Nailed it: A Lesson in Culture and Customer Loyalty
Photo by Frank Albrecht | Unsplash
How a damaged tire built trust in a brand
It was 3 pm, a few days before the start of the holiday season. I jumped in the car to knock off a few items on my to-do list before the late-day traffic got too crazy.
A few miles into my errand running, I heard a rhythmic sound coming from one side of my car. It didn't go away, no matter the speed I drove. Puzzled, I pulled into a parking lot to look at my tires. Everything seemed fine. I knelt on the asphalt to look under the car, but there was still no sign of the cause of the pulsing noise.
I pulled my car a few feet forward and had a second look. There it was – a large hex screw with a washer attached, embedded in my front left tire as though someone had precisely driven it between the tread.
A damaged tire and a six-hour road trip ahead
With a six-hour road trip just days away, I frantically called my local Discount Tire shop in Charlotte. A pleasant voice on the other end of the phone said that if I could get the car in before 4 pm, they could fix it for me today.
Arriving at the store, I noticed a half-dozen people waiting for tire repairs or replacements. Assistant manager, Chris Schwan, told me they would get the car into a bay and have a closer look, cautioning me that if the screw were too close to the side wall of the tire, it would have to be replaced for safety reasons.
Surprise and relief
While anxiously awaiting the diagnosis, I watched technicians parade out of the service bays, call customers by name, and tell them their cars were ready. Five of the six waiting customers received the same news – "We were able to repair the tire for you. No charge."
The news was consistently met with surprise and relief. Customer after customer was given their key and, in disbelief, thanked the technicians for the free repair.
I was up next. I heard my name called out from across the waiting room. A mustached Gen Zer met me mid-floor with a smile on his face. "Your car is all set. The tire has been repaired. No charge."
Like the others before me, I thanked him with a punctuation of surprise in my voice. Taking my key, I wished him a happy holiday and began to walk out to my car.
Giving it away to build trust
I stopped before reaching the shop door and turned back to see Chris Schwan standing behind the service desk. I called out to him, "I have a question for you." He looked up from his computer. "I watched as five customers ahead of me received repairs at no charge, just like mine. Why do you do this?"
Without hesitation, Chris replied, "We want to get you back on the road as safely and quickly as possible." I continued, "Yes, but you're not making any money on the repairs."
Then it dawned on me. With a knowing nod, I said, "You're building trust with your customers. They'll choose to come back here when they need new tires."
Six guiding principles
Since 1960, Discount Tire has operated on its late founder, Bruce T. Halle's, six guiding principles:
treat people with respect and fairness
care for those in need
always do what is right
work hard
be responsible
have fun
The power of unexpected experiences
According to the Discount Tire website, "Through honesty, service, and a willingness to pay it forward, we provide unexpected experiences that delight our customers and keep them coming back for more."
Unexpected experiences. I witnessed five of them in that store before receiving one of my own. Employees can deliver unexpected moments to customers when a strong culture is defined, and the guiding principles are clear – and lived.
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Learn more about the Discount Tire culture here.
