Battery Maintenance Training For Customers Helps One Golf Car Dealer Diminish Battery Returns
After 15 years of selling new and used golf cars, Jim Naughton Sr., owner of Jim’s Cart N Parts in Milton, Wisconsin, sells lots of golf car batteries to power them. What sets this dealership apart, however, is that within the last 10 years the company has seen only one battery come back under warranty. “We have customers that get 10 years out of a single set of batteries in a golf car that we sell,” says Naughton. “The reason is that we set up a mandatory training session where customers learn how to take care of their golf car’s batteries. If they don’t want to attend, we don’t sell them a golf car.”
Jim’s Carts N Parts services a growing population of retirement home owners in the area, who prefer to drive around in electric vehicles. Naughton saw the need to properly train his customers in the methods of maintaining the golf car batteries in the vehicles they sell. “Our success begins with using only U.S. Battery products, which over the years, have provided the best long-term performance for the vehicles we sell,” said Naughton. “We get them from our dealer Northern Battery who also provides us with the service and dedication that meets our requirements. The training we offer is as simple as showing our customers how to check and maintain the electrolyte levels in the batteries, and to ignore all the other advice given to them by family members or their RV buddies. If we show them right from the start how to properly maintain their batteries, they can typically get an average of five to seven-year life spans from a set of U.S. Batteries in their golf cars.”
At age 71, Naughton learned the importance of educating and providing service to their customers from his early experience in the battery business and meeting with U.S. Battery’s founder John Anderson. “He was a ‘matter of fact’ sort of guy,” said Naughton. “We sat around discussing the battery business and how well customers respond when you take interest in their needs and educate them.” Naughton is passing on his experience and sales techniques to his son who also shares in his dad’s beliefs and plans to continue doing business this way. “The customer is coming to us because we’re experts on golf cars, so we also have to be experts on batteries too,” said Naughton Sr.
Regularly checking electrolyte levels, performing an equalization charge, in addition to checking and cleaning battery terminals and connections, are additional methods that can increase battery life. More information can be found on U.S. Battery’s video on proper battery maintenance here. For more information, on U.S. Battery products, visit www.usbattery.com.
