Turning MOT failures into opportunities

JRP Distribution is confident MOT season will generate plenty of upsell opportunities that will also offer value to the end-user.

The company says there are many products that can be offered to customers if they fail an MOT. Citing research by Halfords, lights are the leading cause of MOT failure with poor emissions and chips in the windscreen also common reasons.

JRP Distribution is confident many of these failures can be resolved there and then in the workshop, like those identified, and the company is urging workshops to take it upon themselves to fix the problems.

JRP’s Ollie Page said: “The MOT season can be a stressful time for a driver, as a lot can happen to a car in a year! Yet, workshops can also make the most of this time by having solutions to common MOT failures in stock and even calling customers before their MOT to see if there’s any work that needs doing beforehand.

“Many MOT failures are small fixes; checks to the windscreen, tyres, wiper blades and headlights can be done swiftly, and even resolved quickly with the right equipment on hand. This can lead to a lucrative revenue stream and also ease customers’ minds in the lead-up to their MOT.”

Lights

Common issues include blown bulbs, cloudy headlight covers, and faulty brake lights. JRP says many of these issues have a simple solution, whether that’s restoring the headlamp unit to its former glory or replacing a bulb. Simply Brands’ bulb offering includes performance, auxiliary, LED auxiliary, headlight, LED headlight, and fog light bulbs. JRP says all bulbs are made to OE specification and are competitively priced.

Windscreen

It’s not only cracks or chips in the windscreen that can cause failures – but also wiper blades! Wiper blades that do not effectively clear the windscreen will result in a fail.

Simply Brands has a competitively priced range consisting of both multi-fit flat blades and traditional conventional blades, which will cover the vast majority of the car parc.

The multi-fit flat blade offering will cover 98% of the car parc and consists of 15 SKUs with eight OE fit adaptors that cover the 10 most popular OE arm types. This will include a retro fit hook adaptor to upgrade older vehicles to the latest flat blade technology.

The conventional blade range has 11 SKUs in lengths 280mm-700mm, and all are a metal vented frame design with a universal pre-attached adaptor to fit all hook wiper arms, as well as legacy side pin and 7mm bayonet wiper arms.

Alternatively, the recently launched brand, SBxPRO, has a wiper blade range that comes as twin packs and consists of 110 SKUs that are direct OE replacements, covering more than 95% of the beam and hybrid car parc.

Ultimately, a cracked or chipped windscreen impacts a driver’s visibility, and, therefore, is another reason for failing an MOT; however, this could be remedied with a windscreen repair kit, rather than replacing the windscreen. The QUIXX kit includes all the special tools required and an effective, transparent resin, enabling users to repair damage to the windscreen. Simply Brands also has an option using a patented syringe and resin procedure.

Emissions

An MOT failure that continues to plague drivers is the emissions test. EcoMotive’s Clean Drive DPF Regen (ECR1000) is formulated to regenerate the DPF by removing the soot build-up, thus increasing the airflow through the DPF and reducing emissions.

As the product works across all diesel vehicle types, JRP says it’s a helpful and convenient product to have on the shelf, as it also assists with DPF blockages, EGR valve issues, cleans NOx sensors, and lubricates the entire DPF system.