The job of a technician in an auto service business is no longer just about the car.

It’s also about communicating with customers, but that’s not necessarily something techs have been trained to do.

TruVideo aims to do something about that.

The provider of AI-powered video and messaging communication technology has launched a new initiative to support technician education by offering its platform to qualifying trade schools at no cost.

The program is designed to help students develop the video and communication skills required in today’s service environments.

In a news release, TruVideo said video has evolved from a customer trend to a human behavior over the past 20 years, noting video helps service department customers see and understand technicians’ recommendations so they can make informed decisions about their vehicle. The company said inspection videos have been shown to increase revenue, drive customer satisfaction and build trust and loyalty.

CEO and co-founder Joe Shaker said TruVideo began working with trade schools because techs need to understand video and messaging as much as they understand how to repair an engine, and the company seeks to help students build those skills before entering the workforce.

“Today’s service departments lean heavily on video and messaging to communicate with customers and build trust through transparency,” he said. “It’s in the student’s best interest to learn those skills early on in their education.”

The program is designed to make students familiar with real-world workflows, allowing them to contribute to service departments immediately on graduation. TruVideo said they’ll train on the same platform deployed in many franchised dealerships nationwide.

That platform also gives instructors a structured way to review student performance, the company said, allowing them to evaluate video inspections based on how the vehicle is shown, whether the explanations are clear and if the recommendations are presented in a way customers can easily understand.

“The grading piece changes how students approach the work,” Shaker said. “Once they know an inspection video will be reviewed and graded for quality, they’re more deliberate about what they show and how they explain it.

“You can see the improvement from one assignment to the next, and that gives us a concrete way to measure communication. By introducing these tools to students, we’re helping shape the habits that will define the next generation of service professionals.”

TruVideo said schools can also use the system to monitor long-term projects and apprenticeship progress, enabling instructors to guide students even when they are not physically present.