By Dave Marsh, global VP, customer care and aftersales, General Motors

The Cadillac CELESTIQ is an ultra-luxury, hand-built electric sedan that allows clients to customize their vehicle with a one-of-one combination of bespoke color, fabrics, and trim. General Motors builds the CELESTIQ by hand to meet the high standards of after-purchase service you’d expect for a vehicle with an MSRP that starts in the mid-$300,000 range.

To meet that need, Cadillac has trained a group of master technicians to support the CELESTIQ and ensure a world-class client experience.

Preparing for the client journey

GM recently held its first CELESTIQ Master Technician Master Class. The training program was designed to prepare certified master technicians to service the vehicle at a level that matches the premium experience CELESTIQ offers.

More than 60 technicians from across the country assembled at the GM Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, for two intensive three-day training modules. The program kicked off at Cadillac House at Vanderbilt, where Cadillac brings CELESTIQ clients to customize their vehicles.

Their journey continued at the Artisan Center — another facility on GM’s 67-year-old, 710-acre Warren campus – where technicians met with the artisans who hand-build every CELESTIQ.

The technicians ended their visit at the Service Learning Center in Warren for a series of in-depth training modules, gaining hands-on experience with the CELESTIQ and exclusive access to the engineers who helped create this flagship vehicle. The modules covered topics like vehicle control systems, access and convenience features, interior and infotainment components, and augmented reality training.

Empowering technicians to deliver excellence

The master class training program reflects GM’s dedication to equipping technicians with the knowledge and confidence they need to excel in their roles. With a growing national shortage of automotive technicians, GM and its dealers are focused on attracting and nurturing talent.

Leveraging innovative learning tools like augmented reality, we are setting new standards in service efficiency. CELESTIQ was specifically chosen for augmented reality virtual assist, allowing vehicle diagnostics to be supported by an individual CELESTIQ Technical Service Engineer or multiple teams, including engineering, quality, and manufacturing. This not only improves efficiency for the technician but also plays a significant role in servicing every CELESTIQ, regardless of physical location. The augmented reality tools also promotes collaboration among technicians and engineers by providing a real-time forum to share learnings and insights.

As we move forward, our focus remains on delivering a client experience rooted in quality and assurance. The CELESTIQ Master Technician Master Class is just one of the many ways we are preparing our technicians for the future of service excellence.