Your customers want to know that the battery investment they make is going to last. They want to feel secure that they are not going to find their forklift dead during a busy shipping season or their boat stuck in the dock on the first day of fishing season.
Of course, all batteries die at some point. But the better a battery is maintained, the longer its life will be. And it is your job as a dealer to make sure that your customers know how to maintain their battery purchase.
Yes, Customer Education is Your Job
As a battery dealer, your job is certainly to sell batteries (as well as to source the best batteries and grow your business). But it is also your job to educate your customers about what they are buying, including how to care for it. The better job you can do of educating your customers, even before they make their first purchase, the stronger your relationship will be with them and the more likely they will be to come back again and again when they need batteries and to recommend you to their network.
Proper Battery Maintenance = Longer Battery Life
Lead batteries require regular maintenance to operate at their maximum potential. Unlike the double As that an average person would throw into his or her TV remote and forget about until they stop working, the battery in a piece of heavy machinery needs to be tended to in order to extend its life. Regular inspection, watering (where applicable) and careful charging all help batteries to last longer.
Teaching Battery Maintenance
Educating your customers about proper battery maintenance does not have to mean setting up formal training courses or dedicating a lot of time and money. Rather, it means emphasizing maintenance and providing resources for your customers from when they are deciding to purchase through the life of their battery. By offering resources, advice and tips, you can set your business up as a dealer that stands behind the products you sell for the long-haul and thereby increase customer loyalty while also improving outcomes for your customers.
It is easy for a battery dealer to get caught up in the day-to-day of sales and of course, you want to be sure that your business is generating revenue sustainably. However, if you invest a bit more into customer education and support, you will see the return as your customers stick around and even buy more than before.
If you want to review the Crown Battery maintenance standards, or share them with your customers, you can download them here:
