Selling Chemicals

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Counterman has been serving auto parts jobbers, retailers and distributors since 1983.
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Selling Chemicals

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
Published:

High margin, high-turn automotive chemicals are an important part of front-of-the-counter inventories.

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Specialty automotive chemicals and additives are one of the few lines in your store that can provide both turns and nice margins.

Check out your own store shelves and you’ll be amazed at how many different products are there. Besides a huge array of purpose-specific products, there are also multiple brands of similar products. It can be confusing for store staff and customers alike. The key is to know your product lines and how one product differs from another. Customers will often hold up two cans of the same stuff (different brands) and ask you what the difference is. Knowing the real difference between products is an important part of the sales process.

Name-brand products are usually more expensive than private label products, but in many instances the ingredients are essentially the same. Even so, the name brand product may be more appealing because of advertising promotions, discount coupons or other merchandising perks.

FUEL ADDITIVES

Some fuel additives are specifically targeted at cleaning dirty fuel injectors, while others are designed to prevent the injectors from getting dirty in the first place. There are also specialized cleaners for dirty carburetors and those for cleaning the entire fuel system and/or intake system and engine.

Some of these products are "problem solvers," while others are designed more for preventive maintenance. Cleaners contain detergents, solvents or both. The more concentrated the chemical, the more aggressive the cleaning action. Customers should be cautioned to always follow the usage recommendations on the product because dosages can vary considerably. Too high a concentration of some additives may be harmful to rubber fuel lines or o-rings.

Octane-boosters are another popular fuel additive that appeal primarily to performance enthusiasts, but may also be used to temporarily eliminate or reduce spark knock. For winter driving, don’t forget to recommend moisture-absorbing fuel system de-icers to prevent gas line freeze, and additives that keep diesel fuel from gelling in diesel engines.

COOLING SYSTEM ADDITIVES

The most popular products in this category are those designed to stop coolant leaks.

Sealers are designed to only handle small leaks and even then only to provide a temporary fix until the proper repairs can be made.

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Auto Industry

Customer Service: How It’s Done

Customer service should be your number one priority, and it all starts with the greeting.

Eric Garbe
By Eric Garbe
Eric Garbe is a graduate of Columbus State Community College with a degree in Automotive Maintenance Technology. He has extensive independent and dealership field experience as a technician and shop owner and is an ASE Certified Master Technician and former Adjunct Automotive Professor. He has been professionally writing automotive technical articles and documents for many years and in his free time enjoys restoring old cars and creating custom interiors and upholstery.
Published:

This is always an important topic to discuss, because I consider excellent customer service one of the most important tools you can have to earn trust, respect and repeat business from the customers that come through your door. Whether that customer is do-it-yourselfer from across town or the professional repair shop across the street, your business depends on a solid relationship.It’s a subject that I am passionate about, and it’s one that many people are losing touch with. Whether you are communicating to someone in person, on the phone or using some type of social media, good customer service and bad can both exist. You can’t afford the latter, so this is the first in a series of topics which can and should be shared from the front of the shop to the back. No matter which role you hold, you represent the shop and yourself. Customer service should be your number one priority.First on the list is the greeting. From the second a customer walks in the door, they need to know you appreciate them coming in and how important they are to your business. First impressions are everything and here’s the correct way to do it each and every time: look them directly in the eye, smile and say hello!Of course, you can say “Good morning” or “Welcome to Joe’s Autocare,” but it should be a formal greeting and the most important thing is that you have smiled, looked them in the eye and recognized that they have walked through the door.You should always retain a formal greeting until you are on a first-name basis with a customer. Only once you have established that level of relationship is it OK to use the less formal greeting of “Hi,” followed by the person’s name.This greeting does more than just indicate respect and appreciation for someone walking through the door. Most likely there are customers both new and old who are in earshot of your conversation. For newer customers, this continues to build rapport and reinforce their positive view of your shop; they see that you demonstrate respect and treat everyone in the same manner. For repeat customers, even ones that have been coming for years, the greeting is important because the way you treat them is the reason they continue to come.And when a long-time customer comes in and you greet them with “Hi [First Name],” this indicates your appreciation for them and that you’re glad to see them as a person, more than just a customer. New customers that witness this will see that your repeat customers are comfortable enough to be on a first-name basis, another indication of the trust they have in you.

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