Let’s start with a scenario: You are a technician at a OEM dealership that has recently incorporated Video Multipoint Inspections into its service lane. One of the first vehicles to come into your bay has just over 5000 miles on the odometer and is in pristine condition. You hesitate – this car is essentially brand new, does it need a video MPI even though nothing is wrong? Is it going to matter if the customer doesn’t receive a video?
We see it all the time; many technicians feel video MPIs on new vehicles is a waste of time. If the client is coming into the dealership for a routine oil change and they’ve hardly put any miles on the car, what’s the point of recording a video? They know their car is essentially brand new, so why should it matter?
Here’s the thing: that three-minute video isn’t about the oil change you’re doing today. It’s an investment in the work you’ll do tomorrow.
Showing a customer their vehicle in pristine condition accomplishes two critical goals. First, it elevates your technicians from mechanics into trusted advisors. Second, it creates a permanent ‘visual receipt’ of the car in its best state, giving you a clear point of comparison for when a repair is eventually needed.
Provide Undeniable Visual Evidence
There are two rules to car ownership:
1: If you own a car, it will break.
2: There is nothing you can do about #1.
Our world is saturated with video, why not use it to your advantage? In so many areas of our life, video can be used to deceive, but for automotive repair, it is a way to build trust and erase doubts. The auto industry gets unfairly marked as being predatory. Providing your customers with visual evidence and reports on the condition of their vehicle is a way to establish a higher level of transparency in your shop. It positions your technicians as teammates to the client.
Establish a Baseline of Trust from the First Service Visit
An initial video MPI does more than just verify a vehicle’s condition; it positions the customer as a partner in the process. You’re giving them an unprecedented look at something they rarely see – the underside of their car, the brakes, and the suspension components.
This simple act of transparency shows that your shop prioritizes their safety and education above all else. You’re not just servicing their car; you’re inviting them to understand it, which immediately builds a powerful foundation of trust.
That foundation creates a strong incentive to return. By establishing a clear visual reference point on their first visit, you ensure a true continuity of care. On subsequent visits, both your team and the customer can track how components are wearing over time, allowing your technicians to proactively address concerns.
This focus on transparency doesn’t just build trust. It sets a new bar for professionalism.
Setting the Standard for Professional Care
Incorporating video MPIs into a dealership or shop can be an adjustment. The success of this service hinges on having a strong system in place, with leadership, service advisors, and technicians all on board.
Sending video MPIs for new vehicles or cars in good condition showcases you’ve adopted a modern, professional process that prioritizes clarity and customer confidence. If you’re only sending customers videos when something is wrong, they’ll likely dread receiving this communication from you. Extending video MPIs to new vehicles signals that you are looking out for their best interests regardless of why they brought their vehicle in. You are signalling you are a partner in their vehicle ownership journey.
Your customers have a choice of where to take their car. If their car is up on your lift, you’ve already overcome the first objection. It is essential to remember they made a choice to bring their car to YOU. Every interaction, service, and maintenance item you provide is a chance to build or erode the trust the customer has in you.
Set the Expectation, Reap the Rewards
One of the main reasons videos for new vehicles are written off is because the shop or dealership hasn’t established a communication sequence with the client. This can create confusion and frustration for all parties involved. A customer receiving an unprompted video might assume something is wrong with their car.
Without a heads up, the customer may ignore the video altogether. In turn, this can lead to low open/watch rates and make it seem like the technician or service advisor’s efforts don’t matter. They do!
There are multiple opportunities to establish the right expectation with your customer. Either when they book their appointment or drop off their vehicle, let them know they will receive a video of their vehicle. This video will outline its condition and give them a look at the main parts and components. For vehicles that are essentially new, the service advisor can say something like this:
“We complete video inspections on your car regardless of why you brought it in. Our goal is to make sure you have a clear picture of your vehicle condition and any repairs you will need in the future. Our priority is making sure your car runs well and that you are safe on the road.”
This interaction serves as a building block for a stronger relationship with the customer. You are establishing your standard of care, which will make future service recommendations simpler and built on trust.
Empowering Technicians & Leveraging Their Expertise
One of the biggest misconceptions with video MPIs is that they have to function as sales vehicles. When a dealership approaches them with this mindset, technicians may feel they are “doing the service advisor’s job.” This often contributes to resistance, especially when performing a Video MPI on a new vehicle. If the car is only in for an oil change and nothing is wrong, what’s the point?
The solution is to change the purpose of the video MPI. By focusing on simply informing the customer and providing a “visual receipt,” you reframe the importance of the task. You take technicians from feeling like they have to put on a sales voice to creating content that leverages their expertise and highlights their true role: making sure customers remain safe on the road.
This reframing is the key to video MPI success, and it allows technicians to truly partner with your customers and position themselves as teammates.
Overcoming Objections & Building Confidence
The other common point of resistance is not feeling comfortable on camera. This is where performing video MPIs on new vehicles becomes an invaluable training tool. These “low-risk” inspections are the perfect opportunity for technicians to build their reps and gain confidence. This is not an innate skill; it is learned through repetition, just like any repair.
Knowing how to speak about a car in “perfect” condition is a crucial part of this training. It allows technicians to practice highlighting the main zones of a vehicle and speaking about their function in a simplified, professional manner. A video MPI doesn’t need to be a full diagnosis; it is a timestamped overview of the car’s condition that serves as a valuable point of reference for the future.
Turn Your Process Into Your Profit
As we’ve outlined, the power of performing a Video MPI on every vehicle—especially a new one—is not in finding problems today, but in building the foundation for a more profitable and trust-based relationship tomorrow. It’s a strategic shift from a simple inspection to a powerful tool for customer retention.
But knowing the strategy is only half the battle. Executing it consistently across your entire team can feel like a daunting task.
This is exactly why we created our Introduction to Video MPI Training Course. We’ve taken the guesswork out of the entire process and built the blueprint for you. Our guides are designed to give your team everything they need to:
- Get Started Immediately: We provide a clear, step-by-step process that eliminates confusion and helps you implement a consistent system from day one.
- Master the Message: Our road-tested scripting templates eliminate the anxiety of what to say, empowering your technicians to speak with confidence and clarity.
- Shoot Without Frustration: Our shot-by-shot checklists teach your team how to shoot effective MPIs efficiently, ensuring a professional, high-quality result every single time.
It’s time to stop leaving future business to chance and start building it with every vehicle that enters your service lane.
Ready to End the MPI Frustration?
Our Introduction to Video MPI Training provides the complete system—from shot-by-shot checklists to road-tested scripts—that turns a frustrating task into a trust-building, profitable process.
