How To Better Sell Filter Technology
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Filters, from the lowly oil filter to the air filter, are the bread-and- butter of an independent shop. They are the most reliable generator of continued revenues. They are also hard to up-sell. Tires are an easy up-sell opportunity as the benefits of premium, high-quality tires are apparent the first few minutes the vehicle is on the road. For most vehicles owners, however, it is not obvious as to why they must invest in a premium filter when a low-cost, generic filter seems to do the job just fine.
Recent filters technologies and a greater range of filter options from major aftermarket manufacturers have now made this up-sell opportunity easier, while at the same time giving a greater range of options to independents to meet customer needs.
Making the up-sell by focusing on improved filtration technology
During the AAPEX 2009 show in Las Vegas, Bosch announced it was adding to its oil filter lineup a Bosch Premium oil filter. Known already for its popular and well-regarded Purolator line of oil filters, Bosch plans to aim the Bosch Premium filters squarely at drivers looking a premium level of driving performance, according to Remon Nunez, director of filtration with Bosch.
“Its filtration media is based on the exclusive Bosch Filtech technology which utilizes a blend of natural and synthetic fibers to provide OE quality oil filtration and engine wear protection by screening out more harmful contaminates than conventional filters.”
The synthetic blend offers several advantages. Using a cellulose-based media with synthetic fibers makes for a stronger filtration media which can last longer than cellulose-based media alone; and refining the mix between the synthetic and cellulose combination provides manufacturers like Bosch a means of tweaking the performance of the filter’s capabilities to remove contaminates more effectively.
“For example, the Bosch Premium filter is designed to provide extra high-efficiency with good capacity,” Nunez says. “In filter language, ‘efficiency’ means the ability of the filter to trap microscopic contaminates, while ‘capacity’ translates into the amount of dirt and pollutants the filter can hold. Some conventional filters use media that may allow small particles to enter the engine which can shorten engine life. Bosch’s Filtech technology can screen out more contaminates than a conventional filter.”
This move to blended media to improve filtration capabilities in oil filters is seen in the Fram oil filters designed for higher-end vehicles with extended drain intervals. Jay M. Buckley, technical training manager with Honeywell Consumer Products says the company’s Fram Xtended Guard oil filter is able to hold three times as much dirt as a standard oil filter because the media used is blend of full-woven glass double-ply synthetic wrapped around a stainless steel screen.”
The filter is also bigger so it can hold up to 28 grams of dirt which is what is needed for extended drain intervals, Buckley adds.
Much of the drive to improve the filtration media in oil filters has in fact come about because of the way vehicles are being designed with smaller and tighter engine compartments. It is a point that Bruce Coffey, technical expert with Wix Filters, a member of the Affinia Group, makes when commenting on his company’s designs for oil filtration media that take into account not only longer drain intervals but the smaller sizes needed for oil filters to fit into many of today’s vehicles. The filtration media has be blended and designed in such a way to provide maximum dirt and contaminate capturing abilities in such smaller filter casings.
“The size of the typical oil filter has been reduced over the years due to consolidation and less space being available under the hood for the oil filter,” Coffey says. “Smaller oil filters mean there is less filtering media to work with while attempting to improve filter capacity. Therefore, the media must be optimized for capacity while maintaining the necessary efficiency to protect the engine.”
But one thing that has to be remembers is all of the oil filter makers have now made the job of selling the premium-quality easier by also covering all the bases in the filtration market, from what some call entry-level or standard oil filters right on up to the premium brands. Each filter type has different has different filtration capabilities and can be aimed at the different driving habits and needs of vehicles owners.
Selling the air filter
Air filters are often the hardest product to up-sell as most vehicle owners know very little about them and what they exactly do, beyond filtering out particles and debris that can harm an engine. Makers of air filters suggest one way to better sell the such filters is to emphasize how a premium-quality filter will not only trap dust and debris more effectively, but will not restrict the airflow into the engine while capturing that dust and debris.
Tim Martin, vice-president of K&N Engineering Inc., said is for service writers and technicians use a countertop airflow demonstrator right at the service counter. The idea is to have a premium air filter and a generic air filter side-by-side and to then show how the premium air filter does not restrict the air flow as much as a generic one.
“When the customer sees that air flow difference you have an easier time helping that customer see how less restricted air flow can help in engine performance,” Martin adds. “The engine does not have to work as hard to pull air into the engine and the air coming into the engine is denser which means that it can improve the performance of the engine.”
“The important factor with today’s vehicles is providing a consistent air flow pattern through the vehicle’s air induction system” says Wix’s Coffey. “These systems contain a mass air flow sensor that is used to very accurately control delivery of fuel to the engine to obtain the optimal air/fuel mixture. Factors such as pleat spacing or excessive amounts of wetting agent on the filter can yield inaccurate readings from the mass air flow sensor, causing poor engine performance.”
SSGM
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Reference List
Affinia Group/Wix www.wixfilters.com
Bosch www.bosch.com
Honeywell Consumer Products/Fram
K&N Engineering Inc. www.knfilters.com
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