Caring for your customers' vehicles' during Covid-19

Rotronics specialises in the supply, service and repairs of battery diagnostic technology to many sectors including our emergency services, breakdown organisations, distribution services and public transport fleets. We boast unrivalled expertise in our field and wanted to share with you some reasons why a proactive battery management programme is a necessity, and also some tips on how maintain your customers’ vehicle battery health during this unprecedented Covid-19 crisis.

Opportunities

It may or may not come as surprise, but 40%* of vehicle batteries require attention in one way or another.

• More than 1million battery non-starts occur every year in the UK
• How many of these vehicles are serviced by your workshop?
• Do you carry out a battery test as part of your service offering and identify battery issues?
• Do you charge your customers batteries?
• Do you check batteries that you hold in stock?

*Data taken from 1.3 Million Workshop battery tests result from Rotronics ROBIS portal

Care for Your Workshop & your Customers

A proactive battery management programme within your workshop routines will:

Reduce battery-related breakdowns for your Customers – Increasing customer satisfaction

Increase revenues through early detection of failed batteries

Increase revenues through offering a battery charging service

Minimise the risk of stocked batteries becoming flat and unsaleable

Every vehicle battery that enters your workshop should be tested and charged, according to the diagnostic results

Using the correct diagnostic tester and charging equipment, is key to a successful workshop programme. Ask yourself if you have the correct diagnostic equipment, and is your workshop fully equipped to support your workshop needs?

We have a range of testing platform which delivery the very latest in diagnostic battery and electrical system testing; CPX900 Battery & System Tester and the MdX655P.

For diagnostic charging technology, the CTEK PRO25SE , CTEK PRO120, and Midtronics MCC70. Deliver the very latest in Diagnostic charging & BSU Support, backed up by a full service and spares offering.

For further advice about the best testing and diagnostic options, visit https://www.rotronicsbms.com/products/battery-testers.html and https://www.rotronicsbms.com/products/battery-charger.html

Help your customer better understand batteries

Unless a customer works in our industry, it’s unlikely they will know the life cycle of a battery, and the care that is needed to keep it in a healthy condition. Do you customers know that battery failure is the most common reason for roadside breakdown? If they did, they their awareness of battery healthy would be as much priority as tyre tread and oil consumption.

To help your customer understand battery health, below some key points to educate them on:

• Batteries discharge naturally. Simply disconnecting batteries from the vehicle will not prevent discharging. Sulphation & stratification occurs when batteries fall below 12.4v or more and cause irreversible damage to the battery
• Faulty or failing batteries can affect fuel consumption. A vehicle’s alternator will draw more horsepower in an attempt to charge the battery, increasing the load and place more pressure on the battery and use more fuel
• Start/Stop is no longer working. Often as a result of a poor battery and can also lead to additional internal consumers shutting down. Usually an early “tell tell” sign that the battery is faulty or requires charging
• Batteries seldom fully charge from the alternator alone. With all the consumers of a modern-day vehicle, added to short “start/stop” journeys. Often lead to a shortfall charging of the battery.
• Customers may charge their battery incorrectly or with old technology chargers. Vehicles with BMS in place should not be charged via battery negative post, but instead by vehicle ground. Failure in doing so will result in the vehicle’s BMS not seeing the increased charged voltage
• Why does my battery suddenly fail without warning? A car battery, if cared for, will last for over 5 years, depending on the “drive cycle” (how often the car is used, short/long journeys)

Service & Repair

Goodhousing for service and repair is imperative in order to keep your testing and charging equipment in excellent condition and prevent unnecessary costs on replacement equipment. There are plenty of things your technicians can be privately doing to prepare your workshop for when this down-time period is over:

• Make sure that the terminals are kept clear from grease and grime
• Service and repair any equipment that has become faulty or showing signs of wear and tear. Rotronics can repair and service all Midtronics and Professional (7 amps and above) CTEK diagnostic testing platforms and chargers. If you need help, please contact us on https://www.rotronicsbms.com/service-repair-centre
• Keep all power packs on charge continually, to ensure that they are effective when required in any emergency

Your Workshop Checklist

Below, we have complied some questions to include on your workshop checklist, to ensure you have a suitable battery management programme to service your customers:

• Does your workshop have a tester than can accurately test EFB & RC capacities of start/stop?
• Do you have sufficient diagnostic chargers to enable timely charging of your customers vehicles?
• Do you have a process for maintaining the batteries you keep in stock, to minimise the risk of suplhation?
• Is your testing and charging equipment in a good state of repair?
• Can your chargers supply sufficient BSU (Battery Support Capacity) supporting software updates?
• Are your technicians performing a battery test on every vehicle that enters your workshop?
• Are you communicating with your customers and offering a battery charging service?

If you answer NO to or have any doubt on how your workshop can benefit from a pro-active Battery management programme. Rotronics, will be more than happy to assist you in providing you with all you need to support your customers, and help you increase your revenue by identifying battery repair and replacement opportunities.