Bright and Shiny Package

By Tammy Neal

December has its share of gray and dreary days. For me, it's those days that go by slow and are usually no fun.

Have you ever thought of your customers' cars as gray December days? Maybe it's time you should.

Next time a car pulls into your bay, look at it's headlights. True, it's always a good sign that a vehicle has two headlights, but really look at them. Are they crystal clear or is there a layer of dinginess covering them? If it's the latter, then that car has a case of the "gray days."

"Gray days" can spread to other parts of the car, too, not just the headlights. Look inside the cracks and crevices of the next vehicle you get into — you're likely to find crumbs and dust bunnies. Or perhaps there is a thin layer of dust on all surfaces inside the car. If so, the "gray days" have spread to the interior.

Just as the sun popping out from behind a layer of clouds helps brighten my gray days, giving your customers' cars a little sprucing up can help infuse some life back into them, too.

That's why we propose a "Bright and Shiny" add-on package. This package would be ideal for a lube that also features a carwash, but there are some services you can perform that don't need a wash bay. For this package, we'll focus on headlight restoration and detailing.

It's important to note that this service is in demand now more than ever, as people keep their cars longer and the average age of vehicles on the road increases.

Headlight restoration: Headlight restoration not only spruces up headlights, it aids in safety as well. A restoration can restore about 85 to 90 percent of the light's candle power.

Headlight restoration is an easy process that can be used on all plastic lights — not just headlights. It does wonders for cloudy taillights, as well.

Most headlight restoration kits come complete with all equipment and instructions, which helps out with employee training. Plus, there are even kits that use a device attached to a power drill, eliminating some elbow grease and speeding up the process.

Detailing: Auto detailing helps restore the look of a customer's car. Depending on the staffing, space and equipment constraints of your facility, detailing can be as intense as you are willing to undertake.

Here are a few detailing items worth considering: hand wash; hand wax; vacuuming seats, carpets and mats; cleaning windows and mirrors; applying tire shine; blowing out air vents and crevices; cleaning the dash, console and doors; carpet cleaning; fabric-guard treatments; and conditioning leather. The items are as plentiful as your motivation and imagination.

To determine the price of your "Bright and Shiny" package, take a look at the price of each service to place a value on the entire package. Then, give customers an incentive for buying.

Services bought as a package can be discounted by 10, 15 or even 20 percent. Your customer can say hello to a bright and shiny car, while you get to say hello to a few more dollars in your pocket.

The "Bright and Shiny" add-on package is designed to help spruce up your customers' cars. Even in the dead of winter, customers will appreciate the consideration and will know where to come next time their rides start looking a little dingy.