Driving Improvement
Tire Review’s Tire Industry Benchmarking Study – a comprehensive, objective look into the inner workings of a modern tire business – provided quantitative and actionable data for tire dealerships to drive improvement. Driving Improvement is a monthly analysis of those practices that separate Platinum Performer tire dealerships from everyone else. Click a link below to download.
Installation is All in the RIST
A lot of customers think that wheel installation is so easy that a monkey could do it, to which I like to respond by scratching my armpits and jumping up on the counter. Seriously though, wheel installation is never quite as easy as it looks, particularly since doing it wrong carries some serious risks for
The Lexus and the Olive Tree
I’m 27 years old and I’ve never lived in a world without the Internet. I got my first cell phone when I was 12 years old and I joined Facebook back when you had to have a college email address just to sign up. I promptly gave up Facebook in favor of Twitter when my
Soothing the Wild Beast
Basil is not known for blowing his own horn, but when a simple repair degenerates into an overhaul from hell, the soothing tones emanating from the lunchroom let the rest of us know that somebody is undergoing musical therapy. Basil calls it musical yin-yang. “So how long you been playing the clarinet, Basil?” “Yeah,” said
Solid/Live Axle Diagnostics
In 1963, almost every car manufactured in the U.S. had a solid rear axle. There were exceptions like the Corvette and Corvair. Today, pickup trucks and only a few light- to medium-duty SUVs/passenger vehicles still use solid rear axles. It’s not uncommon for a solid rear axle vehicle to go its entire life on one
Wheel Bearings & Wheel Speed Sensors
If you are replacing a wheel bearing on a late-model vehicle, you’ll be dealing with a wheel speed sensor. In the past decade, wheel speed sensors have been moving from differentials, axles and knuckles to inside or on the wheel bearing or hub unit. At this location, the sensors are more accurate and often more
ATV Tires: A Natural, Easy Profit Step for Tire Dealers
Tire dealers stand to gain additional profits from stocking, selling and servicing ATV tires. With a small number of SKUs, a general knowledge of the different ATV segments, and the equipment needed to service small tires, tire dealers are more than capable to address this tire segment and take business away from ATV dealers. In
Burt Brothers
Salt Lake City is a playground for outdoor enthusiasts. The city features a backdrop of picturesque snow-capped ski mountains in the winter, and offers a variety of boating, hiking and off-roading activities during the warmer months. Brothers Wendel and Ron Burt are proud to call Salt Lake City their home. They’re active in the business,
Secret Shopping: A Tire Dealer’s Secret Weapon
Every time someone walks into your shop or calls your dealership they’re judging your business. Are your employees helpful? Polite? Knowledgeable? Are they taking care of the customer’s true needs? Is your store clean and well organized? Or does it look tired, filthy and disheveled? A failing grade from a consumer on any of these
It’s Time to Get Hyper
There’s no doubt that consumers’ online activity has made a massive, lasting impact on marketing strategy. More than 2 billion consumers go online regularly, thanks to exponential growth in connectivity and devices like smartphones and tablets, according to a recent Google study entitled, “Brand Engagement in the Participation Age.” “Consumers have moved from leaning back,
Ever Changing Tech
Tis the season when a person’s fancy turns to holiday cheer and thoughts of really cool Christmas gifts you crave this year. [Editor’s Note: You are likely reading this post-Christmas 2014 – perhaps a few days into 2015 – but it was Cyber Monday when I wrote this column. When you work on a monthly
Top 10 Goal Spurs Nexen Growth
The Heung-A Tire Co. was established in 1942 in what is now South Korea, and became that country’s very first tire manufacturer. The name today is Nexen Tire Corp., a Korean derivative of “next” and “century,” which constantly points the company in one direction – forward. With a marked goal of becoming a global Top
