Anything can happen to a car at any given point in time. As a car care business owner/operator, you must educate your customers on the importance of being prepared. For example, a car can suddenly break down or run into trouble in a rural area where access to a repair service isn’t feasible. Or, a car owner could break down on the side of a road in an area known for crime and forced to risk his or her safety while waiting on a tow truck.
Sometimes things can happen to a vehicle outside of its regular cleaning and maintenance schedule. As a responsible car care expert, properly educate customers about what can happen and why they must keep essential car care tools in their vehicles to help better address problematic situations if and when they arise.
Properly educating customers about the unforeseen car complications that may arise will boost their trust in you and your business and establish a relationship which in turn can help boost profits.
Essential car care tools
Even with minimal mechanical knowledge, many unexpected car care issues can be handled by car owners — if they have the right tools. Teach your customers about the essential items they should always have handy in their vehicles, so they can adequately handle any primary challenges competently.
These fundamental tools include:
- Socket and driver set: No matter how expertly a car has been manufactured, some of its parts might come loose at any point of time. Most often, if you can tighten the loosened part with perfect accuracy, it will help solve the problem completely. For instance, tightening a slipped hose clamp, a loose battery terminal connection or a little part under the hood can prove to be extremely helpful. Your customers don’t need to have a vast knowledge of the automotive field in order to handle these simple problems.
- Torque wrench: A torque wrench is considered to be one of the most essential tools of any and every garage. With a torque wrench, you can tighten the fasteners as per the original specifications. It’s important to do this for ensuring that the wheel lug is perfectly tight to withstand normal driving. At the same time, do not over-tighten any of the components. Dialing in the right torque with the help of a torque wrench will help complete these tasks without any problems.
- Tow strap: A tow strap is a very strong fabric that helps move a disabled car to a certain distance. In case a car malfunctions, and it is not possible to move the vehicle by any other means, pulling it with the help of a tow strap is the best possible option. In fact, a car can be moved up to a few miles with the help of a tow strap. This strap also serves as a handy tape to tie down something or as a rescue rope.
- Mechanics tool set: A mechanics tool set is a must-have for all car owners. You might have often seen your dad busy with a toolbox growing up. Now, if associated with some kind of an automobile, a mechanics tool set should be on hand. Consisting of lots of nuts, bolts and socket accessories, this tool set comes in handy for solving little issues. Be sure to buy a 220 piece tool set because this will include almost everything that may be needed by a car owner.
- Jack and jack stand: Accessing the undercarriage of a car properly is an important part of the entire maintenance project. In order for car owners to do the same, they need to get their cars off the ground; this is where jack and jack stands prove to be of great help. Make sure a safe floor jack can easily fits under the car. At the same time, set the car at a height so there is enough clearance to perform the necessary actions.
- Reflective triangle: Finally, a reflective triangle is one of the most essential tools owners should always keep in their cars. This is important not only for their safety, but also for the safety of others. If a car ever breaks down in a secluded area, the car owner will be able to draw the attention of other motorists and vehicles passing by, with the help of a reflective triangle. Other motorists and vehicles will most likely pass right by a car if it does not have a reflective triangle, without even noticing the predicament.
Apart from these tools, advise your customers to also keep other helpful tools handy. These include a brake bleeding kit, a code reader, a puncture repair kit, a hydraulic jack, a flashlight, a jump lead, a few jumper cables, a lug-nut wrench, an ice scraper, a folding shovel, a tire-pressure gauge and tire chains. According to industry experts, it’s extremely important for car owners to keep all these essential tools in their vehicles. With these easy-to-use and extremely effective tools in the tow, your customers will be ready for the small repairing jobs. Also, remind them to store these tools in an easily accessible area of their cars so they can quickly access them as and when needed the most.
The last thing a car owner wants is to be stranded on the side of the road. And, as the winter season quickly approaches, advise your customers to keep a blanket handy in their cars, in addition to the tools mentioned above. This way, if an unforeseen issue occurs and they are forced to pull over on a cold, windy day, they can warm up while they assess any problems with their vehicles — and also remember the great advice their car care providers offered them. Remember, you have to build trust to build profits.
Scott Distel is a professional writer and automotive consultant, and has worked for a few years in the automotive industry. He loves to write about topics related to the automotive industry and to help people by offering guidance and information about various aspects of the industry. Distel likes to travel, listen to music and explore trends and updates in the automotive industry. He reads a lot in order to better deliver accurate and updated information to his readers.
