Justly Saying No
For the past two years, Tire Review has brought you Dealer Diary, a monthly series that focuses on typical tire dealers and the ins and outs of their business.
Dave Schardt, president of The Wheel Source in Dayton, Ohio, has made custom wheels his primary focus through both a retail store in Dayton and wholesale operations around the country. Tires are still a big part of The Wheel Source’s business, but they specialize in custom wheels and other performance products.
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Diary Profile |
Schardt Schools Customers On the Track and In the Bay
Last month we talked with Barry Steinberg, owner of Direct Tire and Auto Service in the Boston area, about selling safety to customers. It’s become a big issue and many dealers are deluged with customer safety inquires.
While safety has become a critical thing to almost every customer buying almost every type of tire, for a performance shop such as The Wheel Source, safety is a bigger issue.
Every day Schardt sees cars that are designed to be driven, created to be pushed the edge. Porsches, Acura NSXs, Corvettes, all of these – plus all the modified and enhanced vehicles that come in on a regular basis. Safety is a chief concern, especially when a customer wants a car modified to do something it wasn’t originally intended to do.
Naturally, The Wheel Source is passing out safety tips all the time. Things that customers might not know but need to, and occasionally things the customer already knows, but needs to be reminded of.
"As far as safety tips for sports cars and the sorts, we try to educate our customer on the effects of tire pressures and maintenance – especially brakes and suspension," Schardt said. "Also, twice a year I put on a driving school over in Indiana on an 11-corner race track. The school gives our customers a chance to really experience their high performance cars like they were meant to be experienced – in a controlled environment with instructors in their cars."
His driving school brings safety to the fore, as everyone’s car has to pass a 25-point safety inspection before they can attend. Everything from pads to rotors to fluid to tires – anything that can wear under hard use – is given a good once-over.
"We tend to get some service work prior to the event due to these inspections," Schardt said. "Students are also required to wear an approved racing helmet. It has become a very popular event and we typically sell out the 65 to 75 spots very early."
But not everyone can attend Schardt’s driving school and learn about tire and vehicle safety firsthand. It’s up to him and his team to pass along safety information to most of their customers at the shop. And with all their concerns, what does he tell consumers?
"The Ford/Firestone situation has obviously made people much more safety conscious. In order to quell such fears, we let them know that a lot of these situations could have been avoided by keeping adequate air pressure in the tires and not overloading the tires," Schardt said. "We explain the load rating numbers on the tires and sell them a tire with at least the same load rating or greater.
"We also make sure they know what to keep their tire pressures at, and offer to check it for them at any time for free. When we do a plus application, we add two pounds of air for every inch we go up to give the lower profile tire a little more support. We also try not to put a package on the car that would increase the tire diameter by more than 3%."
Trying to not add anything to the vehicle that it can’t handle raises a bit of a dilemma. There are times when a customer asks for something that a dealer just can’t – or shouldn’t, or won’t – do. It’s up to the dealer to inform the customer about what can and can’t be done – legally or otherwise – and go from there. If a customer still wants something done that’s unsafe or illegal, the dealer should refuse the business.
"As far as turning down work, it has become almost a daily thing," Schardt said. "Some of the things customers want us to do are unbelievable. It seems to be combination of a lack of knowledge and a desire to spend the least amount of money possible.
"Some of the jobs we’ve turn down include installing parts we didn’t sell, removing catalytic converters, and cutting springs to lower vehicles. We’re just not going to do that."
Many times, a customer who asks for a modification that will leave the vehicle unsafe doesn’t have a lot of experience. The customer is simply ill-equipped and doesn’t know what they are asking for. It’s the dealer’s responsibility to explain why things are the way they are.
"As far as dealing with a customer that has never priced a high-line tire, we first determine their needs and then try to explain the benefits of the tire – that it has better traction, more stability, better mileage – and even, in some cases, guarantee they will like the tire," Schardt said. "We guarantee the tires by letting them try them out and giving them the option to exchange them within 300 miles if they don’t like them. Occasionally someone returns the tires, but it’s very rare."
Even though Schardt does refuse work that would render a vehicle unsafe, he realizes that he has to take responsibility for those things his business does do. Even if the modifications made to a car are perfectly safe, The Wheel Source could be held accountable in the event that a customer is injured in an accident.
"We currently have no disclaimer that limits our responsibility. However, it has been a much talked about subject, and we realize that in this day and age it is something we must implement," Schardt said.
Safety is always at the forefront of Schardt’s mind, as he is an avid racer. Getting into racing 14 years ago, he’s been doing it professionally for the last five. Schardt races a Porsche GT3 on the Speedvision World Challenge circuit. The 10 to 12 events per year take him all across the country and into Canada. It’s in these races where he realizes the importance of safety.
"I’m very safety oriented because I’ve seen a lot of crashes and also had my fair share, so I know what damage can occur," Schardt said. "In that realm, I never skimp on safety equipment like roll bars, fire systems, seat belts and the sort.
"It doesn’t make sense to invest all your money in go-fast parts, and then skimp on the safety items."
