How wheel alignment can really impact your bottom line

A car's suspension takes a serious beating on Britain's potholed, patched roads, sequentially suspension failures are becoming more frequent. MOT data from the DVSA for the periods April 2021 – March 2022 reveals that 9.28% (3,053,120) of vehicles failed their initial MOT test with suspension defects and a further 6.31% (2,075,990) failing due to tyre related faults. With 32.9 million licensed cars on UK roads, this is a figure of over 5 million vehicles on the road with suspension or tyre related issues (Source: gov.uk).

Just imagine that approx. 15% of the cars rolling past your garage doors are potential wheel alignment customers, yet, that potential is considerably greater. In the third quarter of 2021, the RAC dealt with the largest-ever volume of pot-hole-related break downs since 2006. During that period, RAC patrols attended 1,810 breakdowns to vehicles with damaged shock absorbers, distorted wheels and broken suspension components. (Source: RAC)

With the declining condition of UK roads causing additional wear and tear on under-car components, the RAC statistics suggest that drivers in the UK are 1.5 times more likely to break down after striking a pothole now than they were when the organisation first started gathering data in 2006.

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Why your customers need a routine alignment check?

What are the root causes of alignment issues?

Potholes

Hitting curbs

Road debris

Worn or broken suspension components

Newly replaced suspension components

Minor accidents

Normal wear and tear

What are the results of poor wheel alignment?

Uneven or excessive tyre wear

Suspension component damage

Vibrations / Uncomfortable ride

Increased fuel consumption

Vehicle pulling to one side

Off centre steering wheel

ADAS misalignment

Some results are more costly than others!

Fitting a new pair of boots to mis-aligned wheels will result in uneven wear on that brand new rubber, that’s an unhappy customer!

With average service schedules of one year or 12,000 miles, that’s a lot of ground that could be covered with potential issues lurking on the undercar. How many services proactively check the condition of undercar components to identifying issues and providing corrective measures? The annual MOT will identify damaged caused as a result but it will not prevent it from occurring, that’s an unhappy customer!

Saving money, saving lives with ADAS

The term "ADAS" refers to all driver assistance and collision avoidance systems that can lessen the severity of an accident or help prevent one from happening altogether. The IMI predicts that between 2014 and 2030, ADAS systems will prevent 25,000 serious accidents and save more than 2,500 (Source IMI) But ADAS systems will only work if accurately calibrated, for this correct wheel alignment is essential.

Alignment for EV's

It is even more important that EV’s have correct geometry. With bigger wheels and tyre dimensions and are considerably heavier than the average internal combustion engine vehicle, more strain is put on components, this adds to overall wear and tear!

How often should vehicles be aligned?

There is no set formula for how often wheels should be aligned, depending on driving conditions and habits it differs from vehicle to vehicle and drivers however at minimum we’d recommend an alignment check every time the vehicle is serviced, however if your customer is covering a lot of miles, it is recommended more frequently.

What does this mean to the average garage?

Simply, an opportunity! An opportunity to give your customers complete peace of mind as well as making a substantial difference to your revenue figures. With an average cost of £35 for either a front or rear alignment adjustment and around £70 for a four-wheel alignment adjustment. Based on just 10 services a week, offering this additional service, could make an approx. £700 of additional revenue. Within a few minutes you’ll increase your profits, and give your customers impeccable service, that will keep them coming back to you time and time again.

Incorporate wheel alignment into your routine

Making an interim alignment check-up part of your routine rather than an additional service (charge) takes just a few minutes to run and costs nothing to your customer. You can present them with the results and advise of corrective measures that should be done to prevent damage to components down the line.

By physically showing the issue to the customer, as well as the advantages of having the alignment fixed will help the customer understand the need is greater to apply preventative maintenance rather than pay down the line fixing other issues. This is a value added upsell to increase your revenue with relatively little additional work for your technicians

For vehicles that do not require corrective action, it’s still a great value add to your service as those positive results give customers added peace of mind. Likewise, those vehicles requiring corrective measures it is a value added upsell t your services which again should give your customers peace of mind afterwards that you are assisting with preventative maintenance to save them money in the long run.

Our Recommendation

Give your customers total peace of mind by providing an interim wheel alignment check as part of all routine jobs, it takes just a few minutes, and they'll thank you for it!

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