October, 2011 Archives - Tire Review Magazine
The Debate: Is The Customer Always and All Ways Right?

[Editor’s Note: The following was an unintentional exchange between publisher and reader that occurred earlier this year in issues of Tire Review‘s sister magazine BodyShop Business. Editor Jason Stahl wrote his editorial "A Customer’s View" in the July 2011 issue of the magazine, which elicited the "The Customer Is NOT Always Right" Letter-to-the-Editor response in

Is There Help for the ‘Accidental Performance Buyer?’

Accidental performance buyers almost always identify themselves, especially by the time they get to the tire store. Accidental performance buyers will complain about the performance of their all-wheel-drive sports car in the snow. They’ll moan about the rough ride of their 22-inch-wheel-shod vehicle. They’ll complain about bent wheels, and wonder why their tire blew out,

2011 Top Shop Winner: Virginia Tire & Auto

“I never had a question in my mind about letting Mike into the business,” Boncarosky says of his son-in-law. “He wanted that and I knew he had some great ideas and skills. He and Julie have a lot of instincts, enthusiasm and abilities and they have done many impressive things.” While Virginia Tire & Auto

2011 Top Shop Finalist: Hay Tire Co.

The day that Henry Hay was criticized for being “too damned honest to be in the retail tire business” was the day he made one of the best decisions of his life. “I was operating a tire store as a minority stockholder,” recalls the elder co-owner of the Charleston, S.C.-based father-and-son dealership, Hay Tire Pros.

2011 Top Shop Finalist: Family Tire & Auto Service

  Family Tire & Auto Service has been in business in eastern North Carolina scarcely more than six years, but more than deserves its new title of 2011 Tire Review Top Shop Award Finalist due to continued growth and profitability, coupled with its strong commitment to the communities it serves. David Bucher, 42, is president

2011 Top Shop Finalist: Tate Boys Tire & Service

One co-owner is a retired professional baseball player for the San Francisco Giants. The other played college football for the University of Tulsa. And the chief financial officer was on Brigham Young University’s football team. It comes as no surprise, then, that Tate Boys Tire and Service runs like a winning sports franchise, from the

Past Top Shop Winners and Judging

To read profiles of this year’s winners, click here. For articles on past winners, click here. 2007 WinnerGatto’s Tires & Auto ServiceMelborne, Fla.gattos.com FinalistsCommunity Tire & Auto ServicePhoenixcommunitytireaz.com Chapel Hill Tire Car Care CenterChapel Hill, N.C.chapelhilltire.com Redwood General TireRedwood City, Calif.redwoodgeneral.com 2008 WinnerAtlantic Tire & ServiceCary, N.C.atlantictireonline.com FinalistsLex Brodie’s Tire, Wheel & BrakeHonolululexbrodies.com Direct Tire

With Economic Rebound, Off-Road Light Truck Tire Sales Begin to Climb

Tire manufacturers agree that the off-road light truck tire segment was hit particularly hard during the recession – after all, what enthusiasts could afford extra sets of tires and related accessories for hobby vehicles, while fuel prices for their every day rides skyrocketed and household budgets became stretched? But after a strong 2011 and with

Understanding – and Coaching Fleets – About Tires and Inflation Pressure

Commercial tire dealers need to understand the issues associated with the variations and fluctuations in tire pressure based on the many variables that affect tires on a day-to-day basis. Trucking fleets typically get caught up in why there are tire pressure variations during routine inspections – and it’s up to dealers to offer simple explanations.

Put in Extra Effort to Servicing the Farm Tire Market

When I was a tire manufacturer representative in the 1990s, I was talking to a dealer who for 20 minutes told me how he hated selling to farmers. The farmers complained too much about the price of tires, he said, they didn’t want to pay for service, they paid late, they wanted 24-hour field service

Product Spotlight: Tire Changers

One of the most important pieces of equipment in any tire shop, the tire changer can be a simple, welded steel-tube device to raise a tire and wheel to comfortable work height up to a nearly fully automated tire-changing robot. There are many features to consider: roller or shovel-type bead separators, integrated tire inflation systems,

Debunking Tire Inflation Myths Keeps Drivers Safe, Fuel-Efficient

When it comes to tire inflation pressure maintenance, there are three categories of consumers. The first group includes the ones you see driving down the road with underinflated tires. They don’t regularly check their tires or even think about what’s keeping their cars rolling down the road. Unfortun-ately, they account for a large portion of