Don’t budge on offering quality replacement parts

Klarius Sales Director, James Ellison, explores how you can help your garage customers improve their service and save motorists money in the process.

“Just order the cheapest one” is an all-too-common demand heard by garages, according to Klarius Sales Director, James Ellison. Perhaps fitting a budget replacement is a quick and easy route to getting a vehicle back on the road, all while being lighter on the driver’s wallet; however, James and Klarius believe opting for a lower cost replacement part can lead to expensive problems down the line and could damage a garage’s reputation.

As with all roles in customer service, it’s second nature to deliver exactly what the customer is asking for. In most cases, a garage will be forced to call through for a replacement part and settle for the cheapest, most readily available option. Being conditioned to fill that order, many factors will often be required to supply brands based on price. Unfortunately, for all parties, this can be the first step to a headache that is passed from you, to garage, to the driver, and eventually all the way back up the chain.

The problems start after the part is delivered and fitted, with some minor alterations, the next day. Fast forward a few months and the driver is back at the garage with their vehicle for an MOT, which it has failed due to high emissions. The driver is forced to pay for another exhaust replacement to pass and drives away angry at the situation, and subsequently the garage.

What went wrong here? Perhaps the budget exhaust system replacement did not meet the necessary emissions standards to pass an MOT. An exhaust is a vital component in regulating emissions, backpressure and noise. Cheaper exhausts are poorly designed and can lead to reduced engine performance and more damage to the environment. Luckily, all these issues can be avoided, and the solution starts with you.

Don’t budge on offering quality replacements

Recommending a brand that is known for its high-quality products can make all the difference to the garage and the vehicle owner. The initial cost saving of choosing a budget replacement may be attractive, but as we have seen, this can lead to far more expensive repairs later. The tricky part for you is being able to highlight the benefits of a premium replacement. Let’s start with what these are:

Lifespan: Simply put, a higher quality component is more likely to stand the test of time than a cheaper alternative. Exhausts are exposed to all types of weather and road conditions and will eventually deteriorate. Having a part fitted that is made using higher quality materials will slow this process down significantly.

Less hassle for the garage: A key benefit of premium replacements is that they are far more likely to fit to the vehicle without modification. An exhaust that has been designed to OE specification and tested on vehicles of the correct make, model and production year saves garages time and hassle.

Fuel efficiency cost saving: Not only can cost be saved through avoiding a failed MOT and improved durability, but high-quality exhausts can help reduce running costs over time. During the development process, a good quality exhaust is tested for the correct level of backpressure. If these levels are too high or too low, it forces the engine to work harder and use more fuel. A poor-quality replacement with incorrect backpressure levels can cost a driver up to £200-a-year in excess fuel consumption.

No compromise on quality or service

You might be thinking that it’s all well and good offering a high-quality exhaust that avoids all these pitfalls, but won’t it take longer to get it to the customer? Aren’t higher quality parts more difficult to manufacture, which will ultimately increase lead time? Luckily, automotive aftermarket manufacturers, like Klarius, can cater for both quality and speed of delivery.

Thanks to continuous market research, robust and efficient product development and lean manufacturing processes, Klarius proactively develops replacement parts and produces them quickly – all while adhering to the highest quality standards. The business ensures that all applicable exhausts achieve type approval certification from the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) in the UK, or the TÜV in Europe. This means that Klarius parts meet or exceed the performance levels of the OE.