Guy Reams (00:01.389)
This is day 331, my lunch with discount tire. Today I spent my lunch hour with my friendly neighborhood America's tire friend. Much like Spider-Man, he wears red and black and he is just as affable as imagine Peter Parker would be. I was there to take advantage of one of their customer perks, lifetime repair. My only complaint has always been access to this perk. They are busy, so when you need this, it's never quick.
Bring some work to do or perhaps a good book. This is a no-frills experience. They do have a restroom and I noticed that they now have chairs with cushions, which is a plus. If you want a snack, well, bring your own. A few new additions were in the waiting area today. They installed monitors that actually face the customers. So instead of the old method of flipping the screen toward you to show you the price, they can now show it right to you. However, I noticed their salespeople do not like that.
They still love to stand shoulder to shoulder with you as you consult together on which option to choose. The other addition is a large poster of Bruce T. Hall with his saying, be honest, work hard, have fun, be grateful, pay it forward. In 2019, I had the opportunity to meet the executive team of Discount Tire at their Scottsdale, Arizona offices.
was the year I think after Mr. Hall had passed away and there was a modernization effort going on underway. I had very little involvement in what they had going on, but after spending time with them and visiting a few stores, I was quite impressed. You see, Mr. Hall had installed a customer first mindset that was everywhere in the business. Additionally, he started in Michigan. He sold a couple of tires he'd acquired on the roadside. And as of today, the focus has not changed. They sell tires.
It's not that complicated and they don't make it complicated. Tires are their business and it's quite clear that is what they focus on. Even though the younger generation had convinced the company to finally invest in new systems, the mindset about putting the customer first remained. To be honest, I've been in many meetings in large companies where discussions about modernizing systems has come up. These types of projects are incredibly expensive and take massive capital to pull off.
Guy Reams (02:26.37)
There is the temptation to cut corners, to change how they do business, and after their approach, and alter their approach to the customer, that's always present. In my brief experience in this office, that was not an option at all. If the choice was to upgrade to a new system and change the focus on the customer, they would stick with the ancient system that had served them well.
I can see in the discussions that the customer first mindset worked its way into every conversation. Even as I sit here writing this blog, I'm getting annoyed that it's taking so long and I'm probably going to be late for a call that I adjust that I needed to have a 230. So I complained to one of the technicians walking past me. Now, normally a technician would just blow you off. That's not his job. That's not his department. However, in this case, Peter,
I wonder if his name was a coincidence. Well, he immediately dropped what he was doing, ran into the garage, made a decision to push my vehicle up in the queue and took care of it himself. I watched this kid for over an hour before. He is not a manager. He is clearly the bottom of the food chain at this tire store. However, he felt empowered to take care of a customer. I see his manager. saw his manager approach him and they were both looking at me.
The manager was nodding his head and Peter got back to work, putting the repaired tire back on. Peter had made the decision on his own to put the customer first and no one objected. In fact, from what I can tell, the manager was pleased with that outcome because he walked right over to me as I was typing. Yep, sure enough, he told me that the car would be ready in five minutes. And hopefully that would be enough time for me to make my call.
Of course it was not, I was late, but at least they tried. I feel slightly better about waiting an hour to get my flat tire fixed. However, you know what? I am coming back. I will be back again the next time I buy tires. The reason? When I come back, they will have my tire history up and running, and they will have made a note about this experience today, and they will remember it. I was in a meeting where this behavior was being designed into their workflow.
Guy Reams (04:50.382)
They were so passionate about customer service that they actually thought of these things. They knew it would be hard to provide their lifetime repair service at no charge, but they wanted to stick to that program. So they understood that access to that service would be difficult. So they built a mechanism into their workflow to help their customers feel better about it. This level of commitment to an ideal is inspiring. It is born out of a passionate commitment, central control, since all these stores are privately owned by the company.
and a singular focus on delivering tires with as much value as they can provide. Honestly, based on my experience, I would not go anywhere else to buy tires. They have indoctrinated a loyal fan. As I got up to leave, my friend Peter had the car already pulled up and the door open, holding the key out for me. My conference call was already playing on the Bluetooth, so he was smart enough not to say anything.
He just gave me the official tire technician salute and I was off and on my way. Peter may not have shot webs out of his fingers, but he did everything he could to get me on that call on time. Later, as I was thinking of a conclusion for what I started writing the lobby of America's tire, who by the way is owned by Discount Tire,
contemplated what I had learned today. Looking down at the piece of paper the technician had handed me, I noticed underneath the zero dollar service charge there was a phrase that said, we sell more than tires. I thought about that, I think they will sell you some accessories per chance and perhaps an alignment service or something like that. However, I only saw tires being sold, not even extended warranties were being offered.
I thought again, maybe that is not what the phrase meant. Maybe they are selling a relationship or an experience or something to that effect. Regardless, the passion a company can have when directed at a noble aim is worth consideration. Mr. Hall left the legacy behind. There is no doubt. He was a hardworking, fair man who had a passion for helping people. When he put customers first, I think he really meant it.
Guy Reams (07:05.07)
This was good inspiration for a Friday afternoon spent dealing with the flat tire on the side of the