With cars having been used a lot less recently between lockdowns and work from home (our own car has used about quarter of a tank of diesel in eight weeks!) then a good pre-holiday check and service before any longer trips should be strongly recommended to your customers.
Local New Zealand travel is the only option this summer (and possibly very local travel for Aucklanders), so vehicles are likely to get more than the usual holiday use. It’s a time of year when vehicles get loaded to the max with family, camping gear and all the essential supplies and toys for the holiday. A roof rack, trailer, boat or caravan is often added to the mix, putting additional strain on all the vehicles mechanicals, but particularly cooling systems and brakes.
But wait, there’s more! Yes, it is good for your customers, but it is also a great business opportunity – make use of your website, email or text lists and social media (see our Business Torque article on social media in the October issue) to promote pre-holiday services and emphasise some of the points above. There is obvious income from the services or checks themselves, but also from potential repair work such as brake pad replacement, cooling system flushes, air conditioning work, etc.
When the customer comes in check what their holiday plans are – if they will be doing extensive travel, consider that when checking brake and tyre condition, they may be okay now, but are they also good for the duration of the planned trip? Will the WOF expire while they are away? If so suggest they renew now.
Cooling system – long trips with heavy traffic and stop start motoring in queues puts a heavy load on cooling systems. Add a heavier load or towing into the mix and the system might get critical – cars stopped at the side of the road in holiday queues with the proverbial steam geyser coming out from the engine bay are not an uncommon sight during the summer holiday break. Test for leaks, flush and replace the coolant as required check fan operation and drive belts as a minimum.
Air conditioning – a lot of drivers don’t use their air conditioning over winter as they think it is just for cooling, so there may be operational or smell issues when they start using it in summer, so it is a good opportunity to check the system operation and condition.
Brakes, suspension and steering – with higher loads likely, this is a basic safety check, we are fans of a basic spanner check as well to test security of all the key bolts in the suspension (must be from our motorsport and 4WD heritage!)
Tyres – check tyre condition and inflation – most motorists don’t check tyre pressures anywhere often enough. Don’t forget the spare, as holidays are when it may be needed – finding a flat spare at the side of the road will not make for a happy customer!
Wiper blades – yes, it rains in summer and a good parts opportunity if they need replacing.
Lights – standard WOF check that all lights work.
Obviously, there is more to check, but this outlines some of the key areas to consider to ensure your customers have a happy holiday motoring experience.
