• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Forum
  • Design Studio
  • Upholstery Jobs
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsors

The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Don’t Just Sell Repairs, Sell Comfort Too

October 24, 2011 By Nadeem Muaddi 2 Comments

While the rest of the world may not take men with ponytails seriously, Buick does. Which is why its 2012 Verano sedan features headrests that provide comfort and support for drivers who rock the dated look.

Useful? My hair is too short to tell. Quirky? Definitely. But it’s no gimmick. Buick says that it invested 1,000 hours into developing new headrests and seats because customers are increasingly prioritizing comfort over aesthetic design.

…a bit of information that, if used correctly, can help us grow our auto trim businesses.

The Art and Science of Comfortable Seats

According to Brian Schell, Verano program engineering manager: “Developing comfortable seats is both an art and a science. Knowing how to translate a physiological impression into tangible design elements is the art, and knowing how to execute the design is the science.”

At face value, Buick’s artistic accomplishments are easy to recognize – modern aesthetics combined with premium materials and quality craftsmanship. However, the art that Schell refers to is finding that perfect balance of form and function.

To do this, Buick employed large men and small women to sit in its seats for minutes to hours and provide feedback to design engineers on their experiences. With that feedback, engineers worked with industrial and interior designers to develop good looking seats with contours that wouldn’t compromise occupants’ postural comfort.

How? It used support foam and plush padding in all the right places. Plus it picked up on all those odd, little complaints that drivers had and came up with viable solutions – like headrests that make driving with a ponytail or up-do more comfortable.

How is this relevant to auto trimmers?

Of course, most independent auto trim shops don’t have the resources to invest in the science of ergonomics. But being aware that these sorts of things are influencing customers’ purchase decisions is still valuable – as it can help shape the types of products and services we offer, as well as our sales pitches.

For instance, I’m now more likely to inquire about a customer’s seating comfort – even if he just dropped by for an estimate on a convertible top.

Why? Because if he mentions lower back pain, I may be able to sell him on adding more support foam to the lower seat back. If he mentions that he’s too short to see past the hood, I can suggest padding the base. Even if he cracks a joke about his butt falling asleep after clocking so many hours on the road, I can recommend installing a gel pad under the fabric.

Based on Buick’s research about what drivers want, I know that many customers are likely to take me up on the offer.

The point is, it’s time to start selling customers on comfort, not just repairs and custom designs. If that means that I have to tweak my sign and advertisements to let customers know that I also sculpt foam and pad seats – fine.

Advertising the fact that I can make drivers’ seats more comfortable opens my business up to a whole new audience of potential customers – one’s who otherwise wouldn’t come to me unless their seats were torn, cracked or faded.

Now they don’t have to wait and neither do I.

Filed Under: Archive, Better Business, Interesting Read Tagged With: 2012 Buick Verano, Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Car Interior

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Naseem Muaddi says

    October 24, 2011 at 11:56 pm

    My shop is bombarded with customers who complain about their car’s uncomfortable seats. I can usually solve the problem by adding or removing foam. Although, 9 times out of 10 it’s usually an easy fix I still let them know ahead of time that I’m an upholstery man not a chiropractor and no matter what I do your seat will never be as comfortable as the recliner in your living room.

    Reply
    • Nadeem says

      October 26, 2011 at 10:01 am

      Good point.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

THR Sponsors

NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation RIght Rail - Ad 2
Top Down Group
Apex Leather
  • Keyston Bros
  • Albright's Supply
  • GAHH Automotive
  • Douglass Interior Products
  • Hyde Leather
  • Moore & Giles Ad 1
  • Premium Auto Fabrics
  • MasterTech Expo Ad 2

THR Favorites

The Hog Ring - Sewing Machine Troubleshooting Guide

Sewing Machine Troubleshooting Guide

There's nothing more annoying than sitting … [more] about Sewing Machine Troubleshooting Guide

5 Celebrities Who Can Upholster

Great upholsterers are creative free … [more] about 5 Celebrities Who Can Upholster

10 Questions for Trimmer Jay Teske

You may have heard the name, but you’ve … [more] about 10 Questions for Trimmer Jay Teske

The Hog Ring - Meet Cameron Hayward of North Coast Custom Trim

Meet Cameron Hayward of North Coast Custom Trim

Cameron Hayward honed his skills in … [more] about Meet Cameron Hayward of North Coast Custom Trim

How to Hand Stitch a Steering Wheel Cover

Interested in learning how to hand stitch a … [more] about How to Hand Stitch a Steering Wheel Cover

10 Tools Your Shop Shouldn’t Skimp On

Not every tool you own needs to be a Snap-On, … [more] about 10 Tools Your Shop Shouldn’t Skimp On

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • WyoTech is Launching a Hall of Fame
  • Premium Auto Fabrics is Giving Away Hog Ring T-Shirts!
  • Classic Upholstery Won Big at the Rick Ross Car Show
  • Moore & Giles Sponsors The Hog Ring!
  • Trimmer Vincent Robert Mikla Dies at 70

Recent Comments

  • papa's pizzeria on Premium Auto Fabrics is Giving Away Hog Ring T-Shirts!
  • A on Leaked: Nissan ‘Do Not Resew’ Policy
  • Karen Newberne on Photo: Lambretta Sidecar Convertible Top
  • Karen Newberne on Photo: Lambretta Sidecar Convertible Top
  • Ron on Auto Upholstery Forum Connects Shops

Advertise With Us!

We're always looking for companies to collaborate with. Watch this short video about the benefits of sponsorship and then email us to say hi.
anal porno bangbros rus porno yaşlı porno konulu porno olgun porno porno izle sarışın porno bakire sex 69 porno

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in