What It Means to Have Four World-Class GM Technicians at Thompson Sales

At Thompson Sales, we’re proud to have four General Motors World Class Technicians on our staff. Joe Evans, Chris Ritter, and Jon Kratzer all earned these vaunted distinctions in 2022 and 2023. Reece Gilbert joined this exclusive group in early 2024.

These men bring excellence to their jobs every day at Thompson Sales. This is quite an accomplishment for our team because there are only 54 such technicians in the entire state of Missouri as of February 2024 and just over 2,000 in the entire world.

What does it mean to have four GM World Class Technicians (WCTs) on our service team? Read on to learn more!

GM’s World Class Technician Standard

According to GM’s website, “The [World Class Technician] program provides technicians with the opportunity to validate their knowledge and demonstrate their skills to their employers and – most importantly – to customers in all automotive service areas.” 

To sum up, a GM World Class Technician is “the one and only GM expert.”

These expert technicians earn Master Certifications in eight different areas of vehicle repair.

1. Electrical/Electronics
2. Engine Repair
3. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
4. Brakes
5. Steering and Suspension
6. Manual Drivetrain and Axle
7. Automatic Transmission/Transaxle
8. Engine Performance or Diesel Engine Performance

Course Completions for a GM World Class Technician

Service technicians achieve World Class Technician status after successfully completing eight of nine Master Technician Certifications in the Mechanical area of their courses. 

And these aren’t just online courses taken at the dealership. They must attend a GM Service Technical College (STC) Certification Event (a hands-on assessment) for their areas of expertise. For a WCT, that means all eight areas must have master status as overseen by experienced mechanics or factory representatives. 

WCTs also must complete any accompanying ASE Certifications. ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) is the same certifying body used by auto mechanics for dealerships and standalone/independent auto repair shops. It’s the badge with the dark blue gear/cog logo. 

So, not only do our World Class Technicians undergo GM’s courses, but also ASE certification at the master level. 

That means GM WCTs attain the highest education credentials to work on any make or model of vehicle, not just GM vehicles. The advanced GM training covers any GM brands, including Buick, GMC, Hummer, Chevrolet, and Cadillac.

Continuing Education for a GM World Class Technician

Once a technician successfully completes a Master Technician Certification (MTC) assessment, that technician will remain at this level so long as the person achieves 100% on Service Training Standards (STS) scores for the area in which they are certified. 

Master Technician Certified maintains this level as long as he/she continues to achieve 100% STS annually by December 31 for the select area(s) in which they are certified. Continuing education at this point doesn’t mean retaking all of the courses again. It simply means keeping up with new standards via online courses or showcasing skills through a videoconferencing call.

WCTs Are Leaders at Our Dealership

Our four GM World Class Technicians are leaders at Thompson Sales. They help other technicians as they achieve their certifications through GM’s training program. All of our service technicians hold some kind of certification through GM, either Bronze, Silver, or Gold. A Master Technician Certification is the highest level someone can get in a singular area of auto repair.

Bronze Certification means a service tech has passed the fundamentals course with a 100% grade, meaning they qualify for the other levels.

Silver Certification means the technician has completed in-dealership training in one particular service area, such as brakes or electrical (among others), and is supplemented by online training from the factory.

Gold Certification indicates a service technician has completed hands-on training in at least one area.

A Master Technician Certification (MTC) shows that a service technician demonstrates mastery over at least one area of auto repair at a GM-certified center of learning.

Our four WCTs earned a Master Technician Certification in a minimum of eight areas, not just one.

Experience the Thompson Sales Service Department Difference

We have the most GM World Class Technicians in Southwest Missouri by far. These four leaders at our company, Joe, Chris, John, and Reece, continue to serve our customers with excellence each and every day.

If your vehicle needs service, contact us, call (417) 866-6611, or schedule service with our team. We’re happy to help keep your car, truck, or SUV in great shape!