Safety Sells and, Well, It Should

June 30, 2017
It’s an old song. Safety sells. It remains true, even today, and is sage advice for motorists, as well as for repair technicians. Some things never change — like the need to check tires for adequate tread depth, wear and proper inflation pressures. Quick lube shops typically have the opportunity to inspect the underside of the car for worn steering and suspension parts, as well as exhaust system integrity. Wiper blades and washer fluid are also important items to check. And, of course, there’s lighting. Shops have always included lighting checks as part of any safety inspection: to be

It’s an old song. Safety sells. It remains true, even today, and is sage advice for motorists, as well as for repair technicians.

Some things never change — like the need to check tires for adequate tread depth, wear and proper inflation pressures. Quick lube shops typically have the opportunity to inspect the underside of the car for worn steering and suspension parts, as well as exhaust system integrity. Wiper blades and washer fluid are also important items to check. And, of course, there’s lighting. Shops have always included lighting checks as part of any safety inspection: to be sure all lights are working as they should, no bulbs are burned out, license plate and side marker lights are working and turn signals and four-ways are flashing at a proper rate. All of these contribute to highway safety, and checking all of these provides welcome information for the vehicle owner and sales opportunities for the quick lube shop.

But there is a another wrinkle to lighting safety in today’s cars, and that’s the glazing that takes place on the clear polycarbonate covers on the headlights of most late-model cars. These lenses typically develop an opaque finish due to UV light and other atmospheric conditions. The resulting yellowing or hazing is readily apparent at a glance and can seriously reduce the driver’s nighttime vision, as well as visibility to oncoming traffic.

Fortunately, restoring these lenses to crystal-clear clarity is a service that can be easily be performed in a quick lube environment and fits in perfectly with the menu of service offerings in these shops. Kits are available from aftermarket sources that incorporate cleaning compounds, mild abrasives and polishing and preservative materials that can restore faded lenses to long-lasting, like-new condition. This service can be performed quickly, on the spot and at a reasonable cost for the motorist while affording an appropriate profit margin for the quick lube shop.

As with any other service product, you’ll want to do your homework to choose the headlight lens restoration kit that best meets the needs of your shop. Obviously, the first and most important factor is that the product works well, providing a beautifully clear finish that has lasting power. Then, you’ll want to choose a product that is easy to use, requires only a few steps to achieve a lustrous, lasting finish and requires little training for shop technicians.

Coupled with inspection of other vehicle systems, headlight lens restoration can become part of a multi-point “Safety Service” that can include wiper blade replacement, washer fluid fill-up, tire check and inspection, and other services as appropriate, all for a single price that makes the package both marketable and palatable to the customer.

Few customers will argue with your providing safety-related parts and services. You can rest easy knowing that this customer’s next oncoming car might be carrying your wife and kids.