Each day, installers nationwide have opportunities to add loyal customers and revenue to their business. By failing to capitalize on these opportunities, installers not only miss out on potential revenue, but the chance to educate customers and build lasting relationships. Whether it’s a return customer coming in for scheduled maintenance, or a first-time walk-in, the decisions made can have a profound impact on the success of the business.
Let’s look at a common service opportunity often overlooked by customers and service centers alike, Cooling System services. Every vehicle that comes into a shop will need cooling system services at some point in its lifetime. However, many shops fail to present them as an option to their customers, passing over a revenue-building opportunity.
Not all service recommendations are easy, and preventative maintenance service is a great example. Selling a cooling system service to a customer with an overheating vehicle is likely far simpler than selling one to a customer not currently experiencing any problems. The difficulty in selling preventative maintenance services is that an installer is not fixing a pressing problem but rather asking a customer to invest in avoiding a costly repair in the future.
According to Neil McGlinchey, Field Training Manager at Valvoline, it’s a matter of making assumptions about the customer. “Technicians will sell through their customers' wallets rather than through their customers' needs,” says McGlinchey. “There's also a fear of recommending something that someone might not be able to afford, and because of that, you pre-qualify your customer before ever presenting them with any recommended services.”
Ron Kauffman, Chemical Business Manager at Valvoline, thinks customers today might actually be more receptive to taking proactive measures for their vehicle. “I advise people to do a bit of maintenance on their car today because they may have to keep it longer than they planned.”
And customers today are keeping their vehicles longer than they have before. The average age of a car on the road is approaching 12 years, a number that has been steadily increasing. Consumers are also being pushed to hold onto their vehicles due to supply chain issues making new vehicles less accessible. “One thing that we've learned over the last two years is you don't know what tomorrow’s going bring,” says Kaufman.
In a time where customers are creating lasting relationships with their vehicles, installers can build lasting loyalty by educating the customer on what their vehicle needs. Customers rely on professionals’ knowledge and offering full transparency demonstrates a shop has their best interest in mind, even if they pass on a service that day. And that trust compounds if offered the best of the best in quality preventative maintenance service.
When it comes to cooling services, it’s easy to simply do a drain and fill, but not always what’s best for the customer. That’s where staying informed and having a trusted partner like Valvoline can help.
“If all I do is drain the coolant and put it back in, I haven't cleaned anything out of the system. I still put the customer at risk of vehicle breakdown,” says Kauffman. “That’s like taking a shower and just letting the water run over you. You got the surface dirt off, but for anything that is embedded, you need a detergent to clean. Same with your car- you want to get it as clean as possible before putting new coolant in there.”
That’s why using quality Valvoline Professional Series products can make a difference, like the two-step Valvoline Cooling System Service Kit. The VPS Radiator Super Cleaner is added to the existing coolant and ran through the system, removing accumulated rust, scale, and oily residue that can’t be removed by exchanging the coolant alone. Secondly, by adding VPS Water Pump Lubricant and Protector to the new coolant, an installer is helping to prevent future rust, corrosion, and component failure.
Not only can this two-step system give customers a high quality clean, but the service has minimal overhead for the installer. The products are competitively priced, and the labor required can be less than 30 minutes. “Even if you can sell one cooling service per day, it can make a huge impact to the bottom line,” Kaufman says.
The key to accessing the benefits of offering cooling services to customers is empowering team members with the information on how to perform and sell preventative maintenance. Valvoline has installers covered there as well. As a Valvoline partner, shops have access to online learning systems, which offer engaging courses specifically designed to educate employees on how to relay information to the consumer.
At the end of the day, according to Ron Kauffman, if you’re focused on your customer, you’re bound to find success.
“Do it for the customer. Educate them, tell them what’s going on in their vehicle, what happens when you conduct a service. Tell them how it can protect them and selling more than one service per day will come much easier.”
To learn more about how Valvoline’s Professional Series products and performance chemicals can be an asset to your shop, visit partner.valvoline.com .