Preventive maintenance has long been a sensitive issue with vehicle owners because many of them feel like the recommended services outlined in their owner's manual are unnecessary, especially if their vehicle "seems" to be running well.

But is their vehicle performing as well as it could be? Are they getting the best gas mileage? Are they making an investment in their vehicle for the long term?

The answer to all of these questions is likely "no." So, how do you keep your customers' best interests in mind, maintain their vehicles at peak-performance levels, help them get the biggest return on their investment and keep their vehicles running safely?

With the goal of providing you with ideas to effectively recommend preventive maintenance services to your customers, Babcox Research asked a sample of shop owner readers for their ideas on this topic. We received dozens of great responses, so thank you to those of you who responded.

10 Ideas to Improve Preventive Maintenance Sales

Use an educational approach, rather than a sales pitch, to teach your customers how preventive maintenance can extend the life of their vehicle, improve performance and use less gas.
Hold car care seminars to educate your customers, and empower them to make informed, good decisions about their vehicles' upkeep.
Offer vehicle maintenance educational brochures in your customer waiting area. (Go to www.carcare.org to obta...