In the past we’ve had a lot of shops asking us about some different ways to grow revenue, reduce shop warranty related comebacks, and increase customer safety and satisfaction. Today, we will tell you about an initiative that addresses all of these issues. We are excited to share this strategy to help your auto service center maximize their potential.
Over the past 5 years there has been a downward trend when it comes to replacing serpentine belts and tensioners. One major cause of this decline is a lack of attachment rates when it comes to related components. Shops are often removing the old belt to replace parts like the AC compressor, alternator or accessory belt drive components, and putting the old belt back on the vehicle. What this does is set the customer up for failure as they now have old, worn components on the accessory belt drive system, working with brand new components.
There is a lack of focus on repairing the full system, which is critical as all components within the accessory belt drive system share the same life cycle. By not committing to a full system replacement, you are risking customer safety due to roadside breakdowns and also putting your shop’s reputation at risk.
We are currently seeing an average belt to tensioner ratio of 6:1. This means a lot of shops are replacing the belt without replacing the tensioner at the same time which is producing false warranty claims.
We decided to look through our warranty bins for belts that were returned as defective. We found that 99.8% of belts being returned were not defective and were in fact forced to fail by another worn component within the accessory belt drive system. Those results just helped to prove the point that there is still a lack of focus on full system replacement when it comes to the accessory belt drive system.
"Protect the Ride"
We’ve recently launched our "Protect the Ride" initiative. Our goal is to educate shop owners, service advisors and technicians on the importance of full system replacement and why this needs to be part of their regular process. The benefits of doing the job right not only make for a more satisfied customer, but also assist in increasing revenue for your shop.
When it comes to the accessory belt drive system, the belt, tensioner and idler pulleys all share the same life cycle. They run together and they wear together as a system. If a full system replacement is not done when a belt or tensioner needs replacing, then you are very likely to have a customer come back due to a premature failure.
Part of our initiative is to help shops with their sales techniques. We need to stop making decisions for the customer and start advising them on what the correct job entails. The customer is bringing their vehicle to the doctor and it is your job to prescribe the correct fix and offer a full system replacement. This isn’t an upsell but a “need sell”. You are not trying to upsell your customer to a higher quality part, you are simply selling them what their vehicle actually needs to do the job right.
We often relate this to the timing belt kit with water pumps. In the past, shops would replace individual components in the timing system. Once they realized the issues this can cause, a complete timing kit with all related components became the only logical decision. Same logic applies to the accessory belt drive system. Don’t replace just the belt, replace the system.
A multiple benefits approach
There are multiple benefits to taking on a full system replacement approach. One is an increase in revenue for your shop. You’re now turning a single belt sale into a belt, tensioner and pulley. This also adds more labour time to the job.
A shop that now uses best practice has seen an increase in sale revenue with the UNR products by $7,000 in only three months in comparison to the same period last year. They grew their sales in UNR by $7,000 in just 3 months vs the same period last year. They also managed to sell 30 more complete serpentine kits during the same period and brought their tensioner to belt ratio up to .95. Their ratio is almost 1:1, which means they are selling a tensioner with almost every belt that goes out the door!
Not only does your shop benefit from this approach, but your customers also leave your shop with the peace of mind that the job was done right. They won’t have to waste their time coming back to the shop due to a warranty claim. Full system replacement is the only way forward to help your shop reach its potential. For more information, please contact your local NAPA dedicated sales representative.
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