Can't Always Tell By Looking (1970s)

Beautiful day, Joe. Looks like a winner. Always good to see Mr. Edwards. He's been a steady ever since you opened 2 years ago. [Music] in every week like clockwork has his car tuned and serviced by the book. If you had a hundred like him. Uh-huh. What's this? Disloyal? Not really, Joe. Mr. Edward's car wouldn't start while he was on vacation last week. His battery failed. Bad luck for Mr. Edwards. And for you, Joe. Mr. Edwards was inconvenienced and you lost a profitable battery sale. Think about it, Joe. Many of the batteries you've sold this year were strictly emergency sales. And a lot of your steady customers, like Mr. Edwards, had emergencies, too, and bought their replacement from the nearest source. With a little careful battery service, you could have had a satisfied customer and a profitable sale. Sure, Joe. You always check the battery and add water when necessary, and that's important. But you can't tell by peeking in the holes what's happening inside. That battery may be the victim of overcharging or sulfation. Those hidden sicknesses that most often lead to battery failure. But from the outside, it's pretty difficult to spot the illness. The Atlas battery load tester is designed to show you the internal condition of the battery as well as the state of charge. [Music] The load test on this battery shows the condition good and the state of charge. Okay. [Music] [Music] A load test on its twin shows this battery is shot, worn out. This could be Mr. Edward's battery. Joe, if we were to tear this old battery apart and examine the plates, we'd find much of the active material of the positive plates washed away and the grid mesh weakened. This battery is the victim of heat and overcharge, which accounts for most battery failures. Damage of this type accumulates over a period of time, and a load test will indicate when the battery should be replaced. The odds are, Joe, Mr. Edward's battery failed from overcharge or sulfation. It doesn't really matter which one. His battery failed and you missed the sale. Sure. It looked okay, but looks can't tell everything. The only answer to a satisfied customer and sales for you is regular battery testing. While it's not practical to test every battery, keep alert for these obvious situations that spell battery trouble. Remember the times a car wouldn't start after it was shut off for a few minutes at the pump island? A test on these hot stall victims often reveals a worn out or undersized battery. or the times you've sweated it out with your customer as his car barely cranked into life. A test of his battery would probably have indicated a need for replacement. Here's a live one, Joe. And battery sales opportunity number three. A three-year-old car with its original battery. This one even looks bad. Heavy corrosion, worn cables. Tests show that one out of three batteries that look bad are bad. Advise this customer that the average battery life is about 3 years and that his may well fail when the weather gets cold or damp. [Music] A test with your Atlas battery tester is a quick and simple operation. It takes just about as long as it does to add water. [Music] If possible, show your customer the test as you conduct it. The easyto read meter face makes it a natural. If you can't, be sure and tell him when he picks up his car that you tested his battery. Even if it's okay, it will establish in his mind that you are servicing his battery. And when the time comes for replacement, the chances are good he'll buy his new battery from you. He'll believe you when one day you deliver the news that his battery needs replacement and will be more apt to say, "Put in a new one." And you'll help him and yourself by always keeping a stock of your fastest movers charged and ready for installation. and Joe, be sure and sell your customers the battery that has the electrical capacity to do the job expected, regardless of how long they intend to keep the car. The savings they realize with a purchase of the economy battery may actually represent the price of future battery troubles. Hey, Joe, stop him for a minute. Is he really prepared to service that emergency call? Sure, he'll get the car started, and you'll hope that the customer will follow him back for a thorough check, but the odds are he'll nurse that Remember, you can't tell everything by looking. Keep your customers happy by following a program of test, tell, service, sell. That's right, Joe. Test. Test batteries at every opportunity. Tell tell your customers about the results of your test, good or bad. Service. Service batteries and keep alert to sales opportunities. Sell. Sell by asking the motorist to buy. Sell Atlas for satisfied customers and extra profits. [Music]