special feature - Australian Automotive Aftermarket Magazine

PRODUCTSBoost your customer base... and your bottom line!As almost every workshop owner will tell you, thevehicle repair industry is highly competitive. Thecurrent economic climate has made things eventougher for automotive workshops across thenation. In such an environment, attracting newcustomers and retaining your existing client base ismore important than ever.Using quality products is one strategymechanics and workshop owners can adopt togrow and protect their business – and theirbottom line. Bendix Heavy Duty brake pads are aprime example. Widely recognised as theautomatic choice for working vehicles, utes, vansand taxis, Bendix Heavy Duty are a high qualityproduct made from a specifically developedcompound, formulated to deliver real heavy dutyperformance.Most customers desire and value a qualityvehicle service, and providing quality service cangenerate invaluable repeat business, referrals anda strong local reputation for your workshop.This has certainly been the experience ofColin Wood, owner of Apex Auto Service Centrenear Fremantle in WA. According to Mr Wood,fitting Bendix Heavy Duty pads has increasedlevels of customer satisfaction at his workshop, inturn improving his bottom line."By choosing to fit Bendix Heavy Duty I amimmediately providing a better service to mycustomers," Mr Wood, who has owned andmanaged his own workshop for 30 years, said."When I fit a set of Bendix Heavy Duty pads,I'm confident the car is going out with the bestpossible pad for the best possible price. If you fitBendix Heavy Duty, there is virtually no chancethe customer will come back with a brake padcomplaint, so they're good for my customers, andalso good for my business."Colin says he has found that BendixHeavy Duty suit a range of conditions as wellas many vehicle types such as taxis."They are absolutely ideal for taxis andcommercial vehicles. I've been fitting themto taxis with great success. I had one taxicustomer who was going through a set ofbrake pads every 15,000kms. OnceI fitted Bendix Heavy Duty, heonly needed to replace hispads every 45,000kms.That's three times theperformance of acheaper, inferior pad,which is real value formoney as far as I'm concerned. The customerhas been thrilled, as am I, as he previously wentelsewhere for his servicing, and he has now comeover to Apex Auto."I've also been using Bendix Heavy Duty onutes and working vehicles with absolutely noproblem at all, in fact I've had a lot of positivecustomer feedback."Colin's experience with Bendix Heavy Dutyalso highlights the suitability of the pads to othersituations, such as frequent hard-braking."They're good for younger, more heavy-footeddrivers who want a high performing brake padwithout the high price tag," Mr Wood said."I find with younger drivers, who ownCommodores and EL Falcons in particular, theBendix Heavy Duty work better and provide longerlasting performance."Bendix Heavy Duty do sell for more thangeneral-purpose pads such as Bendix General CT.Yet Mr Wood believes the small additional outlayquickly pays for itself due to the longer lifespanof the pads on commercial and working vehicles."I give customers the HeavyDuty option when I am fittingtheir vehicle with new brakepads. I explain that the extradollars spent are well worth itdue to the dramatic increase inlifespan you get from BendixHeavy Duty,” he said.In addition, he claims henever experiences noiseproblems with Bendix Heavy Duty."There are competitor brandson the market that produce a decentpad, but the big problem with these isbraking efficiency and noise. Whenyou have a new or new-ish car comein, you want to have it go out braking justas well as it did when it came in. Cheaper padscan't achieve this and you end up with customercomplaints,” he explained.Apex Auto Service Centre carries out allmechanical repairs and servicing. Mr Wood hasbuilt his thriving business through the provisionof a quality service combined with valuablecustomer loyalty. Bendix Heavy Duty help him tocontinue achieving customer satisfaction and theresulting business success.Bendix Heavy Duty brake pads are ideal forall sorts of load carrying situations. Whether it'sthe challenges of city driving, the hard grind ofconstruction sites, braking under load or thedemands of constant hard-braking, BendixHeavy Duty pads deliver cool braking and a longlifespan.For more information visit www.bendix.com.au,call 1800 819 666 or e-mailbrakeadvicecentre@bendix.com.auAU T O M O T I V E A F T E R M A R K E T M AG A Z I N E M A RCH 2 0 0 9 19