Healthy air

22 October 2007  

Manager Martin Jones (pictured right) and sales manager Steve Jarnet say garages can take advantage of the rise in awareness of health issues and allergies by offering to change the filters.

“If you’re an allergy sufferer or you get a lot of pollen coming into the car you might benefit from a new filter,” said Steve.

The move to push sales of cabin air filters in the UK is part of a plan to replicate the success of the company’s campaign in France. A picture of two children sleeping peacefully in the back of a car was used to raise awareness of the benefits of clean air inside vehicles and proved big business in countless garages.

Corteco, which distributes its products through FPS, has launched a range of promotional material for garages to raise awareness among customers.

“If you’re standing in traffic you can really notice the taste and smell of fumes coming into the cabin. Selling customers an activated-carbon filter will tackle the problem of unpleasant smells,” he added.

“A lot of drivers don’t even realise they have a cabin air filter or that they need it changed. If you don’t have the filter changed you won’t get a drop in performance,” said Steve. “You might just get a misting up on the windows. That’s a tell-tale sign the filter might need replacing.

“There’s a perception that cabin air filters take a long time to fit,” continued Steve. “But the average fitting time is between 10 to 20 minutes.”

“It’s almost become a fast-fit opportunity. You don’t need a ramp or any special kit so it’s a great extra profit opportunity,” he added.