Your guide for reducing comebacks, boosting ticket value and improving performance.

As the industry continues to shift toward comprehensive system solutions, kits remain a hot topic. Rather than selling individual components, more companies are offering integrated repair kits, such as drive system kits, which focus on the whole system and promote all components being changed together. 

Here’s five questions we get asked at Dayco related to kit education, reliability, sales and demand. 

How do I encourage technicians to replace the full system, not just the belt or chain without pushback? 

Using a kit reduces comebacks and signals a complete repair job – plus increases the average order value with parts matched for the vehicle. That’s a win-win. Dayco’s timing belt water pump kit, for example, is an all-in-one solution with a 125,000 mile warranty. Designed to replace all worn timing components, this kit saves on labor, ensures long-lasting engine performance and simplifies ordering. 

Do kits reduce comebacks and warranty claims? 

On an accessory drive system, a worn tensioner or pulley will cause a new belt to slip or glaze and eventually lead to premature failure. A systems approach is a best practice for improving vehicle performance and customer satisfaction, especially because kits are all-inclusive application-specific solutions. Plus, warranty data shows that replacing the full system can cut premature failures by up to 30%.

How do kits increase my average order value? 

The below chart helps outline the potential revenue opportunity for serpentine belt kit maintenance. If a shop sees 50 vehicles per week, data suggests at least 20% need a new belt. If five of the 20 agree to system replacement, that is an $8k+ increase in revenue a month. 

How do I know which SKUs to stock to cover the most vehicles in my market?

Dayco’s inventory assessment tool, AutoPartIQ, evaluates Dayco’s entire light vehicle product portfolio in Canada against national, regional and hyper-targeted VIO data for all 35 census metropolitan areas. It will identify which timing chain kits, timing belt kits and serpentine belt kits will provide the quickest turns. 

What are the main ways kits help simplify inventory management?

Kits streamline inventory significantly. In the case of a timing chain repair, separate SKUs would be needed for chains, tensioners, guides, cam and crank sprockets, which requires more time, money and shelf space, whereas a Dayco timing chain kit includes all components the application calls for in one box, plus has a link to thorough installation instructions.  

At the core, kits are a great way to simplify inventory, increase ticket size, reduce headaches and support your customers quickly and effectively. For more on kits, log on to dayco.com.