Our planet’s climate is ever-changing. Some people believe this is natural while others feel that man’s industry and pollution is contributing. No matter which side of the fence you find yourself standing, it is hard to deny that climate has and will continue to change. Whether or not you call it climate change, global warming or something different, our changing climate is something dealerships need to prepare for and consider.
The weather and the sun have always affected our vehicles inside and out. The climate impacts the exterior of our vehicles’ paint, trim, accents and more. The interior of vehicles is even more impacted by the brutal sun and hot temperatures. Dashboards crack and shift knobs and steering wheels deteriorate due to the pounding UV rays of the sun. This prematurely ages units and makes them more difficult to turn profitably.
Customers’ test drives start off uncomfortably in a sauna of a vehicle with fingers burnt on the control buttons. Is this how you want your test drives to begin? There are simple solutions that can protect your inventory and improve your customers’ test-drive experience.
One solution is to cover your inventory. This will protect your cars from hail and snow in the winter and the sun in the summer. The only drawback to this solution is the cost and limited number of units you can protect.
Another solution, especially for dealerships where hail is not a major issue, is to simply put sunshades in every unit on the lot. Sunshades are a very inexpensive solution to a very expensive problem. A sunshade will not only protect the dashboard, shift knob and steering wheel, it will also keep the vehicle cooler. Your investment will be protected, and your customers’ test-drive experience will noticeably improve.
Another benefit of a sunshade is the branding opportunity. Sunshades can be customized with the dealership’s name and logo. Every car on the lot becomes a billboard. Once the units sell, smart dealers will send the sunshades home with the customer. Now every parking lot in town becomes a mobile advertisement for the dealership and the customer will appreciate the gift. There is no better way to get a dealership’s name out in parking lots of shopping malls, sports stadiums, supermarkets and driveways for the same low cost.
In a time that vehicle plastic license plate inserts are being banned by state laws, dealerships are looking into other ways of getting their name out, besides, social media, billboards, newspaper, etc. What better giveaway than a personalized imprinted dealership-specific customized shade for the automobile?
Keep your customers happy by letting them “beat the heat” on a regular basis. This could very well be the first giveaway item a car buyer will ever use on daily basis instead of ending up in the trunk or garage.
Jons van Dooren
