Are your customers prepared for winter?

Date: Wednesday 22 November 2023

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Rain, wind and generally, miserable weather is usually a given in the UK, but it’s common for the vast majority of drivers to be unprepared for the winter months.

As the clocks have gone back one hour and the evenings are darker quicker, it allows factors and workshops the opportunity to upsell winter products that customers may not have thought about.

There is usually a focus on the three B’s around the time; bulbs, blades and batteries, but what about everything else drivers may need in winter? Yes, the three B’s should be a focus, but they shouldn’t be the only product groups to sell because there are other aspects to consider when selling a battery for instance, such as a jump starter or charger to prolong its life in the future.

It’s not just batteries – battery care

Batteries can be negatively impacted by the cold weather, as when the temperature drops to freezing, a battery can lose up to 35% of its power, which is why it’s important for drivers to keep an eye on their batteries over winter and ensure they have the best tools to prevent the battery from failing.

For instance, Ring’s range of smart chargers can be left connected to a car battery without overcharging. The intelligent charger will know when a battery is fully charged and will switch to a float mode, so will only add charge again as the battery naturally discharges.

However, if the battery has been allowed to go completely flat, Ring’s compact lithium jump starters, the RPPL200 and RPPL300, are ideal. They will jump start the vehicle quickly, but are so small, they can be stored them in the vehicle, ready to use if needed again.

Got to pump it up – tyre inflators

Another important element for drivers to keep an eye on, not just during winter but all-year round, is tyres. The correct tyre pressure is incredibly important, especially in winter when road conditions are more treacherous, so should be checked regularly. To assist, Ring has a range of gauges for quick pressure checks, but if they need to be inflated, it also has a variety of tyre inflators to suit every driver’s need.

One that is incredibly popular and selling well is the new RTC4000, which is rechargeable, cordless and compact, so can be stored away until needed. It also has a memory function, so the user can save different tyre pressures and activate them easily from the home screen, and has an auto-stop feature, so there’s no risk of over inflating the tyre. The RTC4000 is easily chargeable via a USB Type C cable or 12V DC cable and is quick to inflate a tyre, even from flat, making this product an easy sell for retailers and reassures drivers if they go back to their vehicle and the tyre is flat, there’s an easy solution in their glovebox.

See the light – worklamps

It’s not just technicians that need worklamps, they can also be sold to drivers as a more reliable and powerful option to torches. It goes without saying that every driver should have a light source handy in their vehicle in case of a breakdown, especially in winter as it’s darker earlier, and it’s likely to happen in the dark. So, why not sell drivers a worklamp that can quickly charge, is versatile and provides incredible light output?

Ring’s range of fast charging worklamps includes the MAGflex Pro Fast Charge LED Inspection Lamp (RIL4200/REIL4200), which can go from 0-100% battery in just one hour. For a slim version of this, there’s the MAGflex Slim Fast Charge LED Inspection Lamp (RIL4300/REIL4300), with the same quick recharging time for a more compact option. Both would be suitable in the case of a breakdown and would add extra reassurance to drivers.

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