“Necessity is the mother of invention.” This well-known English proverb speaks to the power of innovation when the need for creative solutions arises — either to overcome a difficult situation or as a means to turn circumstances into a positive state or bring them to a productive level.

This came to mind while watching the morning news earlier this month. A local (Cleveland) restaurant owner, who had seen several other news stories about customers’ packages being stolen by “porch pirates,” decided to help out during the high-volume, upcoming holiday season. He told his customers, who were placing online orders, that they could have them delivered to his restaurant — and that he would store them until they were notified that they were ready to be picked up.

With an intention to “make a difference,” some may say the restaurant owner is selfishly taking advantage of a looming [nationwide] issue that could provide additional revenue for his business from patrons who will decide to stay for a drink, apps or dinner. But the well-intentioned gesture goes deeper than that. It showcases his desire to better serve his customers — at a higher level — and something that should resonate with them about the quality of service they can expect to receive at his restaurant.

Hopefully, this example will get you thinking about creative ways to better serve your customers. Whether the gesture is big or small, think outside the box about how to set your dealership apart from the competition, build your customers’ trust and cement their lasting loyalty to your business.

Because first impressions run deep in attracting and keeping customers, consider the overall impression your customers get as they enter your business, and take steps to ensure that the entire tire and service experience is positive, from start to finish. Make “winning over” customers a priority for your dealership in 2020 and give them compelling reasons to return for all of their tire replacement and vehicle service needs.

Newsmakers

Don’t miss our special section, beginning on page 16 of this issue, on industry Newsmakers — companies that have made headlines in the past year with tire-related news that you won’t want to miss! A must-read if you want to learn about emerging technology, new plant openings and tire manufacturer product launches and dealer-focused initiatives for 2020 that will give you more ways to boost your dealership’s profitability.

Check out the rest of the December digital edition of Tire Review here.