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38 AFTERMARKET DECEMBER/JANUARY 2020 WINTER CHECKS www.aftermarketonline.net W inter will be here very soon, and your customers will start wondering if their cars are ready for the cold weather. Why not offer winter checks? These offer consumers peace of mind, and are an ideal marketing/upsell opportunity for your business. Commenting on the battery side, John Rawlins, Marketing Manager at VARTA said: “As the colder winter weather approaches, it’s vital that customer’s vehicles have their battery tested when entering the workshop – they won’t want to breakdown in the freeze.” Approach is key according to John: “To ensure a complete and thorough service, VARTA recommend performing a battery test on all vehicles coming into a workshop. With most vehicles entering the workshop just one time per year on average, it is important for a technician to perform a battery test on the vehicle, even when the vehicle is not in for a battery related job. With 40% of national breakdowns resulting from a direct result of battery failure, there are many car batteries not being checked until it is too late and the vehicle won’t start. Accurate testing can identify batteries in a poor condition and could result in a new battery being fitted, keeping your customers happy and on the road. This is especially important as the winter months approach. Vehicle drivers don’t want to breakdown in the cold.” Marketing How you market the offering is important, even when the customer is already in your workshop: “While the vehicle driver might not be aware their battery is in a poor state of health, once the test results are shown to them, they might be surprised to see a new battery is required. After explanation that it could fail over the colder, winter months, they may want a replacement battery installed, keeping them on the road and satisfied that the workshop has carried out a thorough service.” Having a way to easily and persuasively convince the customer that battery replacement is the correct course of action really helps. John observed: “It can really help if you use the VARTA test flyer to explain to a customer if the battery needs attention or replacement. Explanation should be about keeping the customer moving over the cold weather period.” Partners John pointed towards the support offered by VARTA: “For information on fitting instructions, battery location on the vehicle, and even fitting times per vehicle make and model, sign up to the industry leading online tool, the VARTA Partner Portal. Access to the VARTA Partner Portal is available via all internet-enabled devices. After a quick one-off registration, each workshop technician has free and unlimited access, so you can ensure the correct battery is installed in the quickest time possible.” www.varta-automotive.com/en-gb/business-portal Above: Glow plug fitting WINTER CHECKS: HOT OPPORTUNITY Winter checks are something you can do to provide customers with peace of mind. They are also a marketing/upsell opportunity for your business