As the UK finally enters summer, LKQ Euro Car Parts is outlining the five key areas that garages should be focusing on during the warmer weather.
In addition to the heatwave and potential for prolonged good weather, the government’s roadmap out of COVID-19 lockdown is likely to end within the next few weeks (variant depending). Therefore, the country will see more vehicles take to the roads than at any other point in the last 18 months.
LKQ Euro Car parts is encouraging garages to ensure they’re ready to meet increased demand, as well as taking steps to proactively bring in extra work and make the most of every vehicle on the ramp.
“Many people are getting back on the road for the first time in a long time, and they’ve got long distances planned – with staycations on the cards this summer and family and friends to reconnect with,” commented Colin Cottrell, marketing director at LKQ Euro Car Parts.
“Offering free vehicle health checks helps drivers make sure their vehicles are safe, comfortable and performing at their best – and provides potential revenue to garages when any urgent repairs or maintenance requirements are identified along the way.”
LKQ Euro Car Parts’ five focus areas for garages this summer
1. Air con: It is easy to forget that air con is about more than just comfort in the cabin; it also plays a part in performance and safety. As well as serving those customers who come in with a specific air con-related issue this summer, garages should seize the opportunity to upsell air con checks as part of other service tasks or repairs.
2. Fluid levels and quality: Cars need frequent TLC, and that means regular fluid checks – which are likely to have been neglected by many since the onset of the coronavirus outbreak. Fluid checks cover engine coolant, engine oil, brake fluid, wiper washer fluid and power steering fluid, as well as automatic transition fluid for customers with an automatic gearbox.
3. Wipers: It is important not to overlook the consumables that are common to all cars, and wipers fall into that category. Carrying out wiper checks as standard before any vehicle leaves the workshop is key to providing a best-in-class service – and your customers will thank you next time they’re driving in the rain.
4. Battery testing: Last summer we saw unusually high demand for battery servicing, as many ran flat due to lack of use during the first lockdown. This year, the same situation might well arise again. Our advice is to test batteries as standard whenever any vehicle is brought in for servicing and repair.
5. Tyres: The most common tyre faults tend to be worn treads, bulges and cuts in the tyre wall, all of which can have serious safety implications. It’s therefore vital that garages can offer key services such as tyre checks, replacements and wheel balancing, as well as tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) checks, for every vehicle on the ramp.
“A vehicle health check only takes around 15-20 minutes to complete, so can easily be added to jobs that are already booked in,” continued Cottrell. “We have created a handy business toolkit to help garages promote vehicle health checks in the waiting room, as well as online and on social media, to encourage more inbound enquiries.”
The toolkit also includes a checklist for technicians to use when carrying out a health check, and can be downloaded for free from the Garage Support section of the LKQ Euro Car Parts Omnihub (https://omnipart.eurocarparts.com/omnihub).
