Drivers to check their wipers this staycation season
With the popularity of staycations continuing, renowned wiper blade manufacturer, TRICO, is recommending factors and technicians to check wiper blades and upsell them in the summer season.
While wiper blades sales are generally restricted to the colder, winter months, this should not be the case. Wiper blades should be sold all year round, as it’s likely to rain throughout the year, not just in winter!
Staycations have grown in popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic, when members of the public were not allowed to travel to different countries, however the trend of staycations has continued and presents factors and technicians with a new upselling opportunity.
As well as offering ‘winter checks’ workshops and factors should be offering a ‘summer checks’ service to customers and check the basics, such as tyres, wiper blades, washer fluid, bulbs and batteries.
All these components are critical to road safety and if a driver is driving a considerable distance to their holiday destination, these should be checked and potentially replaced if there are signs of wear.
Wiper blades are an ‘easy’ upsell, because it’s simple to show drivers the damage, especially if the factor or technician can put the wipers on and demonstrate their ineffective clearing.
However, for excellent customer service, technicians and factors should sell premium blades to their customers, due to their superior quality and reliability. Helpfully, TRICO is an original equipment (OE) manufacturer for a host of vehicles, has been manufacturing blades for more than 100 years and its ranges are available in the aftermarket.
The complete TRICO range features conventional, beam, hybrid and specialty blades in all lengths, for both front and rear applications, including TRICO Flex, a range that is already proving extremely popular with CAAR members, for example. TRICO Flex is a multi-fit blade, offering 95% vehicle coverage from just 15 SKU’s, making it easy for smaller factors, retailers and garages to stock and sell. TRICO Exact Fit is also popular, with like-for-like OE replacement blades that are simple to install in a matter of seconds.
Valentin Neagu, Product & Technical Support Manager - Wipers AM, said: “Workshops and factors should continue looking for opportunities to upsell products no matter what the weather, and as wiper blades are such a safety critical component, it should be an easy sell.
“Staycations are so popular, but drivers should be aware of their vehicle’s health and should ensure the most safety crucial components are in good condition before setting off on a long journey. It should only take a few minutes to change wiper blades and it could be the difference between a driver seeing clearly through a storm, or not at all.
“We recommend changing wiper blades at least once a year, so technicians and factors should have the confidence to discuss the reliability of a driver’s wiper blades and potentially make a sale and ensure they are kept in optimum condition.”