Four main areas of tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) service were covered during the Tire Industry Association’s (TIA) “TPMS at 10 - TPMS Best Practices, A Town Hall Meeting” moderated by Sean MacKinnon, TIA’s director of automotive training development.
Panelists for the session included speakers from 31 Inc., ATEQ, Bartec USA, Continental, Dill, Pacific, Schrader, Tiremetrix, and TRW. The event is part of TIA’s educational sessions for the Global Tire Expo – Powered by TIA, which is a part of the 2012 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, Nev.
MacKinnon explained the four service areas that are recommended best practices for TPMS. They include servicing the customer before the sale, during the sale, during vehicle service and after the sale. Before the sale, customer training and education is a best practice, and to achieve that, service technicians must be up to date on their own training.
“If you take a training class, what you learn is ‘use it or lose it,’” says Bartec USA CEO Scot Holloway. “Don’t come back to the shop and put the tool away. Practice with it. Learn to perform a pre-service inspection.”
During the sale it is important for technicians to educate customers as to why TPMS is important. Techs need to explain the benefits and the importance of component replacement.
“It starts in the parking lot,” says John Rice, marketing manager with 31 Inc. “Walk out with the customer to their car and check the sensors with them before it even goes into the shop.”
MacKinnon also explained that after the sale, repairers need to verify the system is functioning properly, and to let the consumer know what to expect.
“Tell them what happens when that light comes on. Keep the consumer coming back to you.”
