchange useful, and we encourage you to reach out to us if you have a question for Mike on this or any industry-related matter that he can answer in a future issue.

Hammer & Dolly: OEM certifications can be a great way for shops to generate sales, but it’s clear that a magic bullet can only hit its mark if it’s actually fired. We’ve both seen shops go through the process of getting all the bells and whistles that go along with earning that certification, but then we can’t find a single mention of it on their website or social media accounts. Through your experiences consulting with shops across the country, what do you define as some of the primary best practices for leveraging OEM certifications – not only to customers, but to partners and the public at large?

Mike Anderson: Honestly, not all OEM certifications are created equal. You have some that flourish because vehicle owners with those manufacturers are much more loyal and willing to seek out a certified shop. There are a lot of considerations surrounding OEM certifications as well, such as restricted parts sales and the number of shops that can participate in a given area to protect their investment through limited competition.

That said, the biggest thing I see is that people get certified and automatically expect they’re going to see work. That’s just not the case in a lot of areas. Shops need to research their area before considering certification. For example, if they’re interested in becoming BMW-certified, they should find out whether there are BMW car clubs in the area and enough BMWs in their market to support having that certification. After all, you need people to market your certification to. Obviously, you’d need to make sure you’re listed properly on the OEM shop locator. You also need to represent your certification properly on your website and through your other marketing efforts. There are incentives to being certified, but you can’t expect work to just magically appear.

A lot of shop owners believe that a dealership will automatically send work to them just because they’re certified. In reality, you can’t just expect or demand it. You’ve got to go in there and build a relationship with that dealership, and you’ve got to deliver first-class service.

Shops should also keep their techs trained, talk about their certifications on social media and through local partnerships and keep an eye on what each certification is actually bringing in.

There are technology trends that could help increase the visibility of OEM certifications to consumers. General Motors has launched its Collision Assistance app, and some other OEMs are really close to launching similar apps. Those things have the potential to add more value to OEM certifications.

H&D: How would you say the insurance factor has evolved with respect to OEM certifications?

MA: Premium insurance carriers – like Chubb, PURE or Hagerty – really put a big emphasis on doing business with certified shops, but they’re also insuring high-net-worth individuals who have nicer cars. They obviously want to make sure they’re going to those certified shops.

I suspect some insurers don’t necessarily want insureds to go to certified shops, because it costs them more – especially with the European vehicles. But at the end of the day, I also can flip that coin and ask how many cars end up in a non-certified shop that can’t buy the parts, causing the vehicle to end up being a total loss. People don’t always evaluate both sides to that coin.

In many cases, sending a vehicle to the right certified shop upfront can reduce delays, avoid re-repairs and improve customer satisfaction. It’s not always just about the initial repair cost – it’s about the total outcome, cycle time and making sure the vehicle is repaired correctly the first time. The trick is marketing those things to the right people.

H&D: What’s your feeling on OEM certifications moving forward?

MA: I’m still a heavy believer in them. Do I think some shops are certified that shouldn’t be? Absolutely. Improvements need to be made in how shops are selected and kept on these programs. At the same time, shops know that the insurance pipeline of work is changing. Think of all the vehicles that need to be repaired as a big lake and insurers as the streams feeding that lake. Those streams are not as raging as they once were, so shops need to look at new ones, like OEM certifications and dealerships, to feed the lake. But again, it’s not going to happen organically. You must have a solid plan, and you must work that plan to get your ROI from it. If I still had my shops today, I would absolutely invest in OEM certifications.

Succeeding as an OEM-certified shop isn’t about waiting for work to come to you. It’s about standing out, building trust, delivering consistent quality and making sure customers and partners keep choosing you over time.

Remember, you can only dance at the prom if you get a ticket.

Want more? Check out the June 2026 issue of Hammer & Dolly!