Reflecting on Four Years’ Worth of ‘Top Shops’
Perhaps you’re surprised to see my face on this page instead of Editor Jim Smith’s. Well, you should be. It doesn’t happen often, but now and then I like to resurface in the pages of the magazine and offer a few pearls of wisdom. Also, I like to see if I still have it in
Use This Letter for All of Your Customers – If You Can Live Up to It!
safety, and surely none can claim the level of expertise that this store and its staff holds. Why? Simply put:This store is focused completely on tires and service, and nothing else. Ask yourself this:Do Iwant to purchase something this important to my well-being, and that of my family, from a place that doesn’t even specialize
Go Ahead and Wear It Out, It’s Your Issue
The stylized thumbprint on the stark front cover of this issue may seem an odd choice. But I can assure you the graphic selection was purely intentional. We could have gone a more traditional route with an altered photo or with cool icons as we have in past years. Perhaps a hand-drawn interpretation of the
Sell Used Tires If You Must, Just Know What You Don’t Know
I have never been a fan of dealers selling used tires. You’re not in the garage business, after all, and selling used only diminishes the value of the new products you rely on for long-term profitability. But I get it. Certain consumers can only do so much – especially now. A “good” used tire may
Will Tire Case Toll the Final End to Personal Responsibility?
Product liability lawsuits are nothing new. Dozens of tire-related ones are floating through our court system today. Many will be settled before they reach a courtroom, the details sealed for all time. Others will pass through without mention. And some will attract a ton of attention. A ton or two. Heart-crushing stories of tragic deaths
Need to Educate, Persuade Customers
Would you remove safety items from a vehicle because the customer requests it? I know this question seems ridiculous; of course you wouldn’t. This would not only be harmful to the customer and any of their passengers, but would also affect unsuspecting future owners who will be impacted by a decision they did not make.
Does Sharp Fall in Buying Intent Signal the End of the Car Culture?
On the face of it, seven years doesn’t seem like much. Ask any parent. Seven years is the difference between bringing a newborn home and watching him or her get on a school bus. That time goes by in the blink of an eye.Seven years, though, is a marketer’s dream. The highly prized 18-24-year-old demographic
State Exec Calls for GTE Support
Thank you for your editorial (First Off, April 2010) regarding the reinvigoration of our tire industry’s presence with the Global Tire Expo in the annual Las Vegas Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week. I hope readers take note of your most important point: Profits from a TIA-owned show are “reinvested back to benefit the tire industry through
Association Chief Lauds TR Support
On behalf of the Tire Industry Association (TIA), I want to thank you for your recent editorial (First Off, April 2010) concerning the Global Tire Expo Powered by TIA. It’s exactly through support like yours that we can continue our work of representing and protecting the interests of our members and the tire industry as
Content is King: We’re Delivering Every Possible Flavor
At a recent seminar on digital media, one of the panel experts uttered this phrase: “It’s the content, stupid.” That brusque Clintonesque sound bite was meant to rattle. Until that point, the room was fixated on delivery methods. The panelist’s sharp comment snapped everyone’s attention back to the most important element of any publication –
Letter to the Editor: Littlefield Appreciates GTE Coverage
Dear Editor: On behalf of the Tire Industry Association (TIA), I want to thank you for your recent editorial concerning the Global Tire Expo Powered by TIA (Tire Review, April 2010). It’s exactly through support like yours that we can continue our work of representing and protecting the interests of our members and the tire
TIA Steps Up With GTE, Now Industry Needs to Get on Board
There is no "I" in "team." If we’ve heard that golden adage once, we’ve heard it a gazillion times. But there is an "I" in "Integrity." And in "Industry." And especially in "Unity." In late March, after five months of meetings, research, discussions and planning, TIA and SEMA took the wraps off of an all-new,