Dealer A-techs in indie shops: struggle… or dominate?

"Dealership guys have struggled big time coming into independent. It's very difficult for them to transition to what we do."

That's a direct quote from a shop owner I spoke with recently.

And here's the thing—he's not the first person to tell me this.

Dealerships have training programs. Certifications. Factory specs. All the advantages, right?

So why do I keep hearing this?

The theory: dealer techs often live in one make/system all day… then they walk into an independent shop and see a Honda, a BMW, a Ford diesel, and a Hyundai hybrid before lunch.

But I’ve also heard the opposite — some shop owners say dealer techs have been their BEST hires.

Their take: “If the attitude is right and they can learn our flow, they crush it.”

I'm curious what YOU'VE experienced.

Hired dealership techs → did they thrive or struggle?
What role were they at the dealer?
What did you do (or wish you’d done) in the first 30 days to help them transition?

Take the poll and drop the good, the bad, and the ugly in the comments below👇

✅ “Dealer techs usually crush it for us”

⚠️ “50/50 — depends on the person”

❌ “Usually a hard transition”

🤷 “Haven’t hired from dealers”

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