Upgrading to a newer model might be tempting, but there are some pretty good arguments to be made for keeping the car you have. As a shop owner, manager or employee, there are some simple things you can do to help consumers understand the benefits of driving an older car:

1. Talk About How Much a New Car Actually Costs.

New cars are expensive, but not everyone realizes how expensive they really are. The customer not only would have to pay for the car itself, but they’d also have to pay taxes and fees. There also are higher insurance premiums to worry about.

The customer could argue that a brand-new car comes with a warranty, so they might save a bit of money on repairs. This is a good opportunity to talk about how reliable an older car can be if it’s properly maintained. And, point out that the biggest single expense for most any car is the amount that it depreciates over the first three years of its life.

2. Explain How Reliable a Properly Maintained Older Vehicle Can Be.

Many people upgrade to newer models because they don’t want to deal with repairs and replacements. While it’s understandable, many people underestimate how reliable a properly maintained vehicle is.

Explain to the customer that they can save quite a bit of money on future repairs if they maintain their car at regular intervals. You can use someone else as an example, like: “My uncle maintains his car really well and it has 200,000 miles without any major problems.”

3. Compliment the Customer.

The customer might be worried that their old car is past the point of no return. If their car is still in good shape, make sure they know that. Find a good feature about their car and say how impressed you are that it’s still in great shape. Don’t forget to praise the customer on how smart they are to take care of their car, and to let them know that their car would probably last a pretty long time.

4. Put Up Signage in the Customer Area.

There also are some good passive ways to remind customers that keeping their old car is a good decision. Signage in the customer area such as “We like new cars, but we don’t like car payments.” or “Say YES to repairs and NO to car payments!” can be quite effective. Or try “200k is the new 100k.” Sounds funny, but it’s more true with cars than humans.

Well-maintained cars are more reliable and durable than ever before.

This article was sponsored by GMB North America, Inc. For more information, please visit our website at www.gmb.net